It was a passing of the torch moment in Irish basketball on Monday night. It was also an inspired adjustment for the Ireland men’s basketball team as Michael Bree channeled Ergin Ataman. Emmet Ryan on the win over Luxembourg in EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifying and the path ahead.
Ireland men’s basketball team recorded their first win of the EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifying campaign and their first win of any kind with Michael Bree as head coach on Monday night. The win over Luxembourg was more interesting because of the how then the victory itself.
There were elements of necessity in the adjustments but the cause isn’t important if the product of such factors is good. This was definitely that.
Narrowing the rotation
Everything begins and comes back to this. While nominally going 7 deep actually matched Friday’s display, it seemed more like a 6 deep approach. That was crazily narrow, even 7 deep is if we’re being honest, but it was a far more coherent display than against Azerbaijan.
The play was smoother and looked simplified, at least from the movement, compared to what we had previously seen in the qualifying campaign. Players knew where to go and the familiarity with who was doing what only increased.
The decision to play through Neal Quinn more also helped. The classic run through rather than run to focus made it much easier for space to be created in the Luxembourg half court. Moreover, it was the first time since he took charge that Michael Bree was visibly consistently happy with the stylistic approach of the side. We’ll get back to this.
Definition helps
CJ Fulton and Seán Flood can play in a back court together so long as each knows their role clearly. Friday felt like each wasn’t sure if they were the 1 or the 2 on a given possession. Monday’s game brought clarity, somewhat akin to the second season of Luka Doncic being paired with Kyrie Irving, and it’s worth leaning into it.
Fulton went pure PG here, no alternating and no double-1 approaches. His 12 assists on the night compared to just 1 turnover is the baller he is. The man has developed a reputation for a farcically good assist to turnover ratio in his career and he is right to lean into it. So good was his ball security and distribution that I completely overlooked his Monta Ellis approach to shooting on the night.
Flood meanwhile thrives as the secondary option as a ball handler rather than an alternate first option when there’s another PG. It’s much clearer for switching the focus of attack and also frees him up more in the shooting game. He may be undersized for a pure 2 but an off ball role still works well for him.
Matt Zona also looked far more comfortable at the 4 in this line-up, a matter of necessity due to Sam Alajiki’s injury. How that works for the next window really falls under the next section.
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The good problems
Ireland will hope to add at least Eli Brooks of Manresa to the roster for the next window. That is going to involve some adjustment in the back court rotation but is of the manageable kind, especially when seeking to keep it tight.
Alajiki’s return is where things get more interesting. Ryan Leonard is clearly the most comfortable of any currently available players at the 3. Zona can play there but he looked so much more comfortable at the 4 and Ireland’s movement was visibly better with him there. With an 8 man rotation, the logical next step, that’s manageable.
Then there’s the next likely big return from the US. ND Okafor has enjoyed his finest season to date as a junior with Washington State. If Michael Bree can convince him (or really the Cougars as Okafor is likely all for it) to even show up to camp in the summer, it would be wise. Getting real reps with the young man in the July window’s camp would help for the following summer.
Michael Bree recorded his first win as Ireland head coach as his side got off the mark in EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifying.
Credit: Inpho
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Didn’t you mention Ergin Ataman?
Lots of people have lots of varying views on the Türkiye and Panathinaikos head coach. The one thing that all of them can agree on is that he loves tight rotations. Ergin Ataman is an 8 man rotation guy and that’s the way he operates. It’s not just that he goes 8 deep but his rotations within that 8 are also hyper specific
Tempting as it may be to expand with the roster that is developing for Michael Bree, 8 is probably enough for the medium term. He is trying to completely change the way Ireland plays. Being hyper specific in the rotations gives the core more opportunity to familiarise themselves with what he is bringing in stylistically.
Ataman evolved his rotations, not just with PAO but also Türkiye where, like Bree, he has far less time. The key thing for him is establishing the fundamental rotations first and then developing situational tweaks as and when opportunities present themselves. Granted, he has Ercan Osmani and Ireland doesn’t but the fundamental principle is sound and worth following. We saw that from Bree on Monday, where his rotational rigidity led to a more flowing game.
Jordan Blount played his last game for Ireland in the win over Luxembourg in EuroBasket 2025 pre-qualifying, although we can expect to see him in green in 3X3.
Credit: Inpho
A word about Jordan Blount
That he got to walk off the court celebrating a win was wonderful for Jordan Blount. When I referred to Ireland largely going 6 deep that was as Blount, effectively the 7th man, was used less as the game wore on and didn’t feature at all in the final quarter.
His contribution to the Ireland men’s national team and basketball as a whole here goes far beyond one win in EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifying. He was part of what was a new wave of Irish ballers going to play NCAA ball at a time where there were few getting the opportunity. Since the return of the national teams, he has been ever present. Often the star and always the energy guy.
Personally, his role in Ireland’s triumph at the 2021 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries will live long in my memory. Not so much for the win, which was nice, or him playing so well, also good. No, it’s because at a time where there was so little to cheer in the world, he helped make mine a bit happier.
It was a delight to see his wife and daughter there, the latter seeing him play in an Ireland jersey for the first time. He’s still going to be around at club level and 3×3 internationally. As a sign off to his 5×5 days in green, he got a good one.