Trapping the Ball-Screen, Euroleague action

I found not one, but two great defensive clips from the Riga-Lukoil game at the ULEB Cup action earlier today. Here, Riga does a great job trapping the ball-screen and forcing the other team into a long shot.Watch the video and then you can read my thoughts below (Lukoil is the red team, Riga is yellow).



Now, there are many ways to defend the ball-screen or pick and roll. Whole books and videos are dedicated on the topic. Here, Riga decides to trap the ball-screen and force Lukoil into a bad shot. Now, keep in mind, in Europe, they play FIBA rules with a 24-second shot like the NBA, so they don't have the luxury of a 35 second shot clock. So, the trap works really well here. Remember, if you decide to trap, you must teach your players to rotate while the ball is in the air, otherwise, you will give up open shots and layups.

The key to trapping the ball-screen is to have the defender who's man has set the screen run and jump out to prevent the dribbler from penetrating. The screened defender then trails and traps from below. Here is a great drill that I have used to practice deflections and trapping if you are looking for one.

If you're looking for more info, I recommend Jeff Lebo's DVD on half-court trapping techniques and doubling down. Coach Lebo is head coach at Auburn and provides a ton of great info on trapping and doubling. I also have lots of notes so head over the X's and O's Basketball Forum to take a look and see what I have.