Last week I had the opportunity to attend our Superconference during our Pro-D day and the keynote speaker was Mike Jones, the head coach of the famed DeMatha High School. He spoke on a number of topics, including his favorite practice drills, his man-to-man teaching progression, and the DeMatha version of the flex offense.

It starts out just like every other flex offense, like the Gonzaga, Boston College, or Maryland. They are 4 around 1, and the post sets a flex screen for the guard who flex cuts towards the ball,





 This is where the DeMatha flex differs from others, instead of a downscreen, they set upscreens. O2 looks for O4 off the UCLA cut. O5 sets a flare screen for O1 who flares out to the other side.







If O4 is not open, then he goes and sets another upscreen for O5 who cuts to the low block and looks for a post-up.







Then the continuity goes again to the other side.



In addition to the main flex continuity they have, they have also added the following variations:

- they like the upscreens because once those guys go up to set those screens, the wing player always has the option to take his man off the dribble and get into the lane because everything is opened up with those 2 players setting upscreens.

- The top player can dribble/replace with the wing player if the wing is overplayed on the initial pass from top to wing

- The top play can always go backdoor if being overplayed on the reversal from wing to top

- After the ball is reversed from wing to top, if the wing player is being overplayed, the flex cutter can set a backscreen for the wing player and the top player can hit him going to the basket.

Finally, if you want to see a little video of it, here is some from Youtube, but you can't see the whole continuity, you'll have to buy it here to see it all,

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Here are some recent notes that I downloaded from a talk that Chris Mack, coach of Xavier University did on his ball-screening offense variety (notes via Zak Boisvert and DribbleDrive). Just some general information about running a ball screen offense, reads, etc... With Mike D'Antoni running his euro-style ball-screening, Coach K at Duke running their spread a few years ago (and still some this past year when they won the NCAAs) and Bill Self at Kansas with his ball-screen continuity, there has been a lot of attention on ball screening offenses.

For me, the key question on whether you should run a ball-screening offense has always been: are your players smart enough to make the reads? It sounds kind of like a leading question (towards no), but you really need to ask yourself honestly if the group of players you have are smart enough to make the right basketball decisions. Now, of course it takes reps to get good, but cerebrally, you have to have a PG that knows what is a good shot, a good pass, and when the right time to give the ball up is. You have to have bigs that know what it looks like when a defender is going to hedge, go underneath, and then make the right read. Easy on paper, hard to do in game-situations. But if you have the right group of players, smart players who know the game of basketball, ball-screening is definitely a good way to go. Without further ado, here are the notes:

Why Ball Screen?
- Keeps ball in primary ball handlers’ hands—Low Turnovers
- Players make plays
- Gets your team to the FT Line
- Creates Rotations which Lead to Open Shot
- Spacing
- Isolates the Low Post
- Offensive Rebounding due to Rotations
- Makes bigs defend away from the basket
- Pressure Release
- Bigs are more likely to screen on a ball screen than an off screen

Ball Handler’s Role
- Set Up (From Triple Threat, Live Dribble)
- Separation
- Level of the Ball Screen
- Reads
- Flat Hedge—Hesitate & Go, String 3
- Hard Hedge/Trap—Drag Throwback, Late Split
- Under—Shoot 3, Screen Re-Screen
- Switch—Drive the Switch, Post the Switch
- Overplay—Reject, Early Split
- Passing Routine
- Pocket Bounce Pass
- Late Throwback Jump Pass
- Drag Reverse Pivot Throwback
- Slip Pass from Triple Threat
- Slip Pass with Live Dribble

Screener’s Role
- Stationary, Sprint into It, Screen into it
- Pop Your Feet, Hold the Screen!!! (Must make contact!)
- How do we roll? Tap & Go or Traditional
- How do we pop? Sprint or Traditional
- How to Slip?
- Change the Angle
- Roll to Bury if team goes under

Ball Screen Actions
- Flat Hedge— Middle Ballscreen, Roll and Replace, Duncan action
- Hard Hedge/Trap—Slipped screen, Pick and Pop Sideline
- Under—Rescreen, Set it Lower, Old Spur action (Tony Parker)
- Switch—Seven Cut, Post the Switch, Sideline Roll and Replace (Hi-low flash)
- Overplay—Buffalo action

For more info on this offense, then check out Chris Mack's brand new DVD on his Ball Screen offense.

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From the other night, the Czar, Mike Fratello, breaking down a little of the Lakers offense, which we all know is the triangle offense. One of the keys of the triangle offense is the give and go, which is why you need a versatile big man to run it properly,



For more info on the Lakers' famed triangle offense take a look at Tex Winter's DVD on the Encyclopedia of the Triangle Offense. Coach Winters is of course the longtime assistant to Phil Jackson.

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I've been watching the NBA Playoffs lately but with teaching and Spring football I just haven't had time to breakdown any games. Of course being Canadian, I've been following Steve Nash and the Suns very closely. I was very impressed with the way they were able to beat a good defensive team in Portland. I was going through my RSS feeds the other day and one great website I recommend for all of you players, coaches, fans who follow the NBA is the NBA Playbook. The author does a great job breaking down plays of NBA teams.

In the latest post, the author breaks down this specific play the Suns used consecutive times to score against the Blazers in Game 6. It's really quite simple, it's pretty much their standard secondary break out of the 7 seconds or less they inherited from D'Antoni, using a strong side small to big screen, the person screened reads the defense and either curls up top to receive the handoff, or cuts hard to the basket.

The defensive breakdown, as the author presents, is basically Brandon Roy who is defending Grant Hill in the weakside corner. As a rule, we usually say weakside defenders should have 1 foot in the lane. As you can see, Roy is about 1 step to far. This may not sound like a lot, but it allows Richardson enough room to make the play twice,


(Pictures from NBA Playbook)

But really, in my opinion, it's just a great job of spacing by the Suns. They do a great job with that spread offense that it forces the defense to take that extra step out, with a guy like Grant Hill out there, you can afford to be caught trying to close-out, especially with a not 100% Brandon Roy.

For more on the spread offense, check out Billy Donovan's DVD on the Spread Offense. Coach Donovan used it to win back-to-back national championships at the University of Florida.

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I just read these today after going through the links of the day. They are from Zak Boisvert, who is a Student Manager for the men's basketball team at Fordham University. He's setup a twitter account where he posts daily chalkboard breakdowns. The one he posted on Friday was great. He broke down one of the main plays the New York Knicks like to run out of their SSOL offense (Seven Seconds or Less). It's very similar to european ball-screen concepts that I've seen. Without further ado, here they are, I'll add my own comments at the end.

“drive-thru handoff” ball screen concept

While not technically a ball screen, the Knicks use it much like a ball screen and their usage of the concept (along with another ball screen concept I will highlight next Friday) has increased greatly in the 7 games since acquiring Tracy McGrady as a way to get T-Mac and David Lee in a 2-man game situation.

The action occurs, much like nearly everything else D’Antoni runs, in a spread alignment with 4 perimeter players surrounding 1 post. 2 (McGrady) has the ball on the right wing and 5 (Lee) flashes to the midpoint of the free throw line for a catch. 2 hits 5 and immediately follows his pass. The opportunities from this point are limitless.


The majority of the time, McGrady (2) will be able to free himself from his man enough to receive the handoff and drive the lane either for a score or a drive-and-kick opportunity for the player situated in the left corner.


As the game progresses and the defense begins to jump out and hedge the handoff (treating it like a ball screen), there are opportunities for Lee to fake the handoff and instead drive the ball hard to his right as his defender (x5) anticipates the handoff.


An option that the Knicks have been running in the second half of games that I really like is done with the 1 in the strong side corner as 2 hits to 5 on his post flash. With the defense seeing the “drive-thru” action a couple of times, x2 adjusts accordingly and doesn’t allow 2 to come off clean for a handoff while x5 is in correct hedge position if 2 is able to receive handoff while being ready to guard 5’s drive. 2 cuts off 5 (not receiving the handoff) and goes through as 1 lifts to the right wing spot 2 just vacated. 5 hits 1 and sprints into a ball screen for 1 (setting it on the butt of x1 to offer the best possible driving angle for 1).


My comments:

I think a lot is predicated on O5 being able to make the right decisions. A big man who is a good passer, able to put it on the floor, and is quick enough to chase the ball into ball screens. A lot of teams don't have a versatile O5 like that which would make it difficult to run.

As for defending it, I would hedge out on O2, but also I would trap O5 on the catch once in a while. If the offense has a versatile dominant O5, then I would allow O2 to catch the handoff, and bring help from the weak side (X3 or X4) and leave one of those free (assuming neither O3 or O4 are good shooters).

For more video info on ball-screening offenses, take a look at Todd Kowalczyk's DVD on the Attacking Ball Screen. Coach Kowalczyk is the head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

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From earlier in the week between Kansas and Colorado, I caught the tail end of the game in the Overtime period where the Jayhawks were able to out-execute their way to the win over the Buffaloes. The beauty of their ball-screen continuity offense is that no matter how you choose to defend it, they just adjust their reads, execute, and still score on you. Check out these 2 sequences, where the Buffaloes try to hedge first, and then they try to switch second, both times the Jayhawks simply make the correct read,



In this first sequence, they try to hedge on Collins. Morris rolls to the basket and then because the Buffaloes can't drop enough players on help side, it's basically 2-on-1,


As the game winds down, the Buffaloes adjust by switching on all screens. They do so here and the Jayhawks re-adjust. Collins is now matched up against a slower bigger forward, so he takes him off the dribble and goes for the reverse layup,


From all the top 4 teams I've seen in action, I'd have to say that Kansas and Kentucky have been the most impressive so far. Kansas plays better half-court defense so I'd have to give them the edge but Kentucky looks like the Memphis team that went all the way to the Finals a couple of years ago, it will be very interesting if Coach Calipari and Coach Self meet again.

Anyways, there isn't a dedicated video to just the offense, at least not just yet. But if you like Coach Self and the way Kansas plays, then take a look at Bill Self's All Access Kansas Basketball Practice 4-pack DVD which includes 424 minutes of practice and Q&A with Coach Self.

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Going through some taped stuff from over the weekend. I've been trying to catch as many Gonzaga games as possible this year because a couple of Vancouver, BC boys are playing with the Zags and getting actual playing time which is rare indeed for Canadians in NCAA play. Although the Zags lost the game to Wake Forest at the end by missing free-throws, I thought this play they ran at the end of the game was a great example of the offense reacting to the defense, and taking advantage of mismatches and good offensive spacing, check it out:



It's an extremely simple play here, but the execution is key. The situation is that the Zags are down by 3, less than 2 minutes in the game. Out of a 3-out 2-in initial set, they decide to run a high screen-roll for their PG with the Center.

Now what's key here is that both the PG and the Center read the defense to see how they're going to defend the PNR. If they appear to hedge or trap, maybe the Zags run a fake PNR and just basket cut. If they go trail but go underneath, maybe the Zags shoot the 3-pointer. Here, the Demon Decons decide to straight switch. Both offensive players read it, the PG uses the screen and dribbles to the open wing bringing his switched defender with him,


So, now you have a situation with little on big (PG with a center defender) and big on little (Center with a PG defender). For better spacing, the weak-side forward vacates the low block and comes up top,


The Zags now have 2 options. Post entry with their center against a smaller defender. Or 1v1 with the PG against a big slow defender. The smaller defender fronts the center. The big slow defender decides to crowd the PG. The easy play is for the PG to make 1 crossover move and drive down the middle,


A seemingly simple play, but a lot going on. These subtle nuances are the kind of thing that your players need to go over and over in practice, breaking it down in 2-on-2 and working your way up to 5-on-5. That's why I like breaking down practices into 2-on-2 because it allows you to teach simple offensive reads.

As for Gonzaga, I'm a huge fan mainly because of the aforementioned BC players, Rob Sacre, Bol Kong, and Kelly Olynyk. I've watched all 3 of them from when they were juniors in high school, and seeing them on ESPN with those big college crowds is unreal. If you like Gonzaga and some these matchup concepts discussed, then check out Mark Few's Set Plays DVD where he outlines principles of maximizing matchup scenarios.

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Trying to catch as many games as possible these days. From a couple of nights ago, the Villanova Wildcats won a thriller over the always tough George Mason Patriots. The game went down to the wire, with Nova hitting some clutch 3-pointers. A coach emailed me the other day asking for a quick hitter for a 3-pointer and I responded with a dribble drive to the weakside corner 3-pointer. I love that play because the weakside corner 3-pointer is probably the most difficult to guard in basketball. Take a look at how Nova executed it out of their 4-out 1-in offense:



Weakside Corner 3-pointer:

Here's the thing. How many teams prepare defensively on how they will take away the weakside corner 3-pointer?? Most teams focus on ball pressure, stopping penetration, and closing out. With proper spacing on offense, it is impossible for the defense to do all those 3 things. That's what the weakside corner does, it stretches out the defense and makes it really hard for a sound defense to cover all the bases.

The play is quite simple, the Wildcats are in their 4-out 1-in motion offense. After a few handoff exchanges, the forward comes up from the block to the top of the key to set a screen for one of the guards on the opposite side. The guard with the ball here decides not to use the screen and drives the wing towards the hoop,

O1 is able to blow by his defender, and X5. X3 is too worried about O3 to help. That leaves X2 to drop down from the weakside. Well, its a decision really, to help or not to help. As coaches, we always teach to stop the ball first so help is always the first option. O2, shuffles down to the weakside corner and O1 finds him for the open 3-pointer,


I think this play would work even if you didn't have a break your ankles point guard. Because with O5 setting the screen, O1 really should be able to penetrate the lane. Now if the defense decides to hedge hard, then you can run screen-roll and have O2 still shuffle to the corner as X2 will probably still drop down to cover the rolling forward.

Now, the only other assumption here is that you have good shooters. But if you're designing a play for the 3-pointer, you better be sure you have a player that is a knockdown shooter.

For more quick hitters out of 4-out 1-in motion, check out Jay Wright's DVD on 15 Great 4-Out 1-In Motion Offense Plays. Jay Wright is in his 8th season as head coach of the Villanova Wildcats.

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Halloween all of a sudden becomes a big deal again once you're back in schools teaching. From late last week, I was browsing through some game footage of the Chicago Bulls home win over the San Antonio Spurs and a few things caught my eye. Primarily, I was impressed with how much more refined the Bulls seemed on offense, they ran this play below and even Flex continuity a number of times, I was pleasantly surprised. They have more purpose and with a full year under Derrick Rose's belt, he looks even more confident running the offense from the point.

From the third quarter, the Bulls ran this play 5 or 6 times and got some nice production out of it. I've clipped just the first 2 times when Tyrus Thomas was able to hit the mid-range jumper, plus the TNT replay with Doug Collins commentary on the slow motion, take a look:



1-4 Flat to Mid-Range Jumper

Really just a simple 1-4 flat with a high PNR to start. Derrick Rose, O1, starts the play up top. Joachim Noah, O5, comes to set the pick, the defense tries to hedge, but Rose still gets by both the hedge, Noah rolls after the pick,

As Rose turns the corner, Tyrus Thomas, O4, moves off the block to the weakside elbow. X4, Tim Duncan, is forced to stay in the lane for help position since Rose would otherwise have an open lane after beating all to the lane. X1 is in a trail position, Noah is rolling to the basket with X5 following,

As the lane gets clogged up, Rose kicks it out to an open Thomas for the mid-range jumper,


Now as you can hear Doug Collins say in the commentary, if X3 comes to close out early, then it's an easy pass to the corner for the 3-pointer. The Spurs did readjust later in the game, by having X1 go underneath the screen allowing him more time and room to catch Rose after the hedge, allowing Duncan to hedge a little better between help position and his check.

If you're looking for a comprehensive video on more PNR options, check out Fran Fraschilla's 2 DVD set on the Encyclopedia of the Pick and Roll Offense. The 2 DVD's show just about every scenario you could want to know about executing PNRs in the half court.

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When I think of talent equalizers in basketball, I think of 2 things, tough hard-nosed defense and 3-point shooting. If I were to develop a high school program today, the most important skill I would have the pre-Varsity young players working on is proper shot technique. Unlike in college where you can openly recruit the best combination of athleticism and skill, in high school you are pretty much limited to the kids enrolled at the school. Whereas athleticism is mostly innate, shooting is a skill that can be taught and employed. Here are some notes I went through today of University of Florida coach Billy Donovan talking at a Nike clinic earlier this year on utilizing the 3-point shot,

At Florida, we try to gain an advantage at the three point line by creating situations offensively by using it and by taking it away defensively. What is the best way to do this offensively? At my level, get better shooters. At the high
school level, get your shooters better. Having a big man that can shoot creates so many offensive opportunities for your team

Four ways to get open 3-pointers:

1. Transition, push hard for early threes.
2. Dribble Penetration, drive and kick opportunities.
3. Post Kickouts, passing out of double-teams followed by ball reversal.
4. Offensive Rebounds, best time for open threes. Bigs feel that they’re entitled to shoot the ball off of an o-board, but this is a great time to find a shooter sprinting to spot up in an open area.

The more you force the defense to closeout on you, the greater chance you have of getting to the paint. So, your thinking offensively should be "how do I create closeout opportunities?" The flat ball screen is great because the defense has to go so deep under them to get through and also because if the ball screen is overplayed, it is so easy to switch the angle to catch the defense.

We want to keep the ball in the "alley" (middle of the court between the two elbows) because it prevents teams from establishing helpside.

Transition ideas:

A team changing from offense to defense is one of the most difficult things in basketball, therefore you must "Exploit this!"

-On a miss, free-for-all, score as quickly as possible.
-On a make, we want the ball the inbounded as quickly as possible by whichever big is closest to the ball and we want the ball advanced up the floor as quickly as possible as well.
-In practice, if the ball isn’t across half court in 3 seconds, it is an automatic turnover.
-No set lanes, we want players to play. Wings should run as wide as possible and sprint up the floor. If the two happen to be on the same side, it’s the 2nd player’s responsibility to call "push" and send the first wing through to the other side.
-Random ball screens. If our first big down the court is behind the ball or not in position to get the ball in the low post in transition, it’s an automatic flat ball screen for strongside wing (trailing big can run in to set a double).

For more ideas on incorporating the 3-pointer into your offense, check out Billy Donovan's DVD on Shooting and Defending the 3-pointer.

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Although I'm mostly a University of Washington Huskies fan, over the past decade or so, I've enjoyed watching plenty of Oregon basketball games, especially living here in the Pacific Northwest. I used to drive down and watch Luke Ridnour, then later to watch Aaron Brooks. Offensively, the Ducks have always been an uptempo team, and in the halfcourt, they run a lot of 1-4 high or 1-4 low sets. So much so, that I'm told that a lot of varsity coaches began running 1-4 sets. I put together some notes from a Nike Clinic and a FIBA assist article showing a couple of plays out of the 1-4, one high, and one low.

Some general principles from Ernie Kent:

- you always have multiple reads and at least 2 cuts on every screen
- on screens, the cutter must close the gap and cut off the pick with his shoulder on screener's hip

1-4 High

Ernie Kent calls this play 'Eagle'. They use it as one of their primary half-court offensive plays because it provides both inside and outside scoring opportunities. The 1-4 high difficult play to defend because the alignment forces the weak side defenders to make decisions about whether to guard the post or to concentrate
on covering shooters coming off double downscreens.

The setup is one point guard, two wings, and two big men at the corner of the freethrow lane.

O1 dribbles the ball to the right side of the court. As he does, the ball side post, O5, slides down the lane to the low post position and the ball side wing 2 slides to the corner. O4 pops to the top of the key as O1 reaches the wing area,


As O1 reverses it to O4, O2 makes a flex cut off of the screen by O5. While doing this, he is looking to bump O5's defender to clear some space for O5 to repost deeper in the lane. O2 continues through the lane to the weak side block area. O3 slides in toward the lane,


As O1 gets the ball back from O4, he immediately looks to dump the ball inside to the post if he is open. Otherwise, O1 looks back toward O2 coming off the double downscreen set by O4 and O3.


The tail of the play has O3 going out to the ball side baseline after he sets the double for the shooter, O2. If O5 cannot receive the ball in the low post, he turns and screens in for O3, who goes in the opposite corner, and O1 passes the ball to O3,


1-4 Low

Ernie Kent calls this play '3' because it is designed to get an open 3-pointer for your team's best shooter. The flex action is meant to disguise the movement with both a double downscreen and a screen the screener action to free up shooters.

The initial alignment is 1-4 low across the baseline, with the best shooter being O2 who is always in the right corner.

O1 dribbles to O2’s side, staying even with the lane line. O4 flashes up the lane to receive the ball from O1. O3 takes one step off the lane and sets a back screen for O2. Using O3’s screen, O2 makes a flex cut across the lane to the low block,


As O2 cuts off O3’s back screen, O1 should set a downscreen for O3 (his man should be helping defensively in the lane). O1 then clears to the corner. O4 hits O3 with a pass. If O3 is open, he can take the 3-pointer. O5 should slide out of the corner to get a better screening angle,


O5 and O4 set a double screen for O2 for the open 3-point shot,


If you want to learn more about Oregon's 1-4 continuity offense, then check out Ernie Kent's DVD on Motion Offense and Quick Hitters.

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Huge game for the Cavs against the Magic tonight. In watching the first four games of this series, I can't help but note the remarkably similar half-court offenses, remarkably similar half-court defenses, between the 2 teams with the difference being that the Magic are hitting more 3-pointers. And despite the apparent equality, the Magic are up 3-1 (and possibly a sweep if not for a last second heroic shot by Lebron).

I took these clips from the second half of Game 4. Both teams employ basically the same half-court offense. The Magic are spread 4-out 1-in, ball goes into Howard, Cavs collapse, ball goes back out for a 3-pointer and they hit. The Cavs spread out sometimes 5-out, Lebron posts up high-post, he drives, Magic collapse, ball goes back out for a 3-pointer and they miss. Take a look,



Here are the Magic in the 4-out set, with Howard, Cavs collapsing,

Note how the Cavs are similarly setup with the difference being Lebron starting at the high-post, driving, Magic collapsing, and the ball goes back out,


Summary:

I mentioned earlier how both teams basically allowing the other teams star player to do what they do -- with the series coming down to which teams supporting cast will make more shots. Now that the Cavs are against the wall, question is will they adjust their offense and/or defense? Or will keep the same hoping that their supporting cast players out shoot the Magic supporting cast? Should be a good one, enjoy it...

For more spread offense info out of a 4-out 1-in set, take a look at Jamie Dixon's Spread 4-out 1-in Offense. Coach Dixon is the head coach of University of Pittsburgh, currently ranked third overall in the nation. To discuss this and many more of your favorite basketball topics, head over to the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to talk with other coaches from around the world.

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The Lakers continued their inconsistent play last night, falling behind big, coming back to almost tie, then falling flat in the 4th quarter. One thing that stuck out in my mind in the 4th quarter was how many times the Rockets ran the same play over and over, Aaron Brooks off a Luis Scola ball screen and Brooks scoring or dishing over and over. The Lakers did not change a single thing in how they defended it, from the first time Brooks did it, all the way until the end of the game. Here are 3 sequences from the 2nd half,



Couple of things to consider:

- While Aaron Brooks is a decent shooter, he's a slasher. So why go over top of the screen every single time?
- The Lakers are vulnerable defensively against a quick penetration point guard. Neither Fischer, nor Brown, nor Farmer, are capable of staying with Brooks. Farmar is hip to hip at the top of the key but Brooks blows by him and goes right at Gasol for the hoop,


I am really surprised the Lakers didn't decide to either trap the ball-screen, go underneath all ball-screens with Brooks, or switch defenders. The Lakers had some real momentum going into the 4th quarter but their inability to stop Brooks from getting into the lane really cost them late in the game.

Summary:

I believe the Lakers will win Game 7 tomorrow, mainly because they'll be playing at home. With the up and down play of the Lakers, I think the Rockets don't get enough credit for winning the games as opposed to the Lakers losing the games. In many ways, they play tougher without Yao Ming because they know they can't rely on his scoring. They know that they have to grind out every single basket on offense, and play stronger 1v1 defense.

For more on PNR and ball screen offenses, take a look at Ben Braun's DVD on Ball Screening. Ben Braun is the head coach at Rice University. Be sure to check out the X's and O's Basketball Forum to talk about your favorite basketball topics.

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I didn't get to see much of Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic, but I watched some of it on the recorder and the Magic really did a great job spreading the floor and attack. I watched the first half of Game 2 last night and what really struck me was how easily the Celtics point guards were able to get into the lane and make plays. Rondo finished with a game-high 18 assists.

I think the Magic are really going to have to look at how they pick up defensively in transition and on the pick-and-roll coverages. I thought the Celtics point guards did a great job pushing the ball and getting into the heart of the defense on early offense, not waiting until the defense got set. Once the Magic got caught helping on penetration, it was easy drop offs for layins. Here are three sequences from the first half,



Against quick guards, I think you really have to be aggressive on the PNRs. You can't really allow the guard to turn the corner and drive into the lane. The screener rolls into the lane and its almost a 2v1 situation each time,



Summary:

In my opinion, the Magic should have gone with a hard hedge or an aggressive trap on the ball-screen. Then, zone up the other 3 defenders to protect the paint with a tilt towards the Celtics best shooter. As for the Magic offensively, I thought they played OK, but probably took too many jump shots that they didn't knocked down.

For a great overall skill development video, take a look at Kevin Eastman's DVD on Skill Development for Inside and Perimeter Players. Coach Eastman is currently an assistant for the NBA Champion Boston Celtics. Discuss this and the rest of your favorite basketball topics at the X's and O's Basketball Forum.

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Of all the first-round playoff matchups, the one upset that probably won't surprise many people is the Dallas Mavericks over the third-seeded San Antonio Spurs. But not all of it is the aging, ailing Spurs. The Mavs have finally started to gel in the past few weeks under Rick Carlisle's first year. From doing a little research, there appears to have been a major turning point around February.

Some coaches are laid back, some are possessive and controlling, Rick Carlisle falls under the latter. After 2-3 months of mediocrity (offensively and defensively), Carlisle decided to bring in Darrell Armstrong as an assistant in February. Armstrong related well with the players as a former teammate and was able to communicate the message clearer. Which ultimately led Carlisle to release some of the play-calling duties over to Jason Kidd. While the defense has still be inconsistent, the changes on offense have been remarkable.

I watched most of the game last night between the Mavs and the Rockets live with some friends yesterday and took these clips from recordings. The 2 sequences in my opinion signify the offensive accomodation between Carlisle calling Nowitzki isolation plays and allowing Kidd to improvise on the fly in a Spread set,



I think this negotiated balance -- albeit fragile -- allows Carlisle to maintain some level of control while giving Kidd the ultimate say on the court. With a team full of veterans, it would appear that this is the best way forward. Consistent to either their ISO and spread offense is spacing as shown below with Dirk on the ISO and Terry on the dribble drive,



Summary:

With the added benefit of not having to travel a far distance, and knowing the Spurs intimately (this goes both ways though), I think one could make the argument that it would be an upset if the Spurs won this series. If the Mavs do indeed go on to beat the Spurs, they could pose some problems for Denver or LA, but much of it will depend on how consistent they are on defense.

For more on spread offense principles, take a look at Keno Davis' DVD on his Spread Dribble Drive. Coach Davis was the 2008 AP coach of the year and head coach of Providence. Discuss this and the rest of your favorite basketball topics at the X's and O's Basketball Forum.

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Most of the games today were blowouts, the most surprising was Arizona and Louisville. Arizona had the talent, athleticism, and skill to beat Louisville, but their play was lethargic, they did not look like a team playing in the Sweet 16 against the number one overall seed, but more like a regular season game.

But the Michigan State win over Kansas was a great game. MSU gets a ton of credit for coming from behind to tie then take the lead on a tough Kansas team. Ultimately, Kansas just made too many turnovers at the wrong times. It was a great finish for MSU. With the game tied, under 1 minute to go, half of the shot clock down, MSU goes with the 1-4 low isolation with their best player Kalin Lucas going 1v1,



1-4 Low Isolation:

I like the 1-4 low isolation because it gives your best player the freedom to go either way, unlike a wing isolation. Also, I like it because with the rest of the players flattened out, it really does give your best player the most open space to make a play, against at most 1 defender.

Now, should the defense choose to double to get the ball out of your best players hands, then that should mean someone else is wide open, especially if your offense is spread properly. What also works really well is running a high screen, as most teams switch all screens at the end of the game, you can get a quick-on-slow or a big-on-little mismatch.

Last but not least, should your best player miss the shot, your forwards O4 and O5 should be in great position coming from underneath to sneak in for the offensive rebound. How many times have you seen it where it wasn't the initial shot that won the game, but the offensive putback.

Summary:

The Elite Eight is set now. Michigan State is playing Louisville. A tough matchup, but the Spartans have the toughness and tenacity to face Louisville's daunting full court press. But all the matchups on paper look very intriguing and I think they could go either way. In my opinion, the safest number one seed probably is UConn. Missouri is good, but I think UConn can use Thabeet in the middle to throw over the top of their press.

If you are a big Michigan State or Coach Izzo fan, then you'll enjoy Tom Izzo's DVD on his Philosophy and Practice Drills. As always, head over to the X's and O's Basketball forum to talk with other coaches about your favorite basketball topics.

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Went through some recorded NBA games from over the weekend. From the Lakers versus Mavs game, I liked this one play because I think every team should have a UCLA cut somewhere in their offense. It's one of the great half-court plays in basketball. It's so simple, and yet it is so effective.

Here, it's a give and go, handoff to UCLA cut with Fischer, Ariza, and Gasol setting the screen. I like the butt screen by Gasol as well, it's good because I think it's inconspicuous. Take a look,



Handoff to UCLA Cut:

The setup is the familiar 1-2-2 setup. Gasol on the ball side elbow. Fischer bringing up the ball. Ariza on the ball side corner comes up to receive the pass from Fischer who after passing keeps running at Ariza,

After the initial pass, Ariza hands off the ball back to Fischer who dribbles to the wing. At this point, Gasol is still facing the basket but is preparing for the butt screen as he feels Ariza's defender on his back,

Ariza, seeing the butt screen by Gasol, then cuts hard to the basket. Nowitzki (X4) and Correa (X3) don't communicate effectively on defense and so Ariza is free all the way for the easy layup,



Summary:

Now, obviously, if you run this play over and over again, the defense will adjust either with the switch down low or with a sag on the screen, etc... But the UCLA screen/cut is still one of the best plays to use because it takes advantage of teams who don't communicate on defense. I also like the UCLA cut as a secondary break option before you settle into your motion offense.

In a great video combining different cuts like the UCLA cut, check out Dave Leitao's DVD on his '32' Motion Offense and Cuts. Coach Leitao is the former head coach of Virginia. Discuss your favorite defensive strategies at the X's and O's Basketball Forum with other coaches from around the world.

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I've been following the NBA off and on in between college and high school games and took in my first full game in a while tonight between the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Hornets. It's amazing how in the Western Conference, 2 thru 8 are all bunched up between 4 points of each other. The Rockets are amazingly in 3rd right now, and the Hornets are sixth.

The game was decent, good intensity, a lot of good defense. I think the Rockets just played with more poise, from being at home. Without Yao, they really shared the ball well together I thought. This offensive play here is pretty neat I thought. It's a double stagger for a curl cut. They ran a few times, but here are a couple of sequences from the 2nd half,



Double Stagger for Curl:

The breakdown in the video showed the basics, but I'd like to add to it. The basic setup is a 1-2-2 with the wings flattened out to the corners. O4 comes up to receive the ball, O1 passes to O4. O5 sets the first screen, O1 goes to set the second of the stagger screen. O3 begins to setup his cut by going baseline, then v-cut back to the stagger,

O3 curls around the double-stagger and receives the ball from O4. Now, since X3 has decided to trail on the screen, O3 cuts straight to the rim. Van Wafer and Artest both did this in the video sequence. And since the lane is essentially free of defenders, it's basically a layup or dunk. The other option is that if X2 comes all the way for help, O2 should be wide open for the corner 3.

This is the added part. If the defense adjusts with X3 going underneath instead, anticipating the drive, O3 can simply take the open mid-range jumper from the elbow,

I watched a varsity high school game the other day, and the one team ran the curl series over and over for their best player and it worked like clockwork. If the defender chased, drive to the basket. If the defender sagged underneath, wide open mid-range all game long.

Summary:

If I run pro-set plays, I like ones that are simple, with not too many iterations, but with options. That way, it's similar to a motion offense where the players can read the defense and execute the best play in that situation. I think the Rockets are a decent team, but without McGrady and with Yao off and on, I'm not sure how good they are in a 7-game series. The Hornets have lost some of the lustre from the past couple of seasons, the chemistry seems a little off.

A relatively new release here, legendary UNC head coach Dean Smith's DVD on the Shuffle Offense. Not sure who uses the shuffle these days exclusively, but good if you want some more info on screen, cut and fill stuff. Discuss your favorite defensive strategies at the X's and O's Basketball Forum with other coaches from around the world.

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In between college games I decided to take in some NBA action. The playoff races in the east and the west are going to be really interesting. There are basically 6 teams going for the last 5 spots in the west and they're all bunched up together. Dallas is one of those teams and they're currently in the 8th and final spot. The situation is similar in the east. But the interesting thing is that the Bucks are in 8th and the Bulls are 9th. Bucks coach Scott Skiles was fired from Chicago last year.

Anyways, both teams, Dallas and Milwaukee played tonight. I haven't seen Dallas since way back in November so it was good to see them again. I still think they are playing below their talent, but maybe they're starting to gel together. I liked what they did in the game, going 1v1, spreading the floor, and waiting for the double team to come. Someone would cut to the basket and receive the pass for the layup, take a look,






Read and React to the Double Team:

Very simple. Go iso 1v1 with Dirk, or Howard, spread the floor. Wait for the double team to come,

Now, most teams I watch, the offense is static, and the pass goes to the perimeter. Unless, you plan on just shooting the open shot, the defense will eventually recover, which basically doesn't accomplish anything. So instead, the Mavs send a cutter to the basket and they hit the cutter for the layup. The advantage being, it's extremely difficult to recover against a moving cutter,



Summary:

I have no idea how the playoffs will all shake out. My heart is with Phoenix, but certainly any combination of teams may make it. Dallas is one of those underperforming teams, but if they get it all together, they could be a team that could upset the Lakers, or the Spurs, or the Nuggets. As for the Bucks, it will be really interesting if they get in and the Bulls are out and vice versa (more interesting vice versa).

Some of y'all Varsity coaches are probably already looking forward to next year. In reflection, this is a great video from one of the most storied coaches in the history of basketball, check out Morgan Wootten's DVD on his 20/20 hindsight. To discuss this and many more of your favorite basketball topics, head over to the X's and O's of Basketball Forum to talk with other coaches from around the world.

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