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Friday, June 4, 2021
Basketball Friday: Defending Off-ball Screens, A 2 v 2 drill, and More
"Be good at what you do a lot." What are offensive and defensive absolutes? At a minimum we have to be good in transition, in the half court, and pick-and-roll defense, a subset of half court defense.
Are we facing a dribble drive/pass and cut team, or a screen team? And if it's a screen team how are they executing screens - ball screens, off ball screens, complex screens (stagger, screen-the-screener, screen-the-roller)? Be on the same page.
Concepts. Controlling screens requires high level communication, multiple efforts, and toughness. Many teams play zone defense to reduce (not eliminate) the impact of on and off-ball screening.
Sometimes players say, "we got that" and I don't think we do. For "big on big screens," we communicate and switch.
I call this "Pistons 15" because they used to run it for Andre Drummond. Most times a simple switch will not end well. It has multiple parts, starting with communication, perimeter defense making post entry hard, and avoiding a mismatch.
This is a terrific video from Frank Martin, showing the screened defender responsible for the low roller and the screener's defender denying the high roller. At the middle school level, we don't get to this level.
Teams commonly screen away with multiple options. Most younger teams do not switch well. Fighting over the screen tends to be unreliable and "jam and go under" shrinks the space. The screener defender can drop, allowing the screened defender to go "thru" the space. Decide what works for you.
HoopTactics shows this better. Get into the body of the screener to reduce the time and space of both the screener and the roller. The physicality of the players and the officiating can both impact this technique.
Drill. 2 v 2 with help.
Usually best to start the ball with Coach pass to the ballhandler. The drill has offense and defense and no screen is allowed.
Set play. Run BOX LOOP as either a SLOB or half court set.
It uses both on ball screens and off ball screens with a staggered screen from the high post.
What matters is simplicity (this is what we do and how we do it) and getting enough committed players on the same page. We know that a few possession decide a significant number of games. Find better ways; I'm still looking.
Summary:
Be good at what we do a lot.
Be on the same page.
Communication, effort, and toughness are critical.
Simplicity and consistency matter.
Find a way that works for you (this is what we do and how we do it).
The game works as the "sum of possessions."
Lagniappe. I've never been an effective teacher or practitioner of floaters. Maybe this helps.
Lagniappe 2. Jack Ramsay notes from a lifetime in basketball
