Easier said than done...
We need to live basketball truths. What truths?
Basketball symmetry instructs separation for ourselves and teammates and limits separation for opponents. Players underestimate the importance of playing WITHOUT THE BALL. "Movement kills defense."
Creating individual separation without the ball
- Read defenders. Are they high or low? Are they head turners? Do they hustle?
- "The ball is a camera." It has to see you to find you.
- The ball is the smartest thing on the court. It finds the best players.
- Set up your cut. (Via Jay Bilas, Toughness, "Set up your cut: The toughest players make hard cuts, and set up their cuts. Basketball is about deception. Take your defender one way, and then plant the foot opposite of the direction you want to go and cut hard. A hard cut may get you a basket, but it may also get a teammate a basket. If you do not make a hard cut, you will not get anyone open. Setting up your cut, making the proper read of the defense, and making a hard cut require alertness, good conditioning and good concentration. Davidson's Stephen Curry is hardly a physical muscle-man, but he is a tough player because he is in constant motion, he changes speeds, he sets up his cuts, and he cuts hard. Curry is hard to guard, and he is a tough player."
- Apply both change of direction and change of pace.
- Sometimes cutting AT a defender favors creating space.
- Spacing facilitates cutting and passing (below) and restricts double teams.
- Cut intelligently. Cutting when the ball handler can't (or doesn't) see you won't allow for proper 'space and time.'
- "Shorten the pass." Come to the ball.
- You will usually be most open at receipt of the ball.
- Relocating can make you less visible (below).
Creating multiplayer separation without the ball
- Reading off ball screens (below)
- Screened player must know when to curl, back cut, or 'bump'
- Screener is the second cutter (and usually open).
- Take advantage of defensive 'teaching' (e.g. jump to the ball, below)
- x1 'jumps to the ball' and gets trapped by the screen
- Play design can open cutters
- Against the 2-3 zone, the cutter (4) moves the low defender (x3) and the screener (5) opens the passing lane for a layup (3).
- You can run your defender into a screen, a defender, or even an official...- Screening zone defenses offers frequent opportunities
Skill and art make for effective cutting and screening. Separation informs the opportunities that translate into high volume scoring.