Basketball: Master Pick and Roll Coverage to Survive

"Seek truth not validation." Truth resonates. 

Quin Snyder reminds coaches that if their teams can't defend ball screens, then they were likely to need new employment. 

Dave Smart adds that every team needs to be good at pick-and-roll both on offense and defense. 

• Know how you want to defend. (Plan your trade; trade your plan.)
• Define your terminology (e.g. hedge or show = Duke's "fake trap").
• Get everyone on the same page (write it down, practice).
• Communicate on the court. ELO - early, loud, often.
• Simplify. Avoid "sophisticated complexity." (have only as many defenses as you need)
• Check, double check...get feedback (performance-focused, feedback-rich)

Not many players can "fight through/go over the top." If you have that, great. Most teams decide among hedge, switch, trap, and drop coverages. 

When we teach the ball screen, we teach the first priority for the ball handler to get to the rim. How best can we stop that from happening? Practically, decide who is the bigger threat (guard driving, guard perimeter shot on the under, roller at the rim, or screener on the pop)?

Many youth teams play zone to limit the pick-and-roll and encourage more perimeter shooting. 

Lagniappe. USC gets high low action after getting the ball into the middle. 

Fantastic zone set against a 2-3 from Andy Enfield and USC pic.twitter.com/ZibRbTo4mY

— Adam Spinella (@Spinella14) April 11, 2021

Lagniappe 2. "Every day is player development day." Breaking down the jab step.

Lagniappe 3. The fourth principle of The Four Agreements is 'always do your best.' What would that look like? 

Lagniappe 4. "Procrastination is a vice for productivity but a virtue for creativity."