Traditional core offensive skills include shooting, passing, dribbling, pivoting, and rebounding. That omits critical without the ball action, cutting and screening. Cutting optimizes space for passers, drivers, and shooters.
Basketball is a game of separation. Cutting creates openings for you and teammates. Learning cutting is an underrated ‘separation skill’. Poor cutting makes passing harder which reduces shot quality.
Most of your time is spent without the ball, what Billy Donovan calls "the 95." Excel at using that time wisely.
Two general concepts are change of direction and change of pace. Less known is to run at the defender to separate.
Cutting may fail when players don’t set up cuts and don’t cut urgently. They may also fail to read screens properly to curl, backcut, or 'bump'. Think ‘slow to fast’.
Cutting to clear space (Duke opens space above) is underrated and unselfish. Cutting occupies defenders.
Tight defense facilitates back cuts such as the Spurs action above.
Screen selfishly because “the screener is the second cutter.”
To receive a pass you have to be seen. “The ball is a camera.” Cutting if the passer can’t see you won’t help.
Head turners create opportunity. When they lose vision, basket cut.
“Winners want the ball.” There are players afraid to have the ball who won’t move to get it.
“Never cut to an occupied post.” Don't be a space hog.
Unsure of the defense? Cut through and see its response.
Flash into gaps don’t drift into them.
If the second pass in transition crosses midcourt then you’ve created advantage.
Lagniappe: Great piece on cutting from FastModel Sports
