Post Entry-Weak side Down Screen:

 In many situations weak-side defenders are easily screened.  Most weak-side defenders will be in an open position with their back to the baseline so they can see both the ball and the player they are defending.  If they do not adjust from the open stance to a closed stance they can be easily screened and/or will have difficulty maneuvering through a screen.  When a weak-side defender is positioned above the ball, i.e. the ball is in the low post, the defender will often turn to the ball and lose sight of the player he/she is defending.  In this situation they are very easily screened.

For these reasons when the ball is in the low post a down screen on the weak-side, is often an effective tactic.  The post player will usually have less traffic to pass the ball through when the weak-side cutter comes high and, the cutter’s defender is often very focused on the ball and not prepared to get through the screen.

The Greek Women’s National Team ran a weak-side down screen play to get a 3 pt. shot and to isolate their post player.  O2 entered the ball from high into the low post, O5, who was positioned well off the lane.  O4 set a back screen for O1 who cut to the basket.

After setting the first screen, O4 immediately down screened in the lane for O3.  O3 sprinted off the cut to the top for the pass from O5.  O2 spaced out high and wide and O1 cut out to the weak-side.

O5 always has the option to play 1 on 1.  Notice though in this situation O5 keeps the ball well off the lane to keep a good passing angle to the top.

Wisconsin-Lob:

Bo Ryan, Head Coach at the University of Wisconsin is one of the finest coaches in NCAA basketball.  Here is a quick hitter Ryan’s team ran vs. Duke which created a good scoring opportunity.

Wisconsin known for their 4 Out Swing Offence executed this play out of a time-out.  As the ball came down the floor it was reversed across the top from guard spot to guard spot, from O1 to O3 in the diagram.  The reversal was complete when the ball was passed to the O2 at the wing.  As the ball reached the wing O1, O4, and O5 move to ball-side.  O4 flashed to the elbow, looking like he wants the ball, O5 cut across low attempting to establish position and O1 cut towards the other guard spot.

After passing to O2, O3 then curls around O1 to the basket and receives a lob pass from O2.  Though the basket was not scored in this play, O3 was wide open for the lob pass.  At lower levels of play the ball O3 would catch the ball, gather and go up for a lay-up.

None of the players actually set screens for O3 – in fact, they are simply creating interference and congesting the area that defender X3, would try to go through. If X3, Duke All-American, Kyle Singler, attempted to go under O1 and meet O4 in the middle of the lane he would have a difficult time navigating through the traffic.  The still frames show O1 and O4 cutting with their hands up looking like they want to receive a pass, when in fact they are decoys.  This is why it may be difficult for their defenders to help – O4 and O1 make it appear that they are looking to catch a pass.

In the still frames, notice how Singler avoids the traffic by going over, but then is late getting to O3.  Going over top creates the separation necessary to complete the pass.

Two other points are critical for the success of the play:
1. Spacing – notice how high and wide the Wisconsin players are which helps relieve ball pressure and creates space at the basket.
2. Timing – each of the cutters arrive to ball-side at the same time and O3 times his cut to the basket with the arrival of the cutters to ball-side.

As well, the fact that Duke attempts to deny most penetrating passes makes them more vulnerable to this type of play.

Double Back to Stagger:

This is a popular set to get a bigger player a scoring opportunity down low and a good shooter a 3 pt. opportunity. 

The Czech Republic’s Women’s National team ran this play at the European Championships this past summer.  The play involves a staggered back screen and a staggered down screen.

The play can begin in a number of ways, in this diagram we use a double stack to start the set. The post who comes off the double back screen, in this case O5, receives the entry pass at the wing from O1.  After the making the entry pass O1 will set a down screen for O3.  O4 steps out to set the first back screen and O2, the shooter, starts across the lane to set the second back screen of the stagger.

O3 comes off O1’s down screen and receives the ball at the top from O5.  O3 reverses the ball to O1 at the opposite wing.  After passing, O5 immediately comes off the staggered back screen from O4 and O2. Usually defender X5 will jump to the ball, and force O5 to cut below off the back screens, but in this video clip X5 jumps low and O5 has a path over top of the screens. O1 passed inside to O5.

Immediately following the staggered back screen for O5, O2 comes off the staggered down screen.  After setting his/her back screen, O4 turns to the baseline, and sets a down screen for O2.  After reversing the ball to O1, O3 sets the second down screen for O2.  O2 cuts towards the top and looks to:
1. receive the ball at top for a 3 pt. shot, when the defender is caught on the screens and there is no help;
2. curl into the lane when the defender is tailing;
3. fade to the weak-side when the defender goes ball-side of the screens. 

Middle Ball Screens:

Ball screens in the middle of the floor can be very effective against zone defences because, like good ball movement and screening action, they can force defenders out of their area of coverage.  In these video clips Butler University makes great use of the ball screen at the top.

In the first clip, the ball-handler, O3, turns the corner and attacks the lane because X2 does not come over to stop penetration.  X2 stays matched up on O1, and as O3 turns the corner, X5 and X3 step up to stop penetration which opens up O2 on the wing for an uncontested 3 pt. shot.

In the next clip, as O1 comes off the ball screen, X2 steps over to stop the penetration. This opens up the pass to O3 for a shot.  In the clip, X4 is late challenging the shot, but if X4 was able to stop O3’s shot, then a pass to O2 in the corner may have created an open shot.

Turn vs. Zone:

This baseline out of bounds play vs. zone defences is from the recent University of Arizona Newsletter.

As soon as O1 receives the ball from the official O5, positioned low on the weak-side, ducks-in hard to the basket; this will occupy the weak-side low defender.  At the same time, O4 turns to the outside and walks away from the basket.  After O4 passes by O2, O2 breaks hard to the corner.  O3 dives straight down the lane to the ball when O4 passes.  O4 will then quickly curl and look for the lob pass in front of the rim from O1.

When O5 ducks-in he should occupy X4.  O2 cutting to the corner will occupy either X3 or X1 and O3 cutting down the lane will should draw X5 low.   In most cases, whether the lob pass to O4 is available will be determined by X2.  If O4 can curl in front of X2 or if X2 simply does not move then the pass over top will usually be there.  If no pass is available then O2 should curl high to the wing and receive a pass over top.