The Key To Attacking Ball Screens – The Starter

By Joe Haefner

The Key To Attacking Ball Screens – The Starter

This tip helps your team get a lot more open looks when…

A Unique Twist For Setting Ball Screens (From The NBA)

By Joe Haefner

A Unique Twist For Setting Ball Screens (From The NBA)

Here is a unique twist for setting ball screens that results in…

New Play – Tigers: Five Out Ball Screen

By Joe Haefner

New Play – Tigers: Five Out Ball Screen

This is a simple play that starts by overloading the weakside of the floor as spacing/operating room is paramount to the success of this pick and roll play. This play is best suited for either a…

Bonnies: A Ball-Screen Motion Play

By Joe Haefner

Bonnies: A Ball-Screen Motion Play

This play makes it difficult for the help defense to slide over to stop the ball screen. If they do, you should have a wide open shot on the opposite side of the floor. Additionally, there are multiple actions prior to the ball screen which brings an element of surprise to catch the defense off guard. So basically, rather than…

How To Defend The Ball Screen (With Drill)

By Joe Haefner

How To Defend The Ball Screen (With Drill)

If you don’t properly defend the ball screen, the opposing team will get unlimited high-percentage shots via dribble penetration, the screener rolling to the basket, and passing out to open shooters if the defense collapses. If you don’t defend this situation properly, one little play can destroy your …

Pro Rebounding Strategy For Switching Ball Screens

By Joe Haefner

Pro Rebounding Strategy For Switching Ball Screens

Here is a guest post from Raul Jimenez on the advanced offensive and defensive tactics of….

Handling Ball Screens Like Steve Nash

By Joe Haefner

While watching game 4 of the Bulls-Celtics series, Jeff Van Gundy stated that Derrick Rose needed to handle the switches on ball screens more like Steve Nash.

Towards the beginning of the game, the Celtics were switching on ball screens leaving a bigger, slower post player guarding Rose. Rose was settling for the jump shot or he would try to attack when he was already too close to the hoop to take advantage of his quickness.

When Steve Nash gets a big player switched onto him, he takes a couple of dribbles backwards.

This does a few things:

1. Lures the bigger player out further away from the hoop.
2. Allows the offensive player to gain momentum while dribbling towards the player which makes it easier to blow by the defender or change directions if needed.
3. Gives teammates an extra second to space the floor properly. This spreads the defense out which gives the player with the ball more room to penetrate.

After you draw out the defender, how should you attack the defender?

• If the defensive player drops into the lane, you can use the mid-range jump shot.
• If the defensive player stays parallel and does not move, you can explode straight past them.

• If the defense comes up and puts a foot forward, you can fake an explosion move or inside-out move, then cross the defender over.
• If the help defense collapses, you can kick the ball out to an open teammate.

In the 4th quarter of the Bulls-Celtics game, I noticed Rose started to draw out the defender with a couple of dribbles backwards like Van Gundy had mentioned earlier in the broadcast. I don’t know if he figured it out himself or a coach told him to do it, but it sure contributed to his 12 point explosion in the 4th quarter that helped the Bulls come from behind and eventually squeak out the victory in double overtime.

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