Open Post Offense - Motion Offense, Diagrams, Drills, and Plays
Why Would You Use The Open Post Offense?
- Undersized Team & Exploit Opposing Team's Strengths - If you have an
undersized team, the open post
is a great offense to use to exploit the opposing team's size. Even though
you may have mismatches
defensively in the post, you can create mismatches on the offensive end
against the opposing team's bigger and slower players.
- No Low Post Threats & Utilizing Your Strengths - This is similar to the reason above, except
you may have some size but these players prefer to play along the perimeter.
Rather than trying to put a square peg into a round hole, you adjust
to your team's strengths.
- Good Penetrators and Outside Shooters - If you have players
that attack the basket well and you have good outside shooters, the open
post offense will open up the lane so your players can attack the basket.
If the defense collapses on the penetration, your outside shooters can
locate open spots along the perimeter for drive and kick situations.
- Easy to Teach - This is relatively easy to teach and can be taught
quickly.
- Delay Game - This is a great offense to use as a delay game.
The continuous pattern of cutting and screening while keeping the floor spread
enables you to extend the time spent on each offensive possession.
You can
even extend the offense out to 25 to 28 feet to make the defense guard
more area.
- Great For Youth Teams - This is the offense that we recommend
for all youth teams. If you can get your teams to cut properly and attack
screens properly, I can promise you that coaches at the next level will
be very grateful to you and you will see more of your players have success
at the next level.
This also gives you more practice time to work on skills. Better players that understand how to play team basketball equal better teams.
Even if you would like to add post options later, the open post is still a great foundational offense for all youth and middle school teams.
- Pass and move - screen or cut.
- Fill the open spot.
- If overplayed, go backdoor.
- Do not cut until the passer is looking at you.
- Take two steps in the opposite direction before cutting to the fill spot.
- When filling the top, cut to the FT line first. (Bob Huggins)
- When filling the top, cut straight to the 3-point line.
- Do not pass to the corners.
- On every screen, the primary option is to curl.
- When dribbled at, go backdoor.
- When dribbled at, use the dribble hand off.
- When dribbled at, read the defense and attack.
Every coach differs with their approach and there certainly is not one way to teach the open post offense, but my preference has been to introduce the cutting concepts first. Then after they have mastered the cutting concepts within the open post, you can introduce the screening concepts. After they have mastered both, you can let the players play and pick whether to cut or screen away.
Open Post Offense - Cutting Option (No Screens)

To initiate movement, both wing players cut through.
The corner players fill the wing.

1 performs a rear cut or face cut to the basket.
If 1 is open, 2 passes to 1.
If 1 is not open, 1 finishes the cut at the rim, then cuts to the opposite corner.
3 fills the top.
4 fills the wing.

2 basket cuts, then fills the open spot on the perimeter which is the ball side corner.
5 fills the wing.
You can also have 1 and 4 interchange to occupy the weakside defense.

In this situation, 5 cuts backdoor.
Open Post Offense - Screening Option


3 fakes opposite, then curls around the screen and finishes the cut at the basket.

1 then cuts to the top.
3 fills the corner.
4 fills the wing.
2 passes to 1.

5 curls around the screen and finishes the cut at the basket.

5 fills the open spot which is in the right corner.

In this diagram, the defense overplays 2's cut to the wing, so 2 cuts backdoor.
This is part of the reason you may want to teach the cutting option first. This makes the transition to the screening option much easier because the players have already developed the habit to cut backdoor when overplayed.
Open Post Offense Practice Drills - Cutting Drill

1 initiates the drill and passes to the coach without a ball on the wing.
1 basket cuts and coach passes the ball to 1 for the lay up.

Open Post Offense Practice Drills - Screening Drill

1 passes to the coach on the wing, then screens for 2.
2 curls the screen and the bottom coach passes the ball to 2 for a jump shot in the lane or a lay up.

Open Post Offense - Set Play #1

After 1 cuts to the basket, he turns and sets a flex screen for 4. 4 cuts to the ball side block.

1 cuts off of the screen.
Open Post Offense - Set Play #2

As 1 cuts to the basket, 2 and 4 set a double screen for 1.
Related Resources For Open Post Offense
How To Develop a High-Scoring Motion Offense - Instructional Guide To Building Your Motion Offense.Do You Recommend The Motion Offense To Youth Teams?
Cutters - Easy 5 Out Motion Offense
What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...
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