Exploring basketball's best ideas, strategies, and coaches around the world

Happy Sunday and Father's Day! If someone is looking to spoil you further today after that breakfast in bed, perhaps try THIS!​

ICYMI: Last week, we explored the "Hook DHO" and its value in countering a denial to create cleaner shots and sharper driving angles. Read the full newsletter HERE.

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This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Under Solutions - Olympiacos​

🎧 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Mike MacDonald {Daemen}

📢 Hudl + FastModel

🥇 Best of the Week: Penetration Automatics & Double Ballscreens​

📚 Interesting Reads: Decision Making Questions, Chosen Suffering, and Emotional Intelligence

Let's dive in...

Under Solutions

From time to time, we like to revisit a previous breakdown that generated great feedback and still holds plenty of relevance. Today’s re-run looks back at a favorite—Olympiacos’ smart and adaptable strategy for attacking “Unders” in the pick-and-roll, blending rescreens with off-ball movement to create real advantages.

When building out one’s PNR offense, considerations should be given to the strengths of the players involved and finding solutions to various coverages to fit those strengths. In the past, we have looked at several different solutions in attacking the Drop {🔒}, Ice {🔒}, and Switch {🔒} coverages. Today, we will focus on Euroleague club Olympiacos' solution to attacking "Unders" (player guarding the ball going under the screen) in the ballscreen through the use of the rescreen {🔒} and off-ball cutting.
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Oftentimes, defenses make the decision to go under in the PNR due to the reluctance and/or inconsistency of the ballhandler to shoot behind the screen. With no advantage created on the first screen, a natural tendency for the offense is to play to the rescreen to help get the ballscreen lower on the floor, where 1) the ballhandler will be comfortable to shoot or 2) the defender will be forced to go over.
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However, if the defense is determined to continue going under the screen, real thought should be given to how confident you are in allowing the ballhandler to dominate a possession in search of a solution against the under. Perhaps this is not your ideal outcome when electing to rescreen the under...

Zooming In: As demonstrated above, the possession can really stall out when the offense is committed to attacking through the rescreen. However, if your point guard is equipped with the midrange skills and creativity similar to Marcelinho Huertas, let'm cook!
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For those of us that don't possess that caliber of player (or patience) to create an advantage, something else is needed to help turn that defensive under into an offensive advantage.
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Enter Olympiacos, who chose to attack the under with their point guard by using the rescreen to trigger off-ball actions. Specifically, when the rescreen brought the ball back towards the full side of the court (2-men side), Olympiacos attempted to create an advantage through a quick 45 cut followed by a pitch/toss with the corner man sprinting up...

Why it was effective?

With a willing passer on the ball along with skilled forwards in Kostas Papanikolaou, Alec Peters {🎧}, and Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos could better exploit the under by quickly flipping the screen and bringing the corner player directly into the action, attacking the shell coverage and punishing the rim help.

Zooming In: In the clip above, on the rescreen towards the 2-men side Walkup (ballhandler) immediately dribbles into a pitch with the corner to exploit the low defender. It is important to highlight too that should the on ball defender opt to go under the rescreen, they are often positioned too low to offer any meaningful support or disrupt the toss.

Another crucial aspect in Olympiacos' under strategy was understanding their preference to attack through ballscreens to the short side of the floor, or through step-up screens first...

... this action would more often than not result in a rescreen back to the full side of the floor where the defense could load up with nail help. However, that spacing familiarity fostered collective awareness, allowing them to seamlessly adapt to the situation and trigger cutting solutions to the under.

Let the Chess Match Begin!

As the threat of the corner began to pull the defense away from the rim, favorable situations arose where the 45 cut could be utilized to create easy scoring opportunities...

Olympiacos, ever comfortable in this spacing and reading how the defense is playing them, could begin moving the chess pieces around to add levels of unpredictability and uncertainty for the defense. For example, they could move their shooter to that 45 spot and play straight to a pitch and brush screen from Walkup instead of 45 cutting...

Zooming In: Shown above, Vezenkov in the 45 position, fakes the cut to receive the hand off himself. Leading to every coaches favorite defense, the "point switch."​ {🔒}
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Indeed, there are numerous exits and strategies that can be employed when attacking through the 2-men side, allowing teams to tailor a personnel-based approach. As the season progressed, Olympiacos adapted by shifting their strategy from utilizing a 45 cut to incorporating a flare screen to exploit the under defense. By constantly evolving and introducing fresh elements to their offensive repertoire, Olympiacos maintained a dynamic and unpredictable approach that challenged opposing defenses.

To learn much more on Olympiacos rescreen flare attack, plus view the variety of exits generated from their under solutions, SG+ Members can now view today's breakdown on SGTV!

Together with Dr. Dish

🚨This month only, Slappin’ Glass subscribers can get an exclusive $2,000 off plus FREE shipping on their purchase of a Dr. Dish CT+, All-Star+, or Rebel+. Hurry to secure your savings before 6/30 or while supplies last!​

Slappin' Glass Podcast

We sat down this week with the Head Coach of Daemen University, Mike MacDonald! In this terrific conversation we dive into Coach MacDonald's thoughts on the ingredients of great teams, handling success, and discusses offensive rebounding and the two-guard offense during the always entertaining "Start, Sub, or Sit?!"

Together with Hudl

Whether you’re in-season, prepping for summer workouts, or deep in the portal scouting, Hudl’s ecosystem has you covered. With FastModel tools now fully integrated, your plays, scouts, film, and recruiting all live in one place. That means better collaboration, cleaner workflows, and more time actually coaching.

​Learn more about Hudl and Fastmodel or subscribers to Slappin' Glass can also directly email Winston Jones of Hudl at winston.jones@hudl.com.

Tactical

📺 Penetration Automatics - Middle Drive • Elbow Dive​

"A spacing & penetration automatic around a middle penetration when the big is spaced to the elbow."

✚ Pair With: Dunker spacing automatics off a slot drive.​

🔒 SG Plus Content: Coach Tuomas Iisalo's Iverson Entry spacing and execution.

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📺 "77" Double Drags - 2nd Screen "Slip & Seal"​

"Slipping out of the 2nd screen in the double drag to create space for the over and seal out the rim help."

✚ Pair With: Cody Toppert's Double Ballscreen concepts with a shooting big.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our recent breakdown on Isolation Rim Seals to remove the rim protector.

Interesting Reads

📚 How to Be More Emotionally Intelligent (Without Trying So Hard)​

13. People don’t want you to be perfect. What they want is to feel connected to you.

17. If you can’t say “no” easily, you can’t be trusted.

21. Willpower is needed if it’s a desire from the head. Willpower is not needed if it’s a desire from the heart.

32. Perceiving yourself as “better than” other people is a sign of repressed emotions. And you can’t repress emotions without repressing joy.

33. I have never met anyone who is both deeply joyful and also harbors a sense of superiority.

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📚 In Uncertain Times, Ask These Questions Before You Make a Decision​

2. If a year from now this decision was used as an example of our leadership, what would it teach?

In uncertain times, when data is incomplete and outcomes feel unpredictable, this question helps leaders shift from reactive problem-solving to intentional meaning-making.

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📚 Chosen Suffering​

"Chosen suffering is a fancy word for love," he told me, "because you will suffer the most for the things you love the most."

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Quote of the Week

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Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

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