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

Happy Sunday and welcome to all the new subscribers from around the world! We're excited to have you as part of the community 🙏

ICYMI: Last week, we examined how teams are spacing around the "Drive the Big" Pitch offensive concept and applying it to late-clock isolations. Read the newsletter HERE.

This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Defending the Spain PNR - Hedge & X-Out​

🎤 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Nick Pasqua {Converse University}

🥇Best of the Week: Furman Corner Comeback Exit & 4 Out Chase

​

Let's dive in...

Defending Spain

The "Hedge and X-Out" Coverage

The "Spanish Pick and Roll", also known as "Stack PNR", has undoubtedly emerged as one of the most challenging offensive actions to defend in today's game...

Countering the action demands a sophisticated level of communication and coordination between all three defenders involved in the mix. Any misstep along the way can lead to an open bucket... and furniture on the floor...

The beauty of the Spain PNR lies in its ability to force the defense into tough decisions about how to defend both the ballscreen and the stack/back screener. We had a tremendous conversation with Indiana State Head Coach, Josh Schertz, on this very subject a couple years ago, discussing strategies ranging from fighting the big under the stack screen to disrupting the stack screen with physicality.

Because of the challenges this action can create for a defense, various defensive schemes are emerging in an effort to neutralize the Spain PNR, such as guard-to-guard switching or triple switching. Like any other coverage, these strategies have their benefits but can also be exploited with counters. Here's one where the stack screener slips to the rim instead of popping to the top of the key...

Today, we will focus on one defensive strategy that has recently caught our eye: the "Hedge & X-Out." We'll dive into the strength of this strategy and its attempt to address several pain points presented by the Spain PNR.

Hedge and X-Out

So, what is it? Simply put, the "Hedge & X-Out" strategy involves an aggressive on-ball defense, with the defensive big hard hedging to prevent the point guard from turning the corner, thus nullifying the effectiveness of the stack screen. Meanwhile, the defender on the stack screener focuses on controlling the roll until the big recovers back. Finally, the corner defenders assist the stack defender with an "X-Out" should the stack screener abandon the screen and pops out to the 45. Here's an example...

This week's full deep dive on SGTV covers:

• Handling Strongside vs. Weakside Slip Outs by the Spain Screener
• Details of the "X-Out" Rotation
• Defending the Roller
• And much more

You can enjoy this week's "Hedge and X-Out" deep dive, along with over 750 others by becoming an SG Plus member here...

Official Sponsor of "Start, Sub, or Sit?"

Our partners at Just Play just launched an incredible new feature for their customers, AI Insights. Where coaches can get on-demand and completely customizable scouts and reports in just a few clicks. If you are interested in learning more, go to justplaysolutions.com/slappinglass.​

Slappin Glass Podcast

A really insightful and important conversation on the podcast this week as we were joined by Converse University Head Coach, Nick Pasqua! Coach Pasqua was an open book discussing some of the more difficult parts of the coaching profession including:

• Learnings from being fired from his first Head Coaching job
• Becoming comfortable in your own skin as a coach
• ​Meshing Princeton and Euro Flow Offenses​
• Efficiency in Transfers
• And much more

Listen to the entire episode here...

​

Together with Hudl

We're proud to partner with one of the best tech companies in the world of sports, Hudl! Every play, every stat, every breakdown. On their own, they’re essential. But all together, they’re undeniable. Hudl recently introduced their newest product, Hudl Instat – a new advanced data platform that integrates with Sportscode and every Hudl product you rely on to create an all-in-one data powerhouse. Hudl Instat’s advanced tagging and next-level stat reports help you develop your team – and its global film library helps you find the missing piece to get the most out of every second of film. Visit ​hudl.com/slappinglass​ to learn more.

Tactical

📺 Furman - 45 Cut • Comeback Screen​

"45 cutting the shooter prior to bringing him back out the same side on a corner exit screen."

✚ Pair With: Barcelona using a "Ricky" screen after driving the shooter short corner.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Marquette offensive spacing with Shaka Smart.

📺 BC Peristeri - 4 Out Chase • Flare + Veer

"Attacking the tag defender with a gut veer screen."

✚ Pair With: Playing to a grenade DHO off the 4 Out Chase entry.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Italian Club Reggio Emilia's 2022 Offensive Playbook design to attack tags.

Interesting Reads

📚 What I Wish Someone Had Told Me​

"Cohesive teams, the right combination of calmness and urgency, and unreasonable commitment are how things get finished. Long-term orientation is in short supply; try not to worry about what people think in the short term, which will get easier over time."

​

📚 On and Off the Court, Jamal Shead is a Selfless Leader​

“Mal’s main characteristics are that he’s a leader, a helper, and he’s really selfless. You don’t realize how selfless he is when you first meet him. Mal’s really for everybody else before he helps himself and he’s probably the first person I contact if I ever need something. He’s so willing to help somebody or be there for somebody, but he’s that way with everyone.”

​

📚 How to Identify Talent: Five Lessons from the NFL Draft​

“That is why a structured decision process is especially valuable. The best teams have philosophies and policies that firmly guide the draft process. There are few organizations capable of doing that consistently, and it’s a real advantage for those who can.”

​

Quote of the Week

Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

We're proud to partner with the leading Sports Travel company in the basketball world, Beyond Sports! Follow the link above to learn more about why more than 600 universities have trusted Beyond Sports for their team's foreign trips. Let them know Slappin' Glass sent you!

​