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

Happy Sunday and welcome to all the new subscribers from around the world!

ICYMI: Last week, we looked at how "Patient Pivots" and off ball cutting on High Paint penetration can create highly effective "Cross Court" DHO's. Read the newsletter HERE.

This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Attacking Switch - Drive the Wake

🎤 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Rick Pitino

🥇Best of the Week: Zipper Cross Screen & Iverson Loop​

Drive the Wake

A few months ago, during our "Film Room" session with Birmingham Squadron Head Coach, TJ Saint {🔓}, we had a conversation centered on playing small and analyzed the solutions he developed to combat switching and size mismatches. During this part of the session, he introduced us to an offensive concept for attacking switches called "Drive the Wake."

Since then, it’s been a concept we’ve kept an eye on and briefly referenced in our "Switching Primer" a few weeks ago. Today, we're taking a closer look at this concept, exploring what it entails and why it works so well.

What is it?

"Drive the Wake" refers to the ballhandler, after a switch (or sometimes a hedge), attacking the defending big by driving back into the area where the screen occurred. The penetration follows the roller, who creates an open gap in the defense with the roll, leaving a "wake" of space for the ballhandler to exploit and beat the defending big.

Why it's Effective?

This attack can be effective due to the roller's gravity and the defense's momentary lapse in plugging gaps. After switching onto the big, the defending guard is often preoccupied with either chasing or attempting to control the rolling or (as shown above) popping big. In either scenario, the defender may lose sight of the ball, creating an opportunity for the offense to exploit the speed mismatch on the perimeter and attack the space left open.

Zooming In: In the above clip, due to the need to locate the big post-switch, the defending guard follows the roller, which opens up space immediately behind the roll. In this instance, the entire middle third of the court is open for the ballhandler to attack.

With the roll clearing the space and creating the wake, the defense, based on the offensive spacing, may have one more opportunity to plug the gap with the next defender rotating in behind the screen. However, since the nature of the switch is to handle the ballscreen 2v2 with minimal help, the remaining perimeter defenders are often too slow to fill in behind the roll and close the gap.

Zooming In: In both examples above, neither perimeter defender moves off their initial ballscreen position to shrink the space and help the big caught on the perimeter with a speed disadvantage.

Countering the Peel Switch - Gortat Screens

One possible defensive remedy, if the defense is unable to stop the penetration, is to use a Peel Switch (or veer switch) {🔒}, where defenders switch back onto their original matchups as the penetration occurs.

Zooming In: As the offensive guard penetrates into the wake of the roll, the defensive guard will jump off the roller to switch back onto the ballhandler, while the defensive big peels off to cover the rolling big.

The simple fix to combat this coverage is to the turn the roll into a Gortat Screen...

Zooming In: By setting the screen to essentially hold the defensive guard hostage, the roller not only prevents the peel switch but also ends up setting a double screen.

To dive deeper into this innovative concept and see why it’s such an effective offensive solution, view the full breakdown now on SGTV!

Slappin' Glass Podcast

We sat down in this episode with the legendary, Rick Pitino! In this "December Rewind" episode with the current St. John's Head Coach we dive into Coach Pitino's thoughts on 8 different practice segments, the evolution of the PNR, and discuss the benefits of pressure defense and helping assistants be prepared for becoming a Head Coach during the always fun "Start, Sub, or Sit?!"

Listen to the entire conversation 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

📺 Zipper Entry - Pop • Cross Screen​

"A Zipper Entry playing off the pop of the Step Up Screen to set up the Cross Screen."

✚ Pair With: A Zipper Entry with a pass into the Pinch Post to flare the passer and set up the RIP to Get action for the weakside corner.

🔓SG Plus Content: Lenovo Tenerife's playbook for shooters.

📺 Bilbao Basket - Iverson Loop • Skip • Seal​

"Looping the Iverson cutter into a pin down to generate a post seal for the screening big."

✚ Pair With: After the Iverson Cut, the point guard keeps the ball to run a ballscreen, with the shooter coming back off a "Ricky" screen.

🔓SG Plus Content: Our breakdowns on Coach Tuomas Iisalo's use of the Iverson Entry and BC Lietkabelis Iverson Loop series.

Interesting Reads

📚 50 Things I Know​

"40. I know that freedom is earned by confronting things that embarrass and trigger you, over and over again, until you are cringe-proof in your desired environment."​
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📚 Danielson is a Relentless Talker – and Relentless in the Way He Sends Messages to Players​

“As a coach, it’s my job to create messaging for our players and I believe messaging is a force multiplier when not only myself, but the coaches and our players, that becomes what you talk about becomes what you think about. And then when you think about it, that becomes your actions.’’

📚 Woj’s Next Chapter: Why the Preeminent NBA News Breaker Walked Away​

"IN SEPTEMBER, days after he announced his ESPN exit, Woj’s phone buzzed. A trade between the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves was cooking and someone involved wanted to know if Woj wanted any intel on it. Woj’s response: Congratulations. But I don’t give a s---. A few days later, Karl-Anthony Towns was headed to New York. Woj was headed to his office."

Quote of the Week

Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

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