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, Grace College Assistant Coach, Stephen Halstead, joined us in the latest installment of our "Film Room" Series to analyze post play effectiveness within their motion-based offense. Read the newsletter HERE.

This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Ergin Ataman - Collapsing off the 4-Man​

🎤 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Lennie Acuff {Lipscomb University}

🥇Best of the Week: The "Hot Stove" Screen & BLOB RIP Screens​

​

Collapsing off the 4-Man

Some of our favorite concepts to study are born from a conversation we had on the podcast. A couple years ago we spoke with Pro Coach, Tom Bialaszewski, on the role an opponent's 4-man can play in determining the aggression and rotations in defending ballscreens, and it opened our eyes to a new way to watch how a defense played the PNR.

That conversation led us to analyzing Joventut Badalona's PNR strategy {🔒} when they deem their opponent's 4-man to be a non-threatening perimeter player.

Simply put, Joventut clogged the lane with their 4-man behind a 1-5 PNR, applying aggressive pressure on the ball while relying on their 4-man to protect the rim, essentially ignoring the opponent's 4-man on the perimeter. Below is an example, where the defensive 4-man pulls all the way over, positioning themselves outside the lane line on an empty-side ball screen...

At the time, Joventut was selective in deploying this strategy against scout-specific opponents and personnel. Building on this approach, today we examine how Coach Ergin Ataman and Panathinaikos are pushing this strategy a step further, essentially forcing an opponent's 4-man to take on playmaking duties, either as a finisher or by maintaining the offensive flow.

With a growing number of offenses built around a rim-rolling 5-man, surrounded by multiple ballhandlers and shooters, the challenge of helping on the roll while controlling closeouts can be daunting for a defense. This is especially true when opponents routinely manipulate spacing to position guards in the tag or at the rim, creating long closeouts for their playmakers.

To try and keep guards out of rotations and avoid disadvantageous spacing, Coach Ataman assigns his 4-man to serve as the tag or third defender in a 1-5 PNR. Since the 4-man is often the least skilled perimeter player, Coach Ataman challenges them to consistently knock down shots, attack closeouts, and find secondary actions.

4-Man Backside Tags

Diving a little deeper into this defensive strategy, we begin by looking at when the 4-man is positioned behind the screen. Regardless of location, the 4-man will collapse into the lane to tag the roll.

With the defensive 5-man aware that the 4-man will be at the rim to plug the roll, Coach Ataman typically holds the 5-man longer in the ballscreen—often using a lateral hedge—to contain the ballhandler. The priority of this coverage is to neutralize dynamic ballhandlers, both on and off the ball, forcing playmaking responsibilities onto the opponent's 4-man.

Zooming In: Above, we see the corner only stunt at the 4-man on the catch. However, it's worth mentioning that with a prolific shooting 4-man, Coach Ataman will rely on X-outs or peel switches to limit catch-and-shoot opportunities for the 4-man, trusting that their rotations can cover the second pass and put the offense up against a short shot clock.

​

4-Man Strongside Stunts

When the opponent's 4-Man is positioned on the strongside of the ballscreen, or the ball is being driven towards the 4-Man, the defensive 4-Man will, more often than not, be heavy in the gap providing support on the ball to plug the drive...

As the 4-man assumes more responsibility in corralling the ball, the 5-man's coverage becomes softer on the ball, with a greater emphasis on dropping back with the roll to protect the rim.

​

"Lock & Trail" - Secondary Actions

As demonstrated in the clip above, with the remaining perimeter defenders mostly kept out of rotation or providing minimal stunts, they are left with shorter closeouts and in prime position to lock and trail any secondary action the 4-man may attempt to initiate.

The key is the perimeter players' level of aggression in defending these actions, as the 4-man will inevitably arrive later since they are involved with plugging the role or drive. With limited responsibility in the ballscreen, perimeter defenders should be positioned to either blow up the action or aggressively chase the ballhandler into the recovering 4-man (shown above).

Today's PNR coverage, taught by one of Europe’s top coaches, is another interesting choice in the menu of ballscreen coverages we've covered on SGTV. For much more on this scheme, please enjoy this week's newest Deep Dive on SGTV...

*Note: Thank you to Coach Ben Ostrow for his help with this week's breakdown

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

Imagine scouting opponents, validating on-court observations, and evaluating players with just a few clicks. Our partners at Just Play's latest innovation, AInsights, empowers you to do all that, tailoring reports to your specific needs in seconds. This is more than just data; it's your personalized narrative. AInsights puts you in control, letting you curate reports that focus on the metrics most relevant to your strategy. Don't settle for generic analytics – AInsights lets you craft the information you need to gain a decisive edge.

AInsights is a game-changer for coaches. It removes the analytical barrier, replacing it with a user-friendly interface and actionable insights. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a rising star, AInsights puts the power of advanced analytics at your fingertips, allowing you to optimize your scouting, refine your game plan, and ultimately, secure victories on the court.

If you are interested in learning more, go to justplaysolutions.com/slappinglass.​

Slappin' Glass Podcast

We sat down this week with the Head Coach of Lipscomb MBB, Lennie Acuff! Coach Acuff is one of the best teachers in the game and we dive into his thoughts on fixing "5 Out" spacing, the benefits of a great "toss" game, and discuss defending dominant post players and the "out culturing" opponents during the always interesting "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

📺 The "Hot Stove" Screen - Roll • Blade Cut​

"Birmingham Squadron Head Coach TJ Saint utilizes the "Hot Stove" screen to create a quick slip, drawing in the low tag defender and following up behind the roll with a blade cut to punish the help."

✚ Pair With: Utilizing the Tomahawk/Blade Cut to punish the "Crack Back" Defender.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown on the "Hot Stove" Screen & our "Film Room" Session with Coach TJ Saint on offensive spacing and the Dribble Point.

​

📺 BLOB Variations - Playing off the RIP Screen​

"Demonstrating the value of a hard rim cut off the RIP screen and the advantages and actions the offense can utilize as a result."

✚ Pair With: Initiating the RIP Screen with a Flex Screen along the baseline.

🔒 SG Plus Content: For more on the value of a rim cut, view our "Film Room" Session with Coach Pannone on 5-Out Offense or OKC Thunder's Stagger Screen Offense.

Interesting Reads

📚 Cumulative vs. Cyclical Knowledge​

"Cyclical knowledge, and the inability to fully learn from others’ past experiences, means you have to accept a level of volatility and fragility not found in other fields."

​

📚 The Seven Taxes of Life You Need to Pay​

"Hard conversations are a tax on deep relationships.

When you avoid a hard conversation, you're taking on a debt that has to be repaid (with interest) at a date in the future."​
​

📚 How to Stay Calm (Without Any Hacks)​

"Stuck ----> Walk"

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!

​