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 looked at how defenses are beginning to blend defensive coverages by "Weaking" to "Next" Zipper Step Up Screens. View the full breakdown HERE.

This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Inside Hand Push Dribbles - DHO's & Off Ball Screens​

🎤 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Cody Toppert {Capital City Go-Go}

🥇Best of the Week: RIP to Gets & High Post Isolations​

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Let's dive in...

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Inside Hand Push Dribble

It's been three weeks into the new year, and we haven't discussed one of our favorite aspects of the game here at Slappin' Glass nearly enough...DHO's. To scratch that constant itch, this week we took a look at how the Miami Heat's, Duncan Robinson, along with several other shooters are using their inside hand on an initial dribble to improve their angle and advantage when being chased over a DHO or off-ball screen. Subtle, but highly effective...

By incorporating this dribble, gifted shooters like Robinson, who are considered "average" athletes, can improve their movement efficiency and enable themselves to navigate and attack open spaces with more effectiveness.

Getting into Space

One of the more interesting topics of conversation for us when examining DHO's is how to combat, at times, their "east-west" nature, or the momentum carrying the receiver away from the rim, allowing the defender to regain position. The discussion focuses on how one can create or execute more threatening "north-south" DHOs, guiding the receiver downhill toward the rim and forcing a rotation. This includes considerations such as the locations and type of DHOs, how the Big can create additional space {🔒} for the receiver to square up on the rim, and, in today's case study, individual techniques of the receiver to enhance their attack.

Particularly when shooters are running out of the corner, countering their momentum to turn the corner and attack open space after the DHO or screen can be challenging, especially when their defender is aggressively chasing over the top. Rather than using a "neutral" dribble with the outside hand {🔒} in an effort to square up to the rim first before attacking the space, players can achieve both by pushing the ball into the open space with their inside hand and squaring themselves as they pursue it.

Zooming In: Above is a great example of the dribble's effectiveness. The defender chasing over the DHO goes untouched by the Big. If the receiver, Pau Ribas, were to take a lateral dribble with his outside hand, the defender could potentially get back in front or cut off his angle of attack. However, by immediately pushing the ball out in front with his inside hand, Ribas cuts off his defender and immediately improves his angle of attack.

Zooming In 2.0: Also of note with this technique is that the player's second dribble is switched to the outside hand to protect the ball as the defender chases the play. This "inside-to-outside-hand" attack allows the ballhandler to both create the angle and then limit a "poke" from the defender behind them.

What routinely shines through when employing the inside hand dribble was the ability of the shooter to get into open space squared to the rim with one dribble vs two.

Running Under the Dribble

Shooters gotta shoot! As mentioned earlier, one benefit of using the inside hand is its ability to quickly square the shooter to the rim, thereby aiding them in getting their shot off faster. The effect of the dribble on the quick shot release is two-fold. First, pushing the dribble out with the inside hand allows the shooter to gain separation from their defender. Second, during the pursuit of the ball, the shooter can square themselves and load for the shot as they run under the dribble, enabling the shooter to clear the DHO and make a clean attempt, all in one dribble.

Splitting the Stunt

In past breakdowns, we have examined the defensive tactic of stunting off the pass to help defend shooters {🔒} running off screens, as well as the offensive tactics teams use to counter and exploit the stunt {🗞} . When it comes to this inside hand push technique, shooters can enhance their effectiveness when running off screens by employing this dribble to quickly split the stunt and find a pocket of space.

Zooming In: As the passer stunts into the gap, Duncan Robinson avoids curling into the help by pushing the dribble out in front with his inside hand. This immediate action improves his angle against the stunt and allows him to get into the open space unimpeded.

Over the past year we've enjoyed looking a little deeper at the teams and players who turn what look like simple, every day actions into something much more lethal due to the details of how they do it. Whether it's Coach Xavi Pascual's back pivots on Pin Down Screens {🔒}, Kevin Pangos' use of the "Skip Dribble" {🗞️} in PNR's, or today's "inside hand push" dribble, these minor details can be terrific teaching details to layer into whatever action is being run.

For access on the Inside Hand Dribble and all the linked breakdown videos mentioned today, become a SG Plus Member.

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Slappin Glass Podcast

Second time's a charm! We were joined on the podcast once again by now Head Coach of the G-League's Capital City Go-Go, Cody Toppert! Coach Toppert is always once of the more interesting coaches to discuss the game with and holds nothing back in this week's episode as we discuss: In this podcast we discuss:

• Skill Acquisition vs. Skill Application
• Expected Possession Value and S2 Cognition
• Defending ISO Mismatches
• And much more

Listen to the entire episode here...

Listen Here!

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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.

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Tactical

📺 Penn State - RIP Slip to Get​

"Penn State's Iverson Out entry, setting up a shooter to initiate a Get action following a decoy RIP screen."

✚ Pair With: Bilbao flashing their big up for a Get action off the Ghost Screen.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown on the "Get" Action and Penn State's 5 Out Delay.

📺 High Post Isolations & Force Traps - Switch PNR​

"A short case study on attacking the PNR Switch with an isolation at the High Post and forcing the isolation into a trap to solve the mismatch."

✚ Pair With: Late clock Ghost Screens to confuse the switch.

🔒 SG Plus Content: The "Switch & Shrink" PNR Defense and "Hitting" Perimeter Mismatches.

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Interesting Reads

📚 11 Rules for Hiring an NFL Head Coach​

“Coaches like to think we listen. Coaches don’t listen,” Tomlin said on that podcast I referenced earlier. “They wait for dudes’ mouths to stop moving. … When dudes are talking, I listen. I listen for real. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to produce action that’s in alignment with what they want, but I listen. I try to keep it real simple.”

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📚 Look at Your Fish​

“Then Scudder had a brainstorm and he announced it to Agassiz the next morning: Paired organs, the same on both sides. Of course! Of course! Agassiz said, very pleased. So Scudder naturally asked what he should do next, and Agassiz said, Look at your fish.”

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📚 Emotional Bank Accounts​

“Everyone has an emotional bank account with people.”

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Quote of the Week

Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

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