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 studied how Spanish Club, Joventut Badalona, spaces around their middle ballscreen "Last Spacing", to help create the short roll or pocket pass to Ante Tomic. View the last week's newsletter HERE.

Today at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Joe Gallo - Miami Heat & Merrimack Zone Defenses​

🎤 Slappin' Glass "Titans" Podcast: Austin Barone {Just Play}

🥇Best of the Week: "Blade" & Top Lock Cuts​

Let's dive in...

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Ah, summertime... a chance to enjoy some sun, sand, and pay grossly over-priced parking and entrance fees to an AAU tournament at 8am to watch a recruit jack a couple "hezi" combination step-backs. For us, it was also a time to consume a TON of zone defensive film run by some of the best teams in the world, #hotzonesummer.

It has been, without a doubt, a fun summer of zone exploration for us as we've witnessed a growing number of coaches across all levels achieving success with various coverages in the biggest moments. From Sergio Scariolo winning the European Championship with a Box & 1, to the 3-2 “Monster” Zone {🔒} being utilized across the ACB, along with Real Madrid Head Coach, Chus Mateo, switching to a zone to mount their historic comeback 0-2 series comeback and eventually win the Euroleague title (more on this to come...stay tuned! 😃). And, of course, the Miami Heat terrorized the Eastern Conference with their zone in route to another NBA Finals appearance.

Today, we are excited to present Part 1 of our two-part “Film Room” collaboration with Merrimack Head Coach, Joe Gallo. In this collaboration, we study and discuss the similarities, differences, and key rotations Coach Gallo noticed when analyzing the Miami Heat's Zone Defense.

Coach Gallo runs arguably one of the best zone defenses in the game today, a topic we had the privilege to discuss with him in the past on both the podcast and a break down on SGTV {🔒}. Coach Gallo acknowledges that the Heat's zone is one of the closest iterations to what they run, so we are thrilled to partner with him to dissect the film of both the Miami Heat and Merrimack Zone defenses. Over the next two weeks we will share insights into both zones' unique bumps, peels, rotations, and the philosophies behind their success.

Covered in Today’s Newsletter we share a few key takeaways from Part 1 with Coach Gallo including:

• Accountability & Removing the “Grey”
• NBA Player are Not Immune to Unforced Turnovers
• Punctures: “Below & Outs” and Baseline Drives

Accountability

To initiate our discussion with Coach Gallo, we inquired about the reasons behind coaches' occasional hesitancy to incorporate a zone defense in the first place. This hesitation often stems from a false belief that the coverage involves too many ambiguous situations, making it challenging to both hold players accountable and rectify mistakes. However, as Coach Gallo discusses with his zone at Merrimack, the zone defense is built on a series of distinct bumping actions, rotations, and rules that are derived from ball movement and offensive spacing. So, in other words, there is no grey area.

Once these principles are clearly defined and practiced, players can be held accountable in the same manner as any other defensive coverage when it comes to rotations, bumps, and closeouts, leading to points being conceded. Following the analysis, Coach Gallo and his coaching staff can monitor rotations according to player positions. This assessment allows them to identify the vulnerabilities that lead to breaches and point losses. They even take the step of enforcing a points-per-minute threshold for each position, holding players accountable to this standard.

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Turnovers: NBA Players are not Immune

Even before delving into the finer intricacies of rotations and bumps, the mere act of dropping into a zone can cause hesitancy, confusion, and passivity in an offense. This effect holds true whether you are coaching at a youth summer camp or during the intensity of the Eastern Conference Finals.

In addition to the hesitancy, zone defenses often compel the offense to adapt to a spacing and reads they are less accustomed to. Offenses often modify their usual spatial arrangements in response to the formation of the zone. While this is not a bad strategy by any means, it can lead to the offense operating at higher positions on the court than usual and struggling to maintain their floor balance. As Coach Gallo discusses, the result is that even the best ball handlers and decision makers can find themselves uncertain about their passing options or the positioning of their teammates during penetrations.

Another advantage of employing a zone defense is its capacity to compel non-playmakers to assume decision-making roles. To create high-quality shots or opportunities, the offense frequently engages in lateral ball movement to manipulate the positioning of the zone. Consequently, the ball finds itself in the possession of players with lower usage rates and a tendency to make suboptimal decisions. The common example of this is a high post catch by an offenses' 4 or 5 who is uncomfortable making passing/scoring decisions in traffic.

This scenario works to the advantage of the defense, provided they maintain unwavering effort and energy. By actively running offensive players off the 3-point line and engaging in swift rotations to induce additional passes, the defense's proficiency in compelling multiple passes heightens the likelihood of forcing turnovers. In the video Coach Gallo breaks down a number of the Miami Heat's great effort on rotations...

Punctures - "Below and Out"

Transitioning into the shared rotational aspects between the defensive approaches of both Miami and Merrimack, one of the pivotal rotations is the "Below & Out" movement executed when the ball travels from the top to the wing. As the ball is passed to the wing, the responsibility of the low forward is twofold: 1) prevent the catch-and-shoot opportunity while 2) simultaneously being positioned in the passing lane to the corner (Part 2).

In order to avert an immediate catch and drive down the lane by the wing player, the guard must approach this rotation with precision. This involves adopting an appropriate angle on the rotation over to the ball. Referred to as the "Below & Out" rotation by Coach Gallo, it necessitates an initial first step down to discourage a direct line pass to the high post, concurrently positioning oneself beneath the ball in order to rotate out in the driving lane.

Zooming In: If the guard on his rotation turned and sprinted directly to the shoulder of the wing, he would concede not only the pass to the high post but be opening up a driving lane through the elbow. As we'll highlight further in Part 2 of the discussion next week, the forward isn't pausing for the guard to initiate the bump down action. So, as the forward vacates his stance near the ball, it becomes imperative for the guard to get below the ball to thwart any potential penetration.
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Punctures - Baseline Drives

A fundamental principle Coach Gallo discusses in the film is that when the offense does breach the zone defense via a dribble the top guards must refrain from entering the paint. Rather than pursuing penetration into the paint, the guards are instructed to promptly peel off and fan out to shooters and specific locations on the floor. This strategic adjustment facilitates swift rotations and, in certain instances, steals...

Zooming In: Rather than collapsing too far into the paint in response to the baseline drive, as seen in the example above with Caleb Martin, the strategic approach involves fanning out. This decision is based on the recognition that when the offense executes a baseline drive, their intention is often to create an opportunity for a corner shot and potentially an additional pass to a player on the weak side.

These are just a few of the key rotations and discussions with Coach Gallo in Part 1 of our "Film Room" breakdown on the Miami Heat and Merrimack Zones. Also included today in Part 1:

• "See the Next Play" mentality
• Guard alignments
• Defending high post catches
• High hands
• Short corner skips
• Short corner dives
• "Dukes"

Part 1 of this series now on SGTV for members of SG Plus! Part 2 coming next week!

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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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Slappin' Glass Podcast

We sat down this week for the latest installment of our mini-series, "Titans", which explores the best companies in basketball, with Austin Barone, founder of one of the best and fastest growing sports tech companies, Just Play. Just Play is a unique all-in-one software solution shaping the future of coaching and player interaction. In this episode Austin takes us behind the scenes, sharing fascinating insights about his transition from a college football kicker at Kansas to a tech entrepreneur.

Austin's tale is more than just about success; it's about strategic risk-taking, following passion, and continuously enhancing value for coaches. Discover how Austin and his team leverage their combined expertise in accounting, tech, and passion for sports to consistently innovate and disrupt the sports tech industry. Hear about the calculated risks, long-term plans, and the compelling story behind their strategic decision to venture into the basketball world.

Please enjoy the entire great conversation with Austin Barone here...

Listen Now!

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Tactical

📺 Cutting the "Crack Back" - Blade/Tomahawk Cut​

"An effective cut to punish the defender "Cracking Back" on the dunker off a non-shooting threat in the corner."

✚ Pair With: Manresa attacking thru the 2nd cut and into the space created off the 1st cut.

🔒 SG Plus Content: "Crack Back" Defense & Manresa's Empty Side Flow Offense.

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📺 Gut Screening - Top Lock Backdoors​

"Maccabi Tel-Aviv backdoor cutting defenders intent on top locking the gut screen."

✚ Pair With: Alba Berlin & Marcus Eriksson beating the top lock.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Alba Berlin's Flex SLOB reads and cuts.

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Interesting Reads

📚 The Eight Biggest Questions Ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup​

"Will Anthony Edwards be the breakout star? Can Team Canada usurp Team USA? And can Luka Doncic sneak Slovenia into the Olympics?"

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📚 Brandon Staley’s Search for New Heights on Offense...the NBA​

"Which brings Staley back to his first love, basketball, the Bulls, Steve Kerr and the Warriors.

'Everything has gotten so spread out because of [the increase in volume and accuracy of three-point attempts],” he says. “So it changes the spacing of the defense and how you have to play defense. Everyone has to be accounted for. And when you account for the three-point shot, it opens up more space to drive the basketball.'"

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📚 Does a “Growth Mindset” Really Help You Succeed?​

"There doesn’t seem to be anything harmful about adopting or encouraging a growth mindset: It’s empowering to think that one’s abilities aren’t fixed. But teaching this viewpoint alone doesn’t jump-start the work ethic required to improve oneself. A growth mindset might sell a boatload of books (which often seems to be the ultimate goal of many psychologists), but it won’t propel individuals to success without investing time and effort into the areas where you want to improve, be it school, sports, or some other skill."

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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!

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