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

Welcome to all the new subscribers this week, it's great to have you as part of the community! Those interested in getting access to every piece of content in this newsletter (plus thousands of hours more) can join SG Plus HERE. ​

Today at a Glance:

🏀 SGTV: Coach Gonzalo Rodriguez' "Next" & "Hot" Defensive Clinic​

🎤 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Keegan Brown​

🥇 Best of the Week: Screening the 2-3 Zone​

🏆 Hoopsalytics! A New Slappin' Glass Partner!

​

Let's dive in..

---

"Next" & "Hot" Defense - A Primer

(This weekend's full breakdown, normally for SG Plus members, is free today thanks to our newest partners, Hoopslaytics. More info on them below.)

Over the past couple of years we've enjoyed looking at the benefits and different ways coaches are using "Next" Defense as part of their PNR Coverages. Today, we are excited to add a terrific new clinic to SGTV that details the theory and teaching points behind executing the "Next" Defensive Coverage by a coach very familiar with running the defense with the club, Monbus Obradoiro, in Spain's top division (ACB), Gonzalo Rodriguez.

In this hour-long clinic Coach Rodriguez breaks down how, why, and when Obradoiro uses "Next" Coverage and gives multiple examples of how it can be run against different PNR alignments. Before diving in, a simplified definition of "Next" PNR Defense is...

A couple of interesting points from the clinic that we'll pull out and highlight below is how Obradoiro differentiates the PNR as going towards either the "Single Side" or the "Full Side", rather than the "Weak" or "Strong" side. We'll also look into the vocabulary and rotations Obradoiro uses behind the PNR based on the "Single" or "Full Side" PNR, as well as how the "Next" Coverage plays into both.

PnR Defensive Philosophy - Random Defense

With offenses becoming more and more adept at attacking various PnR coverages, the challenge for the defense becomes how can they can stay a step ahead and keep the offense off-balance. How can the defensive coverage on the ball vary from possession to possession or even within a possession to prevent the offense from getting comfortable? With "Random Defense" Obradoiro provides their players with communication tools in order to choose the coverage on the floor as the play is unfolding. They empower their players to select the coverage on a situation by situation basis. So, not unlike other teams, they will practice their different on-ball coverages (double, hedge, drop, etc), however, which of these coverages they deploy will be based off of the direction of the ballhandler (single or full), their communication, and the call of the big man in the screen. Thus, making their coverage "random."

Full vs Single Side

As mentioned, Obradoiro doesn't think of the PnR in terms of "weak" or "strong-side." What is more relevant to them is the direction in which the PG is attacking and whether there are one (Single) or two/three players (Full) on that side. Based on the direction of the ballhandler, the "low man" on the Full Side will make a call to his Defensive Big in the PNR, which triggers a selection of coverages for the Defensive Big to choose based off that call. So, to simplify a bit, the coverage that the Defensive Big chooses at the point of the screen is determined by the call he's hearing from the low tag behind him.

Below are the calls Coach Rodriguez discusses in the video that they'll use to communicate both the Full/Single Side and the coverages that can be used...

Towards Single Side - "Blitz" Call

When the ball is in the middle third of the floor and the ballhandler is attacking towards the Single Side...

The low man on the Full Side will communicate "Blitz" to his big in the PnR...

What does "Blitz" communicate?: When the big hears "Blitz" it unlocks a package of coverages he can choose from. It is then up to the Defensive Big to communicate his coverage to the guard defending the ballhandler. In general, Obradoiro wants to help from the Full Side so when the big hears "Blitz" he knows he can be more aggressive (Hedge/Quick Show/Trap, etc.) with his coverage on the ballscreen because he is aware he has multiple defenders behind him.

Towards Full Side - "Full" Call

When the ball is attacking towards the Full Side (1 or more players)...

The low man on the Full Side communicates "Full" to his big in the PnR...

Again, a "Full" call unlocks a different set of coverages for the Big to select on the ballscreen. So, what begins to unfold is the defense can provide different solutions to the same "test." In theory, as Coach Rodriguez discusses, the offense will not face the same PNR coverage on back to back possessions or even within the same possession.

Towards Full Side - "Next" and "Hot" Defense

When the ball is attacking toward the Full Side Obradoiro will help off the next closest defender. Here is where you see a traditional "Next" rotation with a jump switch onto the ballhandler while the on-ball defender peels off to the nearest perimeter player...

Zooming In: Whether the "Next" Defender helps or not is based on whether or not his teammate can get back in front of the ballhandler before the 3-pt line. If the defender at the Nail sees their teammate chasing as the ball breaks the arc then he will communicate the switch and his teammate will peel off to the wing.

The "Next" Defender also has the ability to call "Hot", shown in the previous GIF, and can "jump/double" the ballhandler immediately as they come off the PnR. In today's clinic Coach Gonzalez elaborates in great detail the nuances and teaching points of both the "Next" & "Hot" coverages.

"Last" Call

The final piece to Obradoiro's defensive language is the "Last" call, which is used to combat off-ball motion and cutting around the PnR. To help mitigate the potential confusion these types of cutting actions can cause, Obradoiro has provided their players with a "Last" call, which communicates to the Defensive Big that the offense is in motion and the low tag defender cannot determine the Full or Single Side...

Zooming In: When the Defensive Big hears the "Last" call his coverage his usually pre-determined based off of the scout. In these situations playing a more conservative coverage like Drop or Switch is beneficial since their help coverage is unclear due to the offense motion.

One of the main factors in playing "Next" Defense that Coach Rodriguez discusses in the clinic is that teams are generally trying to keep the "Single Side Tag" defender out of the PNR coverage because of how easy it is for an offense to create an advantage from the simple "Shake Action"(throwing the ball back behind a PNR to a player lifting from the corner). With that philosophy of always helping/tagging from the "Full Side" it becomes imperative then for the defenders to have terminology that is simple, concise, and effectively communicates where that Full Side help will be coming from no matter where the PNR is taking place on the court. Coach Rodriguez does a fantastic job of walking through these scenarios in today's newest video.

Beyond breaking down Obradoiro's PnR Philosophy, Coach Rodriguez further dives into how they teach the "Next" and "Hot" coverages including:

• "Next" Defense - Philosophy and Theory
• "Next" 2 or 3 Player Rotations
• "Next" against Snake Dribbles
• Defending Cutters
• Common Mistakes
• "Hot" Defense - When and Why
• Teaching the use of Hands & Stunts

View the full clinic now on SGTV...

​

---

We're excited to announce a brand new partnership with a terrific new analytics site, Hoopsalytics! Hoopsalytics is an affordable, easy-to-use, advanced basketball video and analytics system for coaches of all levels that allows you to create your own custom events and sets. Hoopsalytics then analyzes those custom events for you through video-linked stats, interactive shot charts, and other tools. There’s no programming required and is a fraction of the price of other systems out there today.

Slappin' Glass subscribers can try Hoopsalytics for free with your own team’s games, and save 25% on any purchase by using the discount code on the page https://hoopsalytics.com/glass/​

---

Slappin' Glass Podcast

We had a great time on the podcast this week as we were joined by BYU MBB's Director of Video and Strategy, Keegan Brown! BYU has been known as a program that fully embraces the use of analytics in all things they do, so it was a blast to discuss much of what they do with Coach Brown including:

• Using Analytics to Improve Decision Making, Teaching, and Player Development: As the Head of Video and Strategy Coach Brown's role with the BYU is to track and develop systems around analytics. We dive headfirst into the what, why, and hows of BYU's unique analytical approach and how it helps shape much of what they do from a tactical and player development standpoint.​
• Shooting a Three vs. Going for a Two Late-Game: Within our analytical discussion we touch on the interesting question of going for a three vs. a two when trailing late. We talk about some of the math and other factors involved in this decision as well as how BYU practices these types of situations.
• "Start, Sub, or Sit"?!: During the always fun segment we pick Coach Browns' brain on 1 v. 1 defense, set execution, and ways to find your coaching voice.

You can listen to the entire great interview from Coach Brown here...

Listen Now!

​

---

We are proud partners with InStat Basket, their platform has been a tremendous aid in producing our weekly breakdowns and this newsletter. With InStat we get access to their complete catalog of NBA, Euroleague, NCAA, WNBA, and International film. Coaches at every level can use InStat to prepare for opponents, self-scout, and develop players for the next level. Visit InStat now to learn more and take your program to the next level.

---

​

Tactical

📺 Screening the 2-3 Zone - Flare the Side​

"Weakside flare screens are a good weapon against the zone. Spain is able to clear a whole side for their shooter by flare screening the bottom wing and top guard."

✚Pair With: Out podcast conversation with Virtus Bologna Assistant Coach & Video Coordinator, Iacopo Squarcina.

​

📺 Screening the 2-3 Zone - Inverted Horns​

"Inverting the horns screens to the middle creates two single side shake PnRs against a dropped big."

✚ Pair With: One of our favorite playbooks from the previous year Coach Amiel & Nymburk and their use of the ballscreen in attacking the 2-3 Zone.

Interesting Reads

📚 What if the NBA Developed its Player Pipeline?​

"Young athletes today are asked to compete year-round between school and club teams, sometimes playing three games a day at summer tournaments. Maybe they get a brief break at the end of August. Then they’re back at it, often driven by coaches – more talent recruiters than athlete developers – with no training in basic, health-enhancing concepts like periodization or nutrition. The adults are incentivized to win, now."

​

📚 How Dolphins Coach, Mike McDaniel, Heat Coach, Erik Spoelstra, Benefited from Meeting​

"Very different sports but very similar in that we’re all dealing with a time where the athletes are as athletic and finely-tuned as they ever have been in their lives. As a result, you have to train them differently. The days of – case in point – Larry Csonka and Don Shula four-a-days, those are things of the past."

​

📚 The Effects of Praise: 7 Evidence-Based Tips for Using Praise Wisely​

"3. Be careful, too, about using extreme praise. You’re perfect! You’re incredibly good at this! Even if children believe we’re sincere, this kind of inflated, over-the-top praise can lead to trouble. It sets a crazy-high standard. How can a child hope to maintain it? Once again, the youngest children might not perceive a problem. They lack the insight to worry about their future performance. But as kids mature, things change. They don’t want to lose our respect and approval. So when they encounter a new challenge, they back off. They don’t want to risk failure. They don’t want to look bad."

​

---

Quote of the Week

​

Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

​

​

​