Welcome to the "Sunday Mornin' Newsletter", exploring basketball's best ideas, strategies, and coaches from around the world. Thank you for the support and Happy Halloween to our U.S. readers!

Today's edition includes:

• PNR Cutting: Part 1 - "Clever Corner Cuts"
• Bill Parcells: Inside the Episode
• Best of the Week

Let's dive in...

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PNR Cutting - Clever Corner Cuts

We recently looked into the great cutting action that UCSD runs in and around their 5-Out PNR Motion, and over the next couple weeks we'll continue to drill down on the various cutting concepts teams around the world are using to attack all types of helpside defenses during the PNR. Below, in Part 1 of this series we'll look closer at how teams have used a "Corner Cut" when the ball is going both towards and away from the PNR.

#1 - "Corner to Dunker" Cut - PNR Away from the 2-Man Side

One of the most effective ways the "Corner to Dunker" cut is used, is to create a long closeout on the backside as the ball is going away from the 2-Man side, mostly on a Reverse Angle Screen. Here's a look...

Why it's effective: In most Reverse Angle Screen situations with 2 players behind the ball, the defender at the Nail is often charged with helping tag the Roll or Pop. As seen above, the Corner Cut opens up the entire backside for the top guard to float into and creates a long closeout for the Nail Defender after he/she helps tag the Roll.

And if the Nail defender stays with the Drift, then the defender guarding the Corner Cut can get caught in a 2 on 1 situation having to tag the Roll, leaving an opening for the Corner Cutter...

"Corner Cut" Variations- Flare and Drift & Shallow Cut

Here are a couple more interesting actions that are closely related to the "Corner to Dunker Cut" with the ball going away from the 2-Man side. The first is from Coach Moncho Fernandez and Obradoiro where the Corner Cutter will turn their cut into a Flare on their own man while the Offensive Wing drifts deeper toward the open corner.

Corner Shallow Cut

Another action coming from the Corner Cutter that can completely eliminate the “Nail Help” is a “Shallow Cut”. An especially difficult action to guard…

*Why it’s effective: All of the above actions essentially punish a team committed to stunting from the Nail on a Reverse Angle PNR. The advantage for the offense often comes in the form of a skip where they can play through a closeout.

#2 - "Corner to Dunker" Cut - PNR Toward the 2-Man Side

Many of the same advantages can be created with a Corner Cut when the PNR is going toward the 2-Man side as well. In this instance, the offense will often be attacking the Nail Help defender who is stunting or switching onto the ballhandler ("Next Defense").

*Why it’s effective: When done properly, this action against “Next Defense” opens up the entire side of the floor for the Wing defender to drift into. Whether there’s an immediate shot opportunity or not, the defense will certainly be in a closeout situation and the offensive can attack accordingly.

And, like the "Flare and Drift" action from Moncho Fernandez and Obradoiro when the ball is going away from the 2-Man side, the same action can be used when the ball is going toward the 2-Man Side as well...

Obradovic Spacing

Yet another clever use of the "Corner Cut" comes from the great Željko Obradović in his last years at Fenerbahce. Coach Obradović was intent on getting two players behind the PNR at all times, so anytime the PNR was going toward the two player side Fenerbahce would use three simultaneous cuts, “Obradović Spacing” … a Corner Cut, Corner Drift, and High Lift to move the help.

*Note: You can watch an entire breakdown of many of Coach Obradovic' Offensive and Defensive philosophies HERE. ​

For much more on the "Corner Cut" during the PNR, as well as a refresher on the timing and use of the "45 Cut", below is the complete breakdown on SGTV included for SG Plus Members. Non-members can view a free teaser HERE.

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It was a really fun month of October as preseason ramped up! Here was all the extra content added for SG Plus members:

📺 "Next/Wall Defense" Full Video and Newsletter Breakdown of an increasingly more popular way to defend the PNR. Guest post included from Alexander Geddes as well.

📺 UCSD's "Flow Offense" and Cutting Concepts: A full video and newsletter breakdown of the rules, reads, and teaching points in Coach Olen's terrific offense. We also had Coach Olen talk through these things on the podcast.

📺 Zvezdan Mitrovic - AS Monaco Playbook { 2021 } - Full video and newsletter highlighting the playbook of HC of AS Monaco (France) Zvezdan Mitrovic, detailing their preference to run shooters off of stagger screens in their arrive (secondary) offense, as well as several variations they can run within it. Plus, their use of false motion & several of their best half court sets. PDFs included!

📺 Sito Alonso - Ucam Murcia Playbook { 2021 } - Full video and newsletter exploring the playbook of Sito Alonso, HC of Ucam Murcia in the Spanish ACB League. PDFs included!

📺 Advanced PNR Strategies - Cutting {Part 1} - Part 1 of an Advanced PNR Cutting Series. Full video and newsletter detailing a variety of cutting actions used during different PNR alignments.

📺 Fran Fraschilla Live Q&A - The replay of our 90-minute Live Q&A with ESPN's Fran Fraschilla discussing competitive practices, better "Shell Drills", transition offense, offensive rebounding, and a whole lot more.

You can access all of this content, as well as over 400 more videos, 50 long-read tactical breakdowns, and much more in the private "Coaches Corner" community for less than $30 a month here...

SG Plus for $29.99!

"As an avid consumer of basketball information, I can say SG Plus provides the best content on the market. The platform is as user-friendly as Netflix, which means I get what I want without wasted time. They take current and cutting-edge ideas and break them down into easy-to-understand chunks. I don’t subscribe anywhere else." - Brady Bergeson, Regis University Head Coach

"SG Plus has been an incredible resource for us here at Wagner, being a member of SG Plus is like being able to attend a coaching clinic every day of the week" - Bobby Jordan, Wagner MBB Assistant

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Inside the Episode

We had the pleasure this week of being joined on the podcast by NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach, Bill Parcells! The Super Bowl winning Head Coach is well known for his keen insights about people, teams, and motivation, all of which were on full display during the interview. Some key topics include:

• Turning Around Underperforming Teams: Throughout his career Coach Parcells was particularly good at turning middling teams and organizations into winners in a short period of time. We discuss the fundamental building blocks and leadership lessons he used throughout his career when it came to molding teams into contenders.
• "Playing Hard" and "How Players Learn": Coach Parcells talked about what "playing hard" looked like and how he would motivate players to do so. We also dove into his thoughts and best practices in helping players learn on and off the field.
• Late-Game Decision Making: During our "Start, Sub, or Sit?!" segment we discussed how Coach Parcells made late-game decisions and the types of information that was important to him in doing so.
• The Value of Mentorship: We end the interview with Coach Parcells reflecting on mentors that were most impactful to him and the traits and qualities that they possessed. Some terrific thoughts from Coach Parcells on the things that matter most and extend far beyond the court/field.

You can listen to the entire episode with Coach Parcells here...

Listen to Bill Parcells!

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Tactical

📺 UNICS Kazan - Ballscreen Contintuity 2nd Side​

"UNICS Kazan runs a turnout for the corner man on the 2nd Side."

➕ Pair with: Our complete guide to the European Ballscreen Continuity.

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📺 Andrea Trinchieri - Shooters Rule​

"Bayern HC Andrea Trinchieri explaining his cutting philosophy on the perimeter. The better shooter stays, the weaker shooter cuts."

➕ Pair with: Our podcast conversation with Andrea Trinchieri, on building a team identity and offensive complexity.

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📺 Ludwigsburg vs Bonn - Notes​

"A really nice twitter thread by Coach Diego Cunha, detailing Telekom Bonn's recent matchup against Ludwigsburg in the German BBL"

➕ Pair with: Our podcast conversation with Bonn HC Tuomas Iisalo, on building advantages and reverse engineering your offense.

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📺 Attacking Nail/Next Help - Flare the Screen​

"Turn the step up screen into a flare screen against the nail coverage. Creating a stampede attack for the guard and confusion for the defense."

➕ Pair with: Our recent newsletter collaboration with Coach Alex Geddes on the "Wall/Next" PnR Defense.

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Interesting Reads

📚 Internal vs. External Benchmarks​

"External benchmarks are deceiving because accomplishments are advertised while the ugly, hard, and painful parts of life are often hidden from view."

➕ Pair With: Our conversation with Long Island Nets Assistant, Jimmie Oakman, on the hard path to forging a career.

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📚 Philosophy and Athletics - Theory and Practice​

"Athletes since Epictetus’ time turn hardship into opportunity by looking for the lessons within a failure."

➕ Pair with: Our conversation with Joe Boylan on coaching, mindfulness, and learning from mistakes.

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📚 First Impressions from the First Week of the NBA Season​

"Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards are fun players to watch. KAT is arguably the most talented shooting big man in basketball history, while Edwards’s skills are catching up to his 99th percentile athleticism. In their second season together, the young duo has started to form chemistry."

➕ Pair With: How Immanuel Quickley became the exciting new star in Madison Square Garden.

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Thanks for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

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