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, we explored the versatility and effectiveness of the "Slide Action", sending two cuts, a baseline cut and a corner drift, when penetrating to the full side of the floor. Read the full newsletter HERE.

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This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Plugging the PG - Defensive Help Strategy​

🎧 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Kellen Sampson {Houston}

📢 Dr. Dish: $2,000 off plus FREE Shipping​

🥇 Best of the Week: Flares & Ghost Screens​

Let's dive in...

Plugging the PG

From time to time, we enjoy highlighting "scout specific" defensive strategies we come across. Whether unique or daring, these approaches fall outside a team’s base coverages and are designed either to exploit an opponent’s weakness or to protect against a potential vulnerability in the matchup. We will look into another one today, analyzing where and when teams will "plug" off a non-shooting ballhandler.

Before digging into that, one of the more unique scout strategies we studied a while back was Coach Aíto Reneses' use of a "Box and 1" against a popping 5-man {🔒}. Their logic was to keep their less-mobile center at the rim, rather than asking him to chase actions out on the perimeter...

Zooming In: Instead of playing drop coverage with their big and solving pops through weakside stunts or switches, Girona used their "Chaser," positioned in the Box, to quick show on the ballscreen. The Chaser’s speed and mobility advantage over the 5-man not only neutralized the pop but also disrupted the offense’s ability to flow into second-side actions off it. Even in worst-case scenarios, any attacks created from the ballscreen funneled straight into the awaiting big at the rim. This strategic approach allowed Girona to limit the opponent’s options while maximizing the strengths of their personnel.

This is a prime example of a team daring to throw a curveball at their opponent to mask a vulnerability against a difficult matchup. Now, lets look at another scouting variation designed to exploit a particular weakness in the opponent, this time against a reluctant shooting point guard...

Walling off the Paint

With this strategy, the defense commits to walling off the paint against a reluctant, low-volume three-point shooting point guard, fully conceding, or late-contesting any and all perimeter shots. The approach is twofold on the ball. First, it stymies and frustrates an attacking or playmaking point guard’s ability to break the paint. As shown in the GIF above, the on-ball defender goes no higher than the free throw line or elbows, creating a wall before the paint and making it nearly impossible for the guard to attack their hips and turn the corner.

Second, with the defender gapped so far off the point guard, the offense’s ability to generate advantages in the ballscreen becomes a challenge.

Zooming In: As shown above, since the defender is gapped off the ball, they can easily slide under bothscreens. Unable to generate any meaningful attack or elicit a coverage decision, the offense often struggles to create an advantage and is forced to settle for a stagnant, contested three-point attempt.

Even if savvy screening teams attempt to flatten their angles to prevent the defender from going under, the offense still faces the challenge of creating space for the point guard. Because the defender gives such a large gap, the screen must nearly be set inside the paint, which limits the space the point guard has before reaching the rim. Additionally, with the big man having limited room to set the screen, they will struggle to shake loose from their matchup and find the proper angle without being impeded by physicality (see the second screen above).

Plugging Off the Ball

Another advantage of this coverage is its ability to plug space off the ball as well. The defense can limit the effectiveness of off-ball screening actions, such as pin downs or floppy screens, by clogging all screening actions around the elbows.

Zooming In: Showing complete disregard for the point guard, the defender focuses instead on tracking off-ball action and closing space to any potential curl or catch-and-shoot opportunity.

*There are similarities here in another "spy" or "plug" defensive scheme we looked at in the past with Coach Sito Alonso's "Spy" Defensive coverage {🔒}, where they plugged off a a 5-Man while full denying the other four players.

As opponents become aware of the strong nail help, they may start cutting the point guard to create space. While it’s important to honor the cut, this should not deter the defense from continuing to take away space. Whenever the point guard is in one of the corners, their defender should be positioned well inside the paint, providing strong help on any penetration.

If the offense can't generate momentum through off-ball screening, another option is to run ballscreens with the point guard spaced out along the perimeter...

Zooming In: Committed to this strategy, the defense is unfazed, assigning the point guard’s defender to spy the roller. This leaves the point guard completely alone on the perimeter, with no concern for any x-out rotation or stunt.

One key consideration when preparing for this strategy and anticipating defensive actions off the ball is to put size on the point guard, as Alba Berlin shown in the above examples. With less emphasis on guarding the point guard in 1v1 or closeout situations, defenses can focus more on using greater length and size in the paint to plug off-ball actions.

This type of scout-specific strategy reflects a growing willingness among coaches to bend traditional rules in favor of matchup-based problem solving. By prioritizing personnel strengths and opponent weaknesses, teams can reshape defensive principles to take away what matters most, advantage creation. To learn more on this strategy, SG+ Plus Members can view the full breakdown now on SGTV!

Together with Dr. Dish

🚨This month only, Slappin’ Glass subscribers can get an exclusive $2,000 off plus FREE shipping on their purchase of a Dr. Dish CT+, All-Star+, or Rebel+. Hurry to secure your savings before 6/30 or while supplies last!​

Slappin' Glass Podcast

We sat down this week with Houston MBB Assistant/Head Coach in Waiting, Kellen Sampson. In this terrific conversation we discuss winning the margins, unscripted points, offensive rebounding principles, and explore topics of playing with two bigs, and elite player development sessions during the always entertaining "Start, Sub, or Sit?!"

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Together with Hudl

If you’ve used FastDraw, FastScout, or FastRecruit before, you should know: they’re now part of the Hudl family. That means tighter integrations with Sportscode, access to Instat data, and a cleaner workflow across your whole program. It’s everything you’ve come to expect from Fastmodel—just better connected. Learn more about what Hudl and Fastmodel are building together! Subscribers to Slappin' Glass can also directly email Winston Jones of Hudl at winston.jones@hudl.com.

Tactical

📺 BLOB - Delayed Flare​

"Great use of the flare screen from the corner on the BLOB."

✚ Pair With: Flaring the sideline inbound passer off the entry to the short corner.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown on Coach Will Hardy and the Utah Jazz's use of the Top Flare in transition and in the half court to connect actions.

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📺 Ghost Screen - Flare Curl • Pin Down​

"Changing the angle of the flare, allowing the ghost screener curls to the rim. Putting pressure on the rim to open up the wide pin down to the corner."

✚ Pair With: Using the Ghost screen to initiate a "Get" action with the Center stepping up out of the corner.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdowns of the Ghost Flare action and how to re-trigger possessions through it.

Interesting Reads

📚 There’s No Right Way to Build an NBA Contender Anymore​

What if you built an NBA title contender … and no one really noticed? What if the process was so gradual, so mundane, so devoid of glitz or fanfare, that no one could see the transformation coming? Does it even seem plausible? Could it actually be done?

Well, it can—the Indiana Pacers did it.

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📚 DON’T SLEEP ON HOUSTON​

*Note: A good article to go along with this week's podcast with Houston's Kellen Sampson

All of this led to the second trick. Kelvin flips the script. Sometime after Christmas and early in the conference season, Coach stops manufacturing adversity and joins ranks as “one of us.” We were now ready for the real adversity that is promised to emerge throughout a season, especially on the road which is the truest measurement of team and individual toughness. His ire refocused squarely on our opponents. Grateful it was off of us, confidence emerged that nothing and no one could break us. His intensity and demand for accountability remained, but he was now on our side.

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📚 5 Habits of Super Calm People​

Be proactive about your habits, choices, and routines.

When you feel pulled in a dozen different directions, remember to realign yourself to your trajectory and remain focused on the essentials.

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Quote of the Week

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Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

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