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 highlighted the effectiveness of short rolling a player into the high post against PNR switches, instead of all the way to the rim, and its role in preventing the Triple Switch. Read the full newsletter HERE.

This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Hunting Stampedes - Arrive Offense & Retriggers​

☄️ Dr. Dish Ultimate Giveaway: Enter to Win!​

🎧 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Matt Brase {Philadelphia 76ers}

🥇 Best of the Week: Zone Screens & BLOB RIP Screens​

​

Hunting Stampedes

A few summers ago we explored a simple yet highly effective approach to building an offensive attack around pace, high slot spacing, and "stampedes"—using ballscreens primarily as a decoy to free the rim. In studying this strategy, we emphasized its precision in attacking the rim during early offense and its ability to re-trigger stalled possessions late in the shot clock.

While we've been on the theme of late-season strategies in recent newsletters, this concept got us thinking about its ability to attack defenses well-versed in their PNR coverages at this stage of the season and, more importantly, its ability to generate advantages against the switch. With that in mind, we are revisiting this concept, utilized by some of the best teams in Europe, in today's newsletter and taking another look at its merits.

Originally, what drew us to this offensive strategy was its roots in two of our favorite concepts over the years: the "Extra Pass" {🔒} and "High Slot Spacing" {🔒}—two straightforward and highly impactful strategies designed to put even the most sound defensive principles in constant dilemmas.

With the "Extra Pass," rather than attacking directly through the on-ball action, teams use the PNR to draw out the help defense, then exploit the coverage—primarily the rim help—with two quick passes to the corner. Here's an example...

Additionally, with High Slot Spacing, offenses can enhance their throw-ahead attack out of the PNR by positioning a player in the High Slot. This spacing creates a runway to play downhill on the catch and attack defenders sitting at the nail.

Now, by combining these two concepts and injecting them with great pace, offenses can unleash a highly potent attack within their secondary, or, as the Spanish call it, "Arrive Offense"—centering the possession on hunting stampede attacks through the High Slot or exploiting long closeout opportunities with the extra pass to the corner.

Pace and Space

The first key to building an attack through the stampede catch is the offense's ability to generate pace—even on made baskets—to prevent the defense from organizing and closing gaps. By combining the depth and speed of the outlet pass with lane runners sprinting to the deep corners and slot, the offense can arrive in the frontcourt with both spacing and pacing advantages as the defense scrambles to get to neutral.

Zooming In: As Pro Coach, Tom Bialaszewski presented on at our "SoCal Coaches Summit," {🔒} if the offense can beat the defense up the court with the outlet and subsequent kick-ahead pass, early and easy scoring opportunities will present themselves.

If the initial transition thrust is handled by the defense, the offense can then shift to hunting stampede opportunities by using a "dummy" drag screen to set up their attack. Instead of getting bogged down attempting to play through a drag screen or read the PNR coverage, the point guard can simply throw the ball ahead off the screen for their first crack at a stampede catch through the high slot.

Zooming In: Above is a great example of this strategy as the player positioned in the high slot purposefully hangs back, creating a longer "runway" to accelerate into the catch.

Tangent Note: We discussed Drag Screen options and screening in depth on this week's podcast with Philadelphia 76er Assistant Coach, Matt Brase. It's during "Start, Sub, or Sit?!" if you want to skip ahead to it.

An important teaching point in this action is what the Offensive Big does after that "dummy" drag screen. With the primary objective of the ballscreen being to 1) draw the opposing big out of the paint, creating space at the rim and 2) prompting the defense to sit at the nail, it's important for the on-ball screener to pause and roll/cut behind the stampede penetration rather than a long roll to the rim at the same time as the drive.

This "pause and read" roll does a few important things in the action:

1. Keeps the lane less congested as the guards attack off the throw ahead pass.
2. Allows the Big to read the path of his cut on the drive, as the space they'll fill will be different depending on if the attack comes from the High Slot or the Extra Pass to the Corner.
3. It puts the Big in great offensive rebounding position as they're often rolling to the rim free of contact if their defender pulls in to contest shots at the rim (shown above).

Hunting Stampedes

If the player in the high slot is unable to drive downhill on the first throw-ahead pass, the next available stampede catch often comes through the swing pass to the corner, where the offense can attack the defender rotating off the rim. Now, if the player in the corner can't beat their defender off the dribble, don't get discouraged. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Elevate the ball out of the corner back to the slot, where the big sprints back up into a rim-clearing "ballscreen," and the "stampede-machine" restarts all over again...

Zooming In: Above is a great example of the benefit derived from spacing high in the slot. Since the offense is not focused on attacking through the PNR, the slot defender doesn’t shift to the nail when the big arrives at the screen. However, by spacing to the logo in the slot, the offensive player still has ample room to run through the catch and attack a backpedaling defender.

Re-Triggers and Switch Defense

Lastly, another theme we have explored is the use of concepts to salvage or reset stalled offensive possessions. This includes the utilization of strategies such as the Ghost Flare {🔒}, Bully Drive {🔒}, or Delay {🔒}. We can now add "Dummy Ballscreen to Stampede" action to this list as well.

Zooming In: Regardless of whether this Dummy Ballscreen action is used to reignite a floundering offensive transition possession, or a stalled-out half court set, this concept remains effective in drawing the defensive big away from the rim to create opportunities for throw-ahead stampede attacks from the high slot or corner. It can also catch helpside defenders off balance as they prepare to rotate into more traditional tagging responsibilities on a roll/pop that they have to be prepared for in case the offense does decide to actually play through the PNR.

The "Dummy Ballscreen to Stampede" also proves effective in attacking defenses prone to switching. While the switch neutralizes the ballscreen's ability to generate immediate advantages, the mismatches it creates forces the remaining three defenders to collapse into their shell and shrink space to focus on protecting those mismatches. With quick passing and proper spacing, the offense can exploit a long closeout and attack with a stampede catch.

To view and learn more about this concept and how Coach Pedro Martinez's former Manresa teams found success with this strategy, check out the full breakdown now on SGTV!

Together with Dr Dish

Our friends at Dr. Dish Basketball are giving away a Dr. Dish CT+ and a Dr. Dish Home shooting machine to two lucky winners during their Ultimate Giveaway! Visit info.drdishbasketball.com/sweepstakes to enter for your chance to win and learn how you can score bonus entries every day. Giveaway closes March 10th at 11:59 AM.

Slappin' Glass Podcast

This week we sat down with the Assistant Coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Matt Brase! Coach Brase has extensive experience as a coach at various levels of pro and international basketball, and we dive into his thoughts on Bench Production and Management, and discuss Drag Screen Angles and Post Game Analysis during the always fun "Start, Sub, or Sit?!"

Together with Hudl

Want to dominate the court like never before? The Hudl Pro Suite is your secret weapon. From game film analysis to advanced statistics, we've got everything you need to take your game to new heights. Plus, with Hudl Instat, you'll have access to in-depth insights that give you a competitive edge. From advanced video tagging to customizable reports, Hudl Instat has it all. Join the top teams who already rely on Hudl Instat to stay ahead of the competition.

Tactical

📺 Zone Screening - Flash • Hook Screen Skip​

"A high post flash to occupy the zone, while the partner big hooks under the baseline to screen out the low defender, creating an open look on a skip pass."

✚ Pair With: Coach Sergio Scariolo using double backside flares to screen out the side of a 2-3 Zone for a shooter.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown on the 3-2 "Monster" Zone.

​

📺 BLOB • Screen the Screener - RIP • RIP Lob​

"A variation of the difficulty in defending "Screen the Screener" actions occurring under the rim."

✚ Pair With: Demonstrating the value of a hard rim cut off the BLOB RIP screen and the advantages and actions the offense can utilize as a result.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our "Crunch Time" session with Iona Head Coach, Tobin Anderson, discussing his BLOB defensive philosophy.

Interesting Reads

📚 How Rick Pitino Turned St. John's Into a National Title Contender​

St. John's has developed into one of college basketball's elite defenses as a result of these season-over-season adjustments, with Pitino often using the word "relentless" to describe his team's personality at that end of the floor. The Red Storm lead the Big East in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, with opponents scoring fewer than 66 points per game and shooting below 40% from the field. The Johnnies also rank inside the top 20 nationally in defensive turnover percentage, 2-point percentage defense, block percentage and steal percentage.

*Extra: Coach Pitino's conversation with us on the SG podcast is our most popular of all-time. Tons of coaching wisdom throughout.

​

📚 Why These Celtics Made the Captaincy Into a Thing of the Past​

“Having the title of a captain means nothing, it’s just a title. Anybody can be a captain,” Smart said then. “We’re all captains out there. We lead and show our captainism in different ways. I don’t think it was a problem last year, because we didn’t have captains. We’re all grown here. Gotta go out there and do your job, plain and simple. Everybody’s here to help each other and one goal in mind, and that’s to bring a championship to this team. If we do put out the captains, that’s fine, that’s great. If we don’t, it’s the same thing. It doesn’t really matter.”

​

📚 Psychologist Adam Grant Talks Leadership and Humility​

In a 2021 research study that examined the effects of self-criticism, Grant found that after leaders had openly criticized themselves, “their teams were more willing to speak up and challenge the status quo.”

Grant said he uses that same self-criticism tactic in his own classroom, mentioning the humorous student criticisms that he receives as a result — like a student who said he “reminded them of a muppet.”

​

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!

​