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 compared and contrasted two different "Hit" (doubling) schemes for addressing a perimeter mismatch after a post-PNR switch: "Loaded Side Hits" and "Hits on the Roll." View the newsletter HERE.

This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: High Paint Offense - Cross Court DHO's​

🎤 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Ben Sullivan {Houston Rockets}

🥇Best of the Week: Stagger Pop & Dribble Throughs​

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Cross Court DHOs

Back in June, we had a terrific conversation on the podcast with Nazareth Head Coach, Kevin Broderick, were we explored his systematic approach to limiting turnovers, focusing on techniques like "patient pivots" and off-ball cutting. After breaking down the film and studying his offense, we saw how these two techniques work together to build a strong foundation for an effective DHO attack.

These DHOs often serve as a safety outlet when a ballhandler penetrates the paint but doesn't have a clear play. Instead of rushing or forcing an action, the ballhandler stays poised, maintaining their dribble and playing off two feet. This patience buy time for the offense to organize, allowing a teammate to sprint in from across the court to create a well-timed, deep DHO opportunity...

Zooming In: Even on a neutral-yielding penetration, the ballhandler has successfully accomplished two key things: 1) They’ve moved the ball into a threatening area, and 2) They’ve shifted the ball behind the perimeter defenders, making it harder for them to track both the ball and their matchups. Instead of giving up the paint touch with a kick-out or dribble-out, the offense can capitalize on this positioning by searching out an "east-west" DHO in the paint.

Inevitably, the offense will catch a perimeter defender focused too much on the ball, creating an opening for a teammate to front cut into the paint for the DHO. This leads to another key distinction we appreciate about this action: while most perimeter DHOs aim for "North-South" angles to force overs, a DHO in the paint neutralizes the under due to the catch already being in a scoring area. Additionally, these randomly occurring DHOs in the paint make it hard for the defender on the ball to pick up the switch, as they are occupied controlling the penetration.

Exploring the "Cross Court" DHO further, we can see how this concept can be applied in the PNR to combat defensive coverages, particularly those designed to contain the PNR 2v2 and avoid committing help to the action.

Punishing the Under

A preferable solution for ballhandlers limited in their shooting ability, who will consistently face unders, is to leverage offensive actions like the DHO and/or off-ball cuts rather than relying on rescreens, which can potentially stagnate the possession. Based on the location or depth of the screen, the defense can aid the offense by conceding a high paint touch as the defender tracks under the screen to square off the ball. Once in the paint, the offense can rally around the penetration to seek out the "Cross Court" DHO...

In the past, we studied another similar concept to punish the under in the PNR from Coach Bartzokas and Olympiacos {🔒}...

Zooming In: On the under, Olympiacos will play the rescreen, if necessary, to get back to the two-man side. This allows them to burn cut the 45 players while lifting the corner player up into a DHO.

Coach Broderick's innovative use of DHOs—whether to neutralize an under, attack a switch, or target secondary help defender...

highlights the value of staying patient in the high paint and cutting with purpose around pivots. By blending patience, spacing, and intentional movement, his approach not only limits turnovers but also generates dynamic scoring opportunities that are tough to defend and applicable across several defensive coverages.

To learn more about this DHO Concepts and its various applications SG+ Members can now view the full breakdown on SGTV!

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Slappin' Glass Podcast

We sat down this week with the Assistant Coach of the Houston Rockets, Ben Sullivan! In this highly informative conversation we dive into Coach Sullivan's thoughts on building elite shooters, and the habits that go with it, and discuss various switching techniques along with personnel-based film preparation during the always fun "Start, Sub, or Sit?!"

Listen to the entire conversation here...

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.

Tactical

📺 Arizona - Stagger Pop • Zoom DHO • Flex​

"A great example of stacking multiple actions together."

✚ Pair With: Monaco's dynamic "Stagger Touch" action to create space and open up scoring opportunities of a pin down screen.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown of Coach Bartzokas' Flex Ballscreen Motion with Olympiacos.

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📺 Furman - Dribble Thru RIP & Flex​

"Furman dribbling out the 45 Man for either a RIP Screen or Flex Screen."

✚ Pair With: Furman off the dribble through bringing the cutter back out off the corner exit screen.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Coby Karl's Flow Offense with the Delaware Blue Coats, initiating with a "Dribble Throught" rim cut to high post catch.

Interesting Reads

📚 Roger Federer's Letter to Rafael Nadal​

"I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear... All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique—it was so you. And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more."

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📚 Jared Goff Reveals How One 2022 Meeting With Dan Campbell Saved Him​

“Man, I’ve got to stop trying to do too much. I’ve been trying to overcome certain things throughout the game, constantly thinking that this is the moment we’re gonna turn it around. I’m squeezing so hard trying to help us win, because we all want it so badly. I have to release that a little bit and just do my job, one play at a time. I’m just gonna do my job and not worry about the rest of it.”

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📚 Principles​

1. No matter how bad things seem, everything passes.
2. You are probably too risk-averse. Write out the worst things that can happen, realize they’re not that bad, then take the leap.
3. Do a review of your year, every year, write it out, figure out what was good and what was bad, use this to make your goals for the next year.
4. Doing things is energizing, wasting time is depressing. You don’t need that much ‘rest’."

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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