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Happy Sunday and welcome to all the new subscribers from around the world!

ICYMI: Last week, we broke down a coordinated screening action built to punish hedge coverage: the Slip Out Hook Screen. Read the full newsletter HERE.

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This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Full Side Spacing Automatic - Slide Cutting​

🎧 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Jenny Boucek {Pacers}

📢 Dr. Dish & Hudl Instat

🥇 Best of the Week: Cutting to Post & Flare DHO​

Let's dive in...

Slide Cutting

As we continue to sift through and highlight some of the top strategic trends that winning basketball teams used in the 2024-25 season, such as flip screens {🔒} and stampede catches {🔒}, one concept has stood out above the rest: the versatility and effectiveness of Slide Cutting from the corner whenever the ball is being driven to the full side (two or more players) of the floor. Here's an example...

Zooming In: The Slide Action is two cuts at once, one from the corner to the rim, and a simultaneous "slide/drift" cut from the wing to fill that now empty corner in an effort to open up gaps and punish stunts during penetration.

Through the use of this space clearing automatic, offenses are routinely able to generate catch and shoot corner 3-pt attempts and closeout situations...

Zooming In: As we will dive into soon, the aggressive nature of the baseline cut not only serves to open up space for the drift, but also effectively punishes hard stunts at the ball from the "High I" or "Nail" defender.

If opponents, anticipating the drift, become reluctant to stunt or sit in gaps, more space is allotted for the ballhandler to break the paint and play off 3v2 rim reads. Since many offenses normally hold the strong side corner, the baseline defender is susceptible to ball watching during the cut.

Gravity Creating Cut

One myth associated with this penetration automatic is that by cutting the strong side corner, the offense is potentially bringing an extra defender into the mix and crowding the paint (since the Big is also rolling down the opposite lane line). However, what bears out more times than not, is that the defender is out to lunch on the cut, expecting the offense to hold the corner (as shown above), or, more commonly, the defender stays so focused on guarding the cut that the lane for the ballhandler to attack into continues to open up.

When to Go?

Without a doubt, it is better to be early than late on this cut. From a timing perspective, the full side needs to read the action as it develops and initiate their cuts as the ballhandler begins to break the 3-pt line. Ideally, the corner cutter's goal is to be at the rim when the ballhandler enters the paint.

Zooming In: With a well-timed and aggressive cut, the defender is too preoccupied with the cut to offer any help or close space on either the ball or the roller.

Spacing Versatility

Our departing thought on why we have admired this spacing automatic all season long is its remarkable versatility. For many teams, Slide Cutting is an "automatic", and as such, is readily available off of any action that yields a penetration to the full side of the court. It is not a concept that always has to be designed or called, only triggered. Throughout today's video breakdown we demonstrate its application in the ballscreen, isolations, zooms and more.

To better put it in context, let’s look at its application when coupled with the Flip Screen. Two concepts that can be completely randomized with devastating effects. As we discussed previously, the Flip Screen not only aims to attack the big in coverage but also the help responsibilities by quickly changing the shape of the floor. Flipping to shift the ballscreen from a shake ballscreen to a full side ballscreen or vice versa.

Zooming In: As shown above, in an effort to pop to the single side and the available space, the big flips his screen. In doing so, the ballhandler is forced to play to the short, full side of the court. Flipping the angle immediately triggers the two players on the full side of the court to Slide Cut, resulting in a catch-and-shoot three off a ball side stunt.

Looking at another way the Flip Screen and Slide Cut can solve spacing issues, this time the ballhandler rejects the flip screen to the short side of the floor in favor of attacking back to the full side, again, triggering the automatic Slide Action...

Zooming In: Even with the corner player just arriving after a space-clearing cut, he quickly adapts to the new situation unfolding off the penetration by making the required baseline cut to clear the corner for the 45 player's drift.

Lastly, this Slide Cut action has secondary benefits besides the back cut, corner drift three, and rim attack options, as it also opens up opportunities for actions behind the Slide Cut as well. As we see more and more, teams are teaching the "stride stop" pivot on drives down the lane-line, and this Slide Cut opens up that space for players to play off two feet and either score for themselves, or find shooters filling behind the play...

For much more on the Slide Cut, SG+ Members can now enjoy this week's newest breakdown on SGTV!

Together with Dr. Dish

For a limited time only, our friends at Dr. Dish are giving you up to $4,000 off their entire professional lineup of shooting machines. Score up to $4,000 in savings when you purchase a Dr. Dish CT+, All-Star+, or Rebel+ before 5/31/25. But don’t wait一Inventory is going FAST.

Slappin' Glass Podcast

We sat down this week with Indiana Pacers Assistant Coach, Jenny Boucek! In this terrific re-play episode from 2021 we dive into PNR cutting concepts, late-game analytics, and discuss assessing player value, defending the Short Roll, and loyalty in coaching during the alway fun "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

📺 Post Offense - 45 Cut to Post

"Cutting to post can be an effective tool in creating better post position and an easier entry pass."

✚ Pair With: Using the Grenade Flare action to create space and misdirection when posting up a versatile forward.

🎧 Pair With: Our podcast conversation with newly hired Campbell Associate Head Coach Landry Kosmalski on limiting turnovers through cutting players into the post.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our recent breakdown on Sito Alonso's use of the post catch to run an inverted ballscreen into an uphill pitch.

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📺 SLOB - Flare DHO • Turnout​

"Flaring the DHO and flowing directly into turnout screens."

✚ Pair With: A clever twist on Euro Flow, triggering a Flare DHO with the forward on their flash to the slot.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown of the Flex Screen’s effectiveness in SLOB situations.

Interesting Reads

📚 Welcome to the NBA’s Age of Chaos​

No champion has repeated since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. No franchise has even won two nonconsecutive titles since then. In fact, no defending champion has made it past the second round since then. The Nuggets and Celtics were each considered a potential dynasty … until they weren’t. Dominance is illusory, or at least temporary.

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📚 Concise Explanations Accelerate Progress​

Concise explanations spread faster because they are easier to read and understand. The sooner your idea is understood, the sooner others can build on it.

Concise explanations accelerate decision-making. They help everyone understand the idea and decide whether to agree with it or not.

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📚 The Grand Encyclopedia of Eponymous Laws​

Hick’s Law: “Decision time grows logarithmically with the number of options you can choose from.”

Ringelmann Effect: “Individuals becoming increasingly inefficient as more and more people become involved in a task.”

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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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