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 revisited the effectiveness of attacking through "stampedes" in early offense, late-clock retriggers, and against the switch. Read the newsletter HERE.

This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Drive the Flip - Punishing Aggressive Coverages​

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

🥇 Best of the Week: BLOB Stacked Bigs & Removing Tags​

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The Good Ol' "Flip and Drive"

Last weekend, in our breakdown on attacking both early and late in possessions through stampede catches {🔒}, we analyzed how the ballscreen can function as a sneaky decoy to create downhill attacking opportunities.

These "Dummy Ballscreens" are terrific for creating lanes for "stampede" drives while pulling the defensive big away from the rim, and also prove effective against defenses trying to switch the initial ballscreen.

Building on the "Dummy Ballscreen" concept, we became curious about additional ways in which setting a ballscreen with no intention of actually using it, can be effective against certain defensive coverages as well. This led us to the "Flip Screen." Flipping the screen, of course, is effective in its own right and serves as a powerful screening tool in disrupting PNR coverages...

Zooming In: A last minutes flip of the screen can leave the defensive big on the wrong side of the coverage, acting similarly to a reject, producing a 4v3 advantage.

However, what got us interested in the "Flip Screen" was how offenses are using it to attack aggressive coverages—not through precise timing and execution of the screen once flipped, but by baiting the big to chase the screener on the flip, which opens up a driving gap for the ballhandler to reject the flip and get downhill. Rather than risk illegal screens or combat stout ball pressure, which can make it challenging for the guard to prepare and use the screen once flipped, offenses are turning it into a dummy action. The big sprinting up has no intent to actually set a screen; instead, the offense's intention is to leverage the defensive assignments of both the guard and the big against them.

Zooming In: With most aggressive defensive coverages, which can also be termed "Up" coverages {🔒}, the on-ball defender is tasked with pushing the ballhandler into the screen and the awaiting defensive big. However, if the defensive big, in an effort to execute the coverage, eagerly follows the screener on the flip, the guard is left pushing the ballhandler into an open gap with no help and little time to readjust.

In this sense, the "Flip Screen" serves the purpose of acting more like a space-clearing cut or Ghost Screen, rather than an actual ballscreen, with an added bonus of pulling a defensive big away from the rim as the guard attacks the open gap.

Manipulating Space

The next layer in maximizing the "Flip Screen's" effectiveness is considering how different spacing and cutting concepts around the action can further enhance the ballhandler's ability to penetrate deep into the paint while maintaining passing outlets to punish any help at the rim.

Throughout today's video breakdown, we showcase several spacing examples teams can use to stress the defense around the drive, including flipping the middle ballscreen with "Last" spacing, or dunker spacing {🔒}...

Of particular note, when flipping a middle ball screen or using a flip to create a drive toward the single-spaced side, the offense can—but is not required to—default to staying spaced and playing off the ballhandler's rim read, primarily because these spacings naturally clear the elbow. However, when flipping the screen to the full side of the floor, the offense may need to continue working to clear space at the elbow for the ballhandler, either with a 45-cut or a "baseline-slide" action. This type of "wheel" or slide action is being used to great effect right now with the Memphis Grizzlies, and is something we spoke at length about in our podcast with now Grizzlies Assistant Coach, Noah LaRoche {🎧}

By strategically utilizing "Dummy" actions and "Flip Screens" in a PNR, offenses can exploit aggressive defensive coverages and create dynamic driving lanes. When paired with optimal spacing and cutting, these actions not only break down the defense but also open up high-percentage scoring opportunities for ballhandlers and shooters.

To learn more on this concept in attacking aggressive coverages and incorporating it in various spacing, SG+ Members can now view the full breakdown on SGTV!

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Slappin' Glass Podcast

Last 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

📺 BLOB • Stacked Bigs - Zoom DHO • Stagger Screen​

"A few variations using a stacked big formation to execute a Zoom DHO and a stagger screen for the inbounder."

✚ Pair With: A simple and effective action that exploits the inbound defender's tendency to shade middle by using a "Get" between the big and the inbounder.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our defensive breakdown on Denying DHOs with the Big.

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📺 Removing the Tag - Stagger Reject • Ghost Flare​

"Off the stagger entry, the guard rejects the screens to the elbow, while the first screener loops back into the ball for a ghost flare, strategically eliminating the low tag on the ensuing ballscreen."

✚ Pair With: Attempting to remove the Tag through the Roll Replace and Guard Weave.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Italian Club Reggio Emilia's playbook design to remove tags and attack bigs.

Interesting Reads

📚 What Sets Inspirational Leaders Apart​

To be considered a visionary, you need to present the right message, in the right way, and at the right time. Let’s first address the what. Inspiring leaders offer a big-picture, values-based, optimistic vision of the future that propels people toward collective goals. Infuriating leaders, by contrast, are small-minded, valueless pessimists.

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📚 The Pure Imagination of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander​

SGA’s off-the-dribble laboratory is a world of pure imagination. Hold your breath. Make a wish. The lab is obviously rococo in style. Sculpted moldings, frescoes. It would also have, like, a taco station. Just something tasteful. Jean Prouvé chairs, a couple of tigers, seamless blend of indoor and outdoor living. The lab coats are floor-length furs. The snozzberries taste like snozzberries. Point being, the defender travels in a world of Shai’s creation. Anything he wants to, he does. He operates within a dream logic. The movement seems unreal, distorted, yet he just keeps getting closer to the rim. Subjects defenders to temporary sleep paralysis. The demeanor is calm. The demeanor is bedrock. The demeanor is I am the Oklahoma Thrill.

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📚 Making the NCAA Tournament is Hard. UC San Diego Might Kick the Door Down on its First Try​

Olen studied the Big West ahead of UC San Diego’s D-I debut in 2020, starting with his new league’s best team: UC Irvine, which has won at least a share of the regular-season conference title in seven of the last 11 years. The Anteaters had size in their frontcourt, and it felt like the rest of the league was trying to scale up in response.

“I knew showing up with the worst version of the same thing was not going to be successful,” Olen said. “We wanted to be different. We felt like we were already different.”

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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