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 Sunday we highlighted DII National Champion Nova Southeastern's Press and Pace Concepts they applied after made and missed shots. View the full breakdown HERE.

Today at a Glance:

🏀 Slappin' Glass Coaches Social @ the NBA Summer League!!

🔒 SG Plus Content: Unicaja's Arrive Offense & Top Guard Diamond Set​

🎤 Slappin' Glass "Titans" Podcast: Anthony Katz {HyperIce}

🥇Best of the Week: Pistol Hip & Ghost Flare ATO​

Let's dive in...

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We're just TWO days away from our 1st Annual SG Plus Coaches Social at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas! We're excited to meet and see many of you at the event.

It'll feature free food and drinks along with the opportunity to hang with coaches from the NBA, G-League, International, and college levels. Thanks to Hudl, Morgan Stanley, and GIG Sports for helping put on the event!

As an SG Plus member you get an invite to the Social, so if you're heading out to the Summer League and wish to join...

Become an SG Plus Member!

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Unicaja's Arrival Offense

Whether it's through fashion, timing, or both, some of us really know how to make an entrance...

When it comes to making an offensive entrance, there may be none better than those in Spain's ACB. Among the many reasons we enjoy the Spain's top league, one of the major ones is studying how teams flow with pace into their half court offense based on the spacing they arrive in and their personnel involved. In the past we have looked at how Manresa will play to a Step Up PNR, or a "Get" DHO {🔒}, out of an empty side transition spacing...

Or how they will look to attack with stampede catches {🔒} coming out of a drag screen with 2-sided spacing...

Today we will dive into another great "Arrive Offense" in club Unicaja Malaga coached by former podcast guest, Ibon Navarro. We'll look specifically at their preference to transition with a rim runner and play to the strength of their shooting.

Spacing

One of the more prevalent transition, or "arrival", offenses we have seen across Europe initiates with a drag screen, playing through the trailer in the opposite slot before eventually bringing the ball back to the point guard for a middle step-up screen...

Zooming In: Whether out of the 2-sided spacing or an empty sided corner, many offenses are opting to forgo a rim runner to keep the paint open for drives, cuts, rolls, etc.

In a bit of contrast, when studying Coach Navarro's club it was particularly enjoyable to see how they transitioned in favor of getting one of their bigs, regardless whether it's a 4 or 5, on the rim early to strategically flatten the defense along the baseline to help maximize the spacing around their initial slot ballscreen.

Zooming In: Positioning three players along the baseline early in transition creates significant pressure on the defense, as it is challenging to wall off the paint or provide help defense from the corners. Moreover, Unicaja often had a shooter in the trail position when setting the ball screen. As a result, Unicaja's point guards were able to penetrate into the paint for easy layups, aided by the rim runner effectively sealing off defenders.

From this spacing Unicaja can then play through the pop, should no attack be available, to connect the action back to the PG for a step up screen with the rim runner now sprinting up later in the possession...

Spacing Decisions

The next intriguing decision Coach Navarro made within their arrival offense was in determining how to play if their shooting 4-man served as the rim runner and their 5-man trailed. If Unicaja intended to utilize the step-up screen, this scenario could leave a non-shooter out of the action while the 4-man screened.

In the past, we have observed teams solve this potential issue by having the big loop cut {🔒} to the rim and mirror the ball after the hand off. This strategy creates gravity and opens up the roll, allowing for better offensive options.

*Side Note: There are teams who prefer to loop cut that 5 man and play through a Pick and Pop with the 4 after the step up screen as well, but Unicaja preferred to utilize the 5 as the middle third roller when possible.

Unicaja solved this problem in their own unique way by having the 4 and 5 make a hand off exchange with each other after the pass to the popping 5-man. Thus, allowing the 5-man to be the screener on the step up and keeping the paint free with two shooters behind the roll.

It's evident when studying Unicaja that they believed their arrival offense would best be optimized first by getting either one of their bigs on the rim to flatten the defense behind their drag screen. They further prioritized concluding their attack with a 1-5 step-up screen, making necessary adjustments to their positions on the second side to ensure their shooting big was spaced behind their 5-man rolling hard to the rim.

Executing for their Shooters

Relying excessively on a single action can lead to predictability, allowing the defense to become familiar with the attack and effectively stymie it through repeated encounters. Incorporating a "curveball" into one's arsenal is an effective tool for introducing variability to the offense and keeping the defense off balance. In order to avoid becoming too ballscreen reliant Unicaja had the ability to tailor their arrival offense to their shooters and attack through off ball screens. With the easiest adjustment coming from flipping the step up screen into a pin down screen...

Of even greater interest was their ability to effectively play through "Floppy" action, strategically varying the timing and personnel involved in the play {SG Plus Newsletter}.

To learn more on Unicaja's Arrival Offense and how they varied their "Floppy" action , plus our breakdown of their favorite Diamond set, become an SG Plus Member now!

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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.

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Slappin' Glass Podcast

An exciting week on the podcast as we launched the first episode in a special series called "Titans", which explores the stories, innovations, and leadership behind the best companies in basketball and beyond (don't worry, our regular podcast isn't going anywhere)! Our first guest in this series is HyperIce founder, Anthony Katz, who's built one of the world's leading sports recovery companies. Katz was once a high school basketball coach and History teacher before creating HyperIce, and the story of the company is truly remarkable.

HyperIce extends a variety of sports recovery products including the HyperVolt, Normatec, Venom, and more, and has become exclusive partners with the likes of the NBA, NFL, and MLB, making it one of the fastest growing and most dominate sports recovery companies in the world. This episode covers:

• The history of HyperIce's growth and Kobe Bryant's impact
• How Katz thinks about creating luck, partnerships, and authentic leadership
• The sports recovery renaissance and where it is headed

Please enjoy the entire great conversation with Anthony Katz here...

Listen Now!

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Tactical

📺 Utah Jazz - Pistol Hip​

"Off the pistol keep the jazz get to a downhill DHO for their trailer."

✚ Pair With: Tenerife's use of the Pistol to set up a staggered screen for the opposite wing.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our film room series with Coach Simon Mitchell detailing his "Bolt" offense and use of the trailer.

📺 FC Barcelona - Ghost Flare • Pin 5​

"Well designed end of quarter set using Kyle Kuric as the decoy off the ghost flare to elicit help and spring Sertac Sanli free off the pin down."

✚ Pair With: Valencia utilizing their shooting 5-man in the BLOB.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Breaking down the Ghost Flare attack and using the Ghost Flare as a possession Retrigger.

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Interesting Reads

📚 A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making​

"Second, leaders are susceptible to entrained thinking, a conditioned response that occurs when people are blinded to new ways of thinking by the perspectives they acquired through past experience, training, and success."

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📚 How to Do Great Work​

"There's a kind of excited curiosity that's both the engine and the rudder of great work. It will not only drive you, but if you let it have its way, will also show you what to work on."

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📚 The Comeback After the Collapse​

"Before the collapse, Johnson had a promising future ahead of him as a projected lottery pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He was versatile on both ends of the floor, passionate in the way that he played. His joy for competing was almost palpable. Even as a kid, he wanted to do it all, not just score. And he brought that same all-around poise to Florida, with momentum building as he headed into his junior year.

The path seemed so secure, so certain. And then it wasn’t."

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Quote of the Week

Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

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