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Happy Sunday! Welcome to all the newest Subscribers from around the world.

ICYMI: Last week we broke down the positioning and execution of the ballscreen X-out defensive strategy in effectively splitting two behind the screen. Read the full breakdown HERE.

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This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Slide Cutting - Empty-Side Ballscreens​

🎧 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Zach Chu {Radford}

📢 Dr. Dish Amazon Giveaway!

🥇 Best of the Week: Elbow Gets & 5 Out Delay​

📚 Interesting Reads: Little Ways the World Works

Let's dive in...

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Empty-Side Slides

This week, we’re revisiting and expanding on one of our most popular breakdowns of the summer: the “Slide” cuts {🔒}— a dynamic action that supplements the pick and roll by putting multiple players in motion, shifting the defense, and unlocking a wide range of reads and scoring opportunities. Today's deep dive explores yet another way this dangerous cut is being used, this time on Empty-Side Ballscreens...

Before diving in, let's back up for just a second to give context to what we have covered about Slide Cutting recently. While many teams aim to defend the pick and roll two on two, help often still comes from the nail, especially when the ballscreen is going toward the full or loaded side of the floor. A natural counter to put pressure on this third defender committing to the ballhandler are the "Slide" cuts, where the offensive player in the corner makes an aggressive basket cut as the top player slides down to fill that vacated corner simultaneously. Here's an example...

Zooming In: Slide cuts are lauded for the off-ball movement it creates during a spread PNR. At best, if the defense is caught sleeping, it can lead to an easy backdoor layup from the corner cut or an open catch and shoot three if the top defender gets caught ball watching. At worst, even when the defense recognizes the movement, the nail defender is still placed between a rock and a hard place, torn between helping on the ball and honoring the cuts of their match-ups. This indecision can lead to open downhill drive opportunities for the ballhandler...

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In our initial look at this cutting action, we focused primarily on "shake ballscreens" and penetrations attacking toward the full side with two players. Since then, through continued study and follow-up conversations, we felt it necessary to explore how the Slide cuts can be applied to empty-side ballscreens, and more specifically, how the action can additionally be used on the three-man side of the floor.

*Huge thanks and credit to fellow Slide Cut enthusiast, Capital City Go-Go Head Coach, Cody Toppert, for his aide in contributing clips to this week’s video breakdown. For more from Coach Toppert, his podcast interview with us from last year ranks as one of the most popular of all-time. 🔥🎙🏆

Empty-Side Ballscreens

When shifting from a ballscreen toward a two-side to a three-side, the core principles of Slide cutting remain intact. The corner player still makes a hard rim cut, but now, instead of a single player filling behind the arc, the movement becomes more coordinated—adding a third player from the slot who slides into the 45.

Though the offensive action stays the same, the defensive concepts being attacked shift with the change in floor spacing. With three defenders now on the ball side, the defense can more effectively coordinate the tag, plug the nail, and stunt behind the help. That third defender provides a crucial second layer of support, allowing the defense to sit in gaps, protect the paint, and shrink closeouts. Thus, the key to unlocking efficient scoring opportunities lies in coordinating offensive movement to stress the second help defender.

As we continue to study Slide cutting, its value becomes increasingly clear, consistently stretching the second help defender on a three-side alignment to create high-quality scoring opportunities.

Flattening The Help

One of the main challenges in running an empty-side ballscreen is dealing with the “wall” that three defenders can form to keep the ballhandler out of the paint and reduce the burden on the big man's coverage. As discussed, offenses can get bogged down in these situations when players simply hold their spots on the perimeter, allowing the numbers to tilt in the defense’s favor. As we know, it is difficult for one defender to guard two offensive players, but it becomes much easier for two defenders to cover three. This dynamic allows defenses to load up heavily against the empty-side ballscreen.

Slide cutting provides a viable solution for breaking down the “wall” by spreading out the help defender behind the nail, creating a much cleaner two on one opportunity on the kick out.

Zooming In: With the corner cut transforming the shape of the court from a three-man side to a two-man side, space opens up for both the 45/wing and slot players to slide down into larger gaps and into the ballhandler’s line of sight. As this action takes place behind the nail defender, the 45 player’s slide challenges the second help defender to maintain position in support of the nail stunt. However, as shown above, what often happens is the second help defender leaves their position to drop with the 45 player, opening up the slot player’s slide for catch and shoot opportunities or cleaner two-on-one decisions due to the increased space.

Creating Tough Closeouts

As the second help defender drops with the 45 player's slide to the corner in an effort to maintain vision on both the ball and their man, the nail defender loses the crucial support needed to effectively plug the nail. If the nail defender remains committed to closing that space, they are now faced with a difficult change of direction, recovering out of the stunt and onto their relocated match-up.

Zooming In: As shown in the clip above, the short stunt typically provided by the second help defender behind the nail is completely neutralized by the 45 player's slide to the corner. By failing to hold their space, the defender eliminates any real chance of impacting the ball without giving up the extra pass corner three. As a result, the nail defender is left alone to make a long closeout back to their match-up on the pass.

All in all, the short stunt and recover closeouts commonly seen within the empty-side ballscreen "wall" are transformed into much longer and more difficult rotations, exactly the type of defensive scenario that Slide cutting is designed to create.

What About The Roller?

The most common concern or point of contention with this cutting action is if the corner cut causes too much congestion in the paint, which in turn would take away the opportunity for a pass to the roller. At first glance, this seems like a valid worry, but upon closer examination, it rarely poses a practical problem. We spoke about these types of multiple cutter situations in detail recently with newly hired Paris BC Head Coach, Francesco Tabellini {🎧}.

Zooming In: When the corner cut happens early and with force, the low defender can become so focused on it that the response to the roll is delayed. A straight cut along the baseline keeps that defender deep in the paint, often preventing the low tag from meeting the roller outside the paint. Instead, the defender ends up contesting a much bigger player directly under the rim.

Tangent but Relevant: This Slide Cutting action is tactically aligned with the "Follow Your Help" principle we discussed at length in our podcast with Mike DeGeorge and "Film Room Series" of Cal Poly SLO's offense {🔒}. In this principle offensive players are taught to cut to the rim whenever they see their defender help. This often takes the form of a Corner Cut as the low tag gives support in a ballscreen...

In the "Follow Your Help" situation, there also may be multiple cutters in the paint, but the movements are often very difficult for the defense to account for AND stop the ball.

Returning to the Slide Cutting, if the corner player reads that the cut would interfere with a scoring chance off the roll, the cut can be "aborted," stopping abruptly and backing up to the dunker spot to occupy space, or stepping up the lane to become available for a dump-off pass or a quick hit ahead before looking for an extra pass to the roller.

Another option for the corner player is to turn the cut into a screen on their own defender. Whether in a spread single-side tag situation or an empty-side scenario, some defenses run a full "Next" coverage rotation, where the low man is responsible for closing out to the perimeter. This can be disrupted if the cutter pins their defender, leaving the "Next" defender in a difficult two-way closeout with little chance to strongly contest a corner shot.

By turning a potential obstacle into a weapon, the corner cutter adds layers of decision-making that challenge even well-drilled rotations. Whether finishing the cut, aborting it, or screening, each option pressures the defense in a different way.

This latest installment adds a new dimension to the Slide Cutting series, revealing how motion and spacing can dismantle even the most prepared empty-side PNR defenses. For much more in this new addition to the Slide Cutting canon, please enjoy this week's newest breakdown on SGTV...

Together with Dr. Dish

Our friends at Dr. Dish Basketball want to hear from you! Share your coaching philosophy and thoughts right now and get entered for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

Slappin' Glass Podcast

🧠 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Top 3 Takeaways — Coach Zach Chu, Radford MBB

After spending nice seasons in the NBA, and one at SMU, new Radford Head Coach Zach Chu joined us this week on the show and dives deep into how data-driven strategy can power personnel, pace, and player development. Here are our favorite insights from the episode:

📊 1. Data as the Engine for Program Success

Coach Chu outlined four key areas where analytics drive competitive advantage:

• Personnel Selection: Using a predictive model to determine player impact by level. Notably, small guards who rely on foul drawing often don’t translate up a level—while bigs do.
• NIL Optimization: Validating spending decisions with quantitative evidence. "If a stockbroker lost $10M, you wouldn’t invest again. Why do it with roster spots?"
• Player Development: Custom “prescriptions” for growth, identifying key areas for improvement via data, not just instinct.
• Game Strategy: Anchoring efficiency-driven decisions across both sides of the ball.

🔁 2. Reimagining Spacing in the College Game

Chu spoke extensively on how he’s adapting NBA-style spacing to the college floor:

• Four-Out Emphasis: Harder to play 5-out due to the shorter 3pt line and tighter gaps—especially after makes.
• Big as Rim Runner: Prioritizing early seals and rim pressure after misses; using smalls to inbound to initiate 4-out flow.
• Slot Spacing for 5s: When bigs can’t rim run, they space opposite the ball to force small defenders into rim protection roles.

🛫 3. Stampedes > Stagnation

In his “Start, Sub, Sit” round, Coach Chu emphasized teaching the stampede catch-and-go mentality above all else:

• "Ball in the air, feet in the air" mindset to create driving angles.
• Promotes unselfish, quick-decision play and syncs with their core identity of leading the league in passes.
• Teaches players to read, attack, and move without pausing—even sacrificing a few catch-and-shoots in favor of aggressive flow.

For much more from Coach Chu, listen to the full episode here...

Together with Hudl

Hudl Powers Every Possession

If you’re already using tools like FastDraw, FastScout, or FastRecruit—you know how essential they are to your workflows. And now that they’re fully part of the Hudl ecosystem, they’re more powerful than ever. From film and play diagrams to scouting reports and custom recruiting boards, everything flows together. One system. Built for high-performance programs.

​Learn more about Hudl and their variety of products or subscribers to Slappin' Glass can also directly email Winston Jones of Hudl at winston.jones@hudl.com.

Tactical

📺 Elbow Get • Stagger Veer - Murray State​

"Using the elbow Get to drive the PG to the baseline, clearing space for the shooter to come off the stagger to the top."

✚ Pair With: Flowing directly into a Pistol PNR after the elbow Get with a backside flare.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown on OKC Thunder's use of the Elbow to facilitate their offense and highlight the strength of their playmaking wings.

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📺 5 Out Delay - Chase • 45 • Flex​

"A straightforward use of a shooter in the Flex screen within a 5-Out Delay alignment to generate a clean look."

✚ Pair With: A 5 Out Delay flare slip entry to set up an empty-side ballscreen with the slip cutter exiting out off a gut screen.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our Film Room series with newly hired Arkansas State Head Coach Ryan Pannone diving into the reads and installation of the 5-Out Delay offense.

Interesting Reads & Stuff

📚 To Instantly Sound More Sincere, Do This​

If you are unable to translate your intent into impact, your recipients may think you’re kind of a jerk or you don’t care. This can accidentally damage relationships without you even knowing it’s happening.

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📚 Just Do the Thing​

It's been said that it's helpful to think about the time it takes to complete a task as including all the time you spend thinking about doing it, or stressing about not having done it yet, as well as actually doing it. That helps clarify that acting immediately needn't be thought of as a matter of becoming more self-disciplined or pushing yourself harder.

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📚 Little Ways The World Works​

It might sound crazy, but once you understand the basic principles of your profession, you might gain more expertise by reading around your field than within your field. Connecting dots between fields helps you uncover the most powerful forces that guide how the world works, which can be so much more important than a little new detail that’s specific to your profession.

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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

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!

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