Continuity Ball-screen Offenses
From the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook"Helping coaches coach better..."
Ball-screen, pick and roll, offenses are quite popular for attacking man-to-man defense. This article presents two continuity ball-screen offenses. In addition to ball-screens, both have side to side continuity.
Continuity Ball-screen Offense #1
The ball-screen offense described here is from Andy Enfield head coach at University of Southern California (USC) and former head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University. In addition to ball-screens, there is side to side continuity.To start the offense, O1 dribbles to the right wing (diagram 1). O1 passes to O4 on top, and then O4 passes to O3. O4 follows his pass and ball-screens for O3 (diagram 2). On the weakside O1 and O2 interchange and O5 lifts up the lane line to the 3-point arc. This is the common weakside action that occurs over and over as part of the continuity.
O3 dribbles around O4's ball-screen (diagram 3) and could shoot or pass to O4 on the roll-cut to the hoop. Make sure that when your screener roll-cuts, he/she pivots and opens up to the ball, not with back away from the ball. If O4 is not open, O3 passes to O5.
O5 makes a pass fake to O2 (diagram 4), and O2 cuts through to the opposite corner. O1 cuts up to O2's vacated wing spot and gets the pass from O5. O5 follows the pass and ball-screens for O1 (diagram 5). Notice the continuity here, with the weakside action the same as before - O2 and O3 interchange while O4 lifts up the lane line to the arc.
O1 dribbles around the ball-screen and could shoot or pass to O5 cutting inside. But if neither is open, passes to O4 (diagram 6).
O4 pass fakes to O2, and O2 cuts through to the opposite corner (diagram 7). O3 cuts up to the wing and gets the pass from O4. O4 follows the pass and ball-screens for O3 (diagram 8). The familiar weakside action shows O1 and O2 exchanging while O5 lifts to the top.
O3 dribbles around the ball-screen and could shoot or pass to O4 cutting inside, or pass to O5 if neither is open. O5 pass-fakes and O2 cuts through (diagram 9). O1 cuts up to the wing for the pass from O5.
O5 ball-screens for O1 (diagram 10) and the pick and roll is on again, with the usual weakside guard exchange and post lift. The pass goes to O4, who fakes the pass to O2 (diagram 11). O2 cuts through and O3 cuts to the wing for the pass from O4. O4 ball-screens for O3 (diagram 12).
This pattern, or continuity, could repeat many times until a good shot occurs (or the shot clock runs out). Remember that while running the pattern, the goal is to create offense and find a good shot. This could happen with the very first pick and roll.
Continuity Ball-screen Offense #2
The ball-screen offense described here is from Brian Field, Providence Day School (NC) Head Coach; 2016 USA Today North Carolina Coach of the Year; 2016 North Carolina (NCISAA) 3A State Championship.To start the offense, O1 passes to O4 (diagram 13). O4 then dribbles at O3 for a dribble hand-off, while O1 and O2 exchange on the weakside. O3 dribbles around the dribble handoff screen (diagram 14), and if no shot, passes to O2. O2 dribbles toward O1 for a dribble handoff (diagram (15) as O5 lifts up the lane line toward the arc.
O5 ball-screens for O1 (diagram 16) and they run the pick and roll. O1 could shoot, or pass to O5 on the roll cut, or pass back to O2 for a 3-point shot. Meanwhile, O3 and O4 exchange (the usual weakside action). If nothing is open, O1 passes to O4 (diagram 17).
O4 runs the dribble handoff again with O3 (diagram 18), while the weakside guards O1 and O2 exchange.
O3 dribbles around the dribble handoff screen (diagram 19) and kicks a pass over to O2. O2 then runs the dribble handoff with O1, as O5 lifts. O5 ball-screens for O1 (diagram 20) and the pick and roll is on again, with all the same options. The weakside players exchange.
This pattern could repeat several times if necessary, but usually the defense makes a mistake in defending one of the dribble handoffs or ball-screens and we'll get a good shot or layup.
Related pages:
- Pick and Roll Offense
- Pick and Roll Plays
- The Box Offense - Pick and Roll Plays
- Pick and Roll Drills
