Newsletter #302

Today's Theme... Pick and Roll Plays Off the Break

Here are two pick and roll plays that you can run right off the secondary break as early offense.

"Fist" - We can run this high pick and roll play off our secondary break.  O2 and O4 run their usual wide cuts up the court to the corners (diagram A).  O3 is the inbounder and trails the break.  Usually in our secondary break we have O5 sprint to the weakside low block, but in "Fist", once he/she gets to the free-throw line, he stops quickly, plants his foot and goes back up high and ball-screens for O1.  O1 and O5 run the pick and roll play.

O1 could drive for the lay-up, or pass to O5 rolling inside, or to O2 or O3 spotting up for 3-point shots, or to O4 back-cutting to the hoop if O1 is stopped up high.

"Wide 51" - Sometimes the top X1 defender will overplay O1 and force O1 to his/her left.  Or we may want O1 to be able to attack on the high pick and roll with a right handed dribble.  No problem... just run "Wide-51".  O1 dribbles left and O5 sprints up and ball-screens for O1 while our perimeter players are all "wide" on the 3-point arc with O2 dropping down to the right corner.  O1 and O5 run the high pick and roll.

As O1 dribbles around the screen, O3 and O4 fill up and over as seen in the diagram.  O1 looks to score or pass to O5 inside. Other excellent 3-point options are to O2 in the corner, O3 and O4.  O3, in the "safety" position (Read and React terminology), is almost always wide open for a kick-back pass and 3-point shot.

For more pick and roll plays, see "High Pick and Roll Set".