Mastering Pick and Roll

-Basketball 101-

John Stockton is the NBA’s all-time leader in assists (15,806) and in steals (3,265). It’s true that he had Karl Malone next to him, but his ability to use the screen and roll to a level of perfection made this duo one of the deadliest ever.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Can you create a shooting situation every time you play screen and roll?
• Are you afraid of the trap or hedge? Are you just looking to get the ball away from you as fast as you can?
• Can you find the open man?

What Should I Do? Here are some Practical Tips …

Screen and roll is one of the toughest situations to defend, if the offense team masters this play.

• Don’t rush it; you need time to read the situation.
• Try to start the play where you can take the shot. If the defender is going under the screen, make him pay.
• It doesn’t matter what kind of a solution the defense is trying: hedge, switch, trap… someone is going to be open or with a mismatch you want to take advantage of.
• If there is a trap, it is most likely that one of your teammates will have a better passing angle to the big guy.
• If you started to drive and can’t finish, the corner man is waiting for the shot. He is w-i-d-e open.
• At least 25% of the time you need to fake and go to the same side you came from. No one will expect that.

Practice the above, with a help of a friend. Play the screen and roll and each time use a different option: drive, drive-and-dish, drive-and-kick to the corner, etc.

Source: Basketball IntelliGym Tips