If #1 has an advantage on the drive to start the possession, they should look to attack the rim.
If the drive is cut off, they should kick the ball out to a perimeter player instead of forcing a tough shot.
They can also use a retreat dribble to relocate back to the wing if their drive is stopped early.
If they have time and the situation presents itself, the other perimeters can engage in circle movement.
If the drive isn't there or it is stopped, the offense should be initiated.
Circle movement rules dictate how players should react when a teammate drives the basketball.
Generally, if a player drives towards the rim to the right, everyone else on the team should rotate one spot to their right. The same thing should occur in the opposite direction if driven left.
In a drive/kick situation, we should always emphasize "two out." Two out means that on the kick out of a pass, unless they are wide open, players who receive the pass should look to make an extra pass to someone who is likely even more open than them.
The only exceptions to the basic circle movement rule of rotating one spot in the direction of the drive are:
Burn Cut: If you're in the corner at the start of the drive and it's moving in your direction, you can't rotate towards the corner any longer. Instead, you should back cut the drive to the opposite side of the floor. Burn cuts can also be made from other spots on the floor depending on reading the defense. These reads are detailed in a section below.
Corner Hold: If there is a drive from the wing towards the basket, the strong side corner should hold to give the ball handler a drive/kick option.
Baseline Drive/Baseline Drift: The opposite corner should hold on a baseline drive.
There are several different cuts that players should make while in circle movement. They are:
Pitch: A pitch is when a player spaces the floor to the next spot in which the direction of the drive is being made. Players must be shot ready and be available for a drive/kick.
Crackback: A crackback is when a player fills behind the driver. To get in position, players should take two or three running steps and then slide behind the driver to get in position.
Fill Cut: Players lift to a vacated spot to maintain proper spacing.
After a drive, the driver should make an escape cut to space the floor after they pass the ball back out to the perimeter. If there is not a corner to space to, they can hold in the dunker spot until a corner spot opens up or another drive to the rim is made.
Finally, if spacing breaks down players can use a re-shape dribble to balance the court.
Formerly known as 45 cuts.
A burn cut is made from the weak side of the floor on a drive.
A burn cut should happen when a player's defender turns their back to them to look at or help on a drive.
Generally, the burn cut should be made from the opposite wing on a baseline drive and from the opposite corner on a middle drive. However, this might not always hold true if one of the offensive players on the weak side has a better read than the other.
DHOs, or dribble handoffs, can be utilized within our offense in several situations:
Within the flow of the offense and by player choice.
As an entry to the offense when a possession first begins.
DHOs can occur at any spot on the floor and going in any direction.
DHOs can automatically begin when the ball handler dribbles toward their teammate, whether it is as an entry or within the flow of the offense.
A DHO can auto circle movement or weak side actions like flare screens and down screens.
There are reads that both the initial ball handler and the receiver of the DHO can make, which are detailed in a section below.
If the receiver of the DHO (#3 in this diagram) has an advantage, they should turn the corner and drive.
#1 can either pop or roll depending on their read of the defense and their strengths as a player.
Players off the ball can engage in circle movement, including the potential to make a burn cut.
We can auto DHO action off the ball as well. For example, a good auto for a DHO is to set a flare screen on the weak side. Another good auto would be to engage in Chicago Action (#5 follows the DHO with a PNR for the ball handler) on the wing to corner DHO.
Similar to a keep in Get Action, the ball handler can decide to fake the DHO while keeping their dribble alive and turn the corner to attack the basket.
This read usually occurs in a few situations:
#1's defender is trailing behind the drive on the DHO.
The defenders switch the DHO early, leaving an open driving gap to attack.
The same off ball reads and autos can be used in a keep situation.
If the receiver's (#3 in this diagram) man is overplaying the DHO, tries to blow it up by denying the handoff, or if the defense switches too early, they can back cut it before receiving the ball on the handoff.
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