The pick and roll has become the most common action in basketball. Every team runs it. Every coach teaches it. Every player practices it. But here’s the truth nobody says out loud: If you’re running pick and roll just to “run a pick and roll,” you’re wasting everyone’s time. The action only matters if it creates an advantage. And advantage only matters if players know how to use it. Let’s break down what that actually means: 1. The real point of pick and roll is force a decision! Offense in basketball comes down to one principle: Make the defense choose something, and then punish that choice. A ball screen is simply a structured way to force that moment of decision. When the screen hits, the defense must decide: - Do we go under? - Do we chase over? - Do we switch? - Do we hedge? - Do we help from the corner? - Do we tag the roller? Each decision creates an opening somewhere else. The job of the offense is simple: Create the decision → identify the reaction → attack the weakness it creates. If your players can’t do that, running a ball screen is nothing more than cardio and hurting offense. ----- 2. Players must be empowered to “Make the Defense Wrong." A pick and roll only works when players understand solutions. If the defense goes under, what’s the answer? If they switch, what’s the answer? If they hedge or trap, what’s the answer? Teams that are good in the PnR aren’t just good because they set great screens. They’re good because the ball-handler, screener, and spacing players all know how to make the defense wrong. Here’s what empowerment looks like: Ball-handler: reads coverage, gets downhill, manipulates the tag defender. Roll man: short roll vs. rim roll vs. pop based on help. Spacing players: lift, drift, shake out, and be ready to punish help. If players don’t know counters, the defense wins. If players do know the counters, the defense has no right choice and an advantage gets created. ----- 3. If you're just running pick and roll to run it… stop. Seriously.

Just checking in to see how everybody’s doing! We’re all good here down in Texas.

Shoot me a comment if you’re stuck in the house and wanna hop on a call tonight to talk some ball!

A simple zone look that we installed yesterday in 10 minutes that goes off of our basic spread ball screen zone offense. I saw Kansas run something similar, and it was a pretty simple install based on what we're already doing. Just a double drag on the top two with the 5 sealing. the middle man on the roll. Puts x4 in a tough situation.

Your best player picks up their 2nd foul with 6:30 left in the 1st half. Do you leave them in or sit them, and what factors decide it for you? Is it an automatic sub, situational, or never coming out? What matters more: protecting a player from foul trouble or trusting them to adjust? Does this change if it’s a conference game vs a must-win game?