Fast breaks - Memphis (Tony Barone)

Fast breaks
Memphis

Tony Barone

This break was all they did for the first 10 games one season. When you stop the break, can you run your secondary break without having to pull it out and make a call (which you can't do with a 24-second clock)?

The point guard determines what gets run (the endings on the break), the coach can't call everything. 4 and 5 are interchangeable, the first big runs right up the middle then posts above the ballside block. The closest big inbounds the ball after a make. 2 and 3 are also interchangeable, and must get wide even if they rebound. The key to the break is to stay wide, stretch the defence. They tried crossing the wings, it didn't work. Every pass is a scoring pass.

The best teams can go either side of the floor, right or left, but it really is hard to do.

1) Through

See Fast breaks - Spurs 2007, Tubby Smith early offence.

1 passes to 2, runs a give and go into the lane and keeps looking for the ball, the toughest teams to guard make late passes.

2's first look is to 5, give him some love. What is the rule if you feed the post from the wing? They like to pass and cut for a handoff, you can't stay since X2 will start to dig and may trap.

They want to reverse the ball, 2 passes to 4 as soon as he can, as this is happening 3 backcuts and 1 cuts out to the wing.

On a the pass to 1, 3 posts then screens for 5, and 4 downscreens for 3 (optionally 5 can use the downscreen instead of the cross-screen).

On a pass to 3 out top, 4 comes back out to pick and roll to the front of the rim, 5 replaces, 3 comes off with two dribbles.

If 3 passes to 5, they want to ballscreen, 4 gets out, 5 can pass to 1 and follow to ballscreen, or if 1 is being pressured, 5 takes two dribbles right at X1's rear end, 1 comes off for a hand-off, 5 pops to the mid-point between the lane line and the sideline, and 4 ducks in.

2) Strong

a) Shuffle cut

1 passes to 2 and cuts to the ballside corner.

2 passes to 4, 5 steps out to set a screen (if he doesn't step out, the defence can slough).

2 shuffle cuts under or over on a pass to 3.

If 2 doesn't immediately get the ball, right away he turns and screens for 5 then uses a downscreen from 4, who will come back out to pick and roll on a pass to 2.

b) Flex cut

1 dribble pushes 2 to the corner, 2 flex cuts off 5 on a pass to 4, he can bump back if X2 goes ballside, 5 turns and re-screens.

Teams defend shuffle cuts and flex cuts different ways, so use both.

On a high-low pass, really think about bouncing it in there.

4 passes to 3, 2 turns and cross-screens for 5, 4 downscreens for 2, and will come back out to pick and roll on a pass to 2.

See New Jersey Nets offence (cross and cross-fist), Mavericks 2 back fast break (5 backscreens for 3 on ball reversal), and Pitt off-ball screens (transition) in Defence.

3) Go

They run it on the halfcourt as a set. 1 passes to 2, starts his cut, the defence sucks down (that's what they do), 1 stops and pops. On a return pass, 4 diagonal screens for 3 (the hardest screen to guard), 3 can curl, backcut for a lob pass (if a jumper), pop for a shot, or bump for a shot. If 3 curls or backcuts, 4 turns around and comes to get the ball as fast as he can, then 1 flies off him and can get a hand-off.

2 cuts into the lane, 3 keeps going and comes up using a downscreen from 5.

On a pass to 3, 1 flex cuts using 2 and 5, 4 downscreens for 2.

On a pass to 2, he dribbles to the wing and passes inside to 4.

d) Pistol

Run it after the other team takes a free throw, both bigs trail the play.

2 sets a step-up ballscreen for 1 (high, flat, at the mid-point), then 5 screens for 2, and slips to the basket if his defender cheats. On a pass from 1 to 2, they want a shot or drive by 2. 4 pins down for 3, then comes back to the ball if 3 curls the screen.

See New Jersey Nets fast break (pistol up), also Izzo quick strikes offence (pistol down) - 5 ballscreens for 1 if there is no pass to 2.

Then the action is the same as Go, 2 passes to 4 and comes off, 1 cuts into the lane, 5 downscreens for 3.

Pistol with a hand-off

Optionally 1 passes ahead to 2, cuts for a hand-back, 2 uses 5's screen. 2 hands it back to 1 if X1 doesn't suck underneath.

See Izzo pistol - 1 sprints right by, 5 ballscreens for 2 if there is no handback.

This page was made with Basketball playbook from Jes-Soft