Tactics - Creating Gaps

Tactics
Creating Gaps

This outline complements Blog Posts on 5-Out Motion, 5-Out Dribble Attack, and Dribble-Drive Motion.

1) 5-out spacing

3) Two-guard 5-out spacing

A goal on offence is to create gaps for dribble penetration. Gaps are created by spacing and cutting, other players hold their spacing to maintain a gap, then fill spots or react to a drive.

1) 5-out spacing

Conventional 5-out spacing uses three guards. There are single gaps between all attackers, defenders can help and recover on dribble penetration. Cuts are needed to create bigger gaps.

Mike MacKay - Single-Double Gaps - the problem with single gaps is stationary passes and quick help and recovery. Create a double gap by cutting a player.

Gap Theory (Spacing) - 5-out spacing (50) stretches the defence outside the paint and takes away a traditional rim protector.

Learn the Gap Theory - the foundation is great spacing, try to create mismatches, make 2 guard 1, and win closeouts (shoot while the defender is still closing out, or drive if the closeout is too aggressive).

Coach Daniel - Future of Offence - on a drive from the top with 5-out spacing, the help is late. Having 4 guys out and one guy in the dunker spot is still 5-out spacing to him.

Tyler Coston - Race and Space Overview - keep the rim open as much as possible, hunt that space with the dribble, he doesn't want players cutting to the rim all the time.

See Offences - 5-out youth motion, MacKay single-double gaps.

a)

Here 1 creates space by passing and cutting, and 4 holds for a two-count to maintain the gap.

2014 San Antonio Spurs - basic philosophy of ball movement (passing) and player movement (cutting). They played “point 5 basketball” – after catching the ball, make a decision to pass, shoot or drive within half a second (Steph Curry - that’s when the dominoes start to fall). Goals on offence are to create an advantage and convert it into a basket (advantage basketball). The Spurs used ballscreens to create advantages, and converted by attacking close-outs off the dribble (using pump fakes) and with relocation cuts on dribble penetration (drive, kick, exit).

2 has a double gap to attack middle.

How 4 reacts depends on the offence, e.g. backcut or rotate behind.

If 4 immediately fills behind when 1 passes and cuts, there is no double gap.

b)

Here 2 creates space with a back cut, exit cuts to the corner, 5 fills behind and takes away the space.

Adam Spinella - Hoiberg 5-Out Concepts - 5-out spacing allows for backcuts, the rim is vacated.

5-Out Revolution - with 5 at the top of the key with the ball and the paint wide open, basket cuts are especially effective.

Alex Sarama - Building a Conceptual Offence - 5-out spacing is quicker to get into than 4-out 1-in, you won't have to wait for a trailer to get down to the low post. In a neutral situation, they immediately run a trigger to get double-gap spacing, e.g., the trailer screens away or drag screens, they are not in 5-out for long.

If 2 backcuts and clears weakside, 5 can hold in the corner.

See Offence - 5-out dribble attack continuity.

Gregg Popovich - if denied anywhere on the court, go backdoor and continue in the direction you were going.

Chris Krauss - Motion Concepts - he doesn't like cuts all the way through, cut to the middle, read what's going on, you might have to come back, or relocate.

See MacKay single-double gaps.

5 holds, 1 has a double gap to attack.

c)

Use the same approach on a pass out top from a wing, cut and clear to the other side, instead of exiting out to the corner on the same side.

See Offence - 5-out dribble-drive motion, also Mark Cascio - Drive and Space Offence.

2) 4-out 1-in spacing

4-out 1-in automatically creates some additional space on the perimeter.

Gap Theory (Spacing) - spacing creates gaps to attack, 4-out 1-in spacing (41) is most common as it maximizes space for each gap.

Coach Daniel - Future of Offence - having 4 guys out and one guy in the dunker spot is still 5-out spacing to him.

a)

A three-guard front allows full ball reversal with two passes, and can be used with a low post and one corner player (see Fast breaks - Mike Brown early flow).

There are still single gaps, but 2 has space to drive baseline.

b)

With two guards and two wings, there are single gaps but 3 and 2 have space to drive baseline.

KG Basketball - 5-Out DDM - initial 5-out spacing has small gaps (defences turn into almost a 1-2-2 zone), and he still wants a rim runner, so he uses a 4-out 1-in entry to get into 5-out.

Spinella - Hoiberg 5-Out Concepts - from 4-out 1-in, 5 can gut cut out top for a pass (then with a 45 cut from the weakside wing).

Check-List for Your Team Offence - ball reversal can be achieved through stepping interior players to the perimeter.

c)

2 and 3 move down to the corners, creating double gaps, making it harder for defenders to help and recover.

There is still a single gap up top.

See Offence - Dribble-drive outline.

d)

If 4 spaces away high and wide, 1 has two double gaps.

See Blog Posts - Two-Side Fast Break, Fast-Break Cycles, Fast breaks - Two-side (Rocket).

e)

2 blast cuts for a guard-to-wing "quick" pass from 1, who clears to the opposite corner.

2 has a double gap to attack middle, and space to drive baseline, a wing isolation.

How to Teach Youth Motion - automatic drives are a) draft drives (follow a cutter), b) real-estate drives (the spot next to you is empty), c) your defender steps over the 3-point line.

f)

On a guard-to-guard "swing" pass, 1 corner cuts to change sides of the floor and create a triple gap for 4.

2 holds in the corner.

g)

1 makes a "swing" pass to 4 and corner cuts, 4 makes a "quick" pass to 3 and clears weakside.

The passing combination is "swing-quick".

See Tactics - Dribble-drive quick-swing (Swing-quick).

3 has a double gap to attack middle.

h)

To create space for ballhandler 1, 4 corner cuts.

1 has a triple gap to attack middle.

3) Two-guard 5-out spacing

5-out spacing can be done with two slots, two corners, and a weakside or ballside wing player.

See Offence - 5-out dribble-drive motion, Tyler Lyndsey 5-out Drive and Space (YouTube) and Screenshots.

Here wing 5 is weakside, 1 has one double gap.

1 can create a triple gap for 4 with a swing pass and corner cut.

4 could finish the swing with a "quick" pass to 5 and clear weakside (swing-quick).

Here wing 5 is ballside and 1 has single gaps unless 5 cuts to create a double gap (shown) or 4 cuts to create a triple gap (see above).

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