Eight Coaches Thoughts on Ball Screens
I was circling back to the Mike Neighbors thumb drive recently and came across some philosophical nuggets on ball screens from various coaches. I also added some more that I found in my own visits to practices, in books, and on the Internet.
Bill Self
“Run ball screen offense when anything breaks down.”
Jeff Van Gundy
“Everyone can be a great screener. Everyone should screen the same way. Headhunt, put the chest in the shoulder. If a guy always slips the screen, he’s soft.”
Josh Pastner
“If the corner is filled on a ball screen, roll to the rim. When the corner is open, pop to the corner.”
“If there is a post on the ball side, that post should sprint to the weak side short corner.”
Shaka Smart
“Create a roll for unskilled bigs with ball screening.”
Doc Rivers
“In practice and the video room, make your post players visualize where to go when they set the pick and roll. Then where to go to sit the next screen, where to go to score, where the shooters and non-shooters will be, where the defense will be.”
“If the big is behind the ball in transition off missed shots, go pick on the ball.”
“Pick and roll teach players to keep dribbles. Force a two dribble minimum when going by the picker.”
Bob Hurley Sr.
“Put the x5 in a ball screen the first play of the game.”
Dick DeVenzio
“Most players set screens only with a sense of duty because their coach makes them…Try to remember what it is like playing against someone who sets good screens. That player makes it miserable for you, and that is exactly what you want to do to other defenses.”
Jay Wright
Get downhill on flat ball screens.
