HoopDirt.com’s Starting Five Presented by FastModel Sports
By: Adam Spinella / HoopDirt.com Contributor
Dallas Mavericks – Flip Exit
From the endless vault of great Rick Carlisle plays, this is a common staple from Mavs coach this season. Carlisle has found ways to utilize two point guard units, and this is a way for him to do so. This set is effective for many reasons; first off, the dribble handoff/ pass-back exchange at the beginning of the play effectively gets x3 to press up on the ball, putting him in position to be hit by the flare screen. After helping on the flare, x5 cannot prevent a swing pass or a dribble handoff, and then the diamond formation of the exit action happens quickly to prevent a defense from setting up against the screen.
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San Antonio Spurs – Shuffle Stagger
The shuffle-stagger is a common action in the NBA and in levels beneath it. The great part of a shuffle-stagger is having a wing post up for an advantage down low, and a shooter coming off a double stagger from the opposite corner to occupy the help defense. The difficulty of a shuffle-stagger action can be finding ways to reverse the ball when the defense knows it is coming and won’t let the action develop. Coach Popovich and the Spurs have a strong way to get into the shuffle-stagger, almost out of a Horns formation.
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Houston Rockets – 2 Off
For the Houston Rockets who have a star player that is a guard, they often see him be overplayed on the perimeter and denied the basketball for a reversal. All backdoor sets that are effective are counters to previously scouted plays or main sets that a team runs, and the Rockets took that into consideration when running this backdoor clearout for James Harden. Coming out of a chin formation, they send their 4-man thru on the baseline, and then clear out that entire side of the floor for Harden to dart backdoor.
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Atlanta Hawks – Pistol Double Level
Great action from Mike Budenholzer for his three point threat Kyle Korver, who is also usually denied the basketball on the perimeter. The shooter Korver starts away from the busy action, and the chaos on the strong side causes the help defenders to focus on something other than the shooter. Level screens (screens set above the level of the ball) are also incredibly difficult to hedge because any time a defender extends to take away a passing angle, it gives up a slip to the rim.
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Boston Celtics – Zip Wrap
Brad Stevens needed several counters and plays to get open shots for his team when Isaiah Thomas was denied the ball. Since Thomas was a dangerous three point shooter and would be not allowed to touch the ball on the perimeter, Stevens turned I.T. into a flare screener. You can see in this action the benefit of using someone that is denied as a flare screener on an empty side: there is literally no help for Jae Crowder when he pops out for three.
