“Bilbao Action”, Staggers, Splits, “Gaggles”…the options and variety of actions that teams can run when the ball is punched into the post is extensive. This week we’re excited to add Coach Kostas Kalogeropoulos’ clinic of creative Low Post Actions to SGTV! For those looking to add a unique wrinkle to their post entry series, there’s plenty to think about in this week’s clinic. 

To couple with the release of Coach Kalogeropoulos’ clinic, below we’ll also look back at some of the major benefits of inverting an offense through the post…

1- Distorting the Defensive Shell

As we discussed with Coach Stan Van Gundy on the podcast, playing through the post distorts a defense’s shell, as most defenses fundamentals are trained with the ball on the perimeter and in front of them. By entering the ball into the post the defense must now defend with the ball behind them, making it difficult to properly orientate their vision and position to the ball. A step too high into a gap leaves defenders vulnerable to rim cuts…

or, playing too low allows the offense to line up staggers or single pin down screens…

2- Creating Space for Shooters

Inverting an offense and playing through the post also neutralizes the ability of the defense to stunt at shooters coming off screens. Good defenses have gotten adept at stunting off the passer, closing space and buying time for their teammate to get through the screen. Here’s an example…

So, against these types of stunting defenses, playing through the post can effectively isolate a gap to screen a shooter into without fear of the passer’s defender impeding the catch and shoot…

3- Uninhibited 1 v. 1 Opportunities

Lastly, with the defense preoccupied with screens and cuts, these creative post screening actions can present opportunities for the post to play 1v1. If a defense elects to zone a defender up on post catches to help on any 1v1 action (as shown in the GIF above) they risk giving up open looks to shooters as they’re not able to stunt/help on any screen. 

Deceptive Screening – Hook Screen

As we discussed with Coach Sergio Scariolo on this week’s podcast, flare screening a post entry passer is a difficult situation to defend. If the defender does not jump to the pass, they are vulnerable to getting caught in the screen. Taking it a step further, as the defender scrambles to fight over the screen offenses can set a rescreen to bring a shooter back, leaving the defender to navigate through two screens from a position of weakness…

Adding some additional deception and creativity, the offense can forgo the initial flare screen and loop the screener under defender to screen the guard back to the ball…

Zooming In: This is a great example of the uneasiness that playing through the post puts the defense under. Paying attention to the defender (Van Vleet) after the entry pass in the GIF above, this screen takes advantage of the split second where Van Vleet’s head is on a swivel in an attempt to orientate to the ball. With the ball behind him, his awareness is handicapped and thus susceptible to screens.

Deceptive Screening – Screen the Screener

A smart 3 man action to punish a defensive big’s tendency to zone up and stay near the rim on post entries is a “Screen the Screener” action. An offense can bait the big into helping on the first screen to the rim so the 2nd screener can line up the guard defender without any help. Here’s a nice example from Quinn Snyder and his days with the Utah Jazz…

Zooming In: Watch JaVale McGee as he slides into the paint on the post catch and takes the bait to help on Gobert diving off the first screen, leaving Booker free to roam up and screen Caldwell-Pope.

Here’s another example from Barcelona, as they flare the shooter weakside instead of using a down screen…

For many more examples on strong and weakside actions teams are using to play out of the post including:

• Splits Screens
• Twirl Screens
• Stagger Screens
• Posting Guards
• RIP Screens
• Grenade DHOs

View the complete Newsletter HERE, or learn how to purchase Coach Kalogeropoulos’ video here…