This play is a good entry into open-post motion offense.
For teams that lose focus running motion, Down provide concrete scoring objectives early in the possession.
Down can also exploit personnel mismatches:
A Little-Big-(3-4) cross-screen could create a good post-up opportunity – (and a mismatch if the defense switches) – for 4
The post-mismatch is re-visited after ball reversal.
Screen the screener action creates great shot opportunities for the initial screener (3), if 3 is a good shooter.
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1 keys the action by picking a side with the dribble. 1 should dribble away from the side of the desired post-up player and/or towards the desired shooter.
3 responds to the dribble entry with a backdoor cut to the basket while 4 walks his man toward the baseline in the opposite short corner
5 fills the wing with an L-Cut and receives a pass from 1
4 comes off of a big/little screen from 3 and looks for a post-up on the ball-side block
5 looks for 4 on the post-up while 1 replaces himself
2If 5 doesn’t have the post-feed to 4, he swings the ball to 1 on the top of the key.
2 should begin setting his man up – walking him towards the paint – for a V-cut back out to the wing and a reversal pass.
1 should be able to receive the pass, turn, and immediately pass to 2 coming out of his V-cut – good offensive timing facilitates good ball movement and shot opportunities.
The ball reversal to 2 triggers the screen-the-screener action
When 2 catches the reversal pass, 3 screens away for 4 on the weak-side post
1 begins to down-screen after swinging the ball to 2 – it is important for 1 to hesitate for a moment on the down screen – this keeps the lane decongested for the 3-4 screen
It also puts 1 in a good position to recover and react to man-to-man trapping schemes(i..e. if 1′s man trapped 2 on the reversal pass, 1 could pop back out to the top of the key for a quick return-pass to beat the pressure. If 1 did not hesitate to down screen, in this scenario he would be out of position (on the weak side , facing away from the ball) to respond to a trap
After screening away for 4, 3 comes off of 1′s down-screen , looking for a jump shot near the FT line/ top of the key.
If no shot is available, players vacate the low blocks and flow into open-post motion
Seattle Basketball
