Set Play: Scissor Cut Into Screen The Screener Action

This play:utilizes a scissor cut off the high post – several teams aren’t accustomed to defending this action.

• We like to start the action with ball reversal – this is just practicing good habits by shifting the defense.
• 1 passes to 2, who swings the ball to 3 – this pass to the wind keys the action that follows.

When the wing catches the ball, 1 and 2 run a scissor cut off of 5 in the high post.

• The weakside cutter (1) always goes first.  1 can cut above or below 5, based on how his defender defends the cut.

• 2 follows right after 1′s cut off of 6 to the weakside block

• 5 shapes up after screening and receives a reversal pass at the top of the key.

• When 4 passes to 5, both 4 and 3 downscreen on either block.
• If 1 or 2 are very good shooters, their defenders may trail them on the screen. Active players can read and respond with a curl cut, as shown

• Otherwise, 2 and 1 come off the downscreens to the wings.

• If nothing else is there. 5 looks to reverse the basketball to 2 on the opposite wing
• Given the choice. 5 should reverse the ball to 2 rather than passing back to 1 on the same side

• 5 follows his pass towards the wing in order to set up his man, then cuts to the weakside block to set a screen for 4.
• 4 sets his man up, then cuts hard off 5′s screen, rubbing shoulders. with 5.  5 should create space after screening for 4 so that he can effectively come off of 3′s screen.
• 5 can go above or below 3, depending on how his man plays him

• Ball Reversal keys a triangle continuity. (after the wings down screen, 4:
• reverses the ball
• Screens diagonally down to the opposite block
• Comes off of a cross screen to the ballside block

This kind of screen-the-screener action can be very effective in the basket area when players screen properly.

The screen the screener is executed  a little differently than most other teams…teams that run this type of action in the basket area usually have the ballside post player  screen away and come off a downscren from the high post – as shown below: