Use Your Smart Center

From Basketball Coach Weekly

 

When you have a center with above-average court awareness, use this to your advantage to exploit several potential scoring options out of a 1-4 High look

 

Why use it

 

Centers aren’t usually handed complete decision-making within a set play. But, when your tallest player also is one of your smartest, it makes sense to allow him or her to look over the defense and pick the best scoring option based on the actions.

 

Set up

 

Start in a 1-4 High formation with the posts located at the elbows and the guards on the wings. The point guard is dribbling at the top

How to play

 

1 passes to 5 at the left high post, then loops around 5 and sets a screen for 3, 3 cuts backdoor looking for a pass from 5 [1].

If 3 isn’t open, 1 screens down for 3, who cuts to the wing for a shot.

1 steps to the corner. If 3 isn’t open on the wing cut, 5 dribbles across the free throw line as 4 cuts down the lane line, then loops into the lane and posts up the defender [2].

If 4 isn’t open, 5 passes to 3, who looks to 4 reposting on the block. 5 also can pass to the opposite block, who looks for 4 reposting on the right side [3].

 

Technique

 

Be sure 5 keeps the ball high to make the potential passes to the lane cutters easier. It’s the reason why this play is so effective — teams can’t stop passes over their heads.