Term: “Winner” (Brad Stevens set) Definition: a late-game SLOB (sideline out of bounds) play that culminates in a flare screen for a 3-point opportunity near the weakside wing How It Works: Brad Stevens’s “Winner” set typically starts in a Box alignment, with a player at each box and Elbow, but no matter where…

Term: Baseline Drift Definition: an automatic cut from the weakside wing to the weakside corner when the ballhandler drives towards the baseline How It Works: In the diagram above, 1 has the ball on the right in a 4-out look. Because most defenses use a no-middle philosophy, 1’s best option is to drive…

Term: Nexting (aka “Next Coverage” or “Next Switch”) Definition: a pick-and-roll coverage in which the nail defender switches onto the ballhandler as he comes off the ballscreen How It Works: Nexting Pick-and-Roll Coverage Guarding the player in the weakside wing or slot, the nail defender is positioned by the “nail” (the exact middle of the free-throw…

Term: Stampede Cut (aka “Slot Drive,” “Go-and-Catch,” “Run Thru”) Definition: an offensive tactic in which a player on the perimeter is already running to the hoop as he catches a pass and continues driving to the basket (instead of squaring up for a shot and then attacking the closeout) See…

Term: Peel Switch (aka “Go Switch” or “Fly Switch”) Definition: a defensive tactic in which a help defender switches onto a ballhandler (or cutter) who has beaten his original defender, and then that original defender “peels off” his mark and rotates to whoever is left open How It Works: In the diagram above…

Term: the Weakside I Definition: the I-shaped alignment of the two weakside help defenders: “low man” (who is guarding the player in the weakside corner) and the “high I defender” (who is guarding the weakside wing) Second Term: the High I Defender Second Definition: the weakside wing’s defender High I…

Term: Scram Switch Definition: an off-ball switch (especially in the post) to mitigate the mismatch caused by an earlier switch See Also: Veerback Switch: an emergency switch after a ballscreen in which dribbler’s defender can’t recover to the dribbler, so he switches onto the roller as the roller’s defender switches onto the…

Term: Pre-switch Definition: an off-ball switch in anticipation of a ballscreen so that a better defender is now guarding the ballscreener and can thus switch onto the ballhandler See Also: Veerback Switch: an emergency switch after a ballscreen in which dribbler’s defender can’t recover to the dribbler, so he switches onto the…

Term: Twirl Definition: an off-ball action in which a player curls the first of two staggered screens, and then the first screener turns around and cuts off the second screener See Also: Bilbao Action: In Bilbao action, the first cutter (2) can curl or reject the first screen. After that, Bilbao and Twirl are…