Mastering the Short Roll Pick and Roll Basketball Strategy

Mastering the pick and roll is essential for any guard wanting to control the flow of a basketball game. But when you really want to dissect defenses and create easy scoring opportunities for your team, short roll pick and roll basketball is a next-level skill to implement into your offensive game.

The short roll is all about timing and understanding where the advantage lies in a pick and roll situation. Often, guards are taught to wait for the screener to roll all the way to the basket before making a decision. This can be effective, but it also gives defenses time to react and potentially steal the pass. This is where the short roll comes into play.

• What is the Short Roll?
  • Why is the Short Roll Effective?
  • Advantages of the Short Roll in Basketball:
  • 1. It Forces the Defense to Make a Decision:
  • 2. Timing Beats Speed:
  • 3. Exploiting Defensive Coverages:
• Common Mistakes When Executing the Short Roll:
• Drills to Improve Your Short Roll
  • 1. 2-on-1 Short Roll Drill
  • 2. 3-on-2 Short Roll Drill:
• Conclusion

The short roll is a play that takes advantage of the space created when a screener's on-ball defender helps the ball handler. Instead of rolling all the way to the rim, the screener “short rolls” to the free throw line area. The guard can then pass to the screener in this space – if they are open.

This quick decision puts immense pressure on the defense and often leads to open shots for your team. Let’s break down some of the main advantages in detail.

In the pick and roll, the defense is constantly adjusting to the offense's movements. The short roll forces them into a tough choice: should they commit to stopping the ball handler or the rolling big? This hesitation from the defense can be the difference between an offensive foul or an open lane for your teammate. As a point guard, there are few feelings more satisfying in basketball than drawing a help defender and dishing off to an open teammate for an easy basket.

While it might seem counterintuitive, a perfectly timed short roll can be just as effective, if not more so, than waiting for a traditional roll to the basket. 'If he’s even, he’s leaving' should be the mantra you live by when learning the short roll.

In essence, it means that as the screener, the second you’re even with your defender on the roll, there is a window for your guard to give you the ball for an open shot. Basketball, in many ways, is a game of angles, and understanding how to exploit the fact that the defender is facing the ball and the roller is facing the rim can give you a serious competitive advantage in a game.

Defensive coverages, particularly at higher levels of basketball, have evolved to specifically combat the effectiveness of ball screen offense. Two of these most common defensive schemes you’ll see are “drop coverage” and “flat coverage.” Coaches love to analyze and strategize against the opposition, and knowing these terms is key to becoming a more intelligent player on the court.

• Drop Coverage: This is where the screener's defender “drops” back towards the basket instead of immediately hedging (stepping up to stop the ball handler). The offense can exploit drop coverage in a couple of different ways. As mentioned previously, timing your roll so that you receive the pass the moment your defender commits to you is one effective option. Another way to exploit this coverage is if the guard recognizes drop coverage is being employed, they can look to attack the basket more aggressively off the pick and roll, forcing the screener’s defender to commit and creating the opening for a quick pass to the short roll.
• Flat Coverage: In flat coverage, the screener's defender is positioned more aggressively, almost even with the level of the on-ball screen. The moment you see the defender up high, you know you can punish them with a short roll.

Understanding the different coverages your opponent is using allows you to make real-time adjustments that dictate the success of a game, whether you're a coach drawing up plays on a coaching clipboard or a player reacting to the defense on the court. It becomes an exciting game of chess, anticipating the opponent's next move. It's through sites like Coach's Clipboard, along with dedicated basketball DVDs, even DVD rentals, and insightful online courses that players and coaches can access invaluable resources to elevate their understanding of the game. These all foster a community dedicated to mastering the intricacies of basketball, from fundamentals to advanced tactics.

Like any skill in basketball, there's always a right and a wrong way to attempt things. When running short roll pick and roll, avoid these mistakes to find more success:

1. Poor Timing on the Roll:  If the screener rolls too early or too late, the advantage is lost. If you're too early, it clogs the paint for your guard. If you roll too late, your defender might have recovered. Mastering the timing takes time and practice to get right.
2. Not Creating Enough Contact on the Screen:  This applies to the player setting the screen. You need to ensure that you are setting a solid screen on the guard's defender. A good pick will slow the defender down enough to create an advantage on the short roll.
3. Telegraphing the Short Roll: Becoming predictable can be the kiss of death in basketball. You don’t want the defense to know that a short roll is coming, or they can cheat over and be in a better position to defend it. Be sure to mix up your movements. Sometimes dive to the basket and other times attack with the short roll to keep the defense guessing.

To help you better incorporate this devastatingly effective play into your game here are some common drills you can start implementing in your practice routine:

This drill simulates a game situation. Have a guard, a screener, and a defender on the court.

• The guard initiates the pick and roll and looks for the short roll opportunity.
• The screener sets a good screen and then reads the defender's position.
• The defender works on their coverage, be it drop or flat.

This drill expands the action to make it more game-like. Now there are two offensive players (a guard and a screener) and two defenders. An additional offensive player (wing player) is added to the top of the key. This drill replicates the spacing more commonly seen in a game and gives you an additional passing option to make it more challenging for the defense.

• The point guard runs the pick-and-roll with the screener while the wing player provides an outlet option.
• Both defenders have to work in tandem, whether it be hedging and recovering or fighting over screens to defend the pick and roll.

Incorporating the short roll into your pick-and-roll offense adds another layer of complexity that can seriously elevate your game. It creates separation for the ball-handler and easy scoring opportunities for the screener. But as with any skill, mastering the short roll takes dedication, timing, and understanding between the guard and the screener. Practice, communicate, and watch film – both of yourself and players in the NBA to see how the best players utilize this skill to dominate their competition. Don't be afraid to seek guidance from seasoned coaches who can provide invaluable insights through their coaching expertise and resources like instructional basketball DVDs, online courses, and in-person clinics, contributing to a richer understanding of this complex and rewarding sport. Embrace these tools to refine your game, outmaneuver your opponents, and enjoy the thrill of executing a perfectly timed short roll.