The Pick & Roll Offense is a hard offense to guard. It creates great spacing for scoring opportunities to drive to the basket and also for shooters around the perimeter. This offense can be extremely effective if you have players who have the ability to set good screens, roll to the basket, and finish at the goal.

In this article, we’re going to take a deeper dive into the Pick & Rolls by going over the different locations screens can be set and the reads that can be made coming off the screen to create scoring opportunities on the offensive end. By the time you finish this article, you’ll know the strengths and weaknesses of implementing this offense and if it's the right fit for your team.

• Difficult to Defend. The defense can be beat in so many different ways with the Pick & Roll regardless of how they try to stop it. With the Pick & Roll Offense, they take what the defense gives them and exploit it for a high scoring opportunity.
• Flexible Personnel. Some offenses require a certain type of personnel, but the Pick & Roll offense is flexible in that a variety of personnel can effectively run it. There are many different ways to run this offense which means teams are able to use different personnel and still use the same offensive concepts.
• Strong fundamentals. Cutting, screening, passing, and shooting are the foundational fundamentals that allows a team running this offense to excel. If your team can execute these four concepts accurately with the right timing and spacing then you will easily have scoring opportunities each offensive possession.

Need more reasons to use the Pick & Roll Offense? Dave Severns can tell you exactly why to use the Pick & Roll. 

• All-Around Ball Handlers. Players handling the basketball need to be able to come off the screen and drive to the hoop or shoot the long range shot. Essentially, they need to be able to do both. If your players can do both it will keep the defense on their toes and make your offense more successful. Otherwise, the defense will be able to scout your team and make adjustments by knowing players tendencies and defend accordingly.
• Defense Switches Screens. A major way to defend the Pick & Roll is for defenders to switch on the screen. If a defense is switching then they most likely have neutralized your attack. Your offense make sure the defense CANNOT switch. How do you accomplish this? Be smart about your match-ups in the Pick & Roll. A post player setting a screen for a guard will not likely result in a switch because it creates a huge mismatch advantage. However, a guard screening for a guard could easily be switched because the positions do not create an obvious disadvantage.

The Pick & Roll Offense is built for teams who excel at dribbling and screening. A team will be successful using this offense if they can execute tough screens and strong dribble penetration while being patient and spreading the floor. They also need to be able to read the defense and make the right decisions accordingly.

You need ball handlers who are smart decision-makers who can use the screen correctly to not only create scoring opportunities for themselves and for their teammates as well. Screeners who understand how to read the defense after setting the screen to find the open space is important as well as being able to know down open shots.

The two main keys for any team using the Pick & Roll Offense are being able to score off dribble penetration and knocking down open shots. If you can do both of these things well then you’ll always keep the defense on their toes and make it hard to stop you.

The Pick & Roll can be referred to a number of other names: screen and roll, on-ball screen, and ball-screen just to name a few. Regardless of what you call it, the actions are still the same.

The action of the Pick & Roll is an offensive player setting a screen for their teammate who has the ball. Generally, a Pick & Roll goes something like this:

• An offensive player with the basketball goes to set a screen (The Pick) for their teammate with the ball.
• The player with the basketball dribbles off the screen reading the defenders and attacking to create a shot for themselves or another teammate
• After screening, the screener also reads the defense to see if they should roll, pop, or slip their screen (The Roll). All actions have them looking to catch the basketball and make a play.

To make the Pick & Roll easy to learn, we broke it down into 7 easy steps.

1. Ball Handler Creates Separation. By creating separation, the ball handler is setting their defender up to be screened effectively. If the defender is too close then they can trail or fight over the screen without being put at a disadvantage. Be sure your ball handler knows ways to create space before they dribble the ball and use their dribble.
2. Screen Creates Separation. Just like the ball handler, the screen needs to create separation from their defender as well. The point of the screener creating space is so their defender will not be able to help on the dribbler which should be for an opening after the screen for a shot or attacking the driving lane.
3. Correct Screening Angle. The correct screening angle should be the screener setting the screen on the back hip of the defender guarding the basketball. The angle at which the screen is set is what makes or breaks the effectiveness and outcome of the action. It’s the most important part and can not be overlooked when teaching the Pick & Roll.
4. The Screener Makes Contact with the Defender. The last part of the screen is ensuring the defender makes contact with the defense. You want your screeners to know how to set a quality, solid screen.
5. Ball Handler Attacks Off the Screen. Once the screener has set the screen correctly, it’s up to the ball handler to do the rest. They have to wait for the screen to be set, come off the screen close enough to rub shoulders with their teammate, and then be in attack mode.
6. Screener Rolls to the Rim. Once the ball handler has used the screen and the defender has fought past to recover, the screener cuts to the rim looking for a pass and scoring opportunity. Your screener can either reverse pivot and roll or dive to the rim.
7. Ball Handler Makes Decision. There are a number of options for the ball handler to make coming off the screen, but they should be able to read the defense and make the correct decision.

Want more teaching tips? Check out this clip from Dave Severns’ Pick & Roll Offense 101.

In Pick & Roll 101, Dave Severns goes on to outline different spots on the floor where Pick & Rolls can take place. These spots include:

• Side Pick & Roll (or Wing Pick & Roll) is a ball-screen set on the wing leading the ball-handler towards the middle of the court.
• High/Mid Pick & Roll (or Top Pick & Roll) is a ball-screen set at the top of the key leading the ball-handler towards the wing.
• Step Up Pick & Roll is a ball screen coming up from the post to set on the wing and lead the ball-handler towards the baseline.
• Angle Pick & Roll is a ball screen coming at an angle from the elbow to set with the screen's back to the goal and lead the ball handler towards the rim.
• Elbow Pick & Roll (or Horns Pick & Roll) is a ball screen that uses 1 or 2 screeners at the top of the high post that gives the ball-handler options because they can go either direction of the court.
• Drag Pick & Roll is a ball-screen set during transition leading the ball-handler. Teams can use 2 players to set drag screens for a Double Drag Screen Pick & Roll.

Below are some common reads the screener will make:

• Roll to the Basket. If the defense switches or the screener's defender hedges, the roll to the basket will often be open for the screener.
• Slip to the Basket. If the screener sees their defender start to cheat high on the ball screen, they should cut to the basket before the ball-handler comes off of their screen. The screener slipping to the basket will force the defense to play honestly or they'll be giving up easy scoring opportunities.
• Pop Out for a Jump Shot. If the screen is able to hit an outside shot, they can open up to the ball if there's an open spot on the perimeter or the high post. A screener that can shoot is going to be very useful for any offense because the defense will not be able to collapse to the basket on the Pick & Roll.

If you're looking for another ball-screening offense to use, think about the European Ball Screen Offense. Unlike plays that use ball screens, the European Ball Screen Offense is a 5-out continuity offense that allows you to run ball screens on both sides of the floor. It’s a unique offense with specific movements and actions, but it also utilizes special actions to get into the offense based on the personnel of your team.

Below Coach Lason Perkins explains the initial alignment for this Ball Screen Offense.

If your team knows how to properly set a pick and how to use a pick, the defense will have trouble making stops on defense. Here are some easy tips for screeners to know and ball handlers to know when it comes to any Pick & Rolls.

The Pick & Roll Offense has the potential to be unstoppable for your team against any defense. We have given you the foundation to implement this into your game plan, but there’s always more to learn. A great tool for any coach is learning directly from Pick & Roll 101 with Dave Severns. His short, instructional DVD provides you with a solid foundation of what it takes to execute this offense and drills to use in practice to get better.

If you're looking for more Pick & Roll Offense Set Play look no further than Lason Perkins' Great Pick & Roll Plays DVD. Perkins takes you through an incredible collection of plays step-by-step on the whiteboard then follows it up with excellent demonstrations to help you instruct your players on the court correctly. By the time you finish both DVDs you’ll have plenty of plays to exploit any defense with the Pick & Roll.

Another exceptional DVD from Coach Perkins is European Ball Screen Offense where he introduces you to a new continuity offense where you can ball screens on both sides of the court. In this DVD he covers the basics, adjustments to be made, entries, and more.

If you want to learn even more about the Blocker Mover Offense, check out HoopsKing.com for DVDs you can download or rent.