Transition Offense

Фото: Transition Offense

When FIBA introduced the three-point line for the first time - at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles - this interesting rule changed basketball offense and defense. After the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, FIBA once again changed the rules and introduced the 24-second and 8-second rules. The season 2009/2010 will be the tenth season of playing by the new rules. No questions about it. Some changes have had a positive influence on the game’s subsequent development:

• Play in all phases of offense and defense has been speeded up.
• Organization in transition offense has improved, especially with the use of the first and the second trailer. These are frequently the big men.
• Quick and short passes dominate and  the dribble becomes more like an “auxiliary means” (except coast-to-coast dribble) to move the ball.
• Moving without ball improved.
• Three-point shooting has been used more frequently in primary and secondary breaks.
• Perimeter players are often used for low-post play and big players are asked to make face-to-basket plays (especially to take shots in transition after various kinds of passes and dribbles).

The 24 and 8-second rules confirm once again that basketball isn’t the same game that was played on the half court. The way we use 24 seconds, how we change the rhythm in offense when we use the early fast break, the secondary fast break, and a set offense substantially affects the quality of one team’s play, as well as the result.

We split the 24 seconds (the duration of the offense) into three distinct phases: early or secondary fast break phase, set play phase, and the execution phase:

• The first 8 seconds are used for early or secondary fast break.
• Within the second 8-second phase, we make preparations and change the rhythm of the offense between transition and set offense.
• We execute the offense in the final 8 seconds.

FAST BREAK PHASE

After every defensive rebound our aim is to play the fast break phase within the first 8 seconds. We want to take advantage of our defensive rebound since the other team is not well organized to stop us. The usual (and old) theory of transition offense stated that the secondary fast break starts at the very moment the fourth offensive player is ready to participate. In a game dominated by speed and strength, I don’t think this is true anymore. After introducing the 24-second and 8-second rule, and in a game where the defense is well organized, it isn’t possible anymore to run a fast break using two or three offensive players. Fast breaks now typically involve four players.

When talking of the initial phase of transition offense, I want to stress the importance of the outlet pass (the first pass), and the catching of that pass. As I have already mentioned, due to the huge progress made in defensive basketball (various types of help, rotations, switching, and double teaming) and having many players, who can play at least two positions in offense and defense, and when almost all players hustle to grab the defensive rebound, it’s rather important to teach players how to make an outlet pass and find ways to outnumber the defense on fast breaks. There are several ways to receive an outlet pass, but there are two that are most commonly used. In the first play, the aim is to get the ball into the hands of the point guard, while in the second play, the object is to get the ball to the point guard, shooting guard, or small forward. This is illustrated here following a defensive rebound grabbed on the right side of the court (diagr. 1), on the left side of the half court (diagr. 2), or if the small forward has grabbed the rebound (diagr. 3). It’s important to note that before getting open to receive the ball, 1 and 2 must first make contact with their defenders before popping out to receive the outlet pass.

Fast Break “Speed up” Principle

The most important player in this phase is the player on the weak side. He must sprint to the middle court line (maximum time of 2 to 2.5 seconds) and speed up the offense by becoming the first option for scoring on the fast break.

Filling the Lanes Principle

We divide the court in five rectangular lanes, so in each of the lane there should be only one offensive player. He fills the lane with the good spacing between him and his teammates (diagr. 4). How fast, simply, and efficiently we get out of the back court depends not only on the outlet pass, but on several other rules.

It is a mandatory to receive the outlet pass (the first pass) at about 8 meters (approximately 25 feet), near the sideline, and far from the three-point line.

If defenders cover 1 or 2 closely, they never come back to the ball. Instead, they fake to come back and then make a back- door play so they can receive the outlet pass. After receiving the first pass, we follow the rule: “Pass to the side, dribble in the middle.” The final part of the fast break recipe says: “Two short and simple passes are better than one long pass.”

We have three options for the fastest transition from backcourt to the front-court:

• A dribble to the middle lane by the first receiver 1 (diagr. 5).
• The outlet pass from 5 to 2, who dribbles in the middle lane (diagr. 6).
• A couple of very quick dribbles by the rebounder 5 and the outlet pass to 1 (diagr. 7).

Every player, who grabs a defensive rebound, should be able to make an outlet pass with or without defensive pressure, and all players, regardless of their position should be able to escape from the defense with a dribble and then make the outlet pass. I have found that when players 3, 4, or 5 are especially skilled, they can grab the rebound, get the ball quickly out of the three-second lane, using a few dribbles if necessary, and then get the ball to 1 or 2 for an open shot or lay-up.

THREE-ON-TWO AND THREE-ON-THREE SITUATIONS

The majority of defensive rebounds create potential situations of three-on-two and three-on-three. Just looking at the statistics, if the backboard is used for a shot and the ball does not go in, in 80% of cases the ball drops out to the middle of the lane. In 70% of cases, if the there is a side shot without the use of the board, the ball goes to the other side of the basket or else right back to the shooter.

Three-on-Two: In this situation, our first option is to score a lay up or to make an uncontested jump shot, either from medium range or from the three-point line.

Three-on-Three: The goal is to make this play before the defense can get set. The player in the middle, 1, passes the ball to the wing, 2, and cuts over or behind his defender to create an isolation for the player with the ball so he can play one- on-one. In the meantime, the other wing, 3, replaces the passer (diagr. 8). Player 2 can drive to the basket, but if he can’t shoot, he will reverse the ball to 3 who will
pass to 1 for a shot (diagr. 9).

FAST BREAK IN THE FIRST 8 SECONDS WITH THE FOURTH PLAYER

The fourth player used in the first 8-second phase of the fast break can be 4 or 5, depending on who gets the defensive rebound. Since we demand that the player in the middle (usually the point guard, 1, after making a lateral pass) must cut to the basket, the fifth player (4 or 5, who reaches the front court latest) becomes the safety to cover the opponent’s potential fast break.

If the players on the wings, 2 and 3, don’t receive the pass in three-on-two and three-on-three situations to make a jump shot or lay-up, they move toward the baseline, and based on the opponent’s reaction, they must decide to make:

• A switch with the player on the opposite side.
• Physical contact with the defender and then pop out to receive the ball.

FOUR-ON-THREE AND FOUR-ON-FOUR SITUATIONS

Four-on-Three: If it is 4 that sprints on the right wing instead of 3 (diagr. 10), he makes a backdoor or a front cut to the basket to receive the ball from 2 (diagr. 11).

Instead, if 4 is the first trailer (diagr. 12), he sprints to the three-point line, watches where the ball is positioned, and then cuts to the middle-low post position to receive the ball from 2 (diagr. 13).

Four-on Four: In this situation where we do not have a numeric advantage over the defense, we do not stop the flow of our offense, but try to take advantage from the ball possession. Player 1 cuts in the lane and then in the corner, while 4 cuts and stops briefly under the basket, hiding behind the defense (diagr. 14). He waits to see if the defense helps on the ball, then ducks in, seals his defender, and opens up to the ball at the middle low-post position to get the ball from 2 (diagr. 15). If 4 cannot receive the ball, 2 kicks the ball to 3 for a high-low play with 4, who has ducked in the lane to get the ball (diagr. 16).

If the player with the ball, 2, drives to the baseline, 4 makes a flash cut out of the lane to take away the help (diagr. 17). However, if 2 drives to the middle, 4 pops out in the short corner (diagr. 18) Precision, speed of cuts with and without the ball, patience, and getting open in the shot zone will provide us with other opportunities for scoring within the 8-second time frame.

SECONDARY BREAK PHASE

We use the secondary break after a basket is scored by the opponent, after a free-throw, or a sideline out-of-bound on our backcourt or after a timeout. While the basic aim in the fast break phase is having the perimeter players sprint past the opponent’s perimeter defensive players, quickly passing the ball and creating an overload situation, in the secondary break the aim is to have the big men run past the opponent’s defensive big players and create an overload. All players have to understand that once the opponent has scored from anywhere on the court, we don’t let the ball hit the ground. We grab it as quickly as possible and inbound it. The secondary break is played within the first 8 seconds of the offense and lasts until the defense is completely set. Again, it should be very clear that we do not want to turn our fast break or secondary break into a set offense. Our goal is to “change the rhythm of the offense.”

When we cannot score on the previously described phases, we bring the ball near the lane to begin the second phase of our offense where we set the offense, saving the last 8 seconds for creating other shooting possibilities.

CATCHING THE BALL AFTER THE SCORED BASKET AND THE OUTLET PASS

It should be predetermined who will inbound the ball after the opponent’s basket. This could be the closest big man to the basket, or another big man who has been given the job. It should always be a big man. In our philosophy, 5 catches the ball right after it gets out of the net and before touching the floor. He must set himself in a way that he can see the entire floor, his teammates, and the de- fenders. He wants to get the ball to 1 or 2 in the passing lanes. Player 1 tries to get open laterally to receive the outlet pass, while the player on the opposite side, 2, sets himself as the second receiver of the inbound pass if 1 is guarded (diagr. 19). In the meantime, player 3 sprints on the weak side and reaches the mid court in less than 2.5 seconds. Other ways to start the fast break are the same that I described following a defensive rebound.

If 1 or 2 cannot receive the inbound pass from 5, 4 makes a V-cut to receive the ball, while 1 makes a backdoor cut to receive the ball from 4. In the meantime, 2 sprints down near one of the sidelines, to the left or right, based by the move of 3 (diagr. 20). After receiving the ball, 1 drives quickly to the middle of the court, and he is responsible for running the fast break first, and then the secondary break.

SECONDARY BREAK AFTER A FREE-THROW OR PRESSING

Before a free-throw, the players are set as shown in diagr. 21. After a made free- throw, 5 grabs the ball and makes an outlet pass to 1, who was previously screened by 4. Simultaneously, 2 and 3 sprint out to the two sidelines, on the left and right (diagr. 22). From this situation, there are different options for creating and finishing the secondary break. For example: 1 gets the inbound pass from 5 and drives hard to the middle of the court (diagr. 23), while 2 and 3 sprint down the court. The player on the ball side (2 in this case) screens for 3 on the weak side, so 3 can receive the ball from 1 (diagr. 24).

After screening for 1, 4 continues to run, fills in as the first trailer, and sets the vertical screen for 3 (diagr. 25). Player 5 sprints down as the second trailer, changes direction, and sets the pick for the player with the ball, 1 (diagr. 26). Player 5 then rolls to the basket. The ball can be passed to 5 by 2 or 3, after one of these players has received it from 1 (diagr. 27). The goal of this secondary break is to bring 5 inside the lane, because the defense is not yet set and more concerned with the perimeter players. We’ll now show several options with the secondary break that can be used against all kinds of defenses, from man-to-man and zone defense, to combined zones and match-ups. With all of these options, the first aim is to create some scoring possibilities inside the lane and shooting opportunities for other players on the perimeter.

We request that our players follow these principles:

• They must be spaced 5 meters (about 15 feet) from each other as they run or drive down the court to the offensive basket.
• The first trailer runs on the opposite side from the player with the ball, while the second trailer (the fifth man in the secondary break) acts as the “safety” to cover the eventual fast break of the opponent.
• Only one player in each of the five lanes.
• Every player should be ready to receive the ball. Players must provide a target with their hands, away from the defender.

We use different entries on the secondary break:

• A pass to the wing.
• A pass into the lane to the first trailer.
• A pass to the second trailer.
• A pass to the high post.
• A pass to the wing, after the second trailer screens for him.
• The dribble for the entry into the secondary break.

FIRST OPTION

After receiving the ball, 2 drives to the basket (diagr. 28), while 5 sets a down screen for the first trailer, 4. If 2 he cannot shoot, he passes to 4, who popped out from the lane after the screen from 5. Player 4 plays high-low with 5, who has turned to the ball after the screen, and seals his defender under the basket so he can get the ball from 4 (diagr. 29).

If it’s impossible for high-low play, the player with the ball, 4, tries to pass to 3 on his backdoor cut, an effective play especially when the defense doesn’t anticipate the pass or is not yet set (diagr. 30). At the same time, 1 makes contact with his defender, ready for a pass from 4, if he cannot pass to 3 on the backdoor (diagr. 31).

After receiving the ball, 1 drives to the basket and he can make an inside pass to 5, or a pass to 3, who can shoot (also from the three-point line), or make an extra pass so 2 can shoot (diagr. 32).

SECOND OPTION

Player 1 passes to the wing 2 and 2 passes to 4, the first trailer, who cuts under the basket and posts himself in the middle or low-post position (diagr. 33). As the pass is being made from 2 to 4, 5, the second trailer, screens for 3 on the weak side (diagr. 34).

After passing to 4, 2 fakes to cut towards 4, then changes the pace and direction and screens for 3 for a split move. Player 4 is now isolated and can play one-onone. After the screen, 2 rolls to the basket and can receive a backdoor pass from 4 (diagr. 35).

Another option is the pass to 1 in the middle of the court, which is made after 1 has been screened down by 5 (diagr. 36.) Player 1 can shoot or pass inside to 5, who rolls to the basket after the screen. Alternatively, the pass can be made to 4, who ducks in the lane (diagr. 37).

On the diagr. 38 the option if 2 swings the ball on the opposite side to 3, who pops out from the screen of 5.

Player 3 can play high-low with 4, or pass to 1, who has been screened by 5: in short, 5 makes two screens, one for 3 and another for 1 (diagr. 39). Another option is to create an inside play in the final part of secondary break. This is made with a screen of 3, after the pass of 1 to 4. Player 1 can pass to 3 near the basket, or to 5 on the mid post (diagr. 40). Player 1 can also pass to 4, and 4 to 5, who cuts in the lane for a high-low play (diagr. 41).

THIRD OPTION

Player 1 can also start the secondary break by passing to the wing 2, and then cut to the corner on the ball side, the so- called “strong side entry.” In the meantime, 4 flashes to the mid post position from under the basket (diagr. 42).

Player 2 can pass to 4, or can pass to 3 in the middle of the court, who pops out from a screen set by 5 (diagr. 43). It must be remembered that there is also the option of the split move between 3 and 2, as shown previously (see diagr. 34).

Player 3 can play high-low with 4 or high-low with 5, after the vertical screen of 5 for 4 (diagr. 44).

Another possibility is the pass from 3 to 4 and from 4 to 2 in the corner. As this is going on, 3 spots up opposite to 4 (diagr. 45).

Another possibility: After the pass to 2, 4 makes a diagonal screen for 1 on the other corner of the half court. Player 2 can pass to 1 in the middle of the court, or to 5, who pops out at the mid-low post position (diagr. 46).

If 2, instead passing to 5, passes to 1, and if 1 cannot shoot, 1 then has some decisions to make: he will be screened by 5 for a pick-and-roll with him or make a pass to 2, who has faked to cut in the lane and then flashed high outside of the three-point line (diagr. 47).

Player 1 can also decide to change the rhythm and call a set play (diagr. 48). Which type of set offense will be run with 8 to 16 seconds?

Based on the type of the defense we face and on the team’s offensive philosophy, we have different options, including motion, a passing game, quick hitter plays inside or outside, and various options with a two- or three-man game.