Pick and roll
Encyclopedia
The pick and roll in basketball
is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen
(pick) for a teammate handling the ball and then slips behind the defender (rolls) to accept a pass. In the NBA
, the play came into vogue in the 1990s and has developed into the league's "bread and butter".
guarding a ballhandler. The ballhandler moves toward a teammate, who sets a "screen" (or "pick") by standing in the way of the defender, who is separated from the still-moving ballhandler. The defender is forced to choose between guarding the ballhandler or the screener. If the defender tries to guard the ballhandler, then the screener can move toward the basket, sometimes by a foot pivot ("roll"), and is now open for a pass. If the defender chooses instead to guard the screening teammate, then the ballhandler has an open shot. Alternatively, the ballhandler may pass the ball to an open teammate. A well-executed pick and roll is the result of teamwork.
The pick and roll is often employed by a shorter guard handling the ball and a taller forward or center
setting the screen; if the taller defender switches to guard the ballhandler, then the offensive team can have favorable mismatches. The shorter guard has a speed advantage over the taller defender, while the taller forward has a size advantage over the shorter defender.
.
The defender of the ballhandler must also be careful to not over-commit toward the pick too soon; if they do, the screener can readjust to screen the defender off as the ballhandler heads in the opposite direction of the pick.
Since trapping will always leave someone open, the remaining three defenders should sag off of their offensive players and play more of a zone-defense, guarding the passing lanes: trapping requires excellent team communication.
The risk of this technique is that if the offense recognizes it quickly enough, the ballhandler can pull away from the pick, leaving the defense with a tough choice: either the screener's defender must drag along with the ballhandler, leaving the ballhandler's defender to guard the screener (resulting, usually, in a serious height mismatch), or the ballhandler will be left open for an open jump shot.
, which greatly improves the chance of scoring, again with the chance of drawing a foul as the screened defender hurries to get back into the play.
The success of the strategy depends largely on the ballhandler, who must recognize the situation quickly and make a decision whether to take the shot, pass to the screener who is rolling (if the defender switches) or pass to another open teammate (if other defenders come to help). The screener also must recognize the open spaces of the court to roll to and be alert to receive the pass and finish the play.
(or pick and fade), where the screener moves for an open jump shot instead of rolling to the basket, or the pick and slip, where the screener fakes setting a screen before slipping behind the defender to accept the pass.
and Karl Malone
of the Utah Jazz
used this play to great effect in the 1990s, leading their team to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. Stockton, a point guard
, was a good shooter and exceptional decision maker and Malone, a power forward
, was a great finisher. LeBron James
and Žydrūnas Ilgauskas
used this play quite a lot while playing for Cleveland Cavaliers
. When they were teammates on the Utah Jazz
, Deron Williams
and Carlos Boozer
also utilized the high-screen pick and roll to great success, and similarly Steve Nash
and Amare Stoudemire
when they were paired on the Phoenix Suns.
According to Synergy Sports Technology
, use of the pick and roll in the NBA rose from 15.6% of total plays in the 2004–05 NBA season to 18.6% in the 2008–09 NBA season
.
The pick and roll is also used extensively in box lacrosse
, the sport played in the National Lacrosse League
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen
Screen (sports)
A screen is a blocking move by an offensive player, by standing beside or behind a defender, to free a teammate to shoot, receive a pass, or drive in to score. In basketball, it is also known as a pick. Screens can be on-ball , or off-ball...
(pick) for a teammate handling the ball and then slips behind the defender (rolls) to accept a pass. In the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, the play came into vogue in the 1990s and has developed into the league's "bread and butter".
How it works
The play begins with a defenderBasketball position
The three basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams are guard, forward, and center. More specifically, they can be classified into the five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and...
guarding a ballhandler. The ballhandler moves toward a teammate, who sets a "screen" (or "pick") by standing in the way of the defender, who is separated from the still-moving ballhandler. The defender is forced to choose between guarding the ballhandler or the screener. If the defender tries to guard the ballhandler, then the screener can move toward the basket, sometimes by a foot pivot ("roll"), and is now open for a pass. If the defender chooses instead to guard the screening teammate, then the ballhandler has an open shot. Alternatively, the ballhandler may pass the ball to an open teammate. A well-executed pick and roll is the result of teamwork.
The pick and roll is often employed by a shorter guard handling the ball and a taller forward or center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
setting the screen; if the taller defender switches to guard the ballhandler, then the offensive team can have favorable mismatches. The shorter guard has a speed advantage over the taller defender, while the taller forward has a size advantage over the shorter defender.
Defense against pick and rolls
There are three basic ways to effectively defend a pick and roll attempt: in all three, the object is to deny the ballhandler an open shot and prevent an entry pass to the "roller" which would lead to an easy shot or layupLayup
A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump shot. The layup is considered the most basic shot in...
.
Belly-up
This strategy requires that the player defending the ballhandler be very quick, aggressive, and willing to get in close, but also agile enough to do so without committing a foul. Once it is determined that the offense is about to attempt a pick and roll, the player defending the ballhandler should "belly up," i.e., get as close to the ballhandler as possible, so that they can squeeze by the pick. In practice, this usually means that the defender must outrace the ball handler to the spot where the screen has been set, so that the ballhandler actually ends up being the one going around the screen and winds up out of position. As a result, the player defending the screener can continue to guard unabatedly. This technique is considered the most effective way of countering the pick and roll; however, as mentioned, it requires a special defensive player.The defender of the ballhandler must also be careful to not over-commit toward the pick too soon; if they do, the screener can readjust to screen the defender off as the ballhandler heads in the opposite direction of the pick.
Trapping
Trapping is designed to "trap" the ballhandler too far away from the action to be able to complete the play effectively. As the screener gets into position, their defender must go to the top of the pick and close off the alley that the ballhandler intended to go through. As a result, the ballhandler's defender can now close in on the ballhandler from behind, using the screener themselves as an additional de-facto defender. There are some serious downsides to trapping, however:- First, the defender initiating the trap can only get into position once the ballhandler has committed to using the pick, but must do so in time to get into position for the trap (if they are still moving, a foul will be called).
- Second, if the defender moves too quickly, they will effectively abandon the screener, who can roll out early for an easy pass. In essence, the play will achieve its goal without the pick and roll having even been run.
- Third, since both defenders will be guarding the ballhandler, one offensive player will be open. Even a great trap will only work for a short time. Therefore, this technique is best employed when the pick is set at the top of the key (to prevent an easy short pass down low) or near a sideline (so the sideline can be used as an additional defender).
Since trapping will always leave someone open, the remaining three defenders should sag off of their offensive players and play more of a zone-defense, guarding the passing lanes: trapping requires excellent team communication.
Double-switch
This technique is designed to allow the pick and roll, but forces the ballhandler to wind up out of position. After the pick is set, the screener's defender must go to the far-side top of the pick, effectively setting a double pick, but further away from the basket than the first. The ballhandler's defender, meanwhile, must quickly go underneath the pick (which prevents an easy roll-out by the pick-setter) since the ballhandler will not have an open shot so quickly. This is the first switch. As the ballhandler is now forced to go around the screener's defender, the ballhandler's defender meets them at the end of the double screen. The screener's defender quickly returns to his player before he can roll out—the second switch. Since the ballhandler is now further out than the play intended, it will be more difficult for them to hit the screener with an easy pass.The risk of this technique is that if the offense recognizes it quickly enough, the ballhandler can pull away from the pick, leaving the defense with a tough choice: either the screener's defender must drag along with the ballhandler, leaving the ballhandler's defender to guard the screener (resulting, usually, in a serious height mismatch), or the ballhandler will be left open for an open jump shot.
Results
A successful pick and roll play may result in the screener being in position to receive a pass with a clear path for an easy shot, with the chance of drawing a foul as other defenders move towards the play to try to prevent penetration. It may alternately lead to the ballhandler being momentarily without a defender, and thus free to pass to any open teammate, or take an uncontested shotUncontested shot
An uncontested shot is a term used in basketball. It encompasses shots from layups, dunks, and jump shots. It is any kind of shot in which the shooter has no one contesting or interfering with the shot...
, which greatly improves the chance of scoring, again with the chance of drawing a foul as the screened defender hurries to get back into the play.
The success of the strategy depends largely on the ballhandler, who must recognize the situation quickly and make a decision whether to take the shot, pass to the screener who is rolling (if the defender switches) or pass to another open teammate (if other defenders come to help). The screener also must recognize the open spaces of the court to roll to and be alert to receive the pass and finish the play.
Other variations
Variations of the pick and roll are the pick and popPick and pop
In basketball, the pick and pop is an offensive play that is a derivative of the classic pick and roll. Instead of rolling toward the basket, however, the player setting the pick moves to an open area of the court to receive a pass from the ballhandler and "pops" a jump shot...
(or pick and fade), where the screener moves for an open jump shot instead of rolling to the basket, or the pick and slip, where the screener fakes setting a screen before slipping behind the defender to accept the pass.
Notable uses
In the NBA, John StocktonJohn Stockton
John Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...
and Karl Malone
Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone , nicknamed "The Mailman", is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Malone spent his first 18 seasons with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate...
of the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
used this play to great effect in the 1990s, leading their team to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. Stockton, a point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
, was a good shooter and exceptional decision maker and Malone, a power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
, was a great finisher. LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
and Žydrūnas Ilgauskas
Žydrunas Ilgauskas
Žydrūnas Ilgauskas , or "Big Z" , is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball center who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association...
used this play quite a lot while playing for Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
. When they were teammates on the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Deron Williams
Deron Williams
Deron Michael Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Williams has also played for the Utah Jazz of the NBA and Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League...
and Carlos Boozer
Carlos Boozer
Carlos Austin Boozer, Jr. is an American professional basketball player with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association...
also utilized the high-screen pick and roll to great success, and similarly Steve Nash
Steve Nash
Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
and Amare Stoudemire
Amare Stoudemire
Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire is an American professional basketball player who plays as a power forward and center for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association....
when they were paired on the Phoenix Suns.
According to Synergy Sports Technology
Synergy Sports Technology
Synergy Sports Technology is a technology company that provides a real-time, video-indexing statistical engine and online retrieval platform to the sports and entertainment industry.Its services are used primarily by professional and amateur basketball teams...
, use of the pick and roll in the NBA rose from 15.6% of total plays in the 2004–05 NBA season to 18.6% in the 2008–09 NBA season
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
.
The pick and roll is also used extensively in box lacrosse
Box lacrosse
Box lacrosse, also known as indoor lacrosse and sometimes shortened to boxla, LAX or simply box, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada, where it is the most popular version of the game played in contrast to the traditional field lacrosse game...
, the sport played in the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
.