Why Serbia's U19 Team Runs Pick and Roll Better Than You...

The title of the blog is tongue in cheek, I am sure many of you run the pick and roll very well. But in watching the U19 World Championship Game  between Serbia and Greece I noticed the Serbians using some adjustments out of their ball screen game that made it much more effective than what I generally see. Below are some of the bullet points, with film.


1. The Serbian team short cornered their backside post. 
In most ball screen continuities with two posts, the typical action is one post rises to set a ball screen while the other stays on the backside block, or immediately rises up the lane line. Instead of doing that, the Serbian team would step their backside post to the short corner. This forced the player defending that post to have to actually make a decision on helping. If there was no help, the offense could take the inside shot. If he did help it would create a closeout to the short corner situation and the Serbian posts took advantage of that.

2. The Serbian team would roll to the short corner when the middle was clogged. 

Often, the rolling post would see the lane was clogged and roll to the short corner, again forcing a closeout and attack. To many times posts roll to the rim no matter what - this is a read that needs to be taught. 

3. The Serbian team would run actions into their pick and roll. 
I see this especially when I watch high school and AAU. The point guard stands up top, gives a signal, and waits for a big to come up. Everyone in the building knows when and were the pick and roll is happening - and can be ready to defend it. The Serbian team did some of that, but they also ran some good actions to get into ball screens. One of my favorite actions is below.

Obviously none of these things are new to ball screens, or basketball in general. But they are, I feel, important points that are being missed in a lot of our pick and roll action.