Corner Action Secondary Break

Lately I have become enthralled with Coach Rick Adelman's "Corner Offense". It's a version of the Princeton offense that Adelman learned from legendary Princeton coach Coach Pete Carril when Coach Carril was his assistant in Sacremento. They ran some GREAT stuff with Williams, Webber, Divac, etc. Vlade was especially prolific during this time. After starting to look over it, I've become interested in running it as a secondary break into our motion offense. I think it's a great quick hitting look when you have a stud guard who you want to get driving the ball down hill to start.



The secondary is NOT NEARLY as complex as the corner offense itself obviously. But it merely uses one look I like out of it which is the point guard in the corner on the ball side, ball is on the wing. The wing enters the ball to the high post and screens down for the point and basketball plays ensue. Below is the basic corner offense, the first clip is the action I like. In the first clip, the Wolves actually do run it as a secondary.  The other difference is that while Coach Adelman does it with two posts, the version I would run has four perimeter players.

Overview

This secondary is a simplified version of the corner offense as a quick hitting secondary break. The idea is to screen down for the point guard into a handoff with the high post and play out of it. I have yet to explore this in much detail, and could easily add a variety of counters to this. The offense would be great if you have a stud point guard who you want to get the ball in a different way than a high pick and roll.

Basic Movement

The set up is pretty standard for a secondary break. Point comes down the floor, passes to the wing and corner cuts to the wing side. Have a slot and wing on the back side, post rim runs.

When the wing receives the ball and the point starts to cut, the post pops to the high post and catches the ball. As he catches the ball the wing goes to set a down/pin screen for the point in the corner. The point can either curl the screen or straight the screen.

The option we want the most is for the point guard to straight cut to the high post. The wing (2) should pop to the corner, but can dive if they switch the screen. The point takes the handoff from the high post and drives to the basket. As he attacks the basket the wing (3) sinks to the corner and the other guard (4) fills behind the drive.

Once teams start to cheat it, the point guard can then curl the screen to the basket for a layup. If that isn't there, the wing who screened (2) pops up to the high post, takes the handoff, and attacks the rim with the same idea. On the drive, the point fills the backside corner.

If we don’t get anything off the drive, we kick out, fill to the ball, fill the open corner (just like our offense) and we are in 4 out.

Optional Additions or Counters

Rejecting or Curling the Handoff

If the player coming up for the hand off reads the overplay and back cuts, or doesn’t get the handoff, we can do the following action. There are probably 50 more good ones, but this is what I have for now.

The corner screens, the point cuts and rejects. The wing who set the screen (2) comes up and gets the ball.  As that happens the point (1) backscreens the wing (3) and gets a screen the screener downscreen from 4. Get the ball to the point, space out, and start the offense right from there.

Flairing the Back Side

Another interesting option is to flair the backside if the top player (4) is a shooter. That action may hold the defense and force open up the lane. Also frees up the shooter.