Silver Stars and Shock Notes

Not having cable is hard, but having ESPN 3 makes it a little bit more bearable. Tonight I was watching a re-peat of the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars and Tulsa Shock. I've said it before on here and I will say it again, if you are an average high school boys coach and you want to watch basketball to pick up Xs and Os the WNBA is far superior to the NBA. There are a lot less iso plays, straight pick and roll, backing guys down, and throwing alley-oops. The coaches in the WNBA run some really great team oriented stuff. Below are a few simple things I grabbed while watching the first half tonight.





Silver Starts SLOB
Quick hitting SLOB set that I really liked as a different take on a classic. The set starts with the offense lined up in a box, big post on the ball side elbow and the point guard on the ball side block. Your shooter should be on the backside block (3). The point upscreens for the big. If you can't get the big going to the basket, or there isn't a big on small mismatch, the point pops out and gets the ball.

Right on the catch the back side block shooter (3) cuts toward 5 like he's coming off a baseline screen - which is a pretty typical SLOB. Instead of coming off the baseline screen, the shooter changes course and comes off a down screen by the back side elbow player (4).

Silver Stars Side PnR to Post Entry
I always like inventive ways to get the ball into the high and low post and put pressure on the defense. The silver stars ran a nice side pick and roll set to do just that. It starts with the point on the wing with the ball, the big post on the elbow and the power forward/big wing (4) on the ball side block with two shooters spotted up on the backside. The point comes off the ball screen set by the post on the elbow. As the point clears the ball screen the block player stepps up and sets the back screen for the screener to go to the rim.

If the post isn't open off the screen, the ball is immediately thrown back to the screener (4) popping out to the wing. The screener then entered the ball to the post player. This is gold because it's almost impossible for a defender, even a good one, to be in the lane to defend the cut off the screen AND also get around front to deny the entry pass. You may have to teach your post to seal and leg whip on the pass to the wing but if they get a good deal it's going to be a very hard cover.

Shock Take on the Iverson Set
Everyone has run, or seen run, the Iverson set out of the 1-4 high where one wing goes under, the other goes over across the posts and then gets the ball on the move to attack the rim. This set was a nice variation off of that.

The point has the ball on a laneline. The wing on the ball side is on the free throw line extended and the back side wing is in the corner. In this set the 2 should be your best shooter and the 3 should be a guy who can drive the ball, at least ideally. The set starts in normal Iverson fashion, the ball side wing comes across the top of the two post players.

As he gets over the top, the backside wing (3) goes under but also loops around and over the top of the two posts. Once he clears the posts he receives the pass. The other wing (2) should finish the cut at the block opposite the point at be on the block as the 3 catches. 

As the 3 catches the ball, the posts (4, 5) and point (1) go and set a triple screen away for the wing (2) on the block who comes up the lane line looking for a shot. The 3 can also go baseline if the defense overplays the triple screen and doesn't pay attention.

Again, I think the WNBA is a great resource to find coaching material. I would urge the male high school coaches who read this to watch more than you did last summer. You'll find that you'll be surprised at how much you will get from it!