Courtney Vandersloot Ball Screen Details
WNBA & Euroleague Breakdown From The Best PG In The Business
Before we get into the X’s & O’s, let’s set the stage for this player breakdown! In this weeks newsletter we cover…
Intro to Empty Corner PnR
Commanding The Offense
PnR Passing Details
Playing Against Aggressive Coverages
What I’ve Watched/Read/Listened To This Week
Personally, I wasn’t exposed to the WNBA as much as I wish I had been growing up. I’m not really sure why but I definitely grew up watching more of the NBA & men’s college game during my middle and high school days. Over the last two years I have been very intentional in locking in to the WNBA season and it has not disappointed. The growth of the women’s game has been phenomenal. Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga Grad and current point guard for the Chicago Sky/UMMC Ekaterinburg is one player that EVERY young hooper, boy or girl, point guard or not, should be studying. Watching Sloot play is almost a guaranteed way to improve your basketball IQ!
This year I decided to dive into the Women’s Euroleague... Knowing practically nothing about the international game, I immediately became pretty much obsessed with the style of play. The spacing, ball movement coupled with player movement was on another level and made the game so much fun to watch. The photo below is the celebration from the Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg after going undefeated and winning the Euroleague championship. If you’re a true women’s basketball fan then you definitely can point out some of the players in this photo and then think to yourself…damn that’s a stacked team!
Courtney Vandersloot (to the right of player with the trophy) did an unbelievable job leading a team with so much talent and such high expectations to one of the best seasons in Euroleague history. Some say that having too many superstar players or too much talent can potentially be detrimental, but that claim goes out the window when you have a point guard who understands the strengths/weaknesses of her teammates, the flow of a game and a team first mentality.
Let’s dive in to Sloot’s game, focusing on her ability to pick apart practically every teams ball screen defense.
Empty Corner PnR Intro
Make the easy play! The most common floor balance I saw this season in the Euroleague was by far wing ball screens with an empty corner, which I will refer to as an Empty PnR. This is just what it sounds like… a ball handler and a screener playing the PnR with nobody in the ball side corner. Traditional wing ball screens will have 2 players on the opposite side of the floor and a shooter in the ball side corner that rises up or fills to receive a throwback pass from the handler after coming off the screen. Let me show you what I mean…
The empty side PnR has several advantages that we will discuss in a future newsletter but wanted to at least give context to it as we break down Sloot’s ball screen reads. In the first clip, Sloot easily gets off the screen, her defender goes over and the big is retreating. With her on ball defender trailing, she is able to get to the nail (free throw line area) and get the screener defender to reach in and commit just enough to create a seam for a 1 hand hook pass for an easy two points. The key point here is to make sure that the ball handler is aggressive and uses the dribble to get to the nail to force help. If the ball handler goes wide off the screen towards the sideline, the trailing defender has a better chance of recovering and the post defender isn’t forced to slow down the ball!
Sloot can make this play in her sleep, onto the next!
Commanding The Floor
I was recently listening to Chris Oliver’s Podcast ft. Liam Flynn and heard him say this… “When we’re playing the pick and roll and you have the ball in your hand… you need to carry yourself like you’re captain of the court. You’re confident bordering arrogant… That’s kind of the starting point before we get into anything regarding reads or actions.”
Vandersloot shows that she is the captain of the court every time she has the ball. Watch in the clip below (after all the false action) Sloot take her time and command the offense. She surveys the floor and waves off Jonquel Jones who had initially wanted to set a screen at the top of the floor. Instead, Vandersloot uses the screen attacking the two side (side of floor with two players) and finds Jones on the lift for an open 3 point shot.
Not many players that I know or have watched would have turned down a ball screen with the shot clock approaching 10 seconds - with the confidence that she would create an even better opportunity for her team. I would love to know what she saw on this play but if I had to guess it was probably matchup related, along with wanting to attack to her strong hand to allow for an easier cross court level 3 pass. Either way, Sloot’s basketball IQ and leadership is on display here as she commands the action with confidence and allows her teammate to reap the reward, building even more trust in the captain.
PASSING DETAILS
Eyes Sell Lies & Shot Fakes Pre-Pass
Okay real quick before we get into specific defensive coverages, it’s crucial to note that a ball handlers ability to use pace & be deceptive are just as important as the read itself…Think about it if the handler races off the screen at one speed, unless they have a clear path to the rim, they aren’t allowing the play to develop. Body language, angles & change of speed are all ways to create more defensive indecision and greater offensive advantages.
Emphasizing a shot fake for the ball handler as they play downhill in a 2 on 1 situation against a dropped is a concept that I believe is under taught. It’s a perfect option for coaches who can’t stand their players running & passing because it at least forces the ball handler to come to a jump stop as they get into their shot fake. Playing off of two feet will ensure better balance and allow the ball handler to fake not only the initial shot, but the pass as well if the defense takes it away. To get the most out of this concept, I would definitely rep this shot over and over again so that the defense knows this is a high percentage look for the ball handler and is forced to contest… that way the pocket or dump off pass to the big is practically automatic.
Below is the same read off of a quick butt screen out of transition. This time the screener stays out on the perimeter and both defenders take the bait on Sloot’s shot fake. Nothing fancy about it, again she makes the easy pass. Effortless.
EYES SELL LIES
Ryan Pannone, who has taught me practically taught me everything I’ve learned about ball screen reads through a million different clinics and podcasts constantly uses the phrase “eyes sell lies” and it is 100% true. I’m not sure there is anyone that uses their eyes as a weapon on offense as well as Courtney Vandersloot. I mean just look at these clips below…
There’s not much else to say here besides the fact that the defense has no idea where Sloot is going with the pass the majority of the time…and that is because she uses her eyes to see where defenders are leaning and then makes that pass in the opposite direction. I call that exploiting gravity!
GET RID OF IT!
Making Quick Decisions vs. Aggressive Coverages
Vandersloot’s elite decision making ability is on display here against the top team in the WNBA last season. Seattle was known for its aggressive ball screen coverages, especially when Breanna Stewart was involved using her length to hard hedge or trap all over the floor.
Sloot’s ability to get off the ball (give it up) quickly puts Seattle in a scramble situation, which they are really good at handling. Watch as the backside defender rotates towards the screener slipping to protect the bucket. It takes Sloot less than a second to recognize the defenders momentum and hits her teammate wisely lifting to the slot for a catch & shoot 3.
“Two quick passes beats any aggressive coverage” - Ryan Pannone
Seattle brings the heat again on the step up screen and Sloot gets off the ball quickly with a clever little bounce pass forcing the defense into rotation. Once the player at the foul line receives the pass, Chicago is now playing 4 on 3 on the back side as two players had initially committed to the ball - meaning someone is open. Most good defenses will be ready for that first pass out, but if you can execute the second pass quickly enough the defense will have no shot at recovering soon enough.
FULL VIDEO BREAKDOWN COMING SOON TO YOUTUBE!
What I Learned This Week…
What I Watched…
NBA Trainer Chris Johnson Player Development Workout ft. Donovan Mitchell
What I Read…
PnR Cues For Bigs When Screening - The Lockdown Coaching Blog
What I Listened To…
Ettore Messina Interview: Coaching From A To Z
New Backyard Buckets Podcast Episodes
Ryan Gensler - Climbing The Coaching Ladder
Tim Tamallanca - The UConn Standard, Accountability & The Role of a Manager
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