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Some basketball offensive countermoves for the equal opportunity half-court offense
A good basketball coach always teaches his players to understand that for every single move in a basketball, there is a counter move. This was true 80 years ago and is true, today. The best basketball play can be disrupted unless you have a counter move. Any basketball player, worth his salt, will stop an offensive move once the play is recognized. That is the main reason players must be taught to go right or left, and why a counter move is available for every play. Let’s take things one step at a time. We have already shown the first pass we must make is from the point to the wing position. What happens if the wing is overplayed, not allowing the pass to the forward? Of course, the post player is another option, but in this case, we want to get the ball to the wing. Diagram 136 shows the passing situation where the guard is trying to make that pass. Using the “two step rule”, the forward comes higher than usual and cuts to the basket looking for a pass from the guard. If not open, the forward continues and using a screen by the other forward, breaks to the wing on the opposite side of the court (see Diagram 137). The guard who is to receive a guard-to-guard pass should begin to work the ball as soon as he sees that the guard is unable to hit the forward. If the guard cannot make the guard-to-guard pass, he should pass to the high post player as illustrated in Diagram 138 and the guard makes a “deep cut” and we are into the Equal Opportunity Offense (see Diagram 139). Here is a situation where the guards have brought the ball down the floor and passes are being made from guard-to-guard-to-forward. When the receiving guard starts to hit the wing, he finds that forward overplayed and is unable to deliver the basketball. Keep in mind that the other guard has gone through since on all guard-to-guard passes, the first passer executes a “deep cut”. The receiving guard will hit the high post for the pivot play (see Diagrams 140 and 141). That is the reason why the pivot player should remain constant on all guard-to-guard passes until the pass is actually delivered to the wing. The shove-up countermoveOnce the ball in the hands of the first cutter, #1, he must hit the point with a pass. He is #5, the player coming outside on the hi-low move. If the point, #5, and/or, the passer is overplayed, here is the counter move you can use to get a shot and still keep the continuity of the offense (see Diagram 142). Any good counter move must be a scoring threat, too. The low post, #2, who is waiting to screen for the first cutter, steps out to the short corner (see Diagram 143). #1 passes to #2 and breaks to the high post position. At the same time, #3 leaves the high post, and sets a back pick on #5's defender. As soon as #5 can, he cuts sharp, fast, and tight off both screens looking for a lay-up. Most probably, the pass would be a bounce pass. As soon as the cutter comes through, the high post, #3, rolls outside to take #1's old position at the right wing. The original wing, or #1 player, stays in the high post position, formerly occupied by #3. Please note that the wing and high post players interchange, the point and the low post players interchange with the point player going over the top on the strong side of the floor. The Equal Opportunity Offense starts when the wing, #3, receives from the base line player (see Diagram 144). Counter-move on the weak-sideAssuming the wing, #1, passes the ball out to the point as illustrated in
Diagram 147, always stress that the passer, #1, starts his cut soon as making
the pass. At the same time, the screener, #2, starts his move to set a back-pick
at the same time.
More countermoves coming...
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