From the opening tip to the final horn, STJ basketball players will be numbered the following 5 positions:
1. Point Guard: best dribbler, penetrate zones and pass to “Mr. Big”, shoot threes, create turnovers, trap in tandem with #2, use #5 as a screen to get open. If you were a Raptor: Lowry, Vanvleet
2. Wing Man Left or Weak Side: best defender, often a “t-bone” player to mark man to man the opponent’s best player, create double screens on inbounds plays, rebound, trap in tandem with #1, break press in tandem with #3. If you were a Raptor: Powell.
3. Wing Man Right or Strong Side: best shooter, highest scorer, fast break points, penetrate and lay-up, best at shooting “weak-side three”, defend strong wing in zone, use #2 in tandem to break press, you are “Brazil” and “Red Dog” shooter. If you were a Raptor: Davis, Siakam.
4. Post Man Left or Weak Side: best rebounder and overall defender, smartest in-bounder (most inbound plays start with #4), last man up the floor against pressure, best at “seeing the whole floor”, weak side zone defender, rebound every free throw. Defend their “bigs”. Set double screens in “Brazil and “Red Dog”, post moves/passes from Spain. If you were a Raptor: Ibaka, Anunoby.
5. Post Man Right or Strong Side or Centre: Best post player, “triple double player”, defend their “bigs”, block off the glass, screen in tandem with #1. Centre zone defences. Break zone defences through the circles. If you were a Raptor: Gasol, Boucher.
Generally, #1, #3, #5 should account for most of the offensive scoring. #2, #4 will account for most of the screens and inbounds plays as well as defensive skills.
Extra Special Lingo for Special Situations
T-Bone – junk defender on their big dog.
Grandpa Burger (two bigs stagger screen between two circles)
Red Dog – double screen in Spain
Brazil – double screen in circle
Chasing Rabbits – play defence with 4 and fast break very early “Get ready to go!”
Finland – half court 3-2 zone defence
Trap The Middle
Press
China – a pass straight up the middle of the key to the forwards
Utah – dribble handoff
Carolina – fast break to a weak side elbow
Four-Backdoor – he who throws it in, gets a back door pass weakside-inside for a layup
Mouse in the House – he who is furthest from the ball cuts through to centre of zone to score
High Five – 5 man screens between circles – use if d-guard playing tight half-court man on o-guard
Germany – pass from big to biggest at the rim on any inbound play
“Two” (from Viking) 3 screeners “stack” facing East-West while best shooter comes from weak side to a strong side three
Scissor – 5 in the circle with the ball while guards rub both shoulders with him diving down the lane
Split the Post – any pass to the right wing signals motion through the strong elbow sliding down the post then out the weak side post one after the other.
Run a Pick and Roll, Drive an Dish, Pick and Pop
Weak-side Inside
Weak-side Three
Play a Two Man Game
V-Cut
“OverLoad” 4 players play on one side of the key.
Ball Screen – 4 or 5 sets a screen so 3 or 1 can come down the lane.
Hedge or Switch?
UCLA – 1, 3, 5 work on same side to pass to the 5 on the brick for a post move.
Skip pass any pass (skipping) over at least one teammate to another.
“Syracuse” – three man weave but run through the key entering through the circle – Sets up a “Scissor the post” or a 4 Back Door, or simply dribble penetration down the lane.
Pocket Pass – any bass into the hop of a big at the tin.
Texas – two bigs in the key, one on the brick, one on the elbow – in tandem. Three Guards on the arc passing.
Warrior Weave – three guards dribble then handoff to each other on the perimeter looking for opportunities to cut to the rim.
Hammer – guard penetrates below the backboard and then shows to a weak-side baseline three.
…
String the lingo together in a variety of sequences:
For Example, I watched Kentucky run a baseline play that was a “Germany->Utah->Red Dog” for three.
What would a “4 backdoor, Germany, to a mouse in the house” look like? A “Brazil->China”? A “Red Dog->Argentina”?
“SLOB a 4 backdoor, look weak-side inside, Utah to start a warrior weave, but when you cut to the rim look for the hammer three.