Monty Williams NBA New Orleans Pelicans Screener Loop ISO SLOB

Written by Coach Peterman

I have coached at the NCAA Division 2 (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), NAIA (USAO), and JUCO Levels (Blinn College and Carl Albert State College) as well as high school. I just felt that fellow coaches especially young coaches need to constantly work on their “game”. Just like the basketball players that we coach. We as coaches need to improve ourselves. That is my story and why I do this blog.

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October 2, 2014

Monty Williams NBA New Orleans Pelicans Screener Loop ISO SLOB
By Adam Spinella

One of my favorite X’s and O’s coaches, Monty Williams, came up with this play for the Hornets when they needed a bucket inbounding with 7 seconds left. In situations like this, the offensive team needs to control the clock and ensure they get the last shot. The best way to do this is for an isolation – let the offensive player watch the clock and decide when to start his move.

Aminu (2) is the inbounder. Roger Mason (3) starts in the corner, while a three man stack between Vasquez (1), Anderson (4) and Robin Lopez (5) is at the ball-side lane line. Vasquez zippers to the entry first; Mason pops to opposite corner off his heels.

Frame two shows Vasquez delaying up top, waiting and ticking the clock down, likely until there’s 4 seconds on the clock. Anderson will loop around and set a ballscreen for Vasquez. Make this a sprint ballscreen and not a standstill screen – the quicker the screen happens, the harder it will be for the defense. The timing on Anderson’s part is key. As Vasquez comes off and Anderson pops, Lopez and Aminu crash the boards for a possible offensive tip in. With 3 seconds left (the amount of time after the screen), Vasquez is to determine if he needs to pull up and iso, can get to the rim, or needs to throwback to Anderson at the top of the key.

Now watch Vasquez make the quick decision and read the defense. As he reads the play and sees the soft double/ switch from the defense on the sprint ballscreen, Vasquez sees x4 staying with him and he turns the corner, using his speed to take him off the dribble and get to the rim.

This play only really works if your team has a stretch-4 that commands respect on the perimeter, making it difficult for the team to switch the action. Vasquez, a very intelligent player, is the best to be running the ball off the pick – he has a short amount of time to make an intelligent decision, and he makes it well. Coach your point guard to attack the double team hard, and if he can’t turn the corner, hit the throwback to Anderson.

Coach Adam Spinella is entering his first season as an Assistant Coach at Culver Academies in Culver, IN. Spinella spent the three years prior as a Student Assistant Coach at Division III Dickinson College. The Dickinson Men’s Team advanced to two NCAA Tournaments and accumulated an overall record of 59-26 (.694) during the three-year span, with the 2013-2014 season ending in the Division III Elite Eight. A native of Bow, New Hampshire, Spinella has a keen interest in X’s and O’s, particularly in professional basketball, and skill development.

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