If you’ve got big men who can hit the outside jump shot, one of your biggest challenges as a coach is figuring out how to get them shots in the offense, without sacrificing rebounding, or abandoning the inside shot. A Pick the Picker Play is always a good means to accomplish this.

Generally I believe the best way to go about this is through the pick and pop, but there’s an obvious downside — unless this big man can handle the ball as well, he’s going to have to shoot the outside shot or pass the ball away.

But, even if the big man does get the outside shot going, his man will commit to defending the pop, and the defender defending the other big man will leave his man to clog up the paint.

To combat this, I started using both big men in the pick and roll, which not only gives my ball handler more options, but has the added value of being something that most defenses aren’t prepared to defend.

Pick and Roll – Pick the Picker

Figure 1: Pick the Picker

This is a great play to run, because it forces the defense to react to two screens back to back, something they are not used to seeing in the pick and roll. As a result, if they have the wherewithal to prevent the picker from getting an easy layup, usually the man setting the second screen will be left wide open for a mid to long range jumpshot.

In a four out set, with the power forward down low and the center opposite the point guard at the top of the key, the point will start by dribbling wide to set up the center’s screen. As the point guard comes off the pick, the power forward will come up to set a backscreen on the center, who will then cut right to the basket. The power forward will then pop out, spotting up to shoot, leaving the point guard with three shooters ready for the ball and a big man breaking for the hoop.

It’s a great play, but like any play, after you’ve run it a few times the defense will begin to anticipate what you’re going to do with the ball. So you hit them with this counter – the power forward will fake the back screen, slipping back to the court with the center popping out instead.

Coaches: If you’re looking for some tips to help your players run the pick and roll more efficiently, try checking out this pick and roll drill, or if you want to start developing those outside shots, check out our entire archive of basketball shooting drills!