Dominating the Show Coverage Strategy

What are some coverage solutions (or coverage attacks) that can be used against a show coverage?

In this blog, we’ve summarized all the Transforming coverage solutions we emphasize when playing against a show coverage. The concept of a “coverage solution” - or “coverage attack” as Mark Daigneault calls them— is for your team to create an advantage against the show coverage to trigger dominoes. The goal is to avoid staying neutral at all costs. This occurs when teams fail to have coherent coverage solutions within their principles of play.

Coverage Solutions vs the Show

Reject: the most simple coverage solution but one that takes intentional player development practice to consistently emerge. Many ball handlers are not attuned to this possibility, failing to make any set-up attempt whatsoever in their PNR. Against the show, the reject is even more important as it triggers an instant 4-on-3.

Bingo: a term taken from Zico Coronel and Ross McMains. When the guard tries to aggressively reject, their defender may take it away but then leave a gap before the screen. When the handler exploits this gap, it is known as a bingo. Note this is different to a split because it occurs BEFORE, not after the screen. It is also less likely that the ball will be dislodged as the show defender is so far away from the ball on a potential bingo sequence.

Slip: if the screener’s defender is already at or above the level, then no contact is needed. Simply slip out to trigger dominoes. The slip is naturally paired with other coverage solutions simultaneously, such as the pocket pass and the cut-slide.

Pocket Pass: when the handler passes to the short or long roll on a show. This is an important skill to develop with the handler being able to make a 1-on-2 pass against pressure and active hands.

Short Roll: the key detail of the short roll is for the screener to wait above the FT line, as well as the angle of their roll to avoid rolling on-top of potential stunt defenders. Another detail Alex Sarama has emphasized in clinics is for the screener to catch with vision of the floor, making the potential pass to a cutter or kick-out to the perimeter easier to anticipate. This requires catching on the short roll with “PVAD” (a Mike MacKay term meaning that good positioning gives you vision to better anticipate your decision).

Long Roll: not all bigs may be efficient short roll players. It is possible to long roll vs the show if you have a handler who excels passing over the defense and reading tags. Picture Luka Doncic in his Real Madrid days where the long roll was utilized more against the show versus the short roll.

Cut and slide: on a short roll pass, this trigger a corner cut from the two person side to convert the 2-on-1 and stretch the “last” defender.

Relay pass: when the handler makes a quick pass ahead to the 45 out of “side” spacing, or a pass behind out of “rub” spacing. The player on the 45 in both instances must shorten the pass. They then become the decision-maker as they have to either “relay pass” into the roller, skip to the single side if there is a new last defender, or swing to their teammate in the corner if the last defender is still in. Use the relay pass if your guard is less efficient at pocket passes, or if you think the advantage is best converted through your perimeter players reading closeouts.

See if you can identify the coverage solution in this clip, which occurs out of “rub” spacing.

Recommendations

To help improve your team’s ability to handle and pick apart any type of pick and roll defense, Transforming Basketball offers a range of resources tailored to enhance your coaching and player development strategies. Here are some top recommendations:

1. Pick and Roll Offense Course
   This course provides in-depth drills and small-sided games designed to teach players how to read and exploit various defensive coverages, including a deep dive into the drop, switch, show, blitz and ice.
2. Skill Acquisition Workshop
   This free workshop introduces modern skill acquisition concepts for coaches.