[Coach Rick]

No.

The difference between Read & React and Motion offenses is where we allow players WITHOUT THE BALL to make decisions. In traditional Motion, players who pass can screen away, screen on the ball, go get the ball on the outside, stand still and wait to see what the ball-handler does, etc. Guess which one most players default to? They stand and watch the ball-handler with the excuse “I was reading the ball-handler -waiting to see what he/she will do.” I want them to cut to score so that every time we move the ball, someone is putting lay-up pressure on the defense.

Also, it turns passing into a scoring opportunity for the passer. A screen away is primarily an opportunity for the player being screened. It’s easier to recruit the energy and enthusiasm of a player when the action is a scoring opportunity for them, rather than for a teammate.

In Read & React the ball-handler is the decision-maker. Those without the ball, read the ball-handler’s action and react according to our rules. The player who passed the ball has given up the chance to make decisions. The passer MUST cut to the basket. When the passer’s feet get in the lane, the R&R gives those decisions back – like posting up, screening anyone on the perimeter, screening anyone in the post, and setting Pin Screens.

If you keep Perimeter Passing as a rule instead of a decision, your team will become more decisive and aggressive.

The Question that comes to my mind is: “Why would you want to screen away?”

I can wait for your answer, but while I’m waiting, there are two possible reasons that come to my mind (I’ve answered this question a few times in the last 10 years 🙂

1. Your experience has been that “pass & screen away” works. It may have, but I propose that it may have worked on poor defensive teams. Good defensive teams simply switch the screen or there’s no one to screen because the defender is already in the gap – in a helping position. You will score more on poor defensive teams by passing and cutting than you will passing and screening away.

2. Perhaps you want to tell certain players to always screen away because they are low skilled and cannot score if they cut and catch the ball on the move. Perhaps you simply want to hide them and keep them out of the scoring action. If so, this is even a better reason to cut to the basket. Cut hard and create an empty spot for the player you were going to screen. There are 4 scoring opportunities for the player FILLING THE EMPTY SPOT (see Layer 1 section B) and he/she would be the player you would have screened-away for.

If the passer CUTS HARD to the basket, the receiver of the pass can DRAFT DRIVE or use an OOPS SCREEN from the cutter (see Layer 1 section C). You should give the cutter an assist for creating the scoring opportunities for both the filler and the receiver.

NOTE 1: When we feed the post, we cut to the basket (see Layer 2). But once that habit has been acquired, Layer 9 shows you that it’s OK to give another option to the player who feeds the post. They can screen-away and then cut to the basket (We call it an X-Cut, but it’s just a screen away).

NOTE 2: If players on the perimeter were given only 2 choices like: (1) either cut to the rim or (2) screen away and THEN cut to the rim if you teammate did not cut to the rim, the integrity of the Read & React would be preserved. But the difficulty I have found with Screen-Aways is the player using the screen simply fills to the empty spot looking for an outside shot and the player who set the screen simply replaces them and no one winds up cutting to the rim. Or vice-versa, they both cut to the rim after the screen-away. These are the “bugs” I went through when I created the system. My conclusion was that you get more done by keeping it simple – if you pass, you must cut to the rim to score.

Hope this helps!

[Jeffrey]

So what are some tips that you would give your team if the defense is really good at bumping cutters? Cut behind sometimes? Cut off of a post screen?

[Jake Russell]

What if you need a 3 point shot… could you have a shooter in the corner, the wing passes to the top and the wing sets a screen for the shooter in the corner. After the screen, the screener must roll to the decision box?

Or are there different ways to get a shooter the opportunity to catch and shoot?

[jnolte]

As a coach using the read and react offense this is a question I tend to get from players and their parents who are good shooters. These players are usually a little smaller and want some extra space to get their shot off. What kinds of actions, or combinations of actions can we use to set screens for these players to give them space to get their shot off?

[Coach Lambeth]

Through playing the game and coaching it, I’ve found that the most reliable way of getting an open three attempt is to screen for someone one pass away.

The other move they need to ingrain as habit is circle movement with knees bent and hands ready in shooting position.

Finally, for any great shooter, I’d suggest getting even better at driving to the hoop. What do you want a defender to do when your shoot? You want him to sag. What to defenders do against guys who will blow by you? They sag. Get great at making the defender move off line with minimal effort and get comfortable with shoulder to hip attacks in straight line drives.

[Brent Schwan]

You wanted to know a Better way to get shooters open? Pin and skip.