The pick-and-roll is a simple idea that has grown in complexity over the years and now dominates basketball. This detailed film room breakdown discusses the history and evolution of the pick-and-roll, including the latest innovations and versions of the play from Spain pick-and-roll to the Exit screen.
Support at Patreon: / thinkingbasketball
Book: www.amazon.com/Thinking-Baske...
Podcast: player.fm/series/thinking-bas... or at www.stitcher.com/podcast/ben-...
Website: www.backpicks.com
Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
www.pbpstats.com @bballport
www.basketball-reference.com
stats.nba.com
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music by csus (instrumental)
#ThinkingBasketball
This is one of the best sports KZhead videos I've ever seen. Great premise, tons of historical clips and context, so much team variety, clear on-screen annotations to follow everyone's role - it's just all fantastic. I already loved the channel but this is just on a whole new level
Amen
I was thinking the same thing watching it. Perfectly broken down
dude how the hell does he find so many examples of this stuff!? does he have a team of guys watching and selecting clips??
@@xordus not sure about this but I think there are websites that you pay to get classified footages you want or simply he just knows and takes notes on games
Wish I could like a comment twice
I could literally watch hours of this. So much fun to see all the intricacies of NBA offenses.
High level content.
It lets discover, see and appreciate the game and its tactical aspects. You're not wrong, I would eat a one hour video of this stuff.
The crazy thing is you could watch dozens of extremely informative videos like this one and it would only scratch the surface of the intricacies of the game that players have to deal with and deduce in split seconds. I think of guys like CP3 or LeBron and try to imagine how amazing it must be to see the game like them and all the split-second calculations they make in their minds when dissecting opponents.
The offense has been developing a lot faster than defense. I really wish defense would somehow catch up to offense. That would be a sight to watch.
@@mhoursagala7832 Basketball is a game where you will get scored on, lots of possessions in one game and the offensive players have the rules and more options in their favor. This doesn't mean there have been no good defenses; on the contrary, there have been a lot of monster defensive teams. The Golden state warriors right now are putting up historic defensive numbers.
This was awesome. Would love to see a similar deep-dive into how zone defense has been utilized/evolved over the years, particularly with how many variants are utilized today.
Great suggestion (from a great great username, lol)
I think because of illegal defense rules in the 90s we only have about 2 decades worth of zones in the NBA.
@@dribblewithjacob9131 True, there would definitely be a big gap. But could still be neat to contrast different eras where it was legal
hoopvision68 makes an interesting video on this topic of NBA switching defense scheme evolution recently. Advance switching will makes defense look like zone defense. Go check it out. kzhead.info/sun/eJiBj9WwoqV4eXk/bejne.html
@@ryanandrewbaker that name again?
So thankful for your content. Liking basketball is one thing, APPRECIATING it and all it's machinations is a whole other level.
TB breaking down playmaking footage of masters like Doncic, Stockton, Magic and Nash was pure music.
Chris paul/lob city should get an honorable mention w their high horns PNR set. Their personnel gave them the best spacing, and they got a good shot every trip down the court !
Another shoutout to the DWill era Jazz circa ~2008. Sloan ran a gorgeous offense with PnRs and simultaneous off ball screens/cuts along the baseline.
so beautiful you included old school players like oscar
Exactly respect for the game all around
That's why it's so fun to watch CP3, Luka, and Trae Young if you're into playmaking. They see all what's happening in the court in split seconds and make you surprised, "How did he see that?" Jokic gives me this expression, too but he works mostly in high post.
dont forget lebron in that convo, arguably a top 3 passer in the game, sees the floor very well and can make any type of pass of the pnr action
rly dope to see the actual evolution of basketball and the strategy behind it
Plus all that footage and retro moments. That was great to discover. Thank you Ben for being the best basketball analyst without it being close!
I can't stop watching these. Best basketball content
He Desperately Needs To Be Hired By The NBA Or ESPN…Can’t Let This Talent Go To Waste.
@@henoccharlot708 NBA collared with him, hes getting there
Not even close, absolutely not even in the same universe. Damn this is a treat after treat from this channel.
Even more than his stepback, or his fadeaway, or his drives, Luka's ability to make something out of nothing in the pick and roll is probably his most dangerous skill. While most point guards, as you said, have about 4-5 options, Luka has too many to count. Hit the roll man, throw a lob, pick and pop, pull up 3, stepback 3 or middy, floater, fire a laser to a spot up shooter anywhere on the floor, hit a cutter, stop and pop mid-range, clear out the floor and post up, or often times, an absolutely ridiculous junk shot to draw a foul (that still goes in half the time!). imo, Luka is the best offensive creator in the league. Not the best overall player or even scorer (Giannis and KD), but the hardest to stop from getting a positive result on any given play.
I’d have jokic ahead as a creator but Luka is great
I'd say jokic is even more devastating bc he can play off ball, space the floor, and he's an even better passer than luka, especially when it comes to quick decisions on the catch. Luka is very ball dominant and that makes the offense much more predictable, that being said they're both phenomenal offensive centerpieces
It's Jokic.
His one man offense with pick and rolls is almost unstoppable.
(it's actually LeBron, but ok)
Hubie Brown has said that the purpose of setting screens is to make the defense think. Always liked that. A momentary mix-up, or even a split second of indecision, and the offense has an easy bucket.
I don't think you fully realize how appreciative I am of this type of content. Both the NFL and the NBA don't do a lot of Xs and Os, electing to instead focusing on narratives. I absolutely adore that you do the exact opposite with these analysis videos. And I can't wait for the next one you do. Same with your player and team breakdowns. All of it is very insightful and has very high production quality
Literally just wrote a reply saying almost exactly the same thing, with the same feeling behind it, without scrolling down to see your post! Liked, and it's incredible that this content (and creator) can be so high quality to affect multiple people in this kind of way. The dude is special.
Highest quality basketball content on KZhead! Can't get enough.
This might just be one of the most concise breakdowns of Basketball's most simple play, and yet turns into a basketball analysis masterpiece that I have not come across on ANY form of media. I cannot overstate how highly I personally rate this video - just mindblowing observation after mindblowing observation on a topic that, frankly, I thought I had down pat. Thank you for the much-needed dose of humility, and the content that seems to have achieved an already lofty summit, yet somehow continues to climb to ever greater heights. Much respect and love, brother!
What is the pick and roll? I don’t understand what is happening. I’ve never played basketball. I’ve watched it a lot but it just looks like they pass the ball around and then shoot
As a hooper and a coach, I LOOOOOVE your breakdowns. I love watching other hoop-heads that KNOW what basketball looks like in it’s most beautiful moments. I appreciate you.
I knew setting screens so often had become ubiquitous when I saw four kids around the age of 9 or 10 practicing pick and rolls in the park by themselves, one of them leading like the next Steve Nash
Back in the 80's, I was watching some grade school kids finish their practice while our adult rec league team was waiting for the court. This kid drives the lane to his right and slings a Magic Johnson style no-look pass to a cutter on his left for an easy layup. The coach just said, ok, guys, that's it for today. That pass was no big deal for those kids.
One of the aspects of the modern game I appreciate is the threat of the 3 point shot and how it's opened up the game. In the case of the pick and roll, we can see how the defense has to come out high even beyond the 3 pt line which often results in a 4 on 3 or even a 3 on 2 half court "fast break".
So true my friend. The three-point line changed basketball. We can thank the ABA-NBA merger for that beautiful aspect of the game (and other facets the NBA is running today).
@@david.tousignant20 The addition of the 3 point line has been great for basketball and I've been watching the game for a long time.
Yep really good point about the 7 seconds Suns. People who weren’t watching back then might see them as constantly being in transition mostly due to the name. And sure they were way faster in pace than almost anyone before them for a long time, at least in the “modern NBA” and especially vs the early mid 90s to 2000s. So yea compared to an early 2000s Pistons Spurs game they were constantly in transition in comparison. Average pace by year fell to 92.9 in 94-95, then 91.8 in 95-96, 90.1 in 96-97, 90.3 in 97-98, 88.9 in 98-99, 93.1 in 99-‘00, then 90.3, 88.9, 93.1, 91.3, 90.7, 91.0, 90.1, 90.9, and 90.5 in 05-06. So between 94-95 and 05-06, it was mostly in the very very low 90s. The last time it got to 92.9+ after 94-95 was 93.9 in 13-14 and 14-15. Then it has gone up from there, hitting 100 in 18-19, 100.3 in 19-20, and 99.2 in 20-21. The Suns in 05-06 were at 95.8. That was obviously 1st in the league, and if you look at average pace by season, their pace was faster than the average pace in the NBA from 93-94 to 12-13. 13-14 the average pace was 93.9. So it’s pretty crazy the pace they had that year was higher than the average for like 20 seasons. But yea the half court offense is a very under-looked part of the 7 seconds Suns days, and this video is awesome as usual. Happy to see you got the opportunity to make a video on the NBA’s channel, and I hope they’re letting you get full monetization using their footage since it’s fair use anyway. I’ve been a long time reader/listener/watcher of your work and it’s cool to see you getting more exposure. I never miss a video or podcast. You’re seriously the best at what you do and that’s not hyperbole. I hope to see you being a guest on more podcasts, it’s awesome to see you pop up on some of the other pods I love like, and would love to see you guest on more. I know you’ve been on some of these, I forget the exact list, but some of my favorites are: Dunc’d On, Hollinger and Duncan, RealGM Radio, The Void on the Ringer with KOC, Game Theory with Sam Vecenie, The BBALL Breakdown with Coach Nick, and a more young group of podcasters with Kenny “KOT4Q” Beecham who is very well established, and his podcast with his friends called Through The Wire. That’d be such an awesome collab. Even if it’s just more of a 1 on 1 w/ Kenny or whatever. He’s a young content creator that has paved the way for a younger group and he’s fantastic, just an awesome guy.
Yep. The "7 Seconds or Less" Suns would just be a normal fast-break team w/ 3-Point shooters w/o the pick-and-roll. What helped them the best aside from their shooters is Amar'e, who was a solid shooter from around 15 to 18-feet but was also obviously extremely athletic and quick so Nash can either hit him for the pick-and-pop or the PnR (but even lob it up for a dunk also). bc he's so athletic, Centers at the time found it hard to close out on him. I should also note that Amar'e barely played in the 2006 season and yet, the Suns managed to finish 2nd in ORtg while him playing the Power Forward position as Shaq played the Center during the 2009 season didn't do much to hurt the Suns ORtg as they finished 2nd also. Nevertheless, it was the Suns' half-court game and their potent 3-Point shooting that separated them from most Run and Gun teams.
As someone who loves your content, this may be my fav so far. So detailed, yet accessible.
This episode is by far the most entertaining&educational. Editing and narration at its best!!!
I'm sure you get this on most of your videos but after watching this one in particular I feel that you've really increased my appreciation for basketball. I'm very excited to watch an NBA game with the insights you've given to me.
Chris Paul is my favorite player to watch the PnR and their modifications. He just knows how to do it all
That was an absolutely beautiful play and so well set up by you sir.
More Thinking Basketball content? Say less!!
I've watched plenty of basketball commentaries, but nothing like this! It's humbling that after 30 years of playing and watching basketball, I've never noticed such intricacies about the pick-and-roll. Simply amazing! Thank you for this outstanding content!
Amazing video - love to see this sort of tactical breakdown. My favourite might be the Hornets version with the double-pindown for the first screener as a misdirection. What a beauty.
Fantastic video. Absolutely love this detailed analysis of how plays are run. The history and context were great too. My mind is blown by all the complexity of a modern offense. There's just so much going on.
Happy to see you got the opportunity to make a video on the NBA’s channel, and I hope they’re letting you get full monetization using their footage since it’s fair use anyway. I’ve been a long time reader/listener/watcher of your work and it’s cool to see you getting more exposure. I never miss a video or podcast. You’re seriously the best at what you do and that’s not hyperbole. I hope to see you being a guest on more podcasts, it’s awesome to see you pop up on some of the other pods I love like, and would love to see you guest on more. I know you’ve been on some of these, I forget the exact list, but some of my favorites are: Dunc’d On, Hollinger and Duncan, RealGM Radio, The Void on the Ringer with KOC, Game Theory with Sam Vecenie, The BBALL Breakdown with Coach Nick, and a more young group of podcasters with Kenny “KOT4Q” Beecham who is very well established, and his podcast with his friends called Through The Wire. That’d be such an awesome collab. Even if it’s just more of a 1 on 1 w/ Kenny or whatever. He’s a young content creator that has paved the way for a younger group and he’s fantastic, just an awesome guy. Also I listen to some more Athletic and Ringer pods, but those are definitely my favorites. I do love Saturday’s Athletic pod with Andrew Schlecht. Alex v the Beat is fun, just an overall really fun pod. Obviously any pod you guest on I’ll listen. If you could post the ones you do guest on that’d be great. Thanks Ben and keep doing what you do.
It’s honestly amazing I love the pick and roll
The first crossovers were atributed to him, then now the pick n roll. Dang Oscar you're on a roll! Truly a genius in basketball the Big O.
This is hands down the most interesting and elaborate sports video I have ever seen. Wow. Really feel like watching old nba clips for the rest of the night now.
Wow, what an incredible overview! This is one of my favourite videos that you've done, Ben.
Liking these videos before I watch is a habit now, you already know the content is going to be excellent
This video is absolutely spectacular I was engrossed from start to finish, keep it up
Love this kind of video! I got the Thinking Basketball book for Christmas and adored it! I almost read through it all by New Years. I love the analogies and commentary on human pyschology that affects how we talk about and engage a sport. It's a great book for fans of basketball, psychology, or statistics. I would definitely recommend the book and this channel. Keep up the great work Ben!
This guy's narration is awesome. Most yt video essayists sound nerdy or boring. This guy totally sells it, great mic quality, not to mention the compelling content
The Curry-Draymond pick n roll game is a lethal combo.
Ben, I simply cannot express how much you've improved my basketball viewing experience. I'm so much more engaged when watching games now, since I'm able recognize more of what's happening on/off ball on offense, and how defenses are communicating and adapting to the play. I really appreciate your work.
My high school basketball coach always mentioned Bird and Mchale’s pick and roll.
Thinking Basketball for NBA and Brett Kollman for NFL. Two of the best sports channels on KZhead and leagues ahead of anything on ESPN, or any other major network!
Amen, Brother!!
Love it! Great historical footage and context. Best channel
I wasn’t expecting to be so interested, but when Thinking Basketball posts, I watch. So I got pleasantly surprised by how well you explained every facet of a pick and roll offense. Props to you.
Excellent video. Brilliant, it really breaks down the basics of how the PnR has evolved. It also helps people understand that the plays they run in the NBA aren't as simple as they seem once you include high level players at their positions. Great video.
Prior to your first video dropped and me finding it, I was the most casual NBA fan alive. I just looked at points/rebounds/assists to judge performance. Thank you for basketball-pilling me with all your videos and podcasts
This really drives home the fact that players from different eras are really hard to evaluate against one another. The game has evolved so much and so quickly. Bill Russell never saw a spread pick and roll (or a three-point line, for that matter).
Russell was a Olympic level athlete with some of the best defensive instincts of all time. At 6'9 with a 7'4 wingspan he'd have no problems. Basically he'd be early 2000s level Kevin Garnett on defense with that foot speed and if I'm not mistaken this very channel said that Russell and David Robinson has the quickest jumps of all time for big men in the GOAT series he made.
I disagree. There are aspects of players (legendary ones for that matter) that transcend all eras. Russell had the wingspan, the footwork and the defensive knowledge and execution. Otherwise there is no way he racks up DPOY all by himself. So put him with modern team like the Hornets who are tall at the wings at the 5 and he is going to help them out BIG time as a defensive anchor and rim enforcer while possibly getting the help he needs if he is switched onto a smaller player. Also Russell lived with an adage that transcends all generations of basketball: *"The game has always been, and will always be, about buckets"* . Despite all this new execution in the modern era of the NBA, it is just an efficient way to get buckets as a team. So the best defenses have the capability to defeat the schemes AND the unique talents designed to get these buckets.
Loving the content, you’re killing it
This play is the key to understanding basketball in my opinion. Once I got my head around the pick and roll a lot of other things fell in to place
This came up on my recommended and I subscribed before the end of the video. Seeing how the first Mavericks play was drawn out blew my mind. Great video man
What a big difference on early 90s PnR for other players vs today. Back then, the just hang back and let the two play but now, they're all waiting and aware that the play mighty shift to them. I love nba
Illegal defense is was a technical foul. That made the PnR an action that can be easily run 1-4 or 1-5. In today's NBA, it's difficult to spam a 1/4 PnR. 1/4 PnP is a lot easier.
Yessssir! Was waiting on a video breaking down the PNR. Such a simple idea that continues to evolve.
Amazing video!! Two of my sons play basket, i already taught them the pick and role move. But now we can understand it's origin and evolution, and most of all the variations and using it in game. Amazing content!! TY so much!!!
Omg this video made me love this page even more. I’m actually a stan for this channel
Excellent vid! Great work, dude!
The video I didn't knew I wanted. Really shows you how beautiful basketball can be.
Long time viewer, but a very infrequent commenter. Just wanted to extend my appreciation for your content, has really helped to develop my understanding of the game and it translates to my actual play on the court as well. Thanks man, looking forward to more. Also I really look forward to all your podcast episodes, highly entertaining and informative.
You explain these sooooo masterfully, most ytbers trying to explain nba plays result in just a jamble of words with no meaning
Spot on, it's a tough show besides this gold spot.
This is some of the best basketball content I've ever seen. Thanks for this.
this is truly lovely. keep up the great work!
One of the best if not the best basketball video I have ever seen. You made this day great, Sir.
I always amaze the pick and roll in basketball, the one who created it is truly a genius
great content and explained very precise. good job on this!
The Bulls under Thibs used to run the screen and roll and double down screen on the weak side play all the time. It was basically their default play if nothing worked out. This screen and pin down seem like a variation of that.
Amazing video, loved the historical evolution with clips from various era leading into the modern day. Also, shout out the Theis seal you put in, always enjoyed that move from him
This is very amazing breakdown…love every bit of it 💯💯
You guys are killing it with these videos. Fantastic breakdowns
Awesome as always. Thank you!
Mike D'antoni is the greatest offensive coach in league history I my opinion. I think he deserves more praise than people give him for his innovative system which changed the game.
Watching Jabari Smith on Auburn the other day with my wife I was explaining different pick-and- roll options for the offense and defense and said that it can explain 75% of basketball these days. This video is such a perfect encapsulation of what I was trying to say and with video to match. Chefs kiss. Truly amazing content, thanks Ben!
Great video. One of the things I find difficult as a newer viewer of basket ball is the off ball movement which is super fast and often out of frame. This broke it down so well thanks
Subscribed. What an unbelievable video from start to finish, the effort does not go unnoticed.
7:57 into the video and all this info just give me more and more appreciation for the Defense, especially the Golden State Defense!! And how it's the wall that progresses the game... without a strong resistance the offense doesn't feel compelled to change, the obstacle is the start of the evolution and revolution. And the better the defense the more complex the game. Gosh, how i love this fundamental!!!
It was always the best play. My high school coach in the '70s, who had a cup of coffee in the ABA, showed me all of those variations. But I think there's a danger of hoops getting boring. 90% of college ball is now high pick-and-roll, 3 guys outside the 3 pt line. I miss motion offenses and high/low stuff. International ball has now become NBA "Lite" since they adopted the 24 sec clock. The great European passing skills are starting to fade into memory.
thank you for your content......brilliant just brilliant!
I wish you delved little into Mark Price's splitting the pick and roll which i think is what most modern players do now.
man ican't wait for that future thinking basketball video on the next variations of screens & pick n rolls you spoke about towards the end
incredible work - this is a beautiful basketball video
I want to start a petition to name that combo stagger/exit play Slovene PnR, just feels right.
Modern offenses are so fun to watch. They are complex and beautiful.
Fantastic analysis as always!
Love this video! 🔥🔥🔥
This is great. Thank you
This is a beautiful video I can’t even lie great vid Thinking Basketball
Great video as always! I didn’t know there were this many variations on the pick and roll used in today’s game. Also, I’d love a video on how the hawks run their offense & what types plays they tend to use. From what I’ve seen, they don’t use 2 screeners on the ball often.
I'm impressed by the quality of the video, thanks to the KZhead algorithm. Watching games sometimes gets "messy", because there is so much happening for all 10 players in any given play that I miss key information.
Yo this is one of the best basketball videos I've watched. Makes ya think the game better.
This is amazing!!!
Learning a lot every time I watch Thinking Basketball’s video!
Thank you for teaching me more about basketball
Great video my fav so far
Great video !! Thanks bro !!
Great video, the best I've seen.
Love the analysis both on the offense and defense.
What a beautiful explanation!
This is the kind of basketball content I want to see more of!
This gave me a ton more appreciation for the game. Thanks!
Amazing basketball video, as a player it helps understand how every one should run the pick and roll.
Man!!! This is great 👍👌👍👌. Thank you. Now I feel that I understand more the game 🙂.
Excellent job man.
This is great. Cheers.
awesome vid bro thank you