Basketball 101: Pick-and-Roll Defense

By Berkay Terzi / info@eurohoops.net

In today’s basketball, teams use hundreds of offensive actions to get to the result more easily, but none are as common as Pick-and-Roll.

This is because Pick-and-Roll can create many different advantages when led by qualified hands. If we think of the main purpose of the offensive team as creating an advantage/opportunity, nothing can beat this action.

The 2004-05 Phoenix Suns, who had threats such as Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, used the P&R offense 22 times per game. This figure has risen year after year and has reached an incredible level. During the 2021–22 NBA season, the Utah Jazz executed this action 46 times per game. Golden State Warriors were the team that used the least P&R action in their offensive system. Even they used this offense more (24.6 times) than the 2004-05 Phoenix.

You can see the unstoppable rise of Pick-and-Roll in more detail in the table below. These stats don’t just include ball-handler’s shots. This includes shots from the screener or third person (e.g. the spot-up shooter in the corner).

So what are some ways have NBA defenses resorted to stop or slow down this action? We are here to find answers to this question.

First of all, I would like to remind that: Pick-and-Roll defensive strategies are usually named in terms of the movement and position of the big. But these plays are not defended by a single person. The Guard defender is also involved as much as possible. Therefore, it is useful to briefly mention what the Ball-handler’s defender can do.

Ball-Handler’s Defender / On-Ball Defender

1. Over: Going over the screen. The goal is not to give the opponent space and not to let him the opportunity to shoot. It is used against players with pull-up threats and superstars. However, there can be teams that use “Over” on each screen, regardless of the opposing player. If the player who uses it falls out of the position, he has to follow the position from behind and catch his man again.
2. Under: Going behind the screen. If the ball-handler’s shooting threat is weak, it makes more sense to use “Under.” In this way, both defenders spend less effort and reduce the possibility of the opponent attacking the rim.
3. Ice: It is used against Side P&R actions. The on-ball defender closes the direction the opponent is going and pushes him toward the sideline. Ice defense can be followed by Trap defense. Keeps the game out of the middle zone (No-middle). Some call it “push” or “blue.”
4. Weak: It has a similar logic to Ice, but it’s used against High P&R actions. The goal is to direct the ball-handler towards his weak hand.
5. Switch: It is clear from the name… Quite popular lately. We’ll touch on it in the following sections.

» Examples:

We saw examples of “Ice” and “Weak” in the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls series in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. When DeMar DeRozan led his team to victory in the second game of the series, the Bucks changed their defensive strategy. In games 3, 4, and 5 of the series, they constantly pushed DeRozan into his weak hand and to the left corner. So Nikola Vucevic had to flip his screens and adjust different angles. Chicago tried too much early offense in the final game of the series to make DeRozan more comfortable. They wanted to speed up the tempo and prevent defenders from getting into position:

Screener’s Defender

After a quick start, we’ll take a look at what the screener’s defender can do. As I just mentioned, P&R strategies are named by the movement of the defender at the back. I have grouped these strategies under five main headings. First, let’s talk about drop defense.

1. Drop

In the Drop coverage, the ball-handler’s defender fights the screen, trying not to fall out of the play, and follows the position from behind. The screener’s defender takes the rim on his back and backpedals, trying to keep both the screener and the ball handler under control. He should not allow the opposing player to get behind him. He should always be between the ball and the basket. The main goal here is to protect the paint and keep the opponent away from the rim.

Examples

Main Purpose

• Drop strategy is preferred by teams with slow bigs (e.g. Rudy Gobert, Brook Lopez). These players avoid facing guards after the screen because they cannot move their feet fast in space. Also, they have a hard time returning quickly to their men. So it makes more sense to keep them close to the rim and try to take advantage of the length.
• Another goal is to direct the opponent to mid-range shots and teardrops. In today’s basketball, these shots are seen as less valuable by the teams. The statistics prove this. If the opposing player has problems with pull-up shots, the drop defense can be extremely effective.
• It allows you to lock the paint and better protect the rim. Drop defender does not let the roller get behind him. Thus, it becomes more difficult to find points by attacking the rim, creating easy bucket chances around the basket through screener or off-ball cuts.
• In the Drop Coverage, unlike other defensive strategies, the off-ball defenders outside of P&R have less responsibility. The position of off-ball defenders depends on the team’s defensive scheme and the opponent’s shooting threats. Some teams want these players to stay home. Teams that prioritize rim protection can also ask off-ball defenders to shrink the floor.

Problems

• Allows open mid-range shots, and pull-up three-pointers. It leaves a lot of space in the mid-range area. It is a situation that teams don’t prefer in the playoffs. If you give stars like Curry and Lillard that much space, they will punish without hesitation.
• Vulnerable against pick&pop and dribble handoff (DHO) actions. There’s a lot of space after the screen. May be required “stunt & recover” from off-ball defenders.
• Puts a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of the ball-handler’s defender. If possible, should not let the opposing guard pass through the screen. If he falls out of the position easily, the opposing guard can go to the basket or shoot a pull-up.
• If the drop defender is lacking in vertical athleticism or length, an easy alley-oop opportunity may arise.

1.1 Drop Load

P&R is never an action played on 2v2. Other players on the court are also involved in this play as much as possible. Drop Load is one of the best examples of this. NBA coaches are involving a third defender in the Drop defense to prevent the opposing guard from crossing the screen and going to the rim.

The off-ball defender who defends in the wing will stand in the gap between their man and ball-handler. The nearest Gap defender slips to the driving lane when the opposing guard passes through the screen and turns the corner.

As we all know, Anthony Edwards is one of the best offensive threats in the league. He has a combination of talent, athleticism, and size. After going through the screen of Jarred Vanderbilt, he can play the position very differently. But Dillon Brooks’ help from one pass away deters Edwards. The Memphis Grizzlies cover up the flaws of the Drop defense in this position.

In this strategy, the biggest responsibility falls on the off-ball defender who brings gap help. After coming to help, he needs to quickly return to his man. Just like Dillon Brooks did. With the bigger court sizes in the NBA, it’s not as simple as it seems. If this recovery doesn’t happen quickly, the offensive player on the wing may get an open-shot opportunity. An athletic offensive player who attacks well to the close-outs can catch up with defender unbalanced, attack the rim and force the opponent into defensive rotation.

Other examples from the Drop Load strategy… Drop Load is useful because it restricts the open shot opportunity and also allows the big defender to maintain his position. However, if the offensive player, whom the Gap defender left empty on the wing can punish the team that uses Drop Load. It’s hard to find the perfect strategy in basketball, especially on defense. When you’re trying to fix one side, you give a deficit from the other.

Another example comes from Andrew Wiggins…

1.2 Next Coverage

Next Coverage is a different version of Drop Load… In the Drop Load strategy, the Gap defender returns to his man after showing himself. In Next Coverage, the defender who brings help from the wing switches onto the ball-handler. The on-ball defender fills the Gap defender’s man. Meanwhile, the screener’s defender backpedals. It will be easier to understand with the following example:

Devin Booker switches onto Luka Doncic. Mikal Bridges switches to Tim Hardaway, who was left by Devin Booker. The Phoenix Suns have executed this strategy just fine, but Luka Doncic doing Luka Doncic things.

In the first phase of Next Coverage, there is an opportunity for one pass away. After Devin Booker made the switch, Tim Hardaway was left open on the wing. If Doncic had made the pass to Hardaway after turning the corner, the position would have gone very differently. Some teams use a different method to avoid empty shots in case of the on-ball defender is late:

RRicky Rubio, defending in the weakside corner, rotates as the ball goes toward Evan Fournier. He leaves his own man and moves into Fournier’s defense, thus preventing an easy chance. Rudy Fernandez, who made the “Peel Switch“, now has a longer running distance. However, France needs to make an extra pass (Fournier #10 » Albicy #21) to create an opportunity. This extends the time the ball stays in the air and provides enough time for the defense to settle again. Finally, Fernandez moves into the defense of the player left by Rubio. This can be seen especially in Side P&R actions.

2. Level/Aggressive Drop

Another main strategy is “Level” or “Aggressive Drop”. Level defense and Drop defense are a bit similar. However, there are significant differences between them. The attitude of the screener’s defender is pretty much the same as the drop defense, but he stays closer to the screen level than the drop defense.

Examples

First of all, I would like to mention important details through this position.

• Pay attention to the position of the Capela during the screen. He’s much higher than the Drop defense. The quickness of the level defender should be at least average because, if you have noticed, sometimes there is also lateral mobility. He also needs to get back to his man quickly.
• By keeping his right hand down, he prevents the possibility of a pocket pass.
• Dwight Howard got behind Capela. In the deep drop, this is undesirable, but since the main focus in the aggressive drop is on the ball-handler, Capela keeps Kemba under control until the ball-handler’s defender gets his man back.
• The screener gets behind his defender. Another defender needs to come to the help so that the screener doesn’t get an easy bucket chance. For this reason, PJ Tucker slides in front of Howard until Capela recovers and returns to Howard. They call it “tag the roll” or “tag.” When Capela returns, Tucker goes back to Kaminsky. The tag defender is expected to be the “low man”.

» Low man: The weakside defender who is closest to the baseline and the rim.

Other Examples

Main Purposes

• Prevents pull-up threes and mid-ranges. Gives time for the ball-handler’s defender to recover. The big man needs to be partially agile so he can stay in front of the guard and then quickly get back to his man.
• It puts more pressure on the ball handler than the drop strategy. If the opponent has a talented guard with a high shooting threat, it is a more preferable strategy.
• The qualities of the screener are gaining importance. If the first steps after the roll aren’t quick or don’t pose a serious roll threat, that’s a good thing for the Level defense.
• In the drop defense, pick&pop could create problems. However, in the Level strategy, it is easier to contest the player who makes pick&pop.
• If necessary, it is easy to return to the Switch.

Problems

• As I just mentioned, it’s simple for the screener to get behind his defender. If the off-ball defender who will “tag” doesn’t act awake or remains physically small, the opportunity for easy points arises.
• It requires rotation at the back. The opposing player defended by the “tagger” will be open in the corner. If the ball-handler reads the game correctly, he can pass to the corner.
• If the screener’s defender’s feet and hip mobility aren’t fast enough, the ball-handler can go to the rim easily. If a guard who has gained momentum with a few steps and a backpedaling big comes face to face, the advantage is naturally in the hands of the guard.
• Vulnerable against Slip Screen and pocket pass. The defense can remain in a 4-on-3 situation, which is undesirable.

3. Hedge/Show Up

A hedge is less preferred in today’s NBA compared to other strategies. But you can often come across it in college basketball and Europe. It can be very effective when executed correctly but puts too much load on off-ball defenders. It requires a mobile big. It is not easy to execute flawlessly. It requires timing and coordination. Any part that fails can cause a fault.

It is divided into two Soft hedges and Hard hedges. In hard hedge, you can see that the screener’s defender takes an extra step. So it puts more pressure on the ball-handler. But it would make more sense to examine it under a single title.

So how is hedging done? The screener’s Defender goes up to screen level. He jumps in front of the ball-handler, turning off the driving angle and pushing him into the half-court. He tries to stop the ball-handler from turning the corner and turns his back to his own man. Gives time for the ball-handler’s defender to recover.

On-ball defender fights the screen and tries to recover. Whether he goes under or above the screen depends on the coach’s preference. In the back, a help defender is needed to tag the roller, just like in “Level”.

Main Purposes

• One of the first goals is to prevent the ball-handler from turning the corner and facing the basket. Prevents pull-up threes.
• Closing the angle of the ball-handler and directing him towards the half-court to limit his options. It is mostly used against skilled guards.
• A well-executed hard hedge prevents the ball-handler from gaining momentum, slows him down, and can even make him get the ball out of his hands.
• Gives time for the ball-handler’s defender to recover.
• It becomes a more preferable strategy if the screener does not pose a serious threat. Defenses may want the screener/roller to make the decisions rather than the guard making the decisions.

Problemler

• A more vulnerable coverage against the screener. If the screener is a good passer or skilled at going to the rim and finishing, he can create an advantage. That’s why bigs who can make good decisions in short-rolls are so important. A smart big can pass the ball to his teammate who is open in the corner, even if you tag him. A good finisher can use the advantage of size and athleticism to finish above the tagger.
• A hedge is not just played between two players. The other three off-ball defenders need to be positioned to defend the rest of the field. In a way, they’re turning to the Zone defense. Thus, their responsibility for them increases. Multiple defensive rotations may be required depending on the situation. That’s why it’s more effective to execute with smart defenders, who have a long wingspan and don’t avoid moving their feet.
• If the defender is not mobile enough, he may lose time while recovering. If he is slow in his steps during hedging, the ball-handler can turn the corner and go to the circle. If help comes, he can throw a pass to his open teammate and put the defense in a difficult position.
• If the ball-handler rejects the screen, splits the screen, or the screener slips the screen, the defense is stuck in a difficult position. Other players need to react quickly.

Details and Examples

Let’s start with an example from EuroBasket… Willy Hernangomez hedges and takes Evan Fournier out of his lane, preventing him from turning the corner. Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert rolls but Lorenzo Brown gets into position very well. Brown stays with Gobert until Hernangomez returns. He then turns to Thomas Heurtel. But the defeat of the on-ball defender in 1v1 wastes all efforts.

Another good example from Willy Hernangomez…

In a normal hedge strategy, the screener’s defender’s back faces the sideline. But in some cases, the defender needs to move laterally. Unlike a normal hedge, the defender’s back is facing the baseline. It’s called “Flat Hedge.” Ahmet Duverioglu shows an example of this in the clip below. Derek Needham is stuck on the screen and falls. Ahmet Duverioglu stays on Micic’s defense until Needham returns. Meanwhile, the off-ball defenders execute the back rotation correctly:

One of the goals of this strategy is to push the ball-handler toward the half-court line. That’s why you shouldn’t let the ball-handler turn the corner. Otherwise, he can face the rim and catch the defense off guard, as in the clip below. Ukrainian guard Issuf Sanon easily bypasses the hedging defender and finds a corridor in front of him. The Polish player starts his steps late and is unable to stop the opponent. Issuf Sanon expands his step, easily beats the defense, and goes to the rim:

The angle and timing of the hedging defender is very important. If he’s even a second late or flexes his angle a bit, it can be easier for the ball-handler to turn the corner. In the clip below, Yiğitcan Saybir does not face Micic at an angle parallel to the sideline. He performs his steps diagonally. That’s why Micic turns the corner easily. Players like Micic will punish you when they find that space:

Hedge is a strategy that is being constantly used in non-NBA basketball organizations. This time our path falls on the WNBA. Chicago Sky is hedging against Sabrina Ionescu, one of the WNBA’s young stars. Ionescu rejects the screen, falling all the defenses out of the game. If the guard does this job convincingly, he can catch the hedging defender off guard:

In hedge and Level strategies, regardless of the quality of the defense, the screener’s abilities can change the fate of the position. That’s why players who can make quick decisions in short-rolls are valuable. As you can see below as an example, Christian Wood read the 4v3 offense very quickly and immediately delivered the ball to Reggie Bullock in the corner. Cam Payne rotated to Wood, then did X-Out with Torrey Craig. It’s not a bad defense, but Dallas played better in that position. If Wood had lost 1 second in the decision-making process, things could have turned in the defense’s favor:

There’s no need to mention this again and again, but every hedge defense needs an off-ball defender to shut down the screener/roller. If you do not “Tag the Roll”, you may encounter situations such as:

When P&Rs are played in the middle of the court, it may not be clear exactly who has the responsibility for the “Tag”. In such cases, off-ball defenders need to read the game quickly and react. For example, in the clip below, it makes more sense for Cedi Osman to tag the screener. He could have stolen the pass if he was watching the ball. The screener/roller does not have the angle to take the pass to his teammate in the right corner in the short-roll. Even if he throws a pass, the advantage of the attack can be avoided as the ball will remain in the air for a while. If Buğrahan Tuncer (#19) on the left comes to help, it may be a little easier for the screener to pass to the left corner because the angle is more favorable. But both defenders are sleeping:

You may have done the tag, but you shouldn’t leave the roller’s defense early. Otherwise, you can cause an easy bucket. Luka Doncic trusts his teammate who is running back and leaves Gobert early. Heurtel reads the position quickly and delivers the ball immediately to Gobert. Another detail here is that the screener’s defender acts lazily and does not raise his arms. Players who turn to their man after hedge should raise their arms to restrict the point guard’s view as much as possible and negatively affect his perception:

In hedge strategy, back rotations are not limited to “Tag the Roll”. In the second stage of the rotation, it is necessary to “help the helper”. In the clip below, Luka Doncic plays the position fast. Devin Booker jumps in front of Christian Wood. In the short-roll, Wood sees Finney-Smith, whom Booker left. Cameron Johnson fills Booker’s man by “helping the helper.”

Johnson is preventing the basket, but there’s one detail that needs to be mentioned… He’s standing in the wrong position. He needs to be positioned in parallel with Booker and Paul. If you are defending two players in the corner, you usually have to take a position in the middle of both. In this way, you put pressure on the passing lane of both of them and keep them under control. Also, it becomes easier for you to close-out. Cam Johnson is unaware of Dorian Finney-Smith’s presence in the dunker spot. He notices it after the pass. To be fair, he reacts fast. But if there had been an athletic big like Jarred Vanderbilt instead of DFS, he would probably have dunked:

We have already said that Pick&Pop actions can be effective against the Hedge strategy. In the clip below, Montenegrin player Bojan Dubljević gets an open shot opportunity on the hill after the curtain. To prevent this shot, Furkan Korkmaz (#22) on the weak side needs to make a stunt & recover. So, he has to show himself to Dubljevic and then go back to his man. But this does not happen:

Pay attention to Cedi Osman in the first position and Shane Larkin in the second position. Both players are doing Stunt & Recover. This means that Turkey includes this in their defensive scheme. However, in the previous clip, Furkan Korkmaz does not execute it. Stunt make the opponent troubled, who has the opportunity to shoot, and gives your teammate time to run back. At the same time you are not completely leaving your own man:

Another example… Stunt can vary from team to team and depends on the coaches’ game preferences: