BALL SCREENS

Without question, the name of the game in basketball is to score points. One tool teams use to help put the ball in the basket is ball screens. It is such a useful maneuver that every team - on every level - makes ball screens a part of its offense to some degree.

Setting a ball screen involves at least two offensive players: one with the ball and another one without the ball. The offensive player without the ball finds the defender guarding her teammate who has the ball and temporarily blocks the defenders path, so that her teammate can advance the ball, often towards the basket, without being guarded.

To be legal, the player setting the screen may not hold or grab the defensive player being screened, and may not move at all while setting the screen. She must plant her feet on the floor and keep all her body parts in one plane. She must not have an elbow, hip or knee sticking out. If she breaks any of these rules, an offensive foul will be called and possession of the ball will go to the defense.

The player with the ball must also do her part to make sure the ball screen is executed successfully. She is responsible for running her defender into the screen. This is accomplished by dribbling at the teammate screening, and going past them very closely so that the defender will run into the screen.

Ball screens are really effective because they force the defense to make decisions. The defensive player involved in the ball screen may opt to switch players when the offensive player with the ball comes off the ball screen. The two defenders can double team the ball, forcing the offense to pick up the ball and complete a tough pass out of a trap. Or the defender guarding the ball may simply try to get around the screen as best she can while her teammate "hedges" or tries to slow the ball down, until she can recover.

In any event, the ball screen forces the defense out of its normal preferred assignments, giving the offense a slight advantage momentarily.

There are a number of players who excel at using ball screens, and Sue Bird, of the Seattle Storm, is one of them. She is a WNBA All-Star and National Team member because she is absolutely dangerous coming off of ball screens.

What makes Bird tremendous at using ball screens is the fact that she is a triple threat. She can knock down the long-range shot from behind the arc; she is adept at getting to the basket; and she can make pinpoint passes in traffic, thereby creating easy scoring opportunities for her teammates. No matter how the defense plays the ball screen, Bird can beat it.

The Storm like to set ball screens for Bird using a post player. If the defense decides to switch on the ball screen, Bird now has a taller, slower defender guarding her on the perimeter. When Bird sees this, she knows few, if any, post players can keep her from getting to the basket, so she will exploit this mismatch by driving to the basket.

If the defense opts to double team Bird when she comes off the ball screen, this also works in favor of the Storm. Now, the defense has two people guarding Bird, leaving only three defenders left to guard four Storm players. Because Bird is sensational at finding the open player, even when she is double-teamed, this defensive tactic, too, is an advantage for the Storm. Bird racks up assists on a nightly basis by dropping the ball off to open teammates when she is being doubled.

If the defense decides to play it honest, without switching or doubling, Bird will simply use the screen, get free of her defender and pull up for the jump shot or a little runner in the lane.

Even if you don't have the skills of a Sue Bird, ball screens are still incredibly potent to any offensive recipe because they give options and advantages to the offense. If used correctly, these options will certainly help put the ball in the basket, which is, of course, the point of it all anyway!

Coquese Washington is an assistant coach with Notre Dame University. She recently announced her retirement from the WNBA. Send your questions for her to WBHoopQues@aol.com.

Copyright Ashton International Media, Inc. Apr 2004
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