This is the 2nd part of looking at the Early offense of the Erie BayHawks. In part 1 we looked at more of the off ball actions that they ran. This featured a lot of Pindowns, Flares, and staggers.
In this post we are going to focus on more of the stuff that they did with the ball. One of the advantages of the ballscreens and handoffs is that they are easier to flow into out of a transition. With the off-ball actions we looked at last week you need to have players in certain spots. However, with a dribble handoff you just need two players to connect and spacing around it.
Ball Screens
The Bayhawks will use ballscreens in various ways early in the clock. They will set drag screens, they will take the ball to the wing for side Pick & Roll actions, and they will use a get action to turn into a ballscreen. They also run their ballscreen actions out of different alignments and different personnel.
#33 Vitto Brown sets the ballscreen for #20 Scottie Lindsey. On the under, Brown prescreens and helps Lindsey get downhill. When the weak side high tag tries to anticipate the pass to Brown, Lindsey hits the wing and catches the defense in a scramble.
This concept is the Roll run. #45 Zylan Cheatham is setting the drag screen for #5 Josh Gray. Instead of setting it normal, he runs through the gap causing a split second of confusion for the defense. Gray pulls up for the 3.
Gray brings it up the left side and Lindsey clears the corner. #13 Ike Anigbogu sets the side ball screen and sprints out early because the on ball defender is opened up.
One of their favorite ways to get into middle ballscreen if off the get action. #12 Tony Carr plays get game with Anigbogu. Anigbogu flips his angle and sets the ballscreen. He pivots out to stay in the pocket and because of the 45 cut from Brown it turns into a single tag situation.
Same action as above but this one Brown will pop. One of the things they are good at is playing off the pop. In this one Brown catches on the pop and goes into a dribble handoff with #22 Taren Sullivan who gets to his floater in the paint.
Angle
The way the Bayhawks run their early offense is very similar to the system that Fred Hoiberg has used at Iowa State and a little with the Bulls. This concept is something that Hoiberg calls “Mix Angle”. Basically they run action on one side through their “Flips” and “Pitch” series and then on the swing to the other side, they go into a step up style ballscreen.
The thing I love most about this action is how the ball moves. You engage the defense and get them moving early and then get one of your best guards into a step up screen on the 2nd side. It is an easy way to get into your action off movement.
#23 Bronson Koenig goes pitch with #9 Javon Bess. Bess goes flip with Lindsey. As Lindsey throws it to Koenig, Cheatham sprints into a step-up and rolls hard. The weak side defense sinks in to take the roll which opens up Lindsey for the catch & go finish.
Erie runs a pitch back to Brown who goes into a flip with #24 Aubrey Dawkins. Dawkins passes it to Adams who gets the second side step up from Cheatham. Adams gets to the baseline and throws the drift pass to Brown in the corner.
Although maybe not the traditional action, it is a similar concept. Tracer action to start and then Brown pops back. When the ball is handed off and Cheatham throws it to Brown on the top, Brown passes it too Gray. Brown flips his angle to get the step up and gives Gray a clear path to the rim. Cheatham makes a great cut from the 45 and gets the bucket.
Erie goes pitch to Sullivan and flip to Dawkins to trigger the step-up. Koenig comes off the screen from Cheatham. Instead of rolling, Cheatham sets a veer pin for Dawkins for an easy 3.
Dribble Hand Off
Although we showed some of the options with the handoffs above. This section will show how the Bayhawks score off some of the DHO’s they use.
One of the things that is hard to guard, is the post players bringing the ball up the floor. Here Brown brings it up and hands it off to Sullivan. Sullivan gets the open Jumper.
Adams passes it to Brown and cuts to the weak side. Brown goes flip action with Bess who turns the corner with a ton of space.
Adams hands it off to Sullivan. Sullivan goes into dho with Lindsey. Because Lindsey’s defender goes under, he gets the 3.
One of the other ways they score off handoffs is by pitching it back to the trail guy. With the guys they had in the trail spot, it was an easy way to create some advantage off the drive.
Adams pitches it back to Brown. Brown is able to get downhill and although he is cut off they score off a cut from Dawkins.
Same concept here but on the pitch back Cheatham makes a spin to get to the rim. Defensive bigs have a tendency to go to the paint. So when Cheatham gets the ball he is able to use his momentum.
Tracer Action
Erie did a good job of using the tracer action to create early opportunities. Tracer action has a lot of names but is a handoff into a ballscreen. What makes it effective is that its a quick hitting action that the defense has to communicate and execute a dribble handoff coverage and a ballscreen coverage.
Gray hands it off to Lindsey. Anigbogu reroutes the defender and Lindsey is able to get to the rim.
Here is an easy counter for a shooter. Koenig hands it to Dawkins. Dawkins centers the ball off the ballscreen and then Brown sets the pin down for Koenig. You can see in this example that the Swarm are switching and once Koenig hands off the ball, his defender sinks to help tag the roll from the big.
The Bayhawks run their tracer action. #7 on the Knicks pulls in on the ballscreen to help protect the. paint. Lindsey recognizes this and makes a great cut that would have been a layup if the bottom defender doesn’t pick him up. Koenig reads that and fills up for the open 3.
I love the movement on this action. They get a strong side tracer action and immediately swing it to the weak side into a second tracer action. All 5 guys are involved, the defense has been moved, and now they are ready to attack. Adams gets downhill for the floater.
Pistol
Pistol action is a big part of early offense in the NBA and G-League. It flows into a 3 man action with tons of space to attack.
Gray hits ahead early to Koenig and Koenig touches it back. Koenig spaces to the top and Anigbogu sprints into a side ballscreen. Gray gets into the paint and hits a floater.
The next part of the pistol is the keep option. Here Gray hits Adams on the wing. Adams fakes the handoff and comes off the balls screen from Cheatham. With the weakside spacing, he has a ton of room to attack and get downhill for the layup.