One of the projects I took on this Summer was watching every clip of the Rockets offense up to the playoffs. I have always thought Mike D’Antoni doesn’t get enough credit for his creative basketball mind and what he has done with the Rockets this year deserves more credit.
When people think of the Rockets they think of the Harden iso and him crossing over 37 times before drawing a foul on a step back that people on twitter argue about if it was a travel. However, I believe that they do a lot of really creative and smart things to build their offense.
This blog is split up into parts. This one will focus on how the Rockets use the touch screen so effectively and the next one focuses on the Rockets use of surprise screen.
What is a Touch Screen?
The touch screen is when an offensive player sprints up to screen and makes a minimal amount of contact to the on-ball defender (Usually by extending his hands onto the defender) before making a quick roll or pop. It can also be used as an off ball screening action (especially on flares).
A touch screen is effective because it initiates the defensive coverage and causes confusion between the two defenders. A slip is similarly effective, but it doesn’t always get the defensive coverage to initiate in how they are trying to guard the ballscreen.
It is effective against all types of coverages.
Double or hard Hedge: Gets 2 on the ball and gets the screener into his short roll to play 4 on 3.
Switch: Can cause confusion on the screen if the 2 defenders should switch or stay. It also gets the screener getting downhill early against the switch.
Ice or Drop: Gets the on-ball to open his hips and gets the screener rolling downhill quickly.
Roller Scoring
The first set of clips will look at how the roller can score. The addition of Robert Covington really helped them because he was great at this screen. One of the keys for a good screener is being able to be fast into the screen and fast out of the screen. Covington is quicker than most of his matchups and is able to create tons of space to open up scoring opportunities.
#33 Covington comes up and sets the screen for #13 Harden. The Hornets are in a switch and when Covington screens his defender jumps out. Covington gets a head start to the rim on the switched defender. Because the Rockets play with so much spacing/skill it is an easy layup.
Covington again sets the screen. He gets the defense to switch on the screen and gets the head start towards the rim for the layup. You can see the indecision of the 2 defenders involved in the screen.
Here is #16 Ben Mclemore setting the screen for #0 Westbrook. Early offense touch screens add another element that the defense must navigate. Westbrook is able to make the quick bounce pass in the pocket for the layup.
Another example of touch screens being even more effective in transition situations. The Rockets come up in a double screen situation and Covington uses the touch screen to get into his roll. The defense is confused and it turns into a wide open layup.
The Clippers are in a push type coverage and Covington sets it to the baseline. Covington rolls and Harden is able to throw it over the defense. Covington finishes before the weak side can get to him.
The screener can pop on these screens. Here Covington gets the defense to get into their push coverage and he pops for the open 3. You can see that the two defenders in the screening action are caught and they have no chance to get to the pop man. The speed of the screening action can catch the off ball defenders relaxing. Lillard should be the guy responsible for tagging, but they are caught on the weak side trying to switch.
Roller Passing
The next level of using the Touch Screen is using them as a passer. On all ball screens the defense will have a tag man responsible for the roller. The Rockets are really good at getting it to the roller and having the roller make a quick decision to make a pass out. This is one of the reasons that they are such an elite “Dominos” team and play off advantage.
Covington touches and rolls hard. He gets the advantage on his defender, but the Magic bring over a low tag to prevent the layup. Covington is able to pivot and pass out to Westbrook who makes the quick first touch decision to #17 Tucker in the corner. Tucker reads the hard closeout and ends up with the floater.
Mclemore sets the screen higher and gets the Hornets into their push. Once he gets the ball he attracts a second defender and kicks it out to #4 House Jr for the 3.
Mclemore gets the ball on the roll. When the low defender comes over he is able to make the pass out. Now the Rockets are playing dominos and trying to keep the advantage.
Here we see an example of how PJ Tucker helps the offense by screening in the bottom guy. This is created by the touch screen and the defense having to sell out to protect the rim.
Ballhandler Scoring
The touch screen is a way to confuse the defense at the point of the screen. We have seen two ways the Rockets score with them throwing it to the roller. It also can help the ball handler to score in multiple ways.
Missed switch: One defender switches and the other doesn’t giving the ball handler an easy shot or drive.
Switch to a matchup: The screener gets his defender to switch onto the ballhandler (Usually Harden or Westbrook) and now they can go 1-1 against a better matchup.
Indecision: All it takes is a moment of indecision for the ball handler to get an angle for a drive.
A touch screen in transition causes the Suns to be stuck between two coverages. The on-ball defender tries to switch, but Ayton is in a drop coverage. This leads to the wide open 3.
Here the Rockets use the touch screen to get Harden going against RJ Barrett & not against Mo Harkless. A small thing, but it leads to harden driving to the rim and getting fouled.
Actions to build off the Touch Screen
One of the best things about the Rockets offense is how they build on simple actions and add counters to get a specific shot. The touch screen is something they do a lot in the flow of their offense, but the following clips show how they can add a screen to make it an even better action.
#10 Gordon sets the touch screen and rolls into the paint. The defense guards the action and as Gordons defender is settling into position, Gordon sprints off a gut screen to the top for an easy 3.
Gordon sets the touch screen. You can see that when he gets into the paint, Jamal Murray stops and relaxes because he guarded the action. Gordon sprints off the gut screen for the 3.
Mclemeore sets the touch screen for Westbrook and rolls to the paint like he normally would. His defender is trailing him and he is able to screen down for Jeff Green to get an open 3 against a defender who is peeking on the ballscreen.
Here is another way to create an easy 3 for a big. Mclemeore sets the screen and rolls. He comes off the cut screen and does a forced curl into Jeff Green’s defender to create the space needed for the 3.
Be on the lookout for the second part later in the week..