Coaches’ Corner- Learning How To Handle Ball Screen Defenses

Ball screens are a major part of most offenses in today’s basketball. Both the ball handler and the screener need to know exactly what they are going to do vs different ball screen defensive coverages.

Step 1- Coach’s Homework

As a coach, you need to identify what coverages different teams use vs your ball screens. So typically, you probably face teams who switch, hard hedge, trap, and drop coverage. 

Once you get a list of the coverages you need to be prepared to handle, you need to determine how you want to handle each of the coverages. 

Pick out 2-3 actions where your team uses ball screens. Maybe you have a drag action at the end of a break, a side ball screen, and maybe a late in shot clock middle ball screen. Draw up each of these situations and determine what you want your ball handler and your screener to do. 

Step 2- Repetition vs Same Coverage

Set up a 5 on 5 scrimmage situation where you start with the ball screen you are working on. For example it might be a side ball screen vs. a trapping coverage. So start the 5 on 5 scrimmage at the spot of the ball screen, then play on. 

In another day, do the same drill but change the screen coverage. Spending just 10 minutes a day, hopefully the repetition develops understand and execution. 

Step 3- Read and Respond

The last step is do the same drill as you did in Step 2, start from the ball screen then scrimmage. The difference this time, have an assistant create a code with the defensive team. Initially with this drill, the assistant will signal them to use one of 2-3 coverages. So maybe the assistant will signal to the defense to use switching coverage or trapping coverage. 

The offense needs to read what the coverage is, and then respond with the action that is most effective. 

The goal is to get players to identify defensive coverages, and respond with an appropriate and effective action.