Zoom and Handoffs play
Miami: Handoff into Lift Ball Screen
- Court
- Half court
- Length
- 14 steps
About this play
Miami action, a dribble handoff followed immediately by a ball screen. Once you know the name you will spot it in nearly every NBA and college game, and in plenty of high school ones. From five-out the point passes to the slot big, the big dribbles at the corner shooter lifting to the wing and hands off, then runs to the low post to hold the help; the other big lifts from the far slot into a ball screen at the top for the shooter, and the shooter attacks the middle with a roller behind him. Why the handoff before the screen: the shooter arrives at the ball screen already moving, so his defender is trailing before the screen is set, and the screen takes a trailing defender out of the play. The reads: a trailing defender means pull up at the elbow, a dropped big means the pocket pass, help from the slot means kick, help from the corner means the corner three. The counter is for the defense that switches the handoff: the big fakes the handoff and keeps it, driving at the switching defender with the opposite corner cleared, Half Court Hoops' dribble keep. Common mistakes: the shooter lifting too early so the handoff is flat, the second big screening before the handoff is done, and the first big standing at the wing instead of running to the post. Most of what I know about Miami and Pistol came from Coach Daniel's film on how NBA teams run it and Coach's Clipboard's Pistol action plays, with the dribble keep borrowed from Half Court Hoops; give them a look.
