Five cones around the arc, the coach at the top with the ball, X1 under the rim: X1 sprints and chops to the corner cone, yells shot with both hands high, because every cone is a shooter he has to take the rhythm shot from.

X1 turns, boxes the cone out with hands high, and push-steps back under the rim without crossing his feet, because the closeout is not finished until the rebound is secured.

Out to the left wing cone, sprint then chop, inside hand high, because the last third decides whether a shot-fake beats him.

Back under the rim again, low the whole way, because the push-step is where tired players stand up and the drill is teaching them not to.

X1 closes out to the top cone, the longest one, so the sprint is longer and the chop has to start earlier; the coach yells shot and X1 contests high.

Back under the rim and straight out to the right wing cone in one trip, because the next defender in line has started and the drill does not wait.

Back under and out to the right corner cone, hands high, baseline foot back, because a corner shooter has nowhere to drive but baseline and the closeout takes that away.

X1 boxes out the last cone and finishes under the rim; five closeouts, five box-outs, and the next player is already on his second cone, so the line never stops.

Middle ball screen coming: 1 at the top with the ball, 5 at the free-throw line, 2 and 3 in the corners, 4 on the left wing. The defense calls drop: X5 sits below the screen at the nail, X1 on the ball, X3 the low man on the weak side. Why drop: it is the coverage that forces the handler to beat the defense with a jump shot, and never with a layup.

5 steps up and sets the ball screen on X1 at the top. Why the defense does not move yet: in drop the big is already where he belongs, and the on-ball defender's job starts when the screen lands.

1 comes off the screen to the right and X1 chases over the top, top shoulder above the screener, on 1's hip; X5 stays at the nail between the roller and the rim as 5 rolls. The read is the drop: X5 is not coming up. Why over the top: the drop concedes the pull-up, not the three, so the on-ball defender takes the three away himself.

X3, the low man on the weak side, tags the roller with a bump and gets back toward 3, while X4 stunts from the weak wing toward the lane. Why the tag: the roller arrives before the big can meet him, and one bump from the low man gives the big the count he needs; the defense concedes a moment on the weak corner to keep the rim.

1 reads the drop and pulls up from fifteen feet with X1 on his hip and X5 below. Why the defense is happy: this is the shot the coverage chose to give, contested from behind, and the roller never caught the ball.

The miss comes off and X5, still at the rim with 5 on his back, rebounds it. Why the drop rebounds well: the big never left the rim, which is the coverage's second advantage.

Next trip, the offense's counter: the same screen, 5 for 1 at the top. Reset with 1 at the top, 5 at the free-throw line, X5 in drop at the nail. Why the offense comes back to it: it has learned the drop gives the pull-up, and it wants the roller instead.

1 swings the ball to 4 on the left wing to move the defense and 4 swings it straight back. Why the swing: the offense wants the drop reset in front of the ball before it runs the snake, so the big is at the nail where the snake pulls him from.

4 returns the ball to 1 at the top and X5 settles back into his drop at the nail. Why the defense does not change: the drop is a rule, and the rule is the same against the swing as against the screen.

5 sets the screen on X1 again. Why the defense calls drop again: a coverage is a rule, and the rule has an answer to what is coming.

The snake: 1 comes off the screen right, then crosses back left in front of 5 toward the other elbow, keeping X1 on his back and dragging X5 across the lane away from the roller. The read for the defense: the handler has crossed back and the big is being pulled off the roll. Why the snake works: X5 has to choose between staying with 5 and giving the pull-up, or sliding with 1 and giving the pocket pass.

The coverage's counter, the peel switch: X4, the top defender on the full side, switches onto the snaking 1 at the elbow, and X1 peels off into the rotation to 4 on the wing. X5 stays attached to 5 rolling. Why the peel: Slappin' Glass's rule is that the peel switch lets the dropped big stay with the roller, because the handler now has a fresh defender in front of him instead of one on his back.

1 is stopped at the elbow by X4 with X5 on the roller and X1 recovered to the wing; he picks up his dribble and has to pass back out to 4. Why the possession is a stop: the snake was built to make the big choose, and the counter meant he never had to. Forced out, contained.

Passers at the wing and the top, 5 on the right block: with the ball on the wing, below the free throw line, X5 fronts from the baseline side, one foot in front and one behind, inside arm across and a hand in the lane, because fronting from the baseline kills the drop step.

2 passes to 1 at the top and X5 moves on the flight of the ball, stepping under on the baseline side first, because the moment the ball is above the free throw line the lob over a front is open and the defender has to get high side.

X5 comes around to the high side with both feet above 5, arm bar on and a hand in the passing lane, three-quartering the post Bennett style, because stepping in front of him instead of under hands him a seal and a layup.

1 passes back to 2 on the wing and X5 drops under again on the baseline side as the ball travels, keeping contact on 5's thigh the whole way, because a defender who loses contact while the ball moves gives up the catch he was built to deny.

X5 re-fronts from the baseline side before 2 can enter it; six passes a rep with the entry denied every time, both blocks, then go live on an entry, because the only way to test a front is to let the passer try it.