The sideline box: 3 inbounds at the free-throw line extended with X3 on the line, 1 at the ball-side elbow, 5 at the weak elbow, 2 on the ball-side block, 4 on the weak block. Why the box is inside the lane on a sideline play: the screens are set where the defenders stand, and on a sideline entry they stand between their men and the ball.

On the handoff, 1 drops and down-screens X2 on the ball-side block and 5 drops and down-screens X4 on the weak block. Why both: the defense cannot tell which pop is the entry, and the inbounder needs two outlets.

2, the best handler, pops off 1's screen to the ball-side wing for the catch, and 4 pops off 5's screen to the weak slot as the second outlet. The read is X2: he trails under the down screen. Why the pop goes to the wing and not the corner: the wing catch faces the floor, and the corner is a trap.

3 inbounds to 2 on the wing and steps in to the ball-side corner. Why the inbounder goes to the corner: the ball screen is coming to the middle, and a corner shooter keeps the help home.

3 steps in to the corner and 1 fills the weak corner. Why the corners fill now: the ball screen is coming to the middle, and two corner shooters keep both helpers home.

5 lifts from his screen and sets a middle ball screen on X2. Why the screener is the weak-side post: he is already in the lane, and the defender who would switch it is on the weak block.

2 comes off 5's screen into the middle and X5 has to step up to the ball; 5 rolls. Why the middle: a sideline entry that goes toward the baseline is trapped, and one that attacks the middle sees the whole floor.

5 rolls to the rim with X5 up on the ball. Why the roll is open: the defender who stepped up is the only one who was between the roller and the rim.

2 drops the pass to 5 at the rim. Why the pass is a pocket pass: X5 is up on the ball, and the ball goes under his hands to the roller behind him.

5 scores. Score. Why the safe play scores at all: a clean entry into a ball screen is a half-court possession with the defense already behind.

Next trip, the adjustment: the defense denies the pop, X2 playing on the high side of 2 and sitting on 1's down screen. Reset to the sideline box with 3 inbounding. Why the deny: the defense has decided the entry to 2 is the play and would rather give up something else.

1 and 5 down-screen again; 2 pops and X2 denies him, on the high side with a hand in the lane. The read for the counter: the denied pop. Why the inbounder does not force it: a sideline pass into a deny is the turnover the defense is playing for.

The counter: 2 pops and is denied, so 1, the screener, steps back to the ball as the entry and 4 pops to the weak slot. Why the screener: the Coaching Toolbox's rule for the Portland series is that when the defense denies or switches, the inbound goes to the screener stepping back to the ball.

3 inbounds to 1 stepping back, and 2 cuts off 1 in a handoff with X2 still on the high side. Why the handoff: the denying defender is above the handler, and a handoff puts the handler below him with the ball.

1 hands off to 2 coming off his hip and 2 attacks the middle downhill with X2 behind the handoff and 5 clearing. Why this ends the possession well: the deny cost the defense its position on the ball, and the handler is going downhill with a step.

2 pulls up at the elbow and scores. Score. Why the safe play has a counter: the deny is the only way to stop a down-screen entry, and the screener coming back is the one pass a deny cannot reach.

The sideline box, 3 inbounding, 2 the shooter on the ball-side block. Why the shooter starts on the ball side: the hammer sends him to the weak corner, and a shooter who starts weak side is already being watched there.

On the handoff, 5 down-screens X1. Why the down screen for the handler: the hammer starts with a clean wing catch, and a screened defender gives it.

1 pops off 5's screen to the ball-side wing for the entry and 2 slides to the ball-side corner. Why the entry to 1 on the wing: the hammer needs a driver on the ball side with room to attack the baseline.

3 inbounds to 1 on the wing and steps in to the top. 2 clears from the corner along the baseline to the weak side. Why 2 runs the baseline now: he has to be on the weak side before the drive, so the hammer screen has someone to screen for.

1 drives the baseline hard toward the rim and X4 steps across from the weak block to help. The read is X4 committing. Why the drive has to reach the baseline: the help only leaves the weak side for a drive it believes, and a drive that stops at the wing is not believed.

The hammer: as the help turns to the ball, 4 steps out from the weak block and back-screens X2, the shooter's defender, who is watching the drive. Why the screen lands now: X2's eyes are on the ball, and a back screen on a defender who is watching the ball is never seen.

2 drops off the hammer screen to the weak corner with X2 behind the screen. Why the corner and not the wing: the hammer screen is set on the baseline side, and the corner is the spot it protects.

1 throws the baseline skip pass from under the rim to 2 in the weak corner. Why the pass is along the baseline and not over the top: the help came from the middle, so the baseline is the one lane with nobody in it.

2 shoots the corner three with X2 behind the hammer. Score. Why the Spurs made it famous: it turns the one thing every defense does, help on a baseline drive, into the shot it cannot recover to.

Next trip, the adjustment: the defense has seen the hammer and X4 stays home on the weak block, refusing to help on the drive. Reset to the sideline box, 3 inbounding. Why staying home is the adjustment: the help is what the hammer punishes, and the only way not to be punished is not to help.

5 down-screens X1 again. Why the same start: the defense is being asked to show whether it will help, and it only shows against the drive it has seen.

1 pops to the wing and 2 slides to the corner, the same entry picture. Why the same picture: the defense has to believe the hammer is coming to show that it will not help.

3 inbounds to 1 on the wing and steps in to the top while 2 runs the baseline to the weak side. The read for the counter is already visible: X4 is sitting on the weak block with his hands on 4, not watching the ball. Why that matters: a help defender who refuses to help is a defender who has left the rim to the driver.

The counter: 1 drives the baseline and nobody comes; 4 holds his position so X4 has to stay, and 5 lifts to the elbow to take X5 away. Why the drive goes all the way: with the help staying home, the baseline is open to the rim, and the hammer is not needed.

1 finishes at the rim off the baseline drive. Score. Why the hammer forces this choice: the defense can help and give up the corner, or stay home and give up the rim, and it has to pick before the drive starts.

The box: 2 and 1 at the elbows, 5 and 4 on the blocks, 3 inbounding to the right of the basket with X3 inside the line. Every baseline play in this series starts from this picture. Why the box: it puts two screeners next to the two defenders who guard the rim, and the defense cannot tell which screen is coming.

On the handoff, 5 steps off the ball-side block and cross-screens X4 in the lane. Why on the handoff and not the slap: the slap burns one of the five seconds for nothing, and the five seconds are the play. Mike Fratello and Hubie Brown both coach it off the handoff.

4 cuts low off 5's hip to the ball-side block for the first look. The read is X4: he trails over the screen, so the bounce pass is there. Why the cut goes low and not high: the low side is the ball side, and a high cut gives the trailing defender the inside.

The defense's adjustment, the one every scouted box play sees: X4 and X5 switch the cross screen, X5 jumping to 4 on the block and X4 staying on 5. Why the switch: it is the only way to keep the cutter from arriving first, and it is where the counter begins.

The counter: 1 drops from the weak elbow and screens X4, the defender now on 5. Why screen the screener now: X4 is small and turned toward the cutter, and a screen on him frees the biggest player on the floor.

2 pops from the ball-side elbow to the wing as the safety while 1's screen holds X4. Why the safety pops now: the inbounder needs a fourth option the moment the seal is set, so the pass to the seal can come from the wing.

5 comes off 1's screen, seals X4 on his back at the front of the rim, and calls for the ball; 1 fills the top after screening. Why the seal and not a cut: against a switch the big has the small, and a seal makes the pass a two-foot one.

3 inbounds to 2 on the wing, the safety, because the angle to 5 is covered by X3 standing on the line. Why the safety is a real option: the inbounder treats him as a pass, not a parking spot, and keeps his eyes off the seal until the ball is in.

2 feeds 5 on the seal with a bounce pass and 3 steps in opposite the ball to the weak corner. Why the entry comes from the wing: the seal is on the ball-side block, and the wing has the angle the baseline did not.

5 scores over the switched defender. Score. Why this is the first play to install: it is one screen and one counter, and a defense that switches it has just conceded the biggest mismatch on the floor.

Horns out of the timeout: 4 and 5 at the elbows, 2 the shooter in the right corner, 3 in the left corner, 1 with the ball. Why the shooter starts in a corner: the elevator cut comes along the baseline, and a corner is where it starts.

1 dribbles to the left wing to pull X1 and the help that way, and 3 lifts out of the left corner to the wing to hold X3. Why the dribble away from the shooter: the pass to the top will come from the wing, and the defense's eyes follow the ball.

2 cuts from the right corner along the baseline and up through the gap between 4 and 5 at the elbows. The read is X2: he trails the cut. Why the baseline route: a cut along the baseline runs under every help defender, and the defender who trails it has to go through the doors.

4 and 5 close the doors behind 2 as he clears to the top of the key, and X2 runs into them. Why the elbows close and do not chase: the screen is the two bodies standing still, and a screener who moves is a foul.

2 arrives at the top of the key with X2 behind the doors. Why the catch is at the top: it is the one spot on the arc that both doors protect.

1 passes from the wing to 2 at the top of the key. Why the pass comes from the wing: the dribble put the ball on the side away from the doors, with a clear line to the top.

2 shoots. Score. Why the Pistons ran this after timeouts: it is one cut and one pass, and the defense has to guard two bigs standing still.

Next trip, the adjustment: the defense has seen the elevator and X5, the top screener's defender, steps out early to show on the shooter as the doors close. Reset to Horns with 1 at the top and 2 in the right corner. Why the defense does this: it is sending a second defender to the shooter, and the only one close enough is a big.

1 dribbles left and 2 cuts along the baseline through the gap again; this time X5 steps out early toward the top to show on the shooter. The read for the counter: X5 has left 5. Why it is visible: a defender who leaves his man to show on a cutter does it before the cutter arrives, or he is late.

The counter: 4 closes his door alone and 2 keeps going to the top as the decoy, while 5 dives to the rim behind X5. Why the dive: Basketball For Coaches' rule for the elevator is that when a screener's defender predicts the pass, the screener dives, because the defender who predicted it is standing where the screener used to be.

2 arrives at the top with X5 and X2 both on him, and 5 dives to the rim with nobody. Why the lane is empty: the help is at the top with the shooter, and the big who would protect the rim is the one who left.

1 passes from the wing to 5 at the rim and 5 lays it in. Why the pass comes from the wing: the point kept the ball on the side away from the show, with a clear line to the rim.

5 scores. Score. Why the elevator has a counter at all: a defense that sends a big to the shooter has to leave the rim to do it.

Drawn from half court with 3.4 seconds left: 3, the strongest arm, is inbounding from the far baseline, so the long pass arrives at the top of the drawing. 4 and 5 start near half court, 2 the shooter and 1 wide. Why the long pass is the whole play: the clock does not start until the catch, so a pass that travels the length of the floor costs nothing.

On the handoff, 2 and 1 step in and screen for 5 and 4, who were lined up by the defense as the targets. Why the shooters screen: it turns the defenders on the posts the wrong way for one count, and one count is the whole pass.

5 cuts off 2's screen to the right sideline past half court and 4 cuts off 1's to the left as the second target. The read is X5: he lost a step on the screen, so 5 is the target. Why two targets: a long pass thrown to one covered man is a steal, and two gives the inbounder a choice.

3 throws the long pass to 5 on the right sideline. Why the pass is to the sideline and not the middle: the sideline catch has one defender to beat, and the middle has three.

As the ball is in the air, 2 back-cuts off his own screen and sprints down the right arc toward 5. Why the shooter runs after the pass: he arrives with momentum into the shot, and the defender who guarded the screen is behind him.

5 catches with his hands up and, with X5 attached, taps the ball to 2 running into his shot instead of pivoting. Why the tap: Drew's rule from the Valparaiso play is that a catcher with a defender attached taps the ball in stride, because a catch and pivot takes the second he does not have.

2 catches in stride and shoots the three. Score. Why this works with three seconds: the long pass took none of them, the tap took none of them, and the shot took the three.

The counter, for the defense that scouted it: both defensive bigs drop back to the arc to take away the long catch, and the inbounder's man plays off. Reset to the same start with 3 inbounding. Why the defense does this: it has decided the long pass is the play and is giving up a shorter one.

Coach's Clipboard's Maryland: 1 steps toward the ball as the decoy the defense expects, and 5 cuts hard to half court for a shorter pass while X5 sits back at the arc. The read for the counter: the long catch is covered and the short one is not. Why the decoy: the defense has been told the point gets the ball, and a decoy who looks like it holds a defender.

3 throws the shorter pass to 5 at half court, and 2 and 4 take two steps toward the ball and back-cut to the arc on either side. Why both back-cut: the dropped bigs are at the arc, and a back cut behind a dropped defender arrives at the arc behind him.

5 catches, pivots, and fires to 2 on the right arc behind the dropped X5. Why the pivot pass: with the bigs dropped the catch is clean, and a clean catch has the second to pivot.

2 shoots the three. Score. Why the two versions are one play: the defense can guard the long pass or the short one, and the shooter ends on the arc either way.