Friday Five
Five plays from the NY Liberty for your playbook.
I have been doing a lot of off-season film work, and in that film work, I have come across some really good plays that I think can benefit any playbook. Here are 5 plays from the New York Liberty that I want to highlight.
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BOB
The Liberty run a good baseline out-of-bounds play that I originally saw from the Dallas Mavericks under Carlisle - something he called “1 Out.”
Mavericks Version
What I like about Liberty’s version is they keep the main options for their best players in Stewart and Ionescu. The goal is to have a screen in the middle of the floor for Stewart and then have Ionescu come off a baseline exit screen, putting the defense in a tough spot.
We can see in the clip below that when the defense tries to cheat the play, Stewart makes them pay by coming off the baseline screen for the shot.
Diagram of the Play:
Video of the Play:
SOB
Instead of the normal backscreen into a dribble hand off or screen the screener action, the Liberty use the entry as almost a Delay look that turns into a Flare/Slip action.
The backscreen and slip opens up the first read into a hand-off and 2-man game and then flows into a stagger screen on the opposite side.
Diagram of the Play:
Video of the Play:
Flaring Stewart
The Liberty love to use Breanna Stewart off a various number of Flare screen sets, here are a few of the key ones.
21 Nash
Out of the normal 21 Nash action with a pass into a double ballscreen, the counter the Liberty use is to flare for Stewart into the opposite wing with a guard.
I anticipate this being a set we see other teams - especially in the NBA pick up on and use.
Diagram of the Play:
Video of the Play:
Horns Touch
A common look out of Horns the pass will go to the elbow and then a quick hand back to the point guard, followed by a Flare screen for a quick shot or attack.
Diagram of the Play:
Video of the Play:
Horns Empty
A similar action to the one above, but in the flow of their offense they can go to the ballscreen/flare screen combo.
This was a lethal action the Rockets used under D’Antoni - especially in flow & transition.
Diagram of the Play:
Video of the Play:
Exchange
A nice twist again on a normal set that alot of teams run - especially Gonzaga under Few.
The Liberty run this normal action making the defense defend multiple ballscreens and then having to handle an empty flare screen makes it very difficult to guard.
Diagram of the Play:
Video of the Play:
EOG AI Elevator
Nothing new about this play, but the special situation to setup an Elevator late in a game is always a good set in my book. This play starts off with a zipper cut and then the inbounder Iverson cuts over the top wing to wing.
Then Ionescu sprints through elevator doors for a 3.
Diagram of the Play:
Video of the Play:
EOG Grenade Hammer
Needing a score down late the Liberty went to one of my personal favorite actions, a Hammer screen out of a post up but with a great tweak. The ball is inbounded into the post after the initial zipper screen and then the inbounder split screens for a downhill hand off.
Then the weakside sets a Hammer screen to the opposite corner for the 3.
Uconn Version
It is likely this was taken and added to the Liberty playbook after seeing Uconn run this in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Diagram of the Play:
Video of the Play:
I hope you can take some of these plays and add them to your playbook either directly or as ideas to build open for your specific team, and as always thank you again for all of your support and for sharing my work.
Outwork Yesterday
Coach Pyper