Written by Rick Torbett on August 28, 2009 – 11:31 PM
Q: I just started coaching your Read & React Offense in a 4-1 set and encountered something of a problem. I wonder how you “react” to this:
Say the post is on the left side of the floor. When either one of the guards or the wing on the right side of the floor turns the circle movement to the left by driving left towards the lane, the post has to slide down to the short corner because the ball entered the lane above him.
The wing closest to the center has to, according to the circle movement, run the baseline. This makes him bump into the post (now, in the short corner). You could say the post has to give him a screen, but then he has to take his eyes of the dribbler and he will not be ready to receive a pass. How do you solve this spacing problem?
A: When playing 4 OUT 1 IN, there are 6 spots on the perimeter: 2 guards, 2 wings, and 2 corners. The scenario that you described is the reason that, whenever possible, the perimeter players need to fill up to the 2 guard and 2 wing spots and leave the corners empty. When the wing opposite the post drives middle, the post steps down to the short corner and the weak-side wing should circle move to the corner. Only a player in the corner would circle move to the other corner.
When the wing penetrates to the middle and when everyone else slides properly, the dribble-penetrating wing will have the post in the short corner to bounce pass to (threatening the basket) and 3 possible perimeter targets to pitch to: guard, wing, and corner.