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Basketball Play - Miami

By Dr. James Gels, From the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook
"Helping coaches coach better..."

Defenses are accustomed to seeing a perimeter player curl around a post player inside, but having a post player come outside and curl around a perimeter player is not so familiar.

"Miami" vs man-to-man defense

Start with O4 at the block (diagram A) and O5 in the short corner on the same side. O3 v-cuts and gets the pass from O1. O3 dribbles toward the top even with the left lane line extended, while O1 cuts outside of O3 to the left wing. O2 steps inside the 3-point arc and O4 comes up and curls around O2, looking for the pass from O3 and a lay-up or shot in the paint. If the defense switches the curl cut, O4 should have a size advantage over the smaller X2 defender. After O4 curls, O2 pops back out to the wing.

basketball play Miami

If the pass to O4 is not there, O3 passes back to O1. O4 screens for O5 (diagram B) and O5 cuts to the ball-side elbow (diagram C), looking for the pass from O1. After screening, O4 pins the screened defender and cuts back to the ball at the block, looking for the pass and power lay-up. If the pass goes to O5 at the elbow (diagram D), O5's options are to shoot, pass to O4 or O2, or shot-fake and power dribble to the right side of the hoop. O2 has dropped toward the corner for the kick-out pass and 3-point shot.

basketball play Miami, vs zone defense

"Miami" vs the 2-3 zone (and also the 1-3-1 and 1-2-2 zones)

Start the play the same as in diagram A, with the pass going to O3 and O1 moving outside to the left wing, and with O3 dribbling toward the top. The initial pass to O4 curling around O2 is less likely to be open against the 2-3 zone (but could be open against a 1-2-2 zone). O4 mainly becomes a screener. After cutting, O4 locates in the left short-corner area.

O3 passes to O2 (diagrams E). O2 skip passes to O1 who has dropped down toward the left corner. This causes the low outside defender X3 to close-out on O1. O4 bumps and delays the X3 defender just enough to make the skip pass to the corner open. Then O4 lets the X3 defender move out to defend. Now O4 screens the middle low defender X4. O5 cuts underneath the screen for the pass from O1 and the power lay-up.