One of the most common plays in basketball, especially the NBA and College, is the Pick and Roll. Some of the best teams and players in the NBA have mastered the Pick and Roll. The Pick and Roll has greatly increased both team win totals and players offensive stats. What is a Pick and Roll in Basketball? The Pick and Roll is one of the main plays every great player learns and masters when they’ve reached the NBA.
A pick and roll is when one player on offense puts their body in front of the player on defense who is guarding the player who has the basketball. That player then rolls off the defender towards the hoop, allowing the player with the ball to be unguarded and have an easy pass to the player who just set the pick.
Once the “pick” (or screen) is set, the player with the basketball will move towards the pick, preventing the defender from guarding them since they are being screened. This allows for an open lane for the player with the basketball since the defender is being “picked” or “screened”.
The Roll in the pick and roll is the next step. The roll is when the player who set the pick then rolls off the defender and moves towards the hoop. This allows the player with the basketball to have two options:
- Continue with the basketball since the defender is out of place, or
- Pass the ball towards their teammate who has rolled towards the hoop.
The original defender must make a quick choice of who to guard, the ball handler, or the player who set the pick. That defender is already a step behind both players, thus leaving an efficient offensive play open for either offensive player in the process.
Contents
The Pick and Roll process
As explained, the Pick and Roll is when one player on offense sets a pick (or screen) on the player on defense who is defending the player on offense with the basketball. Below is a step by step visual of how the play works.
The Golden State Warriors have mastered the art of the pick and roll in today’s NBA. Draymond Green and Steph Curry use it multiple times per game. Most of the time setting up Curry for an easy shot or easy drive through the lane to the hoop.
Green has set a pick, or screened the defender that was guarding Curry. Thus, allowing Curry to have a wide open lane towards the hoop.
More examples of the Warriors using the Pick and Roll in this video on multiple occasions. See how it just takes one step to get the defender out of place.
How do you set a pick and roll?
To set a pick and roll, the first rule is setting your feet. You cannot have your feet moving when setting a pick (or a screen). This would result in a foul being called for a moving screen. A moving screen is an illegal move in basketball that results in an offensive foul and change of possession.
A moving screen is when a player who is trying to set a pick or screen has not stopped their feet. The player setting the pick cannot have their feet moving just so they can block the defender. The player setting the pick must come to a complete stop in front, behind, or side of the defender.
To set a pick in the pick and roll, it takes quite a bit of athleticism and quick feet. The player setting the pick must be quick enough to get to the defender but also stop their feet completely. Once the pick is set, they must then be able to start quickly again and roll towards the hoop. The process for the player setting the pick goes:
- move towards defender
- stop and plant your feet in front, back, or side of the defender
- roll off the defender by moving your feet quickly towards the hoop
- look for the ball being passed to you from the original ball handler
The other option is the player setting the pick can stay in place with their feet planted, completing blocking the defender. This allows the ball handler to drive towards the hoop or take an open shot. This play is simply setting a pick or setting a screen. This is what Draymond Green and Steph Curry have mastered since Curry is such an incredible shooter.
Advantage of the Pick and Roll
The most common way teams set a pick and roll is a bigger player setting a pick for their guards. Like a power forward or center screening the opposing teams guard. The bigger player setting the pick is much more difficult for the defender to deal with. This is due to the difference in size and strength.
If a point guard has the ball they are most likely being guarded by the opposing teams point guard. If they are screened by the offenses power forward, there is a size disadvantage for the defender. Because the offensive point guard is typically a quicker player or better shooter, the advantage happens fast. That player has the option to keep moving to the hoop or take an open shot.
If the defender is able to come off of the screen or through it and back to the ball handler, this quickly opens up a pass option to the player who just set the pick. This is the key to the pick and roll. Set a quick pick, then roll off toward the hoop. It quickly becomes a play of two versus one.
As you can see with all the photos, the bigger offensive player is setting the pick for the ball handler, who is the point guard or shooting guard.
Why is the Pick and Roll so effective?
The main reason the pick and roll is so effective is due to the fact that the defender is being screened. They are being blocked from the player they are trying to defend. It’s like a quarterback having the offensive line protecting them from the defense. If the defender can’t get to the player they are guarding, they are quickly at a disadvantage. And the offense is quickly at an advantage.
The pick and roll is extremely effective when the ball handler is the point guard or shooting guard. That’s because the guard is typically the fastest player on offense or one of the best shooters. By freeing that player up from a defender, it allows the offense or that player to have a wide-open shot or lane to the hoop.
By having that open shot or lane to the hoop, it’s easy to see why the pick and roll is so effective. And why it’s so widely used to gain offensive efficiency.
The pick and roll is effective in creating a shot for the ball handler. Also for an open lane to the hoop. It also allows them to have an option to pass to an open player.
If the player with the ball has just received the benefit of a screen is then quickly guarded, one of their teammates is going to be open. If the player setting the pick rolls off the player they set the pick on, that defender normally goes back to defending the ball handler. This opens up a lane for the player who set the pick to be open for a pass. That’s the pick and the roll.
What is a Pick and Roll conclusion
The pick and roll is a must for any NBA team and most college teams to master to be an effective offensive scoring team. It helps win games because it opens up easy shots.
Simply, the pick and roll is when one player on offense sets a pick (or screen) on the player on defense who is guarding the player on offense with the ball. Then after the pick is set and the ball handler is free from being guarded, the player who set the pick will roll off the defender towards the hoop. This allows the ball handler to have an open pass to their teammate who is already heading towards the hoop or have an easy open shot or lane themselves to the hoop.
The pick and roll is one of the most common and great plays in basketball and is being used at all levels. It’s both a smart play and easy play. As long as the player setting the pick sets their feet, it’s legal.
Basketball is a fast-paced game and by getting a defender a step behind or an offensive player open, it creates more shot opportunities and chances of scoring.