Spanish pick-and-roll (Stack/Spain PnR) tactical science popularization & analysis

In the opening game between the Mavericks and the Spurs this season, the Mavericks used a tactical cooperation to give Klay Thompson, a well-known top scorer in the league, a three-point open opportunity with "no one in front of 10 meters". In this round, the Mavericks launched the tactics in Spain pick-and-roll (Stack/Spain PnR).

Tactical link

Spanish pick-and-roll (Spain PnR) is usually composed of a group cooperation tactic completed by 3 people. The staffing is usually composed of a ball holder + a cover man (usually a center) + an outside player who bounces outside after making back cover.

tactical link is that the ball holder (1 in the figure) holds the ball and covers the person (5 in the figure). On the way to the center forward, another outside player ambushed in the paint area (2 in the figure) will set up a "back cover" for the cover and bounce out of the three-point line.

The three players who cooperated in the Spanish pick-and-roll, whether they are ball handlers, followers, or players who use back covers to bounce, can become the endorseers of tactics.

Spanish pick-and-roll tactical diagram:

Tactical concept

The core concept of Spanish pick-and-roll is STS (to cover the cover). After the ball holder and the center initiate the pick-and-roll, the shooter ambushed in the penalty area will provide a back cover for the center who has just finished covering the ball holder.

The shooter can also choose tactical purposes by adjusting the quality of the screen:

Some teams will fake the block and quickly break when launching the Spanish pick-and-roll, in order to find a three-pointer opportunity to make a mobile phone;

Some teams will emphasize that players who are doing back cover create solid covers to create opportunities for the ball holders or the finisher to attack the box. For example, the Mavericks in some rounds of the playoffs last season, and the Clippers also emphasized solid back covers in some Spanish pick-and-roll tactical rounds.

Tactical code observation

This is a short time since the start of G2 of the Western Conference Finals of this season. With 9:16 seconds left in the first quarter of the game, the Thunder's sideline ball round:

It can be seen that the Thunder coach Dagnut made the gesture of "two fistulass crossing" many times in this round. At the same time, it can be roughly guessed through the lips. Dagnut shouted: "Stack!"

It can be seen that the Thunder coach Dagnut ended in close-up. The game was cut back to the sideline ball round after the game was cut back to the field. The Thunder played the Spanish pick-and-roll initiated by Alexander after using two unball covers to lift it to the top of the arc:

However, in this round, Dort omitted the link of providing back cover for Chet and directly reached 45° on the left.

The field case:

The ball holder end case:

In this round, the player who is doing the back cover provides very solid cover quality, and hangs up the opponent's center against the pick-and-roll, creating a frame-rushing space for the ball holder.

James chose to go off the line to defend Leonard, and Thick Brow, who was defending the pick-and-roll, did not step into the three-point line and delayed. Leonard saw the opportunity and took the ball and took a three-pointer penalty when the tactic was halfway through.

The ending case of center forward:

The STS concept in the Spanish pick-and-roll was implemented very thoroughly. In the following two rounds, the players who were behind the cover provided very solid cover, catching the opponent's pick-and-roll center, and also creating a high-quality ending opportunity for their own center to go down.

The ending case of the external shooter:

Doncic + Klay Thompson + Lively are very high-quality Spanish pick-and-roll personnel. The configuration of the league's top offensive player, ball holder + the league's well-known top shooter + high-quality finishing center also strengthens the power of the Spanish pick-and-roll.

In this round, the Mavericks' Spanish pick-and-roll directly caused the Spurs' defensive chaos, creating a large open space for Clay to take the phone.

Spanish pick-and-roll variants:

There are many wonderful variants for Spanish pick-and-roll. Here we mainly introduce two main ways to extend variants based on the Spanish pick-and-roll tactic.

1. Connect the Spanish pick-and-roll through other tactics (such as tactical starter):

Chin Cut + Spanish pick-and-roll

In a Los Angeles derby game in the 23-24 season, the Clippers use Chin Cut as the tactical starter to connect the Spanish pick-and-roll. Westbrook's solid back cover directly caught Thick Brow, clearing the obstacle to the box for Leonard who held the ball.

2. Adjust the running route of Spanish pick-and-roll:

This is a Spanish pick-and-roll tactical variant set by Hawks coach Snyder for Bogdan:

Hawks coach Snyder once explained this tactic in a program.

Snyder emphasized that Trae Young ran to the bottom corner and cleared one side. Because compared with ordinary Spain, the big difference is the direction of the player who is doing back cover to bounce (ordinary Spain bounces outside to near the top of the arc, which is near the flange and bottom corner).

Snyder also mentioned that because they knew that Mathering and Hilde would switch defenses, Okonggu made a cover for the ball holder and turned around to provide another cover to help Bogdan block Hilde who was about to switch defenses and chase him.

After Bogdan joined the Clippers, the Clippers also began to set up this Spanish tactical variant for Bogdan:

The difference between the Clippers' round and the Hawks' round in the case is that the Clippers' round focuses more on Bogdan's unball screen to delay the opponent's center (it can be clearly seen from the difference in the quality of Bogdan's screen in the two cases), rather than focusing more on helping Bogdan get an open opportunity like in the case.. Therefore, in this round of the Clippers, there was no link in which Zubac turned around and did a second screening.

But Bogdan finally got a three-pointer and made a phone call. Nate Williams was dizzy by Zubac's cover. After taking the cover, he didn't react immediately who he should defend against. Here, Whitmore had already taken the risk of emptying the penalty area, Jones, who went to defend Bogdan, but was still shot by Bogdan.