Developing Pick and Roll Skill

With the pick and roll such a significant part of modern offence, it is important to incorporate specific skill development in this area as part of your practice plan.

While allowing players to discover and develop in the small-sided games setting and in live play are important in developing understanding, it is also important to build the footwork, skill and specific shooting base to thrive in the pick and roll.

Often the focus of pick and roll development is on the handler, but it is important to develop the screener and their skill set. This includes –

• Screening technique
• Footwork on “leaving” the screen
• The ability to “roll”, both through the step through and “belly to the ball”
• Catch and finish skills on the move – including reverse lay-up
• Catch and shoot off the roll
• Catch and shoot off the pick & pop
• Passing on the short roll

For the handler, skills to incorporate include –

• Use the screen to lay-up finishes
• Refuse the screen to lay-up finishes
• Pull-up jumper using the screen
• Pull-up refusing the screen
• Passing to the roller
• Passing to the popping screener
• Passing at the end of penetration

Thanks to the coaches from the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence Women’s Program for sharing some of the skill drills they to develop these important aspects of the game.