During one of Point Guard College’s recent Halftime Talks on the Hardwood Hustle Podcast, PGC’s Tyler Coston talked about three techniques that make their players the best ball screeners in the game. We loved them so much we wanted to share them with The Tribe!
1. Triple Wide: The feet (base) of the screener should be wide but not too wide. Triple Wide is having the screener’s feet just outside their shoulders, creating a strong base with the knees slightly bent.
2. Noisy: It is important to be noisy when setting the screen. But this is a different noisy than you usually hear discussed. This is being noisy with your feet. Teaching your players to make noise with their feet by jump stopping before the screen, this will alert and signal to the referee that the player is set and in legal position.
3. Double Wide: This technique is not exactly “legal”, but one that Kevin Garnett has mastered in his long NBA career and is rarely called by the officials. After setting the ballscreen, Garnett will pivot and roll or pop, in the direction in which the on-ball defender moves. For example, if the defender fights under the screen, once the ball clears Garnett’s shoulder he will pivot and open up setting ANOTHER screen on the defender trying to fight under. In order to prevent an illegal screen from being called, teach your players to always roll or pop with hands up calling for the ball.
Remember, to be a great screener, make sure you are Triple Wide, Noisy, and Double Wide.
