Stephen reviews game footage to show the screening tactics he and his teammates use to score against strong defenses. To dominate the court with effective ball screens, it takes the quick
decision-making and keen awareness of an entire team, not just a single player.
As a ball-handler, the bulk of the work is on you to ensure a successful screen and driving lane to the basket. Simple tactics like pull dribbles and plyo steps can get your defender off balance, giving your screener a better chance at blocking them and opening up a lane for you to drive the ball to the basket. The dribble handoff is another screening technique, in which the screener starts with the ball and hands it off. Approach the dribble handoff like a ball screen: stay close to your screener as
they hand you the ball, giving them the best chance to block your defender. After exiting the screen, use your opposite shoulder to shield the ball from your defender as you finish at the rim or
prepare to take your shot from further out in the field.
A successful pump fake hinges on timing. Once your defender jumps—fooled by your initial pump to the basket—take your real shot as they start to fall back down. Since you’re on your way up as your defender is on the way down, there’s no way your defender can guard against your shot.
Stephen’s relatively short stature makes him a more nimble player, so he likes to match himself up against larger defenders who are less agile than he. Learning to read the defense to match yourself against defenders who can’t effectively guard against your strengths will help make you a more strategic and successful player overall. Keep in mind that you may have to adapt your winning strategy in the face of a dynamic defense. Defensive tactics may change over the course of an entire career, season, or game. Don’t let yourself and your team stagnate—adjust your offense accordingly to effectively beat an evolving defense.
Watch how ball screens unfold during real NBA games, and be on the lookout for them the next time you catch a game on television. Can you spot the techniques Stephen teaches during a live game? Look out for ball-handlers starting at the level of the screen, getting low and grabbing the screener’s calf, surveying the floor after coming around the screen, and rejecting the screen.
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