The pick and roll/pop is a staple offense for many teams. It involves usually a power forward or center setting a screen for the ball handler, who is usually a guard. The ball handler can then use the extra space provided by the screen to either attack the basket, pull up for a jump shot, pass to the screener for either a drive or a shot, or pass to other teammates if the opponent overcommits with help defense. A good ball handler must make very quick decisions on these options after assessing how the defense is playing them. Since the pick and roll/pop offense relies on reading the defense, I’m going to talk about how teams defend the pick and roll and the pros and cons of each defense.
The ball handler’s defender can either go under or over the screen. Going under the screen means that the defense is giving up the pull up shot from the ball handler. This is good against players who are not good shooters like Rajon Rondo, but bad against players who can shoot. Also, going under the screen means that the ball handler’s defender is losing sight of the ball handler for a slight moment due to the screen. The ball handler can take advantage of this to create confusion for the defense. Going over the screen prevents the ball handler from shooting, yet gives up lane penetration for the basket. This type of defense requires the player guarding the screener to sag down closer to the basket to help contain the ball handler drive, which would give up a shot for the screener or could even give up an open lane for the screener to roll to the basket for a high percent shot.
The defense can also guard pick and roll/pop using hedges or blitz. Hedge is when the screener’s defender pop up to block the path of the ball handler using the screen momentarily, slowing down the ball handler or scaring him into taking retreat dribbles away from the basket. Then the screener’s defender would run back to cover his man. During the screener’s defender’s hedge, the ball handler’s defender would also follow the ball handler, sandwiching him momentarily. If successful, this defense could delay or reset the play and waste valuable shot clock time. However, if the ball handler could make a pass to the screener during the hedge, there would be an open lane for the screener to score or make plays. Blitz is when the ball handler’s defender and screener’s defender double team the ball handler aggressively when he comes off of a screen. If successful, the pressure could force the ball handler into making a bad pass, resulting in a turnover or the defenders could rip the ball from him. This type of defense is the most aggressive of all pick and roll/pop defense, and again if the ball handler is able to make the pass to the screener, the screener can use the space to score or make plays.
The last type of defense is switching defenders. When the ball handler uses the screen, the ball handler’s defender would now guard the screener, and the screener’s defender would guard the ball handler. This is usually used as a last ditch effort when the defense knows the other types of pick and roll/pop defense are not going to work. The advantage of this type of defense is that the screen is no longer effective in creating separation between offense and defense since the defense is not running into it. The disadvantage is that this switching usually creates one-on-one player mismatches. A bigger but slower player is now guarding a quicker and more agile player. A smaller and weaker player is now guarding a bigger and stronger player.
In conclusion, the pick and roll/pop is a very common strategy, and defending it well can mean the difference between a win or a loss.
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