Basketball Plays

Basketball Plays DHO Thumb Down

By Brian Williams on November 24, 2013

Coach Vonn Read has submitted several plays from his playbook series The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays to the Coaching Toolbox.

Coach Read is an Assistant coach for the University of Houston Women’s Team. He also served as an assistant coach in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury, Orlando Miracle, and San Antonio Silver Stars.

He was an advanced scout for the Orlando Magic as well as The Charlotte Sting.

Diagrams created with FastDraw

The 1 player will dribble to the wing for a dribble hand off with the 2 player.

The 2 player will dribble the ball to the middle of the floor and pass it to the 3 player on the wing.

After making the pass, the 2 player will cut to the middle of the paint.

This puts their defender in perfect position to help on the drive, which sets the action up.

The 5 player will fake the ball screen, and the 3 player will drive baseline to force X2 to help.

On the drive by the 3 player, the 2 player will pop high off the elevator screens for the 3-point shot.

The X2 defender will be late because they are helping or staring at the ball on the drive.

Coach Read has also put together The Basketball Encyclopedia of plays. You can check them out here: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays or read more about the books:

Any coach looking for the latest and innovative plays from the Professional, College, or High School levels can stop looking. With a compilation of over 7,700 different plays, you will never need to purchase another basketball playbook again. These playbooks can be used as a great reference tool for years to come. This 2 Volume Book includes plays from 19 different play categories, and they are the most extensive playbooks on the market.

The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays (Platinum Series) contains over 7,700 Plays (Both Volumes combined) from the NBA, WNBA, USBL, and College levels from someone who has worked as an Advanced Scout or Coach on each level!!! This book has been intensely compiled over the last 21 years, with plays taken from a lot of NBA Coaches (past and present), WNBA coaches, and College coaches (Men’s and Women’s) from around the country.

Any coach that is serious about improving their knowledge of the game from an X and O standpoint will benefit tremendously from these books. These Books can be used to discover New Quick hitters, add a New Package to your playbook, or develop an entire Offensive System. There are a lot of new ideas and concepts in these books to study, and the Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays can be a great resource for coaches on all levels!!! This book is definitely for those X and O junkies who are always looking to improve as a Coach.

“THE GAME IS ALWAYS CHANGING? ARE YOU?” Vonn Read

Here is the link: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays

Basketball Plays Double Stack

By Brian Williams on November 18, 2013

Coach Vonn Read has submitted several plays from his playbook series The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays to the Coaching Toolbox.

Vonn is currently serving as the assistant Head Coach in the Women’s program at Houston.

He has also served as an assistant coach in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury, Orlando Miracle, and SanQ Antonio Silver Stars.

Vonn was an advanced scout for the Orlando Magic as well as The Charlotte Sting.

This play is designed to be Run this play against a 2-3 zone

The 1 player will pass the ball and cut to the short wing.

The 4 player will cut to the short corner. The 3 player will cut to the opposite short corner.

The 2 player will pass to the 1 player.

The 4 player will beg for the ball as a decoy to draw X5 out. pass to the 1 player.

The 1 player will dribble to the corner to make the seam pass on the baseline.

The 4 player will screen X5 and the 5 player will screen X3. The 3 player will sneak baseline to the rim for the layup.

Coach Read has also put together The Basketball Encyclopedia of plays. You can check them out here: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays or read more about the books:

“THE GAME IS ALWAYS CHANGING? ARE YOU?” Vonn Read

Here is the link: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays

Basketball Plays Under Out DHO

By Brian Williams on November 11, 2013

This play is from the November 2013 Arizona Basketball Coaching Newsletter..

This play is designed to be run against a man to man defense. It features three opportunities to get the ball inside.

If you are interested in subscribing to the Arizona newsletter, email your

1) name
2) School/Team
3) Coaching position

Starts out with 4 players across the top of the blocks

#1 Inbounds to #5

#3 cuts to the block

#1 moves toward #5 for the hand off

As the handoff occurs, #4 screens down for #2

The frame below is another option called “Reject”

This frame is another option called reject.

#1 reject the screen from #3 and cuts backdoor with the floor spread

Basketball Plays Stack

By Brian Williams on November 10, 2013

Last second shot play vs. a 2-3 zone defense. I call this play stack.

We save this play to run at the end of the fourth quarter or at the end of overtime as our game winner against a 2-3 zone.

If you have run it previously, the zone will adjust and “play the play.” That is wby I only run it when the game is in the balance.

The description consists of 4 diagrams.

Diagrams created with FastDraw

Play starts out in this alignment.

#2 is your best 3 point shooter.

#4 and #3 must also be able to hit a 3 point shot to force the defense to guard them.

#1 dribbles right to move x1

#4 replaces #1

#1 passes to #4 to occupy x2

#4 passes to #3 to move x3

It is important that #3 breaks higher than “the free throw line extended” to allow for proper spacing. If 3 is too close to the corner, then D3 will be able to recover to challenge #2s shot.

#2 breaks to corner for shot as #5 screens in x5

If x5 fights over screen, 3 can pass directly to 5.

Another option is for 3 to pass to 2, 5 seals x4 coming to help and 2 can feed 5.

After the shot, all players fill the rebounding spots.

Basketball Plays Power Double Twist

By Brian Williams on November 4, 2013

Coach Vonn Read has submitted several plays from his playbook series The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays to the Coaching Toolbox. Vonn is currently serving as an assistant in the Women’s at Syracuse.

He has also served as an assistant coach in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury, Orlando Miracle, and San Antonio Silver Stars. He was an advanced scout for the Orlando Magic as well as The Charlotte Sting.

Run this play against a 2-3 zone

The 1 player will pass the ball and cut to the short wing.

The 4 player will cut to the short corner. The 3 player will cut to the opposite short corner.

The 2 player will pass to the 1 player.

The 4 player will beg for the ball as a decoy to draw X5 out. pass to the 1 player.

The 1 player will dribble to the corner to make the seam pass on the baseline.

The 4 player will screen X5 and the 5 player will screen X3. The 3 player will sneak baseline to the rim for the layup.

Coach Read has also put together The Basketball Encyclopedia of plays. You can check them out here: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays or read more about the books:

“THE GAME IS ALWAYS CHANGING? ARE YOU?” Vonn Read

Here is the link: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays

Basketball Plays Pistol Side Chest 4

By Brian Williams on October 21, 2013

Diagrams created with FastDraw

The 2 player will set a step up screen for the 1 player, and then 2 will receive a screen from the 4 player looking for the 3-pointer.

The 3 player will stack on the opposite block with the 5 player.

If the 2 player does not have a shot, the 1 player will set a flare screen for the 4 player (Shooter) for a 3-point shot.

If the pass is not open to the 4 player, the 1 player will cut to the weakside off of a screen set by the 5 player for the 3-pointer.”

If the 1 player is not open, the 3 player will come off of a pindown screen set by the 4 player for the 3-pointer.

Coach Read has also put together The Basketball Encyclopedia of plays. You can check them out here: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays or read more about the books:

“THE GAME IS ALWAYS CHANGING? ARE YOU?” Vonn Read

Here is the link: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays