5 Spain PNR Plays for Your Playbook

The Spain PNR has been a popular topic with our clinics recently.  For those not familiar with the concept, the Spain PNR expands on the basic 2 man game by adding a third player (typically a good shooter) to screen the defender guarding the ball screener.  Its name comes from its use by the Spanish national team in recent years. A coach named Diccon Lloyd-Smith wrote an article years ago attributing the action to Coach Zeljiko Obradovic, currently at Fenerbahce. 

It’s a staple with teams across the world from the pro-level all the way to high school.

I remember watching the 2015 Eurobasket Finals with Spain and Lithuania.  Spain took control of the game in the first quarter with a set play action we now call Spain PNR.  I immediately scribbled the play down on my notepad and have been using this action ever since in my own playbook.

Of course, there are variations and adjustments coaches have made in the past few years to make this action effective for their teams.  The ability to run this action from baseline and sideline out of bounds enhances its effectiveness.

Play 1:  Spanish Pick and Roll from the head coach of the Spanish national team and assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors, Sergio Scariolo

Play 2:  CSKA Spain BOB Play.  Coach Bogan Kariaic has put together a great collection of popular baseline out of bounds plays.  Here is one utilized by Coach Dimitris Itoudis of CSKA Moscow.  

Play 3:  Zalgiris Ram Spain PNR.  Zalgiris is a professional team based in Lithuania which has been a European powerhouse for years.  Currently coached by former Maryland player Sarunas Jasikevicius, they utilize a ram screen (a screen to free up the player setting the ball screen)  to set up the Spain PNR action.

Play 4:  Coach Luka Bassin shows a stagger entry into the Spain PNR in this clip.

Play 5: Science Jena Carolina Action

As I began to do a deeper dive into the Spain PNR action, one team that I saw use it frequently was Science Jena in the German pro league.  Here is a clip of their Carolina action, which adds another screen for the screener to use.

See dozens of Ball Screen Courses here teaching the best Pick and Roll Plays in Basketball.