How to Execute a Spread Offense in Basketball

• By Grant Young

Spread offenses are all the rage in the football world right now. Then again, while the term might not hold the same meaning on the basketball court, the truth is that spread offenses have also taken over the basketball world. 

Consider the effect that Steph Curry has had on the sport. If you watch a youth basketball game or practice, kids are shooting the ball from further and further away, realizing that, if they can become lethal from three-point range, then their potential skyrockets. And the Caitlin Clark effect is revolutionizing the sport of women’s basketball right now because of her ability to drain the deep three-pointer with ease. 

Even big men’s value in the NBA is about them being able to at least threaten a three-point shot in order to free up space in the paint and allow their guard teammates driving opportunities. 

But a team full of players who are chucking up threes with reckless abandon is not conducive to success. This is why the basketball community needs coaches like Charlie Henry to harness the game’s evolution into a winning offense. 

Coach Henry is currently the head men’s basketball coach at Georgia Southern University, where he has been since 2023. During his first season at the helm, Henry guided the Eagles to an 8-10 record in Sun Belt play and a quarterfinal appearance in the Sun Belt Tournament for the third consecutive season. Under his tutelage, the Eagles set program records in three-pointers (309) and free-throw percentage (.732), finishing the season 27th in the NCAA in three-pointers per game. 

Before Georgia Southern, Henry spent four seasons at the University of Alabama and brings to Statesboro over 10 years of coaching experience that includes stops at the Chicago Bulls, Windy City Bulls, and Iowa State, among others.

Coach Henry’s offensive strategy is all about spreading the floor. And his ‘Spread Offense’ course is a perfect way for a basketball coach at any level to learn how to turn their team’s three-point shooting tendencies into a consistent, tried and true offense that doesn’t have to rely on a hot hand to win.

Eliminate Catch 

One of the most crucial aspects of succeeding as a spread offense is movement. This means both moving off of the ball and moving with the ball. 

Having shooters stationed behind the three-point line is great. But if there’s no dribble penetration, cutting, screening, or passing, then those shooters will have no hope of getting open enough to receive a high-quality look. 

Hence why the ball must be in constant motion. Coach Henry discusses this by saying that he wants his players to “eliminate catch”. What he means by this is that he doesn’t want a player to be catching the ball and holding on to it for any longer than .5 seconds before they either shoot, dribble, or pass. 

This might sound easier than it is. In truth, it will require the player already predetermining what their initial action (their ‘Plan A’) is going to be if and when they get passed the ball at wherever on the court they’re standing. 

Hence why this .5-second rule must be practiced for it to be effective in games. And while there’s no way that your players won’t ever hold a ball for longer than half a second, having this timer in their heads will help produce fast and efficient basketball that will create open looks. 

Aggressive Coverage

If your team has proven an ability to shoot and make three-pointers consistently, then that will force opposing defenses to play you aggressively. 

This means that defenses will be prioritizing having everybody guarded along the perimeter, with a special focus on the person with the ball in their hands (especially if that’s a guard who is a strong perimeter shooter). This type of aggressive coverage also makes it so two defensive players will briefly be focused on the ball handler in a pick and roll (or fake pick and slide) situation. 

With two players focused on the ball at once, this means a player is open elsewhere. And if the ball handler is able to recognize that (which comes through practice and repetition) they should be able to take advantage by making a quick pass to the open player. 

Depending on that open player’s skillset, they’ll ideally want to be either driving to the basket or behind the three-point line. Or they can just head to an open pocket of the floor. 

Reverse to Wide

Another crucial component of a successful spread offense is what Coach Henry calls a “pop and slash concept”. 

This essentially means that, either in a pick-and-roll package or in another typical half-court offensive set, the ball handler should always be conscious of potentially reversing it behind them to a player that has become open on the other side of the wing.

This typically occurs when the ball handler slashes to one side of the court, which opens up space on the wide side of the court. 

And when the ball handler is able to recognize this opening, it will create opportunities for open three-pointers and easy slashes into an overly-exposed paint if that ball is made in time. 

The important point to note with all of these specific plays and packages is that they’ll take a lot of practice time to master. Because the ball moves so quickly and scoring is dependent on fluid, fast decisions by the person with the ball in their hands, having team chemistry and players understanding each other is paramount to success. 

Which is to say that these packages must be drilled just as much as shooting during practices. While players may not like it at first, they’ll be thanking you for all the open looks these reps provide when it matters most.