Off-Ball Movement Tips and Strategies: Lessons From the NBA Finals

• By James Locke

Why is Off Ball Movement Important?ant?

Denver Nuggets MVP Center Nikola Jokic’s eye-popping stat sheets have consumed much of the discourse surrounding the NBA Finals. With 33 points, 9 assists, and 14 rebounds per game, Jokic’s Finals play has been lauded as generational, with his playmaking skills generating astronomical hype. 

ABC’s Mike Breen even went so far as to call Denver Nuggets Star Center Nikola Jokic the “best passing big man of all time”.

While Jokic’s greatness is undeniable, how much of his success can be attributed to his supporting cast and team strategies?

The truth is that the Nuggets’ read-and-react offense leverages off-ball movement to create wide-open, high-percentage shotsa296fab">read-and-react offense leverages off-ball movement to create wide-open, high-percentage shots through complex screen actions, cuts, weak side movement, pin-downs, and more. 

Denver’s success highlights the importance of off-ball movementcoachtube.com/courses/basketball/motion-offense?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">off-ball movement in an increasingly individual basketball landscape. 

Off-ball movement adds a layer of unpredictability and complexity to an offense, keeping the defense constantly engaged, and forcing them to rotate constantly and communicate effectively. Additionally, off-ball movement creates opportunities for the offense to exploit defensive breakdowns, create mismatches, find open shots, and generate advantageous scoring chances. 

By emphasizing off-ball movement in offensive strategies, teams can optimize offensive efficiency, increase spacing, create multiple dynamic scoring options, and capitalize on uncoordinated defenses focused on man-to-man.ple dynamic scoring options, and capitalize on uncoordinated defenses focused on man-to-man.

___

Key Takeaways

-Nikola Jokic’s playmaking ability is accentuated by Denver’s stellar Off-Ball Movement

-Off-Ball Movement creates spacing and mismatches, placing stress on uncoordinated defenses

-Off Ball strategies create complexity and diversify methods of scoring 

-Players can find open shots and scoring lanes, supplementing on-ball offense

-Teams can implement off-ball strategies to place players in advantageous spots

___

To help improve off-ball movement, we have compiled breakdowns of five effective offensive strategies and sets, including those implemented and inspired by the Denver Nuggets. 

International Set- Stagger Screen & Back Screenreen

Motion offenses//coachtube.com/courses/basketball/motion-offense?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">Motion offenses place an emphasis on constant and layered off-ball movement to avoid stagnation. 

Polish player turned coach Pryzemyslaw Frasunkiewicz has implemented many layers of off-ball movement and screening into his motion offense, including his Stagger Screen & Back Screen set. rse_lesson/international-basketball-best-international-sets-vol-1/przemyslaw-frasunkiewicz-stragger-screen-back-screen/13127218?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">Stagger Screen & Back Screen set. 

In this set, Frasunkiewicz implements a series of screens to free a three-point shooter on the wing.

At the top of the key, the point guard and shooting guard begin with a DHO leading to the elbow, where a big man sets an off-ball stagger screen at the elbow. The big then moves to set a pick and roll with the ball handler. 

A wing player moves in from the corner to screen the shooting guard’s trailing defender at the low block, and the big rolls down into a double consecutive screen at the elbow. The Shooting guard becomes option one for a three-point shot. The big man can also duck in for a layup after the initial screen at the elbow.

International Set: Drag Screen Motiontion

Here, long-tenured Spanish Basketball Coach Moncho Fernandez details his drag screen motionoachtube.com/course_lesson/international-basketball-best-international-sets-vol-1/moncho-fernandez-drag-motion/13127255?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">drag screen motion set, in another set broken down in the International Sets clinice.com/course/basketball/international-basketball-best-international-sets-vol-1/13126829?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">International Sets clinic from B Hoops="https://coachtube.com/u/bogdankaraicic?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">B Hoops.

The set begins with a player on the wing cutting from toward the opposite corner. The wing already positioned in that corner will rotate up and ultimately cut under the basket toward the opposite wing after the second P&R.

A wing player rotates up to initiate a P&R at the top of the key, with the ball handler moving into a DHO on the wing. The wing then moves into a second P&R at the top of the key, passing to the rolling big man. 

With the wing player having cut to the opposite corner, the big man faces up with options to score, or kick it out for a three.

Step Up Ball Screen off Flare Screen Check MarkMark

NCAA HOF coach Jim Boone explains his sets and strategies for off-ball movement in the motion offense in his clinic, the Blocker-Mover Approach to Motion Offense, A Masterclassocker-mover-approach-to-motion-offense-a-masterclass/15221330?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">Blocker-Mover Approach to Motion Offense, A Masterclass.

Here, Boone details his approach to layered ball screens as a means to find open shots with his Step Up Ball Screen off Flare Screen Check Mark set.

The set begins with an offensive player on the low block following a flare screen to the opposite wing. At the top of the key, a player follows an off-ball screen and receives the ball.

From there, the offensive players follow a pick-and-roll, with the other players rotating down on the wing looking for a kick-out pass, and a big man at the opposite block. 

Reading Gaps and Screenseens

In his clinic, Moving Without the Ball: Reading Gaps & Screensl/moving-without-the-ball-reading-gaps-screens/11810312?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">Moving Without the Ball: Reading Gaps & Screens, European professional Assistant Coach Kostas Kalogeropoulos provides a comprehensive guide for improving off-ball movement through reading screens, gaps, and transition defenses. 

Kalogeropoulos shows a single-screen set with a player screening at the elbow, with four potential read options depending on the defense’s response.

If the defender trails, the offensive player comes off of the screen and curls toward the free-throw line, looking for the pass.

If the defender plays top lock, denying the screen, the offensive player will back cut toward the basket.

If the defender goes under the screen, making a shortcut towards the free-throw line, the offensive player will fade towards the wing for a jump shot.

Similarly, if the defenders switch, the offensive player will fade away from the switching defender. 

Click here for more about gap and screen readschtube.com/course/basketball/moving-without-the-ball-reading-gaps-screens/11810312?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">gap and screen reads.

Read and React Circle Motiontion

Drawing similarities from the Nugget’s own offense, the University of Washington Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jody Wynn details her keys to a successful Read and React Offensetube.com/course/basketball/jody-wynn-read-and-react-offense/13472572?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">Read and React Offense. 

As Wynn describes, the Read and React offense incorporates natural off-ball movement, much of which isn’t dictated by sets.

Wynn describes the importance of circle movement in a 5-out formation to avoid stagnation and improve spacing. When the ball is driven to the right, the players rotate to the right, to maintain 15-18 foot spacing, and when the ball is driven to the left, players rotate to the left. 

When receivers are denied, they can cut back-door, or circle reverse up. 

Circle movement, while simple, is a fundamental aspect of Wynn’s offense and showcases how off-ball movement can be utilized to maintain spacing and increase scoring.

Click here to view Wynn break down the read and react offensetube.com/course/basketball/jody-wynn-read-and-react-offense/13472572?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">read and react offense in more detail.