Five Go To Plays When You Need a 3

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You’re down late in the fourth and desperately need a 3 to get your team back in the game. What do you do?

It’s a time to turn to a play that’s been proven to work. All of these 5 plays have been drawn up by a coaching legend and shown to work in the most pressurizing situations in the NCAA or NBA. So whether you’re:

Needing to score a 3 off an inbounds from your own half- use Nova by Villanova’s Jay Wright
Looking for a late shot clock BLOB play- use Flat Curl 2 by Colorado’s Tad Boyle
Want a simple youth play out of a timeout- use Double Flare by Baylor’s Scott Drew
Looking for the game winning catch and shoot 3- use Spurs STS by the Spur’s Gregg Popovich
Want a 3 during regulation out of a BLOB- use Side Elevator by UAB’s Jerod Haase

These are five go to plays when you need a 3- check them out, practice the ones you like and add them to your playbook!

NOTE: these are my names for the plays. As you can see they’re more descriptive than secretive- feel free to change them up according to your system.

Exclusive Download: Download these Five go-to plays for a 3 as a PDF and work on them in practice. Get these 5 plays now! .

Nova by Villanova’s coach Jay Wright

Situation

You’re tied or down 1 possession and you’ve got to inbound the ball from your own half. The defense is playing a zone to slow you down but they’re not fully committed to a man to man. This is the play you need to win.

Personnel

Your point guard is the player receiving the ball on the inbound.
Your inbounder is your best shooting forward.
You want your best shooting guard in the far corner.
Your center starts at the half court.

How it works

Your best shooting guard (2) and other forward (3) start in the far corner. Your point guard (1) runs from the 3 point line to the free throw line to receive the pass.
Your center (5) runs to the far lane to set a screen at half court. 1 uses it to get free and speed dribble up the middle.
3 sets a down screen for 2, who cuts to the wing.
4 trails the play and sprints down court after inbounding.
1 reaches the 3 point line and has 3 options: he can shoot himself if he’s open, he can pass to the cutting 2 for a catch and shoot, or he can dribble hand off with the trailing 4 for the 3. In the video below, 1 makes the last play.

Coaching points

Ideally you want your 5 setting his screen in the far third of the court- imagine it was divided into 3 lanes, left, middle and right. That’s because you want your 1 to be going straight down the middle to give himself the most options.
Practice this play with a timer. You want to be able to get a shot up in 6 seconds or less. Villanova executed this play with less than 5 seconds and it won them the game and the 2016 NCAA title.

Watch it yourself

Flat Curl 2 by Colorado’s coach Tad Boyle

Situation

With 4 seconds or less on the shot clock you’re looking at a catch and shoot situation. This BLOB can be run as a default end of shot clock special out of a flat series or just whenever you need a 3.

Personnel

Your best two shooters line up on the weak side of the court.
Your two bigs line up on the strong side.

How it works

Bigs 4 and 5 set double cross screens at the elbow to allow 2 to cut and curl to the wing for a 3.
If there’s no open pass, he curls around to the basket.
1 follows the cut and uses the same screens.
He curls to the corner for a catch and shoot 3.

Coaching points

This play worked because 1 used his footwork to fake a basket cut. His defender has to slide that way to prevent a layup, meaning that he’s a step slow when it comes to chasing 1 around the two screens.
Timing is key. 1 should start his move as soon as 2 uses the first screen. You want the defense to have to focus on two moving threats at once.

Watch it yourself

Double Flare by Baylor’s coach Scott Drew

Situation

This is an ideal end of game youth play to run out of a time out. It’s a simple but effective SLOB that relies on misdirection to get an open shot.

Personnel

Your two shooters are 1 and 2. 1 starts at the low block, 2 is at the near elbow to set a screen.
Your center, 5 is also at the near elbow.
Keep your other forward, 4 at the far low block to rebound and to keep the defense honest. If his man is too distracted by the play, the lob is an option.

How it works

2 and 5 set flare screens for 1 at the elbow. 1 uses them and comes up to the wing for a catch and shoot.
If the pass isn’t open, he cuts to the basket.
5 turns to screen 2’s defender.
2 flares to the corner for a catch and shoot 3

Coaching points

As soon as the 1 uses 2’s screen, 2 needs to cut to the corner. You don’t want to give the offense time to recover.
5 has the most important role of this play. He needs to set a hard screen on 2’s defender. The key is footwork- stand square to the man being screened to make yourself as wide as possible and make him go around you.

Spurs STS by the San Antonio Spurs’s coach Gregg Popovich

Situation

Pop shows once again shows that he’s a master at drawing up plays out of time outs with this beauty. Screen the screener action confuses the defense and creates mismatches, making this a perfect SLOB for when you need a game winning shot.

Personnel

Your center, 5, starts at the near elbow and is going to be setting lots of screens.
Your best shooting forward, 4, starts at the far elbow.
You want 1 to be your smallest player to try and induce a mismatch after the screen.

How it works

3 and 1 start off in a line in the far side of the court. 3 cuts to the strong side corner.
1 pretends to use a flare screen set by 5 but he actually sets the screen on 5’s defender.
Because of the size mismatch, the defense won’t want to switch. 5 sets a screen on 4, who moves down to the basket to give himself some space to cut back up.
4 cuts to the top for a catch and shoot 3.

Coaching points

If the defense does switch the 15 screen, it makes it harder for 1 to close out on the much taller 4.
5 sets the screen for 4’s man at the free throw line. You can use it as a marker to ensure they’re standing square to their man.
It’s important the passer, 2, passes into the space in front of 4. By this I mean the pass should arrive after 4 has pivoted and square up, not before (it’s quicker this way). Practice this and watch the clip below.

Watch it yourself

Side Elevator by UAB’s coach Jerod Haase

Situation

The side elevator takes advantage of the fact that defenses are concerned with protecting the paint out of a BLOB. Run this play during regulation as it can flow into several other options if the 3 is denied. During EOG situations defenses tend to stick closer to their man so if you need a 3 the above plays are better because they use off ball screens.

Personnel

Your two forwards, 4 and 5, stack at the near elbow.
Your two guards, 1 and 2, line up in front of the basket. 1 starts at the elbow.

How it works

1 cuts to the paint to set a down screen for 2. He then rolls to the basket- if he’s open pass it to him.
2 cuts, pretending as if it’s a double stack play for a pass to the top.
Instead, he moves through the side elevator set by 4 and 5 for a catch and shoot 3 at the wing.

Coaching points

This play works because 5’s defender must be concerned about the layup and won’t close out. If he moves too early, 5 can cut to the basket for a layup.
It’s more important that 4 and 2’s defenders get screened by the side elevator. 2 can help by pausing in the paint to freeze his defender, then rushing to the wing for the shot.

Watch it work