- By Grant Young
The pick and roll stands out as one of basketball's most effective offensive strategies, and its success hinges on players mastering the fundamentals through high-quality pick and roll basketball drills.
When executed properly, this play can become an unstoppable force against defenses. But mastering its execution requires a deep understanding of spacing, timing, and communication among teammates.
To truly harness the power of the pick and roll, focused drills are essential. Players setting the screen must learn the optimal positioning and angles to maximize their effectiveness, while also being aware of defensive positioning. Meanwhile, the ball handler must develop the ability to read defenses in real time, making quick decisions to drive, shoot, or pass based on how the defense reacts to the screen. Incorporating situational drills that mimic game scenarios can be a game-changer.
By practicing various pick and roll setups against different defensive strategies, players gain invaluable experience and confidence. They learn not just the mechanics of executing the play, but the various options at their disposal when faced with defensive adjustments.
By prioritizing practice and deeply understanding the fundamental principles behind the pick and roll, teams can transform this play into a cornerstone of their offensive strategy, making it a decisive weapon during games.
But coaches will need the correct drills to start that process. This is why we’ve included three pick and roll drills from some of the basketball community’s most respected thought leaders.
Greg White - Pin Down Shooting Pick & Roll Drill
Greg White, hailing from Bentonville West High School in Centerton, Arkansas is a coaching luminary with over two decades of experience. In 2023, he was honored as the 6A West Coach of the Year and led his team to seize their first conference championship & past the 100-win plateau.
His extensive career boasts 250+ wins as a varsity head coach, and he’s renowned for his contributions to the basketball community as a mentor at Snow Valley Basketball School and a frequent speaker for USA Basketball.
Coach White’s ‘The Screening Game: Using Different Angles & Types for Success’ course conveys what he calls the pin down shooting drill that’s based off a pick and roll. The drill begins with three lines of players, one at each wing and one at one of the blocks.
The weak side wing line has the first two players in line each holding a ball. The other wing then goes down to the block and sets a pin down screen, which prompts the post player to flash to the wing and receive a pass from one of the players with a ball.
As soon as the screen is set, the screener will roll to the post and receive a pass from the other player with a ball.
Another variation of this can be for the post player to curl around the screen and roll back toward the basket, while the initial screener can pop back out to the wing and shoot the jump shot, essentially switching positions from the initial variation.
Liam Flynn - Drilling 2v2 PNR Offense vs Flat coverage
With 24 years of professional coaching experience, Liam Flynn has spent time as an NBA Consultant and coached in the German Bundesliga, Chinese CBA, and the New Zealand NZNBL.
In addition to that, Coach Flynn has amassed six years of coaching experience in the Australian First Division (NBL), 15 years of coaching experience in the Australian Second Division, and 20 years of coaching experience at the Junior Elite Level in Australia. He received his Master's in Sports Coaching at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
Coach Flynn’s ‘The Art of the `Mid Pick and Roll` course conveys a pick and roll drill that he loves against flat coverage (where the defender who is guarding the screener positions themselves almost at the same level as the on-ball screen when it arrives).
This drill is a 2 on 2, and is focused on seeing the different opportunities that arise when the pick comes at different places on the court. So the ball handler should start by dribbling around the perimeter to a specific place on the court. Once there’s a signal, the post player will come up and set the screen, and then roll toward the basket once the screen is set.
Once that roll occurs, the ball handler will ideally make the pass while both defenders are engaged in the screen, which will hopefully open up the lane. But this will depend on the timing of the screen and where on the court it takes place.
Dave Severns - High/Mid Pick & Roll Drill
Dave Severns is currently a basketball scout for the Indiana Pacers. Before that, he spent 14 years in the NBA as Director of Player Development for the LA Clippers from 2010-2016, Director of Player Development for the Chicago Bulls from 2008-2010, and Pro Personnel Scout for the LA Clippers from 2016-2021.
In his ‘Pick & Roll Offense 101’ course, Coach Severns details a high/mid pick and roll drill, which starts with a post player getting a screen at the three point line. The ball handler will dribble to the elbow before pulling up for a jump shot, while the screener will roll and receive a pass from a coach who’s along the baseline and shoot a shot at the other elbow.
The key here is that the guard is influencing their defender one way, which will open the roll opportunity for the screener against a man-to-man defense.
