How This Works
Are you an NBA junkie? Do you know what “wedge” means? How about “trap the box,” “flex” or “top-lock?”
Most people don’t. This isn’t a matter of basketball intelligence, IQ or any other measure of competence. It’s nothing more than a language barrier. Like any other profession, the NBA operates with its own lingo, techniques and strategies common to most of its players and coaches.
The Basketball Dictionary is simply putting names to faces. Everything from different types of ball-screens to complex defensive coverages will be labeled, defined, and explained in the simplest terms possible.
The format of each post will be as follows:
- Term + short definition.
- Detailed explanation of the term with diagrammed screenshots and videos.
- 2–3 minute video of various examples of the term from past NBA games.
That’s it. Instead of seeing the term “pindown” thrown around on Twitter and wondering what the hell it is, you can come here to find out. And if I’ve done my job properly, you will be able to recognize pindowns, among other things, as they unfold during live action.
A note of caution: Please keep in mind that different teams sometimes use different terminology for the same action. While everyone in the NBA might know what “Floppy” is (a specific offensive set), its particular play call among teams might differ. Plenty of terms can also have multiple meanings. If that’s the case, I will note it. But as a rule of thumb, all of the words and phrases defined on The Basketball Dictionary are commonly understood terms among NBA personnel.
It will obviously take some time to build up the database. If there’s a term you care to see defined, feel free to contact me via e-mail or Twitter (below) with a suggestion. Or, if you’re just looking for an answer to a quick question, you can shoot me a message as well.
Thanks for reading!
___________________________________________________________________
Contact:
Email: bballdictionary@gmail.com
Twitter: @dictionarybball + @dylantmurphy
YouTube: Film Study
