The Basketball Dictionary

Dictionary entries with links contain a more complete explanation.

2.9: The number of seconds (2.9) a defender can occupy the paint without being an arm’s length away from an offensive player.

Aggressive Drop: A pick-and-roll defense in which the defender guarding the screener greets the ball-handler at or near the level of the screen.

Angle: A pick-and-roll half-court set off the slot with shooters on the opposite slot and in both corners.

Change The Angle: A technique in which the screener in a pick-and-roll alters the directionality of his screen right before contact is made.

Deep Drop: A pick-and-roll defense in which the defender guarding the screener greets the ball-handler well below the level of the screen.

Dig: A brief lunge by a perimeter defender toward a posting up offensive player intended to bring secondary ball pressure without double-teaming.

Dive: A half-court set in which one big fakes a drag and cuts down the middle while the other big lifts to set a ball-screen on the other side of the ball-handler.

Double Drag: Two consecutive ball-screens set in transition or semi-transition by trailers who run into the screen from an angle perpendicular to the ball-handler.

Drag: A ball-screen set in transition or semi-transition by a trailer who runs into the screen from an angle perpendicular to the ball-handler.

Drag It Out: A technique in which a pick-and-roll ball-handler, after the ball-screen is set, intentionally dribbles farther away from the screener than normal to draw two defenders toward himself and free the screener for a pass.

Drop: A pick-and-roll defense in which the defender guarding the screener greets the ball-handler at or below the level of the screen until the ball-handler’s defender gets back in front of his original man.

Dunker Spot (Short Corner): The two areas just outside the paint along the baseline.

Flare: An off-ball screen set behind or to the side of a defender that allows another offensive player to fade along the three-point line

Horns: A half-court set in which two bigs set ball-screens on both sides of the ball-handler with one big rolling and the other popping.

Horns Flare: A half-court Horns set in which the player who screens for the ball-handler comes off an immediate flare screen from a teammate on the opposite elbow.

Horns Twist: A half-court Horns set in which a ball-handler drags out an initial ball-screen toward the sideline before pivoting and using a second ball-screen coming from the middle.

Ice: A side pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender forces the ball-handler toward the sideline.

Let Me Through: A dribble handoff coverage called by the defender guarding the handoff receiver for his teammate guarding the handoff giver to open up and create a lane for an under.

Lock and Trail: A technique in which a defender follows the path of an offensive player receiving an off-ball screen while physically preventing him from cutting backdoor.

Meeting of Three: A convergence of three defenders — the on-ball defender, the man guarding an off-ball screener and the man guarding the offensive player for whom the screen is set — to defend a pindown.

Middle Pindown: A pindown in which the screener sets up in the middle of the the floor and faces the basket.

Nail: The spot in the middle of the free-throw line usually used for the placement of a help defender.

No Middle: An overriding NBA defensive principle that dictates that the ball be kept out of the middle at all costs.

Over: A pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender forces the ball-handler to use the ball-screen while mirroring his path around the screener.

Paint Switch: A tactic within pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender switches late onto a rolling or popping big after recognizing that there is too much space between the ball-handler and the roller or popper for proper matchup recovery.

Pindown: A screen set for a teammate away from the ball that is angled toward the baseline.

Punch: A synonym for a post-up.

Re-Screen: A second and immediate ball-screen set by the same screener for the same ball-handler as was involved in the initial pick-and-roll.

Rearview Pursuit: An aspect of pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender going over a ball-screen hustles to get back in front of the ball or contest a pull-up jumper on the inside shoulder of the ball-handler.

Roll/Replace: A pick-and-roll action in which the screener rolls from the perimeter to the paint while a second off-ball player moves from the paint to the perimeter.

Shake: An off-ball movement during pick-and-roll in which an offensive player lifts along the three-point line behind and toward the ball-handler.

Short Roll: A type of cut in which the screener in a ball-screen does not roll to the rim, but instead cuts off his roll around the elbow area looking for an early pocket pass.

Shoot the Gap: A technique in which a defender cuts underneath a pindown or stagger to meet his man on the other side of the screen.

Show: A pick-and-roll defense in which the defender guarding the screener briefly lunges at the ball above the level of the screen with his back to the sideline toward which the ball-handler is moving.

Sink and Fill: A weak-side defensive rotation after dribble penetration in which one defender “sinks” into the legs of an offensive big around the basket and another “fills” into the lane to handle cutters or shooters.

Slip: An action by the screener in a pick-and-roll in which he darts away from the ball-screen before actually making contact.

Slot: The spot where the three-point line and the line marking the outer edge of the paint would theoretically intersect.

Snake: A pick-and-roll maneuver in which the ball-handler veers laterally away from his original direction between the screener and the screener’s defender.

Split: A dribble move by the ball-handler in a pick-and-roll in which he quickly changes direction toward the rim from east-west to north-south, moving through the small space between his own screener and the screener’s defender.

Split Cut: A two-man, off-ball screening action between the post feeder and the next closest perimeter player during a post-up.

Stagger: Two consecutive screens set for a teammate away from the ball screens that face the same direction.

Step-Up: A ball-screen set with the screener’s toes perpendicular to the baseline.

Strong (Defense): A pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender shades the ball-handler toward his right hand.

Stunt: A technique in which a defender quickly lunges at an offensive player that is not his assignment before jumping back to his man.

Stunt to a touch: A technique in which a defender quickly lunges at and makes contact with an offensive player that is not his assignment before jumping back to his man.

Tag: An aspect of pick-and-roll defense in which the closest perimeter and help defender for whom the ball-screen is moving away briefly bumps into or touches the roller before sprinting back out to his original man.

Throw-and-Chase: A ball-screen in which a big follows his lateral pass to a ball-handler into a pick-and-roll.

Thumb Down/Up: A half-court set in which a ball-screener receives a down screen from another offensive player before initiating a pick-and-roll with the ball-handler.

Top-Lock: A technique in which a defender, in anticipation of a pindown or stagger, plants himself between his man and the screen to induce a backdoor cut.

Trap the Box: A technique in which the low and weak-side help defender rotates to the strong-side block to defend a slot, wing or corner drive.

Under: A pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender goes underneath the screener to meet the ball-handler on the other side of the screen.

Under-One: A pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender goes underneath the screener but above the screener’s defender to meet the ball-handler on the other side of the screen.

Under-Two: A pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender goes underneath both the screener and his teammate guarding the screener to meet the ball-handler on the other side of the screen.

Weak (Defense): A pick-and-roll defense in which the on-ball defender shades the ball-handler toward his left hand.

Wide Pindown: A pindown in which the screener faces a teammate in the corner.

x1, x2, x3, x4, x5: The numerical representation of defensive positions.

X-Out: A weak-side defensive rotation in which multiple defenders swap matchups to guard open perimeter players, literally creating an “X” in their paths of recovery.