“Chicago”

Term: Chicago

Definition: an offensive action in which a player receives a pin-down screen and then receives a dribble handoff (DHO)

Synonyms: Zoom, Staggered DHO, Deuce, Pistol (the Triangle offense’s term for this action; not to be confused with the Pistol series also known as 21), Mash

See Also: Delay, 5-out, Dribble Weak (alternate name for Chicago action ran out of a Horns formation)

Origin of the Name: A down screen+DHO is one possible read out of the Princeton, Corner Offense, and Triangle, but the name “Chicago” was coined by Zak Boisvert, who saw the Chicago Bulls run it frequently for Derrick Rose.

How It Works: Out of a “Delay” look (in a 5-out formation, the center is at the top of the key with the ball), “Chicago” refers to a guard in the corner receiving a pin-down screen from his teammate on the wing, and then he’ll receive a DHO from the center around the top of the key.

Why It Works: Chicago is an effective play because the guard’s defender has to navigate what effectively are two consecutive screens: the initial pin-down in the corner, and then the DHO.

If the guard’s defender is still recovering from the initial pin-down, the big (5 in the diagram above) will often pass to the guard (2) and slip to the hoop immediately — instead of screening 2’s defender, as he would in a typical DHO. This puts a lot of pressure on 5’s defender. If he defends 2 (the man with the ball), that leaves 5 wide-open as he rolls to the hoop.

Often you’ll see teams run Chicago action to the weak (far) side. That takes advantage of the natural tendency for weakside defenders to cheat off their man. Because he’s standing several feet away, navigating the initial pin-down screen is even more difficult.

Examples:

Additional Resources:

Coach Daniel has an excellent breakdown of the play on YouTube.