“Motion Strong”

Term: “Motion Strong”

Definition: a stagger (two-person) pin-down screen for the player in the far corner

Synonyms: Strong, Stagger, Point, Away, Double Away (note: some use “Away” to mean “Motion Strong,” while others use “Away” to mean a one-person away screen, such as 4 screening for 1 in the diagram above)

See Also:

• Motion Weak: like Motion Strong, Motion Weak is a staple of the Spurs motion offense in which the point guard loops through the lane to the weakside wing
• Delay: a 5-out alignment with the center at the top of the key with the ball, along with one player at each wing and each corner
• Twirl/Boston: a Motion Strong variation in which when the cutter (2 in the diagram above) curls around the 1st screener (1 in the diagram above), and 1 then cuts off 4’s screen to the top of the key

Origin of the Name: In Motion Strong, the point guard stays on the strong side (unlike Motion Weak).

How It Works: At its simplest, Motion Strong is a play in which the player at the top of the key and the player on the weakside wing set a down screen for their teammate in the weakside corner. In the diagram above, 4 and 1 set a stagger screen for 2.

The San Antonio Spurs initiated Motion Strong with a ball reversal and ran it out of 4-out spacing. Approaching the wing, the point guard passed to the trailing big at the top of the key, who passed to the weakside wing. The point guard and the trailer then set a stagger screen away from the ball:

In the Spurs motion offense, the next progression in Motion Strong is known as “circle” or “wheel.” The two players who set the initial stagger screen set another stagger, this time for the guard who began the play in the strongside corner:

Outside the Spurs, however, wheel is far less common than the initial stagger screen, which is one of the most popular actions in the NBA. Motion Strong is often run from 5-out spacing and is initiated by the point guard simply pointing at the weakside corner (sometimes called “Dribble Entry”):

Why It Works:

Motion Strong is an effective scoring action that never compromises spacing: At every moment in the play, the lane is open for drives, cuts, or slips. As a result, Motion Strong can be a decoy action for an isolation. Here, James Harden drives and draws a foul while his teammates run Motion Strong:

Motion Strong occupies the help while De’Andre Hunter posts up Damian Lillard, and when Clint Capela’s defender, Enes Kanter, comes to double Hunter, Capela slips the decoy screen for a dunk:

Or here, Motion Strong does the same thing while the strongside executes a touch screen and slip. When Richaun Holmes’s defender comes to help, Holmes is open for the push shot:

Motion Strong is also difficult for defenses to switch against because either screener can easily slip to the hoop. Some teams zone off the weakside of the court against Motion Strong, while others automatically top-lock the cutter.

Motion Strong originally took advantage of weakside defenders’ tendency to sag off their man toward the lane, in better position to provide help. Here, the Chicago Bulls initiate Motion Strong with a nice decoy SLOB Flip Pick-and-Roll so that Zach LaVine’s defender, tasked with keeping an eye on LaVine and the ball and providing any necessary help defense, is caught slightly unprepared for the stagger screen:

But the play has become so popular that the cutter’s defender often top-locks him, using a defensive technique typically reserved for only the best of shooters. The cutter’s defender positions himself between his man and the stagger screen, conceding a backdoor cut but preventing the cutter from using the screens.

In this screenshot of the previous clip, Clint Capela and John Collins prepare to set a stagger screen for De’Andre Hunter, who is top-locked:

Hunter is not the caliber of shooter who is typically top-locked—he’s made 35.5% of his 3s for his career—but Motion Strong, not to mention its many variations, has become so widespread and effective that defenses use more aggressive coverages than normal.

WRINKLES:

Many NBA defenses, if not most of them, guard Motion Strong by having the first screener’s defender sag back close to the lane to prevent any slips. A common wrinkle is to have the first cutter curl the first screener, who then spins around and cuts off the second screener:

Motion Strong Twirl (aka “Motion Strong Boston”):

Horns Motion Strong:

Motion Strong Twirl (aka “Motion Strong Boston”):

Motion Strong Twirl Exit:

Motion Strong Elevator:

Horns Motion Strong Blind Pig:

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