“The Steve Novak Play”
Term: The Steve Novak Play
Definition: a variation of wedge roll in which a shooter sets a wedge screen and then receives a down screen to pop out for a 3-pointer
See Also:
- Wedge Roll: a side pick-and-roll in which a player sets a wedge screen for a teammate who then sets a ballscreen on the wing
- Hawk Action: a UCLA screen followed by a side pick-and-roll (the Steve Novak play was often preceded by a UCLA screen, and as a result, it can also be considered a variation of Hawk Action)
“Who Is Steve Novak?”
Drafted 32nd overall in the 2006 NBA Draft, Steve Novak was a 6-10 forward with excellent touch and the ability to shoot 3s over aggressive closeouts. He wasn’t known for doing much else, however. He made 43% of the 1,337 3-pointers he took in his career, but he took less than one 2-point attempt per game. After four seasons, he averaged just 4 points and 10 minutes per game.
But then he joined the New York Knicks in 2011 and was coached by Mike D’Antoni, who found inventive ways to use his stretch 4, including the so-called Steve Novak play. Novak lasted just two years in New York (longer than D’Antoni, who resigned halfway through the season and was replaced by his assistant Mike Woodson), but during that time, Novak earned his career-high per-game averages in points (8.8), minutes (20.3), 3-point attempts (5.2), and 3-pointers (2.5). NBA teams took about 20 3-pointers per game in the 2012-13 season; the New York Knicks shot almost 30, led by Novak, J.R. Smith, Carmelo Anthony, and Jason Kidd. Novak was the most accurate of those shooters by far, making 44.5% of his 3-point attempts over two seasons, including a league-best 47.2% during his first year as a Knick.
How It Works:
The original play began with Steve Novak (3) setting a UCLA screen for the point guard, who cut to the basket and then cleared out to the far corner. Meanwhile the power forward and the center stood at the nail and weakside Elbow:
From there, the play looked like a simple Wedge Roll in which Novak (3) set a wedge screen for a teammate (4, often Carmelo Anthony) who then set a ballscreen on the wing (a wedge roll is a specific type of ram screen). After setting the wedge screen, Novak would then slink off, acting as if he had nothing to do:
This acting let his defender relax, leaving Novak surprisingly open when he cut off 5’s down screen:
Except as a rare ATO, you won’t see many teams run the prototypical Steve Novak play anymore, perhaps because its alignment is so peculiar that it quickly alerts the defense of what’s coming. Back in 2011, however, its alignment wasn’t so different from that of Hawk Action or the Corner Offense, which are also rarer now than back then:
However, some teams still run an abridged version of the Novak play, in which a shooter receives a down screen to cut from the paint to the top of the key while two of his teammates run a pick-and-roll. This play can be especially effective because it asks the shooter’s defender to choose between his responsibilities as a tagger and preventing his man from shooting an open 3:
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