SlongeHoops
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Half courtvs man3 phasesRuns 6.6 s

Chicago

Out of a 5-out delay the big holds the ball at the top while a shooter is pinned down and comes straight into a handoff. Two screens back to back with the ball moving means the shooter is already downhill when he catches it.

Also called: zoom, zoom action, delay chicago

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Run it, tilt it, put a defense on it, change it. Free to start. No account, nothing to install.

Phase by phase

  1. 12345

    1Phase 1

    4 pins down, 2 walks his man in and comes up hard off the screen.

    • 4 screens for 2
    • 2 cuts to the right wing
  2. 12345

    2Phase 2

    Straight into the handoff — 2 rejects nothing, he just drives it to the rim.

    • 5 hands off to 2
    • 2 dribbles
    • 5 cuts to the right slot
  3. 12345

    3Phase 3

    Finish it; if the low man steps up, 4 is sitting in the short corner.

    • 2 shoots

Teaching points

  • 5 holds the ball at the top and waits. The delay is what makes the two screens land back to back.
  • 2 walks his man into the pin-down before he comes off it. Do not run early.
  • Come off the pin-down hard and go straight into the handoff. There is no pause between them.
  • 5 places the ball and then becomes a screen with his body on the follow-through.
  • 5 lifts to the slot behind the ball once the handoff is gone.

Two screens in a row, with the ball moving between them. That is the whole idea. A defender who survives the first one arrives at the second one late, and by then his man has the ball and a head of steam.

Out of a 5-out look, 5 stands at the top with the ball. 4 pins down for 2 in the corner, 2 comes up to the wing, and 5 meets him with a handoff. 2 catches it already going downhill.

How it is guarded

The two screens are guarded separately, and both answers cost something.

Chase the pin-down and the defender arrives at the handoff on 2’s back, which is the worst place to be. Switch the pin-down and a bigger man has to guard a moving guard at the arc. Go under the handoff and 2 refuses it and takes the other direction.

The second screen is the one that scores. The first one just makes him late.

Teaching it

The gap between the two actions is where this play is lost. If 2 catches the handoff standing still, it becomes a routine wing catch and the advantage is gone. He should arrive at 5’s outside shoulder at speed and take the ball without breaking stride.

Tell 5 not to hand it early. He waits, lets 2 come to him, and moves toward him as he gives it up.

Run it from both sides of the floor. Coaches use Chicago and Zoom for this action interchangeably, so agree on one word before you call it in a game.

Counters

  • Against a switch on the pin-down, 2 keeps running into the handoff and attacks the new man.
  • If the handoff defender jumps out early, 2 refuses it and drives back the other way.
  • If the low man steps up to stop the drive, 4 is sitting in the short corner on that side.

5-outdelaypin-downhandoffdhodrive

Terms in this play

5-outDribble handoff (DHO)Pack linePin-downZoom

Run it, tilt it, put a defense on it, change it.

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