Utah Jazz: More Horns, 45 Attack Options
We detailed one of the new horns first option offensive sets the Utah Jazz will be using recently here at PnB, and lo and behold, they used the very same set with success that very night in Portland, albeit it with the left being strong side and with Dante Exum as the initiator rather than Trey Burke. Otherwise, it was practically a mirrored reflection of what we’d drawn up, with Derrick Favors finding Alec Burks on the first read of the first primary horns set for an easy flush on the highlight reel.
One of the beauties of using horns is it’s flexibility, the options it gives an offense. As David Locke pointed out on a recent Tip Off, much of it is based on reads, meaning that the horns offense is largely dictated by how the defense reacts.
While we haven’t seen it much yet, a weak side horns set — meaning the point guard passes off to the post, then goes to the opposite side of the ball — has even more options. It’s quite a bit more complex and relies almost entirely on screens and reading the opposing defense. It then turns more into the flex offense we’re used to seeing in Utah than anything else, with lots of screening the screener, etc. to open up shooters, cutters and rollers.
Being from the San Antonio Spurs coaching tree, we can expect to see some of the sets related to what Gregg Poppovich uses. Many of these options are relatively simple and designed for a quick, open look at the bucket with shooters. Here’s one such read.
High Post Split
The high post split isn’t new, pioneered by the Boston Celtics decades ago, but it’s still used often today by virtually every NBA team. Horns makes a nice initial set to begin this efficient play, even more so today with it’s first option being a stretch 4 or 5 with an open look from the arc.
From the basic horns set, Steve Novak steps out while Dante Exum dribbles to the wing.
The point guard kicks the ball back to the big man, who has stepped out to the three-point line. Enes Kanter will be open for this look often early in the season, unless he starts hitting them.
A guy like Novak, the sixth-best three-point field goal shooter in the history of the NBA, can take this open shot right away if the defense foolishly sags off of him.
If the shot isn’t there, play continues with a down screen and curl, just like a first option horns set. As always, the big man with the ball should be looking for an open passing lane on that initial cut from the curl in the corner.
If no pass is made into the paint cutter, Burks here, he continues through to set a flex screen, as usual. This is where the high post split happens, with all five offensive players moving at the same time. Gotta love off-ball movement like this.
Exum comes back up to get the ball back on a dribble-pitch from Novak, essentially a hand-off that doubles as a legal moving screen. Novak then moves down to set a pick, holding up the defense, creating space. If Exum is open, he can take this shot.
Meanwhile, Booker also moves down to set a screen creating the split. Booker and Burks have created a huge wall of screen action that Hood uses to scrub off his man for a wide open look, one he’ll hit as often as not with his shooting skill.
If he sees a lane, Hood also has the option to take it to the paint to try and finish, or kick back out as the defense collapses on him, two more NBA skills he possesses.
Motion, spacing and ball movement are the hallmarks of horns, and the young Jazz with their young coach have taken to the basics of this offense like, well, like seasoned veterans thus far. It plays to their natural strengths, the way Snyder is teaching it to them.
Pick-and-Roll from Attack at the 45
We saw Trey Burke and Derrick Favors use the new Attack at the 45 in tandem in the last post we did on the new O (link up top, yo). Last night against the Clippers we saw a lot of 45 Attack action that initiated pick-and-roll, pop, or kick-out with tremendous success.
On this particular play the spacing was not ideal — Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter are supposed to be in the corners — but Burke and Favors saw an opportunity shaping up and seized it nevertheless.
Side notes: To be fair to Hayward, the pace was quick and he likely never had a chance to reach the corner.
Not sure what Kanter’s doing, exactly.
Also, either Hood ran to wrong side, or the play shaped up before Favors could reach the right high block — possibly the latter, because as the play progresses early, Favors appears to be headed to the right post before holding up and setting a high pick-and-roll.
While the set-up wasn’t ideal, the premise is there. This particular play starts at 00:27 of the video below.
Trey Burke and Derrick Favors, in particular, read the Clippers’ defense expertly and exploited it for a win versus one of the West’s favorites.
When you watch these Burke highlights from Salt City Hoops’ Dakota Schmidt, do it while looking for Attack at the 45, especially when it transitions into pick-and-pop, kick-out or pick-and-roll options.
The flex play at 00:44 is also particularly nice, with Burke passing off to Hayward and running through a series of down screens for an ultimately open look on a curl he nails, followed by another Attack at the 45 that Burke finishes himself at the 00:52 mark (where Kanter is once again out of position).
The Attack at the 45 leaves the ball handler wide open often as defenders cheat after being beat, a look he has to hit, as Burke and Exum did last night going a combined 7-13 from three overall.