FILM ROOM: OVER the BALL Screen with Sue Bird

CLIP #1: Screen defender drops

Summary

• Screen defender stays low to protect the paint.

• Ball defender goes under the screen = Bird attacks the paint

• Screen defender stays low = Bird shoots the open shot

Analysis:

1. Bird dribbles tight off the ball screen. Her defender must either go under the screen or over the screen. She cannot slip between Bird and the screener.

2. Bird feels her defender go over the screen, taking away Bird’s ability to get off a 3, but putting her behind Bird for the rest of the play.

3. With her defender behind her, Bird sees the screen defender low in the paint. Instinctively, she makes the correct decision to step into an in-rhythm mid-range shot. Bird’s defender cannot contest without fouling and the screen defender is too far away to make any real contest.

4. Bird takes one dribble, quickly sets her feet: right-left. And elevates for a high percentage shot.

   There is nothing special about this play. Bird simply responds to what the defense gives her: over the screen = attack the paint, screen defender stays low = shoot the open shot. Poetry in motion.

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CLIP #2: Screen defender STEPS UP

Summary:

• Ball defender goes under screen = Bird stays tight to screen.

• Screen defender shows hard to takeaway Bird’s pull-up shot.

• Bird pulls both defenders away from the hoop and passes.

Analysis:

1. Again, Bird dribbles tight off the ball screen. Her defender must either go under the screen or over the screen. She cannot slip between Bird and the screener.

2. Again, Bird feels her defender go over the screen, taking away Bird’s ability to get off a 3, but putting her behind Bird for the rest of the play.

3. With her defender behind her, Bird sees the screen defender step up hard. Bird takes an extra dribble, pulling both the ball defender and the screen defender away from the hoop.

4. Bird elevates to find a passing angle to deliver the assist to the wide open screener rolling to the basket.

This clip is guarded similarly to clip #1 with two differences. 1) The screen defender steps up hard to prevent Bird from getting that easy mid-range shot she got in clip #1. 2) Bird takes this screen from the wing, moving away from the hoop. This is important because as she pulls both defenders with her, she pulls them away from the hoop, leaving her teammate an entirely uncontested roll and finish. Beautiful.