Elevator Doors

Elevator Doors is a creative and highly effective basketball offensive play that uses a unique double screen configuration where two screeners position themselves several feet apart, creating a gap or corridor through which a teammate cuts, after which the two screeners immediately step together to close the gap, trapping the defender behind the screens like elevator doors closing. This innovative action has become one of the most recognizable and successful set plays in modern basketball, particularly in the NBA, where it has been used extensively by teams with elite shooters to generate wide-open three-point opportunities. The play gets its name from the visual similarity to elevator doors closing - the offensive player slips through the gap between two screeners, and just as the defender attempts to follow, the screeners step together to seal off the path, leaving the defender trapped on the wrong side while the offensive player emerges completely open on the opposite side. The Elevator Doors play exemplifies basketball creativity and tactical sophistication, combining timing, spacing, deception, and coordinated team action to create one of the most efficient shot opportunities available in organized basketball. In execution, the Elevator Doors play typically begins with two screeners positioning themselves on opposite elbows or blocks, creating a gap of approximately 6-10 feet between them. The shooter starts on the baseline or weak side and times their cut to arrive at the gap just as the screeners are set and ready. The shooter sprints through the corridor between the screeners at maximum speed, and precisely as they pass through, both screeners take a lateral step toward each other, closing the gap and creating a solid wall that prevents the trailing defender from following. The defender attempting to stay with the shooter has two bad options: try to follow through the gap and get sealed by the closing doors, or attempt to go around the outside and arrive too late to contest the shot. Either scenario results in an open catch-and-shoot opportunity for the offensive player. The timing of the Elevator Doors action is perhaps its most critical element and requires extensive practice to perfect. The shooter must time their cut to arrive at the gap at precisely the right moment - too early and the screeners aren't set, too late and the defender can slip through before the doors close. The screeners must coordinate their closing movement to occur at the exact moment the shooter passes through the gap - closing too early prevents the shooter from getting through, closing too late allows the defender to slip through as well. This synchronization requires excellent communication, chemistry, and repetition among the players involved. Professional teams spend significant practice time drilling the timing until it becomes automatic and instinctive. The Golden State Warriors popularized the Elevator Doors play in the modern NBA, using it extensively for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to generate open three-point attempts. The Warriors' execution of Elevator Doors became so effective and recognizable that defensive teams began preparing specific counters in their scouting reports. Other NBA teams adopted variations of the play for their own shooters, and it has spread throughout professional basketball, college basketball, and international competitions. The play's effectiveness is supported by analytics - shots generated from properly executed Elevator Doors actions have extremely high success rates, often approaching or exceeding 50% from three-point range because the shooter is typically wide open with time to set their feet and shoot with rhythm. The strategic brilliance of Elevator Doors lies in its simplicity and the difficult defensive decisions it forces. Defensive teams must choose between several imperfect options. They can have the defender chase through the gap, but this results in getting sealed behind the screens. They can have defenders switch, but this often creates mismatches and doesn't solve the problem if executed too late. They can trap the shooter, but this leaves screeners open for rolls or pops. They can pre-switch or help from the weak side, but this requires exceptional anticipation and leaves other areas vulnerable. Some defensive schemes attempt to fight over the top of the screens before the doors close, but this requires the defender to take a much longer path and typically results in late closeouts. Advanced defensive teams sometimes employ denial defense to prevent the cutter from even receiving the pass, but this aggressive approach can be countered with backdoor cuts or other actions. Variations of the Elevator Doors play include running it from different starting positions - baseline to corner, corner to wing, wing to top of the key, or even cross-court actions where the shooter travels from one side to the other. The screeners can be positioned at different locations - elbows, blocks, mid-post areas, or even near the three-point line. Some versions use three screeners instead of two, creating wider corridors or multiple closing options. The play can also incorporate misdirection, where the primary cutter is a decoy and a secondary cutter uses the elevator doors, or where the screeners fake the closing action and then execute a different screen. These variations prevent defensive predictability and maintain the element of surprise. The Elevator Doors concept has been adapted for various offensive situations beyond just catch-and-shoot opportunities. Some teams use elevator door screens to free up cutters for drives to the basket rather than perimeter shots. Others incorporate hand-offs or dribble hand-offs with the elevator action, where one of the screeners provides a hand-off to the cutter as they come through the doors. Advanced versions include re-screening actions, where after the initial elevator doors, the screeners immediately set another screen for the same or different player, creating continuous action. Professional coaches have designed multi-action plays that use elevator doors as one element in a sequence of connected movements. The play can be run in secondary transition, where screeners sprint to their positions while the ball is being advanced, creating quick-hitting scoring opportunities before the defense is fully set. End-of-game situations frequently feature Elevator Doors plays when a team needs a three-pointer, as the action provides one of the most reliable ways to create an open look for the best shooter. Coaching Elevator Doors requires detailed instruction on multiple technical points. The screeners must understand proper screening stance, positioning, and the timing of their closing movement. They must close the doors decisively but not illegally - moving screens are violations, so the movement must be executed as the cutter is passing through, not while the defender is making contact. The screeners must also be prepared for defensive contact and maintain balance. After closing the doors, screeners should roll or pop to create secondary scoring options. The shooter must set up the defender with misdirection, typically showing movement toward one direction before cutting through the doors. The path through the doors should be direct and at maximum speed to minimize the time the defender has to react. Upon emerging from the screens, the shooter must immediately square up to the basket, show a target hand for the passer, and be prepared to shoot immediately upon catching the ball. Youth basketball programs typically introduce Elevator Doors as an advanced concept for older or more skilled players, as it requires sophisticated understanding of screening, timing, and spatial awareness. The play serves as an excellent teaching tool for emphasizing teamwork, precision, and how coordinated actions create advantages. It demonstrates that basketball success comes from smart execution and teamwork rather than just individual talent. International basketball has embraced Elevator Doors, particularly in European professional leagues where set plays and tactical sophistication are emphasized. The play fits well with the European style that values ball movement, player movement, and structured offense. Film study of professional games shows that the most successful Elevator Doors executions feature perfect timing, decisive closing movements by screeners, and confident catch-and-shoot execution by the shooter. Basketball analytics and advanced statistical analysis have confirmed that Elevator Doors is among the most efficient set plays in basketball, generating expected points per possession that significantly exceed league average offensive efficiency. This data-driven validation has led to increased adoption of the play across all levels of competitive basketball.