Side Pick and Roll

Side Pick and Roll refers to ball screen actions initiated from the wings or sideline areas rather than from the top of the key, creating unique geometric advantages and defensive challenges that differ from traditional high pick and roll. This fundamental basketball tactic positions the ball handler and screener on one side of the floor, typically along the sideline or near the wing area, generating specific advantages through the angles created and the constraints imposed by boundary lines. Side Pick and Roll has been a cornerstone of basketball offense for decades, appearing in systems ranging from traditional approaches to modern pace-and-space schemes. The sideline positioning creates different decision points for both offense and defense compared to middle pick and roll, requiring specialized skills and reads that elite players master to maximize effectiveness. The strategic foundation of Side Pick and Roll lies in exploiting the geometric constraints created by sideline positioning. Unlike high pick and roll where ball handlers can attack in multiple directions, side pick and roll naturally funnels action toward the middle of the floor or along the baseline. This directional predictability might seem disadvantageous, but skilled ball handlers use the sideline as an additional defender, leveraging it to eliminate defensive escape routes and force commitments. The sideline also creates smaller spaces that defensive helpers must navigate, making their rotations more difficult. When executed properly, Side Pick and Roll generates advantages through superior angles, leveraging boundary constraints to the offense's benefit while creating difficult coverage decisions for defenses. Historically, side pick and roll emerged as coaches recognized that different court areas offered distinct advantages for ball screen actions. Early basketball featured pick and roll from various positions, but systematic analysis of which locations created optimal opportunities came later. As defensive schemes became more sophisticated in the 1980s and 1990s, offenses adapted by varying where they initiated actions, using side pick and roll to counter specific defensive coverages. The tactic gained additional prominence as international basketball, particularly European systems, emphasized side pick and roll as part of ball-movement-heavy offenses. NBA teams adopted and refined these concepts, with coaches developing complex systems that utilize side pick and roll in specific situations to exploit defensive weaknesses. Proper execution of Side Pick and Roll requires ball handlers to set up the action by establishing position on the wing or sideline area. The screener typically approaches from the middle of the floor, setting the screen at an angle that sends the ball handler toward the middle or baseline. The screen placement matters enormously: setting screens too close to the sideline limits the ball handler's options, while screens set with proper spacing toward the middle create optimal driving angles. The ball handler must read defensive coverage instantaneously, recognizing whether to turn the corner toward the middle, reject the screen and use the sideline, attack baseline, or pull up for a shot. These reads differ subtly from high pick and roll, requiring specific experience and instincts. Baseline drive opportunities from Side Pick and Roll create particularly effective scoring chances when executed with proper spacing. As the ball handler turns the corner and attacks baseline, they often face help defenders rotating from difficult angles, providing windows for layups or passes to rolling screeners. The baseline drive also creates optimal angles for kick-out passes to corner shooters or skip passes to the opposite wing. Elite ball handlers like James Harden, Chris Paul, and Kyrie Irving excel at baseline attacks from side pick and roll, using their ball handling and body control to finish against help defense or deliver pinpoint passes to open teammates. Middle drives from Side Pick and Roll send ball handlers toward the center of the floor, creating opportunities to attack the paint from different angles than high pick and roll. The middle drive often encounters help defenders more directly than baseline drives, but it also creates better passing angles to rollers and perimeter shooters. Ball handlers must read how help defenders react, recognizing when to continue attacking versus when to pass. The middle drive also creates opportunities for pull-up jumpers if defenders go under screens or drop too deep, providing additional counters that keep defenses from establishing comfortable tendencies. Defensive coverage for Side Pick and Roll includes similar options as high pick and roll—dropping, hedging, switching, trapping, and icing—but the sideline positioning creates different dynamics. Drop coverage from the side can more effectively funnel ball handlers toward the baseline, where the sideline acts as an additional defender. Aggressive hedging from the side creates opportunities for rollers, as help defenders must rotate from greater distances. Switching eliminates some screening advantages but creates mismatches that offenses can exploit. Icing or forcing ball handlers toward the baseline leverages the sideline as a defensive weapon, though skilled ball handlers can counter by rejecting screens or attacking the gap between defenders. Rejection moves from Side Pick and Roll occur when ball handlers recognize defensive positioning that makes using the screen disadvantageous. Rather than following the screen toward the middle or baseline, the ball handler rejects it and attacks in the opposite direction, often using the sideline to shield the ball from defenders. This counter keeps defenses honest, preventing them from overcommitting to traditional pick and roll coverage. The ability to reject screens effectively separates elite pick and roll players from less accomplished ones, as it requires reading defensive positioning and making split-second decisions to attack in unexpected directions. Spacing considerations for Side Pick and Roll differ from high pick and roll due to the asymmetric positioning. Typically, one player positions in the strong-side corner, another on the opposite wing, and a third in the weak-side corner or slot area. This spacing ensures that help defenders must rotate from significant distances while providing kick-out options when the ball handler penetrates. Some systems employ empty corner concepts with no strong-side corner player, creating even wider driving lanes. The optimal spacing depends on personnel, defensive coverage tendencies, and specific game situations. Pick and pop from the side creates effective counters when screeners possess perimeter shooting ability. Rather than rolling to the basket, the screener pops to the wing or top of the key for jump shots. This pulls rim protectors away from the basket, creating wider driving lanes for ball handlers. The pop also provides pressure-release options when defenses successfully contain penetration, generating quality three-point attempts from capable shooters. Teams with stretch big men utilize pick and pop extensively from side positions, leveraging their shooting to create spacing advantages. Slip screens from Side Pick and Roll create dynamic opportunities when screeners read aggressive defensive coverage. Rather than setting full screens, the screener slips toward the basket before contact occurs, often receiving passes for easy finishes against defenses over-committed to stopping the ball handler. The sideline positioning creates specific slip angles that differ from high pick and roll, requiring screeners to understand the geometry and timing unique to side actions. Athletic big men who can catch and finish in traffic excel at side pick and roll slips. Rescreen actions extend Side Pick and Roll when initial options don't produce quality shots. The screener immediately sets another screen after the first action, creating continuous pressure that prevents defensive recovery. These rescreens can send the ball handler back toward the sideline or further into the middle, depending on how defenses reacted to the initial screen. The continuous action exhausts defenders while maintaining organized offensive structure. Wing pick and roll represents a specific variation of Side Pick and Roll initiated from the wing area rather than deeper on the sideline. The wing positioning creates slightly different angles and driving lanes compared to lower side positions, offering distinct advantages based on personnel and defensive coverage. Some teams prefer wing initiations for their flexibility in attacking multiple directions, while others favor lower side positions for the baseline attack opportunities they create. Personnel requirements for effective Side Pick and Roll include ball handlers capable of navigating tight spaces and making quick decisions, screeners who can set solid screens and roll or pop effectively, and perimeter players who can shoot from various positions. The system works with diverse player types, from traditional point guard and big man combinations to more position-less approaches featuring guards screening for each other or big men handling the ball. Teams must develop players' understanding of the specific reads and angles unique to side actions, as they differ meaningfully from high pick and roll. Transition side pick and roll occurs when teams push pace and initiate ball screens from the sideline before defenses establish half-court positioning. These early actions combine transition advantages with side pick and roll geometry, creating highly efficient scoring opportunities. Teams committed to pace look for these early side ball screens, recognizing their effectiveness against defenses still scrambling to find assignments. Practice implementation requires repetition of proper spacing, screening angles, and decision-making specific to side positions. Coaches drill the unique reads that side pick and roll creates, developing players' instincts for when to attack baseline, middle, or reject screens entirely. Adding defensive pressure helps players develop game-speed decision-making. Film study shows professional examples and how to exploit common defensive mistakes specific to side ball screen coverage. The continuing relevance of Side Pick and Roll in basketball reflects its fundamental effectiveness as a tactical variation that creates distinct advantages through positioning and geometry, providing teams with valuable options for attacking specific defensive schemes and situations.