The Curl
The curl is a move whereby the offensive player, when using a screen, wraps him or herself around the screener and moves back in the direction they came from. Players should curl when their defender is following them and is tight to their back. When a defender is following you, it is a perfect opportunity to curl around a screen as you are the leading the defender. If the defender is following you, then curling around a screen will get you closer to the basket when you receive a pass without your defender standing in your way. A player who curls off a screen properly will not have to shoot over their own defender but may likely draw the attention of the other defenders. This however is optimal as once a defender decides to trail or follow the offensive player, they are essentially creating an odd man situation (similar to a fastbreak) and putting the defense in front of them on their heels.
The Fade
To fade off a screen means to do the opposite of a curl. If, in a curl, the offensive player moves back in the direction they came from after using the screen, then in a fade, the offensive player moves away from direction they came from after using the screen. In most cases, the player fading off a screen is going to move in a direct line behind the screener, creating a three point line with the ball, screener and themselves. An offensive player will make the read to fade off a screen when their defender attempts to “cheat” by not following the offensive player when they use the screen but rather by attempting to meet the offensive player on the other side of the screen so that they don’t have an unimpeded path to the hoop. This however, creates a shooting opportunity when the screen is used properly to fade by creating space between the defender and offensive player.
The Bump
In the first two uses of an off ball screen we focused on the one to one matchup of the offensive player and his or her defender. Whenever a screen is set it is almost automatic for the defense to focus on the offensive player coming off the screen as the threat. Sometimes, if that offensive player is successful enough they will draw more attention that just their assigned defender. In that case a bump may be the most appropriate use of the screen. Here, when the offensive player uses the screen, their defender, as well as the screener’s defender will make a move to stop the offensive player from getting the ball. When teams do this, the appropriate reaction is for the player using the screen to essentially take the place of the screener. What needs to happen to execute this properly, is that the offensive player still needs to come off the screen by running past the screen and making contact with the screener’s shoulder. As soon as he or she does however, the offensive player then “bumps” or pushes the screener to make a cut in the direction of the hoop while the offensive player who used the screen stays or flares from the spot the screen was set.
Using screens is all about making appropriate reads and being able to execute to score once the read has been made. In order to effectively use a screen a player needs to be a threat. Make yourself a threat by developing your abilities using the skill development series on our website.
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