Drop Coverage: Anchor Big at Home

What it is

• Drop coverage is the standard against pick-and-roll with an Anchor Big.

Why it matters

• Spacing is negated because the Anchor Big sags, creating space in the mid-post.

How it works

• The big drops toward the rim, and the ball-handler's defender goes over the screen.
• Mechanics: On a PnR, the Anchor Big "drops" from the screener (moves away from the screen toward the rim).
• The ball-handler's defender attacks over the top of the screen, trying to slow the ball-handler and deny the separation.
• The ball-handler is now attacked by a single defender (over-top of the screen) with a big waiting at the rim.
• The Anchor Big can help on any drive.

Reads and counters

• The big reads the ball-handler's pace: stay low and contain on a downhill drive, but lift to meet a hard pull-up shooter at the screen.
• The on-ball defender reads screen angle and chases over the top, forcing the ball back toward his trailing pressure and the waiting big.
• If the handler snakes back to the middle, the big mirrors and walls the rim while the guard re-attaches to the hip.
• Read the roller: the big stays attached to the rim until the guard recovers, conceding the contested mid-range over the easy lob.
• The low man on the weak side reads the lob window and stunts in to tag the roller if the big gets pulled up to the level.

Teaching cues

• Drop and wall the rim
• Get skinny, go over
• Be at the level on the shooter
• Tag the roller, low man
• Force him to the big

Bilingual terms

Related concepts