Laker Cut

What it is

• The Laker Cut (also called a give-and-go in its simplest form) refers specifically to the action where a player passes into the post and then immediately cuts to the basket on the ball side — cutting between the post player and the basket.

Why it matters

• The Laker Cut teaches one of basketball's core principles: never be static after a pass.
• The passer becomes a cutter, creating a continuous 5-on-5 problem for the defense.
• Every pass in motion offense should have a purpose for the passer, and the Laker Cut exemplifies this.

How it works

• The passer delivers the ball into the post (usually from the wing or corner).
• Immediately after releasing the pass — before the post player even catches — the passer begins their cut.
• The cut goes toward the basket on the same side (ball side), not weak side.
• The post player reads the cutter first before making any other decision.
• Los Angeles Lakers (1980s Showtime) — Magic Johnson entering Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the post and cutting ball side was a cornerstone of their offense.

Reads and counters

• Read 1 — Hit the Cutter: If the cutter's defender does not react to the cut, the post player immediately passes to the cutter for a layup.
• This is the primary and most dangerous read.
• Read 2 — Use the Cut as Decoy and Score: If the post player's own defender steps to help on the cutter (leaving the post player with more room), the post player uses that moment to make their own scoring move.
• The cutter's movement created a scoring opportunity for the post.
• Read 3 — Skip to Weak Side: If both the cutter's defender and a helper collapse toward the ball side, the post player makes a skip pass to a shooter on the weak side.

Bilingual terms

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