Pistol 5 — Full System Deep Dive
A side-entry system built around a playmaking 5 at foul-line extended, with DHO, backdoor, keep, and counter reads.
Actions And Plays
Sacramento Kings Pistol 5: Full Read Tree
The Kings-style Pistol 5 read tree built around a playmaking 5, a cutting guard, and four-out spacing.
Direct answer
What is Sacramento Kings Pistol 5: Full Read Tree?
The Kings-style Pistol 5 read tree built around a playmaking 5, a cutting guard, and four-out spacing.
Quick facts
| Category | Actions And Plays |
|---|---|
| Diagram | pistol-5 |
| Source volume | BASKETBALL_PLAY_VAULT.md |
What it is
- Sacramento's Pistol 5 read tree uses a playmaking center at foul-line extended while the guard cuts, receives, rejects, or lets the big keep.
Why it matters
- It maximizes a passing big and a fast decision-making guard.
- The same entry forces the defense to guard handoff, backdoor, keeper, and spacing reads.
- It keeps the offense flowing even when the first option is denied.
How it works
- Guard moves toward the 5 after the catch.
- If trailing, the guard takes the handoff.
- If overplayed, the guard cuts backdoor.
- If covered, the 5 keeps and attacks or passes.
- Spacing players rotate only when the drive or help creates a new window.
Reads and counters
- Can the guard win the DHO?
- Is backdoor open because the defender top-locked?
- Can the 5 attack a sagging big?
- Did help leave the corner?
- Can the weak side punish a loaded defense?
Teaching cues
- The 5 should hold the ball where every option remains alive.
- The guard cuts to force a decision, not to run a route.
- The corner must stay ready because help often comes from there.
Bilingual terms
| English | Sacramento Kings Pistol 5: Full Read Tree |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 萨克拉门托国王队 Pistol 5：完整判读树 |
| Traditional Chinese | 國王 Pistol 5：完整讀法樹 |
Learn before and after
These graph neighbors help place Sacramento Kings Pistol 5: Full Read Tree in the larger basketball map.
Related concepts
Sacramento Kings — Pistol 5 System
See Section 4 for the full breakdown.
Pistol 5 — Full System Deep Dive
A side-entry system built around a playmaking 5 at foul-line extended, with DHO, backdoor, keep, and counter reads.
Horns Pistol (Utah Jazz, 2018-19)
Quick hand-back action out of Horns alignment into Pistol 5 reads — devastated teams that didn't switch.
Stagger Screens (Full)
Stagger Screens are two sequential screens set for one cutter — unlike a double screen (simultaneous), staggers fire in order, with the cutter using one screen and then the next as a sequence.
Chin Series
The Chin Series is a family of actions that all initiate from the same look: a ball catch at the elbow (the intersection of the lane line and the free throw line).
Iverson Actions
A wing-to-wing cut across high screens that moves a scorer before the catch and flows into handoffs, post entries, or ball screens.