Foundations

Step-Up Screen

Mechanics: A step-up (a.k.a. flat) ball screen is an on-ball screen.

Direct answer

What is Step-Up Screen?

Mechanics: A step-up (a.k.a. flat) ball screen is an on-ball screen.

Category	Foundations
Source volume	Basketball Knowledge Vault/vol5_professional_the_frontier.md

FoundationsOffenseDefensePnRArchetypeCommunication

The screener (typically a Stretch Big or Versatile Big) "steps up" the floor toward the Primary Ball Handler, facing him and setting a flat screen to initiate a pick-and-roll, angling the ball-handler toward the middle.
The Primary Ball Handler uses the screen to attack downhill or kick out to the screener (who pops).
Optimal Pairing: Primary Ball Handler (driver) + Stretch Big (screener).
The Stretch Big must pop and be a perimeter threat.
Defensive Target: A step-up screen targets the mid-post helper.

These graph neighbors help place Step-Up Screen in the larger basketball map.

Foundations

Mechanics: A Primary Ball Handler dribbles near a screener (typically a Versatile Big or Roll & Cut Big).

Foundations

Mechanics: Two screeners set consecutive screens for the Primary Ball Handler.

Foundations

The modern NBA uses a finite set of two-man actions.

Foundations

Mechanics: A post player (Versatile Big, Stretch Big, or Post Scorer) initiates the action by dribbling or receiving a pass in the mid-post.

Foundations

Communication prevents hunts before they start.

Foundations

Mechanics: A Primary Ball Handler dribbles near a screener (typically a Versatile Big or Roll & Cut Big).

Individual Skills

Mechanics: A screener moves toward the ball-handler (the opposite of the traditional PnR, where the ball-handler moves toward the screener).