Empty-Side / Empty-Corner Pick-and-Roll Coverage
It is the defensive answer to one of the most-run modern offensive designs.
Individual Skills
Turning the Corner
Turning the corner is a technique where a ball handler, coming off a screen, attacks the rim using the momentum of the come-off and a hard dribble in a specific direction (often referred to as "turning the corner," or going around the help…
Direct answer
What is Turning the Corner?
Turning the corner is a technique where a ball handler, coming off a screen, attacks the rim using the momentum of the come-off and a hard dribble in a specific direction (often referred to as "turning the corner," or going around the help…
Quick facts
| Category | Individual Skills |
|---|---|
| Source volume | Basketball Knowledge Vault/vol2_intermediate_building_your_game.md |
What it is
- Turning the corner is a technique where a ball handler, coming off a screen, attacks the rim using the momentum of the come-off and a hard dribble in a specific direction (often referred to as "turning the corner," or going around the help…
Why it matters
- A handler who overthinks or hesitates loses the advantage because help defense fills the space.
How it works
- Turning the corner is a technique where a ball handler, coming off a screen, attacks the rim using the momentum of the come-off and a hard dribble in a specific direction (often referred to as "turning the corner," or going around the help defenders).
- The concept involves using the space created by the screen to attack the rim with 1-2 dribbles before help defense can arrive.
- Turning the corner requires: timing (attacking immediately after the screen), spatial awareness (knowing where help defense is coming from), and finishing ability (converting the layup against help defense or creating a secondary play).
- Elite handlers like Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard turn the corner almost automatically, using the space without hesitation.
Bilingual terms
| English | Turning the Corner |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 绕过掩护攻框 |
| Traditional Chinese | 轉過掩護拐角 |
Related concepts
Basket Cut and Fill
Both actions are read-based and must be executed at the right moment.
Dribble Retreat and Reset
A dribble retreat occurs when a ball handler, recognizing that the primary action won't work, retreats backward (away from the basket) using the dribble to reset the offense.
Flare Cut: Creating Perimeter Space
A flare cut (or flare screen cut) occurs when a screener sets a screen for an off-ball player on the perimeter, and the off-ball player cuts away from the basket using the screen to create space on the perimeter.
Hack-a-Player Strategy
The hack-a-player strategy is a deliberate fouling strategy, most commonly used against poor free-throw shooters.
Help Defense & Rotation
Help defense is a situation where a defender leaves their assignment to defend another player (usually the ball handler who has beaten their defender).