Trends in Post Play

In Skill Development by Brock Bourgase

As the sport of basketball advances, the post position has become more athletic, more skilled, and more sophisticated at an amazing rate. Coaches must identify gaps between where players currently stand and where they should be to compete at the elite level.

Physical Performance Factors

Balance

International post players assume a balanced position so they can attack the basket quickly (Repeša, 2009). The lower body is an important force in the battle for position; players post up on the balls of their feet, bend their knees, and keep their core and pillar centered. Since the posts are ready to explode towards the basket, they can score quickly if the defence provides an opening.

“Balance is more important than anything else, including speed and quickness.” To move quickly, a player must maintain balance. Although posts aim to establish good initial position, they also work on regaining their cylinder after it has been lost (Messina, 2008).

Agility

Tall players retain their agility and quickness. Perhaps due to increased practice on the fundamentals, European post players of all ages are very skilled with or without the basketball (Bullen, 2011). They can score in transition, move from one side of the key to another, and swiftly change direction. Consequently, international posts are always on the move and will use cuts and screens to shift the defence in order to generate scoring chances.

Explosiveness

If there is a scoring chance, posts will go for it without delay. The players have the ability to spit a double-team or beat the help defender but they have to use their lower body to explode towards the hoop. Especially if there are few passing or shooting openings, posts will decisively attack the basket. For example, it is difficult to pass out of a baseline move so players only attack in that direction when they know they can get to the rim and finish.

Sport-Specific Skills

Ballhandling

Abroad, post players are basketball players first, post players second. They are able to dribble efficiently in order to get to the basket from the top of the key, the high post or the mid post. While some are able to string together a sequence of ball moves, most rely on simple strategies like using their body to protect the ball and reading the court.

Shooting

Posts are capable to make shots from multiple locations in the half-court, stretching the defensive. After setting the high screen, the player may roll to the basket or pop beyond the arc, creating a challenging situation for the defender to read. Since these post players are gifted shooters – able to numerous varieties of jump shots – they must be closely guarded. As a result, this creates opportunities for cross-steps and drives to the basket or up and under manoeuvres.

Posts must be able to accept downscreens from guards in order to pop into open areas and make jump shots (Obradovic, Half Court Man-to-Man Offense, 2005, p. 20). Due to the longer three-point shooting distance, fewer forwards will step out and attempt an outside shot. Still, posts in elite international competition will need the ability to shoot from the high post, mid-post and short corner to take advantage of the increased spacing (Scariolo, n.d.).

Passing

Training together since they were juniors, international players share a strong sense of team solidarity. There is less urgency for the individual to score so long as the team creates a high percentage scoring chance. If the posts sense that a defender has doubled-down, they are more than willing to kick the ball out to an open shooter. Sharing the ball tests the ability of the defence to help and recover. Not only are these post players capable or making a mix of passes, they read the court well and will use misdirection to confuse the defence.

Pivoting

International players are coached to execute the basics well before expanding their game (Messina, 2008). They will pivot before utilizing the dribble, including two-stage pivots, jab-step fakes, and pivots in different directions, in order to keep the defence off balance. Once the post players perceive and opening, their balanced position and first step allow them to quickly take advantage. By keeping the pivot foot away from the defender, the post player has more options (Pasquali, 2010).

Rebounding

The wide international key demands that all interior players box out. The longer arc has decreased shooting percentages so there will be more rebounds. If the defender does not pivot and make contact, they may give up a long rebound or allow an opponent to pass them along the baseline (Scariolo, n.d.).

Mental Training

Anticipation

Keeping their heads up and their eyes on the play allows post players to read the play and anticipate what will occur next. This produces opportunities for the post, such as by sealing a defender before a pass is made, or their teammates, such as passing one step ahead of a cutter so they can catch the ball and finish in a single motion. Players who have diligently practiced know how the defence will react so their moves are a sequence of logical actions designed to create a positive outcome instead of random and desperate actions.

Decision-Making

International post players are dangerous because they are capable of evaluating countless opportunities. They will read how the defence guards them; basic moves become a gateway to diverse options, depending on the situation. They will establish position in key areas of the court, such as the high post and middle of the key which offer the opportunity to drive, shoot, and pass.

Preparation

Getting good position is not simply arriving at a point on the floor but arriving there ready to score. International posts will fight for position before the ball arrives. Players employ their lower body, including their hips and front foot to get position, rarely using their hands (Messina, 2008). When they catch the ball, the posts have a favourable position so they can shoot or attack the basket immediately.

The Role of Post Players in Team Offence

Threats in Transition

The post players are involved in the offence early and often. Posts may finish in transition or receive an entry pass early in the half-court sequence. Even a young post would be expected to contribute to the team’s offence by running the floor and making baskets and foul shots in transition. The inverted jump-stop is a technique used to finish under control in transition; in case this opportunity disappears, the pivot foot away from the defender is preserved (Messina, 2008).

Multiple Roles

International post players will establish position early and serve as a primary option (Obradovic, Panathinaikos’ Offense, 2007, p. 24). Even if they do not receive the ball on the low block, the posts remain active as screeners, passers, and cutters. The players are likely to repeat these actions several times during the series, as opposed to taking one position and remaining there. During a twenty-four second possession, players will fulfill many roles from different locations on the floor.

Good passers multiply the options of the screen and roll because they can catch a pass, pivot and change the rhythm of the play. Very few players are one-dimensional; posting up, screening, passing, shooting and rebounding are part of the same set of responsibilities. Coaches should adapt their systems to suit the strengths of the players that they coach. Rather than dogmatically insisting on a certain alignment, coaches should emphasize the skills of their players. A gifted 1-on-1 post player causes severe match-up problems for the opposition and should be utilized, especially in the greater spacing afforded by the new F.I.B.A. rules (Scariolo, n.d.).

Dynamic Movement

Post play is very dynamic. It is expected that the ball moves if no opportunities materialize. All players – including those who work inside – are well-suited to a style that swings the ball in order to open up the defence. The post entry pass is critical to the penetration and ball movement employed by top offences (Obradovic, Half Court Man-to-Man Offense, 2005, p. 22).

The post may kick the ball out to a guard and quickly repost. As the ball is passed around the perimeter, the post will continually adjust their position, re-establishing balance and winning battles of the front foot. When the post rolls to the basket, they monitor the ballhandler and their progress to the basket. High and low posts interchange and flash to the ball immediately after it is received by their partner. Passing lanes remain clear and a variety of passes are available.

Physical Play

International post play is very physical and players must use a combination of size, strength, balance, agility and technique. Wearing down an opposing defender by working constantly to improve position and making forceful moves to the basket forces the defence to help, rotate, and switch (Obradovic, Half Court Man-to-Man Offense, 2005, p. 20). Each team will attempt to control the matchup inside. Teams that are not as strong can be successful by pulling the post away from the basket and attack the hoop with speed (Bullen, 2011).

Pressuring the Defence

Top European coaches select players who can attack one-on-one (Obradovic, Half Court Man-to-Man Offense, 2005, p. 19). Posts who have a multi-faceted game place pressure on the defence; within shooting range, they expose lanes to the basket. When defenders come to help protect the basket, shooters, cutters and ballhandlers are open. Awareness and decision-making enable teams to maximize the team’s high percentage scoring chances.

When the defence plays aggressively, the post’s ability to pass and shoot opens up chances for teammates, such as backdoor cuts ball reversals. Ripping through and pivoting allow the post to keep the ball separated from the defender. Posts are also responsible for assisting a player who is denied by setting screens and shifting in order to disrupt the defensive scheme (Obradovic, Panathinaikos’ Offense, 2007, p. 25).

Around the rectangular key, both posts can play on the low block without interfering with each other. When a defence rotates, it is difficult to help the helper because the extra player has more ground to cover. If there is a double-team in the post, the weak-side post should assume a position to generate an immediate scoring chance (Scariolo, n.d.). Whatever the system, post players are required to read the play, adjust to the movements of the defenders and anticipate what may come next.

Works Cited

  • Bullen, T. (2011, January 4). Post Play in Italy. (B. D. Bourgase, Interviewer)
  • Messina, E. (2008, October 11). Post Play. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Ontario Basketball.
  • Obradovic, Z. (2005, September/October). Half Court Man-to-Man Offense. F.I.B.A. Assist Magazine , 16, pp. 19-24.
  • Obradovic, Z. (2007, May/June). Panathinaikos’ Offense. F.I.B.A. Assist Magazine , 26, pp. 24-26.
  • Pasquali, R. (2010, April 18). Coaching Motion Offence. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: Ontario Basketball.
  • Repeša, J. (2009, October 9). Personal Balance. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Ontario Basketball.
  • Scariolo, S. (n.d.). Clinics. Retrieved May 31, 2011, from SergioScariolo.com: http://www.sergioscariolo.com/index.php/en/clinics/

YouTube Channel