Raptors Execute Many Little Things to Create Game-Winning Shot

Down 1 vs. Orlando, Toronto ran an interesting SLOB to create a drive and kick situation.  Lou Williams finally made a corner 3 because the team understood the details.

• First of all, the best time to shoot a three is when you don’t need one. The defense is more concerned about stopping penetration towards the rim than sticking to a shooter or running them off the ball.
• Greivis Vasquez inbounded the ball, Lou Williams started on the strong-side elbow opposite Patrick Patterson and DeMar DeRozan was on the weak-side wing. Kyle Lowry was on the other side of halfcourt in order to occupy a defender.  The Raptors have run X out of this alignment before and entered the ball to Lowry so he could use the high screen and full speed.
• Vasquez froze Lowry’s defender by faking a baseball pass to Lowry. As a result, when the play unfolds, it is a 4-on-4 situation that permits more room for driving and passing lanes.
• Patterson screens for Williams who screens away for DeRozan.  There is nobody to switch onto DeRozan or bump him after he uses the screen.
• DeRozan plays aggressively.  He turns the corner after using the screen so he is going at the basket when he catches the ball.  DeRozan gets to the paint and draws Williams’ defender.
• Williams drifts to the corner to DeRozan can hit him with a one-handed push pass around the defender.
• DeRozan passes the ball to where Williams will be and Williams catches the ball ready to shoot.  The shot is immediately released before the defense can contest it.

The play demonstrates many elements from fundamental drills (driving and kicking, lifting and drifting, screening for the screener) applied successfully in a game.  There’s a reason coaches make you repeat these skills over and over.