We discussed a Horns set in the set of the week already, Horns Lift, and this is another Horns set with Flex action involved. Flex is a term for screen the screener continuity with both bigs spacing the floor at the elbows. It is extremely common from high school to the NBA, and NBA teams love to run this action out of Horns.
The set starts off in Horns with a pass to the elbow, then the point guard cuts through the middle of the lane and looks toward the ball. This can be important to throw the defense off of which side the initial cross screen will occur on, avoiding easier help defense. After the point guard cuts through he continues to the opposite side of the ball and sets a cross screen for the guard in the corner.
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After the initial look for 3 to come off the cross screen and get a layup, the big will set a pindown screen for the point guard, and then it is continuity from there. The ball would continue to 1 and then 3 would screen across for 2, as 4 screens down for 3, then it continues.
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Look for the Nuggets to run this for the rest of the season, and for the future while Mike Malone still coaches.
I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday and a great new year!
Previous "Set of the Week" columns from coach Gibson Pyper:
Rice – Ball Screen Continuity Counter
Ball Screen Continuity
