Warriors film: Terry Stotts gives Golden State's offense a boost

When it was announced that former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts would replace Kenny Atkinson as Steve Kerr's senior assistant, it signaled a clear move to strengthen an offense that has recently been ranked in the top 10 in points scored per 100 possessions without garbage time was the season – clearly needed new ideas, despite having one of the deadliest offensive singularities in history.

Stotts' philosophy was made clear in an article by Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who had the opportunity to speak with Stotts about his role with the Golden State Warriors.

“Everyone knows we did a lot of flares and pindowns (in Portland),” Stotts said. “I think the players we have will be good at it. Steve loves reading and reacting. I think this is the best way to play. But at the same time you can set a framework. What I like to have is – you can have a play call, but within that play call you don't know what's going to happen. There may be splits, flares, pindowns or pick-and-rolls and that freedom within a structure.”

Stotts made sure to point out “flares” and “pindowns” – two off-ball screen types that are common in the NBA. Flare screens are simply when a player deviates from a screen in one direction go away from the ball, while pindown screens are set screens for a player inclined to the baseline.

Flares and pindowns serve as the building blocks of Stotts' offensive philosophy – a combination of flow and randomness supported by structure and organization. While the Warriors have favored the former over the latter in the past, the inclusion of Stotts means Kerr is more likely to aim for a balance between two seemingly dichotomous concepts. “Freedom within the structure,” as Stotts said above, meant that multiple options could be explored while leaving room for improvisation and adaptation.

To serve as an example, a staple action by the Stotts with the Blazers that involves a flare and pindown action – called “One Chest” (because the play call for it is to hold up a finger and then tap on the chest) – is central to the marriage between randomness and organization.

Stotts based “One Chest” on Tony Bennett’s “blocker-mover” offense with the Virginia Cavaliers. Three movers (the flare and pindown receivers and the ball handler) are paired with two blockers (the two designated screeners) in a “wheel” or continuity scheme designed to keep the ball and personnel constantly moving.

While the flare and pindown options are central to Stotts' offensive philosophy – as seen in the Portland examples above – they are not the be-all and end-all of the concept. Chance can still play a role for the Warriors, especially if the original structure falls apart. Kerr and Stotts want to prove that organization does not have to take a backseat to chaotic flow and vice versa.

If the structure doesn't produce an immediate result, it can instead serve as the foundation for another bout of flow – as the Warriors have proven many times in the preseason. When executing their own version of One Chest, the initial flare/pindown maneuver ensures players are able to capitalize on an advantage situation:

Watch De'Anthony Melton – who starts the set with an initial “zipper” cut (more on that later) – come out of Kevon Looney's flare screen. Melton's man decides to go over the screen, causing him to fall behind. At the same time, Buddy Hield running along the baseline to break away from Kyle Anderson's pindown serves as a secondary action that keeps potential help defenders from rotating in the paint.

However, the distracted help defender – along with several other teammates – realizes that Melton is on his way to the rim. They collapse in the paint to prevent a layup, giving Hield the freedom to move to the wing. Melton suggests that the defenders couldn't predict when Hield would get out of Anderson's pindown.

The “One Chest” possession above was actually the second time the Warriors did it in the fourth quarter of their second preseason game — while the first was an even more poignant example of how structure flows into improvisation. With both the flare and pindown options covered, option C is to go straight into a Warriors staple.

Watch Brandin Podziemski take charge when the going gets tough as the Sacramento Kings shut down both the flare and pindown options. Podziemski calmly calls for the ball to be passed to Anderson at the post – and with Hield at his side, Podziemski knows exactly what to do: set up a split-cut screen and then move the screen to counteract an expected change:

“That was a Terry Stotts move, the Portland stuff he ran with (Damian Lillard) and (CJ McCollum),” Kerr said of the aforementioned move. “Part of the idea of ​​bringing Terry was that his offense would be similar to ours, but with more personnel structure. The interesting thing about this piece was that it was all old Portland stuff. And then we didn’t get anything, and then it came back to the split game that we’ve been running forever.”

The low post split is a natural progression from “One Chest” due to the positioning of the pindown screener – he is already primed to receive an entry pass with the pindown receiver ready to either set up a split cut screen or to receive him. Another split-action instance from “One Chest” occurred in the following possession:

But if you've noticed, “One Chest” above is not the typical “One Chest” shown before – due to one key difference:

The pindown maneuver in “One Chest” turns out to be a decoy or mock action for another action: a “stack” pick-and-roll, also known as a “Spain” pick-and-roll, for which Hield sets up the backscreen Looney after setting up a ball screen for Podziemski. The Warriors ran it for Melton before the aforementioned possession – watch Moses Moody fake coming out of the pindown, turn to his right, and adjust the backscreen to clear the path for Melton's drive off the ballscreen:

The folds and variations of “One Chest” could be endless; They'll be necessary to keep the defense guessing and minimize predictability – which is why it's not the only Stotts move based on “blocker-mover.” The concept (flare plus pindown) and overall philosophy are very similar, but a slight difference in initiation is what makes the difference between One Chest and the Thumb series – especially Thumb Fist.

In the clip above, note that “One Chest” begins with a “zipper” cut (from the baseline to the elbow), followed by the flare action.

In Thumb Fist, the starting action is different: a man in the corner shows an away screen to receive the ball, and then the ball is quickly turned back to the original ball player. This flows into the classic flare and pindown maneuvers that are central to “Blocker-Mover”.

Often the flare and pindown options are not available. Option C is therefore a demanding pick-and-roll for the ball handler:

Just like in One Chest, the flare and pindown maneuvers serve as distractions that create a clear path for the ball handler's rim attack.

Or as a distraction aid for each other:

As such, Stotts wasn't brought in to completely reinvent the wheel – one that averaged 11.1 possessions per game off screen Play type, which accounted for 9.8% of all Warriors play types. According to Synergy tracking, both figures led the league last season. Their 1.115 points per possession off screens surpassed only the Boston Celtics (1.183) and the Miami Heat (1.118). The Warriors don't necessarily fix what's broken; They just find new ways to make it even more effective and less predictable.

In a way, it's an attempt to get back to what it takes to be successful again – perhaps get back to the top if the cards are in your favor – by giving them a unique sense of “flare” in has worked excellently in the past. The offensive flow has returned to the breathtaking glory that once thrilled the basketball world. It remains to be seen whether everyone will continue to take their breath away when the real basketball starts on Wednesday.