Step through it
The cue: “He turned his head? Cut behind.” Only the defender who gives the read is drawn.
Read the three steps as text
- 2 has the ball on the left wing and 1 is at the top. 3 is on the right wing, with X3 guarding.
- X3 turns his head to watch the ball and loses sight of 3.
- 3 cuts behind X3 to the rim and 2 passes to the cutter. The cue: He turned his head? Cut behind.
Ask, don't tell
After the rep, ask one question: “What was your defender looking at?” Judge the decision, not whether the shot went in.
Why it is in this library
Every read here passes the same tests: it is a read, not a reaction; it has few moving parts; it fits five-out spacing; it transfers as a concept; and it falls back into normal play if the read is not there. Teach the roles (screener, cutter, passer), not the positions.
Unofficial fan-created resource. The read is distilled from published coaching playbooks, curated and reviewed by Ravi Sundram, and the diagram is a schematic drawn for this site. Not affiliated with any team, coach or league.