Step through it
The cue: “Spread, then cut.” Only the defender who gives the read is drawn.
Read the three steps as text
- Baseline out of bounds against man defence. 1 has the ball and the other four spread along the arc, with X5 guarding 5 on the right.
- X5 overplays to deny the pass to 5.
- 5 goes behind X5 to the rim and 1 passes to the cutter. The cue: Spread, then cut.
Ask, don't tell
After the rep, ask one question: “Which defender relaxed first?” 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.