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Circle 3

A sideline out-of-bounds set that frees your best shooter for a catch-and-shoot three off screen-the-screener action, with a secondary lob option for your big.

OFFENSE

SLOB

FORMATION

Off-Set Stack

CORE ACTIONS

Screen-the-Screener, Stagger

PLAY DESCRIPTION

“Circle 3” is a late-game SLOB designed around continuous screening layers that confuse the defense and open two high-quality options — a top-tier shooter on the perimeter and a rim-finishing big off a secondary back screen. The sequence builds deception through movement, forcing the defense to chase, switch, and ultimately lose track of the final target.

Why It Works
The defense reacts first to the initial stagger and then struggles to recover as the screens reverse direction. The multiple changes in screening angles — pin-down, cross-screen, and back-screen — make it nearly impossible for defenders to communicate effectively, especially in late-clock or high-pressure moments.

Key Teaching Points

  • Every cut must sell the shot — no jog-throughs.

  • Screeners must pivot quickly from one action to the next; there’s no dead time.

  • The inbounder must stay calm and read both the three-point and lob options in order.

  • Spacing at the finish is key — 2’s pop-out keeps the weak side balanced.

PRIMARY ACTIONS

  • Alignment: 4 inbounding on the right sideline, 1 at top of key, 2 at right elbow, 5 in right short corner, 3 at left elbow.

  • 1 cuts off a wide diagonal stagger from 2 and 5 to the right baseline corner (decoy).

  • 2 turns to set a pin-down for 5.

  • 5 curls around the pin-down and immediately sets a cross-screen for 3.

  • 3 comes off 5’s screen to the right wing for a catch-and-shoot three from 4.

  • Secondary action: as 3 cuts, 2 sets a back-screen for 5 (screen-the-screener) for a lob at the rim.

  • 2 then pops to the opposite wing to space the floor.

MEDIA

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