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Quick Overview
“X” uses a 1-2-2 alignment and coordinated cross-screens to distort the zone and create an open driving lane. The play isolates the defense by forcing the middle defender to react to a flash while simultaneously screening both the top and low defenders on the weak side, giving the wing a clear gap to attack.
Why It Works
Zones collapse under pressure when multiple defenders are screened at once. By crossing 4 and 5 through the middle, the offense forms a natural gate that creates a high-percentage driving opportunity. The drive not only produces layups but also forces rotations that free rim rolls and perimeter kick-outs.
Key Teaching Points
Timing of 4 and 5’s crossing screens is everything — they must arrive together.
3 must attack decisively through the “gate” without hesitation.
Spacing is crucial: 2 drifting to the weak corner keeps the defense honest.
5 must hold the seal, then roll hard, while 4 pops to space for the kickout.
Alignment: 1 top, 2 right wing, 3 left wing, 4 left short corner, 5 right short corner.
1 passes to 2, who quickly returns the ball to 1.
On the initial pass, 5 flashes from the right short corner to the foul line, occupying the middle defender.
On the return pass, 4 flashes up to screen the top left defender, while 5 sprints down to screen the low left defender — crossing paths to form a “gate.”
1 swings the ball to 3 on the left wing.
3 drives hard through the gate into the left elbow area.
Options: finish at the rim, hit 5 on the roll, kick out to 4 popping to the wing, or skip to 2 drifting to the right baseline corner.
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