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Memphis' Marc Gasol Elbow Series (Part 1) - FastModel Sports

Published 02/13/2013 by Mark Travis Favorite Send to FastDraw Print Embed

About This Play/Drill

Marc Gasol is one of the truly underappreciated players in the league. He's a solid post-up player, a decent shooter, the best big man passer in the league (with his brother being a close second) and he may very well be the defensive player of the year in the NBA right now.

Memphis' offense is a cramped, inconsistent and often times ineffective collaboration of players who shrink the floor in an era that thrives on spacing it. When things go well for the Grizzlies, it almost always has something to do with Marc Gasol making a play for his teammates. Gasol is deadly from the elbows, as that position on the floor gives him a perfect vantage point of the floor and allows him to distribute from a high-low perspective. Here is one way the Grizz utilize Gasol's skillset from that particular spot on the floor.

  • Basketball Play - Memphis' Marc Gasol Elbow Series (Part 1)
  • Basketball Play - Memphis' Marc Gasol Elbow Series (Part 1)
  • Basketball Play - Memphis' Marc Gasol Elbow Series (Part 1)
  • Basketball Play - Memphis' Marc Gasol Elbow Series (Part 1)
  • The play starts with Mike Conley entering the ball to Gasol at the left elbow while Tony Allen clears to the weakside corner. After making the entry pass to Gasol, Conley then cuts around Zach Randolph, who is standing in the vicinity of the right elbow, towards the baseline. At this point, Gasol has an isolation at the left elbow.
     
  • The next set of action on this play is a double cut through by Tayshaun Prince and Tony Allen. Prince goes first, curling around Randolph and into the key, passing in front of Gasol on his way to the strongside wing. If Randolph can screen off Prince's defender, Gasol may have the option of hitting Prince on a cut to the rim here. As Prince passes him by, Randolph begins making his way down to the right block while Allen makes a cut around him towards the strongside corner (the option for a quick duck-in pass for Allen also exists, but for the most part, it's a false action).
     
  • Once he's at the right block, Randloph sets a down screen for Conley, who pops off the screen and up towards the right elbow where Gasol is waiting with a dribble hand-off as well as a staggered screen.
     
  • Conley curls around Gasol's screen and gets into the paint. With Conley's man lagging behind him because of the screens, Gasol's man has to help on Conley, leaving Gasol open for a pick-and-pop jumper, a shot he is hitting at a 54% rate this season.

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