In the last 3-part post called “Intelligent Drives : Training Dribble Penetration,” we discussed what “Real Estate” is, Reading “Real Estate”, and two ways to create “Real Estate”. But what if you have a player in the post, do you lose the opportunity to create and use “Real Estate”? The answer is no you do not, but you do have to veer away from traditional post player thinking.
In traditional post player thinking, the post follows the ball around the perimeter and attempts to continuously fight for position and post.
This post, relocate, and repost action normally clogs the lane for cutters and even takes away driving
lanes for the ball handler. In the Read & React, we have Layer 2: Pass NorthSouth, Layer 4: Dribble North-South – Post Reactions, and Layer 9: Extra Decisions –
Advanced Post Slides to guide players that are in the post. But it is Layer 6: Post Screens that introduces a principle that will help open the lane and even creates “Real Estate”.
This is only a principle not a rule of the Read & React. You can choose to establish this principle with your entire team, specific players, or not at all. If you choose not to establish this principle be aware that you are losing “Real Estate”, and several other scoring opportunities for your team.
Post Principle:
If you are going to stay in the post for more than one pass than you must pick a side of the lane and stay on it. You cannot change sides simply because you want to or that the ball is on the other side. You must have a good reason to change sides of the lane. While on the weakside set screens for cutters exiting the lane and look to set Pin screens. If you are in the short corner or high post on ballside, only flash to the mid post off the tail of a cutter. If you are in the mid-post on ballside, you are going to receive the ball (layer 2) or screen for cutters.
Once you have established the post principle, “Real Estate” will open up many more scoring opportunities than without the principle. The principle also allows you to teach a post player the right times to change sides of the lane when they are on the weakside post spots. Two good reasons for a player in the post to change sides of the lane would be if they receive an Invitation screen from a cutter or to flash to an open area to help a teammate being trapped.
You can find a deeper explanation of post screens in the Video On Demand (VOD) library Layer 6: Post Screens.
[author ]Loren Tillman has been coaching for over 15 years at all levels of basketball. Coach Tillman started running the Read and React 8 years ago with a 4th-grade boys AAU team. He has installed it with great success as a Girls High School Head Coach and for the last three years as a Boys High School Head Coach in the Seattle, WA area. Coach Tillman is also involved with PGC Basketball, most recently as a basket instructor for their summer courses.
Loren Tillman 
@ltillman34 
@ltillman34
[/author]
