On August 31st, EuroBasket, an European competition featuring 24 countries and a high number of NBA players.  With the much anticipated exodus of NBA players to Europe not exactly happening (as of yet), this could be the last time you see some really good NBA players play in a true competitive setting for a really long time.  To get everyone more familiar with what we are going to see during the EuroBasket tournament, I am going to look at each team’s offense and break down a few interesting sets that they run, using game tape from the preparation games that are currently being played.

A lot of European teams run sets that a predicated on motion offenses with a lot of movement off of the basketball (like what Slovenia runs).  Italy seems to be a little bit different.  A team with some NBA players on it (including Andrea Bargnani, Danilo Gallinari, and Marco Belinelli), the Italians run a offense that NBA fans would be more familiar with.  They have sets, sure, but these sets are more designed to put a player in space and let him create then designed to beat the offense and get somebody wide open on a cut.

Halfcourt Offense

Post Set

Italy is a team that likes to go to the post at a pretty high rate, which is interesting considering the players on their roster (Andrea Bargnani, Danilo Gallinari, and Marco Belinelli are more shooters than post players).  What makes them effective in the post is the fact is they like to pair their post up play with some off the ball action:

Here, we pick up Italy as the post entry pass is made.  Once that pass happens,  you have the three players not involved in the post up working off of the ball.  Two players come down and get in position to set screens for the player who’s on the opposite block.

As Bargnani is posting his man up, Italy has another player coming from the opposite block and spotting up at the top of the key.

Bargnani now has three options.  He can make a move and take a shot out of the post, he can hit the man coming off of the screens at the top of the key, or he can kick it out to the corner, where one of the screeners (It doesn’t matter which one) usually pops out to.  In this case, he makes a move and gets the bucket.  Here is the play in real time:

What this movement off of the basketball does is it makes it hard for the defense to send a double team.  Away from the basketball the defense is worried about defending the double screen, that they are now unable to help.  The double team can only come from the passer, and that is an easy kick out pass:

On this play, you actually get a double team away from the basketball, and it comes from the man defending the player getting the screens set for him.  The result is a wide open man at the top of the key.  Bargnani doesn’t hit him, but that’s what defenses need to worry about in this set.

Again, Italy runs their post play and the defender covering the man coming off of the screens takes a second to determine whether or not he should double.  That brief hesitation allows the Italian player to come off of the ball screen, get open, and curl it as he gets the basketball.  The result puts the defense in a tough position, and they eventually are forced to foul while closing out.

What this play also does is it forces the defense to take their attention away from the weakside corner:

Everyone on Italy likes to shoot threes, so it’s not a surprise to see the corner three on the weakside an option here.  With the defense worried about the post up and the man coming off of screens at the top of the key, they tend to get sucked in towards the middle and that can leave the corner open.

Double High – Ball Screen

In addition to post up plays, Italy loves running stuff out of what I call the double high formation, where you have two players (usually two bigs) setting up at each high post spot.  Italy has two sets out of this formation and the first involves a ball screen:

As the point guard gets the basketball at the top of the key, the Italians at each elbow get in position to set a ball screen.  I don’t think there is a particular side where the set has to be run to, it’s more of the point guard’s decision, and in this case, he goes to the left and uses the ball screen on that side.

As the pick and roll takes place, the man at the opposite elbow (in this case, Danilo Gallinari) flashes to the top of the key.

Now, after setting his screen, the big rolls to the rim.  The purpose of this is to suck in the defense and free up Gallinari, who is flashing to the top of the key.

Now the point guard has three options.  He can take it to the rim, hit the roll man, or hit the man flashing at the top of the key.  In this case, he hits Gallinari flashing because his man sunk into the paint to defend the roll.  Gallinari is unable to take advantage here, but you see what Italy is looking for.

Gallinari probably makes the wrong decision (he had an open jumper in my opinion) and he tries to attack the rim, getting called for an offensive foul.  What I like best about this play is that it allows Italy to get into something else if nothing is open:

In both of these clips, Italy runs their play and nothing’s open.  Instead of panicing, the big flashing to the top of the key pops a little further out to make himself available, gets the ball, and then they just play basketball, looking to get a shot somehow.

Also, the ball handler is encouraged to take the ball to the rim if it’s there:

What’s really interesting is that the ball never seems to make it to the roll man.  It’s either attack the rim or reverse it to the big at the top of the key.  If defenses pick up on this during EuroBasket, Italy could struggle when running this set (the defense won’t get sucked in to defend the roll man because they know he isn’t a threat).

Double High – Ball Entry

The second set that Italy likes to run out of this Double High formation is a set that starts with an entry pass to a big instead of a ball screen.

Here, Italy is in the same set up as the previous set we looked at.  However, instead of using one big for a ball screen, the point guard enters the basketball and then cuts off of him looking for a dribble handoff (this handoff never happens).

After faking the handoff, the big on the weakside elbow comes over and sets a screen for the big with the basketball.  Italy is now playing the pick and roll.

This set might be the best example of Italy’s philosophy on the offensive end.  The coach is calling a set that sets up a big to big pick and roll at the top of the key.  However, what they do with it is totally up to them.  Pick and roll, pick and pop, whatever they want to do out of it is up to the players on the court.  The Italian coaching staff is putting them in a position to create, but they are allowing their players to determine how they create.

SLOB Set

Unlike some teams who have sets designed to get quick baskets out of sideline situations, Italy is just focused on getting the basketball inbounded.  Once that happens, they just play basketball, usually getting in a pick and roll  set.

BLOB set

Unlike their philosophy in sideline situations, Italy is looking to score out of their baseline sets, and again it all starts with two bigs, one at each elbow.

On this play, you have your bigs on the elbow and your guards standing at the foul line.  As soon as the ball goes to the trigger man, the guards come off of screens set by the bigs at the elbow.  If you come off of the screen and you are open, you’re taking the shot.  If not, you are kicking it out, and playing basketball.

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Since developing players like Andrea Bargnani, Danilo Gallinari, and Marco Belinelli, Italy has always been very consistant.  Looking really good at times, but also looking really bad.  A lot of that has to do with the fact they rely so heavily on their guys to create on their own.  In the NBA, where every player on the court (usually) can create for themselves this type of offense works.  However, in an offense where you have a few really strong players and a few decent players, you end up relying really heavily on the better players.  If they are all struggling (which happens), you are in big trouble.  That’s where Italy is at right now.