Coach ,

If you watch international basketball as much as we do, you will notice there are two popular alignments for starting half-court plays:  Horns Alignment and Diamond Alignments.  

Sometimes called a Double Exit, the play action was originally designed to allow your best shooter to come off a screen to either side of the floor, with the guard at the nail going opposite of the shooter, as shown in the diagram above.

Here is Zalgiris running the basic action in a game against Olympiacos.

Diamond plays would evolve into other actions not just for your best shooters, but also for post ups and pick and roll actions. 

In this clip below from Luka Bassin’s course Shooting Guard as Pick and Roll Creator, here is a clip of Israeli professional team Hapoel Jerusalem using the diamond to get into a pick and roll action.

In this clip from Coach Bassin’s course Shooters Shoot: Off Ball Screen Systems, FC Barcelona starts in a Horns set then gets into a diamond for their shooter.

Here is a play from the diamond set to get into a spread pick and roll action.

After 2 comes off the screen by 4, 3 cuts to the opposite wing.  1 passes to 2 and sprints to the ball side corner as 3 and 4 space on the opposite side of the floor.  5 will then sprint into the ball screen and play the 2 man game.  In this example, 2 uses the screen so 5 rolls and 1 lifts from the corner.

The diamond-set can also be used to get the ball inside for a post up opportunity as shown below.

3 comes off the down screen as 2 cuts opposite.  1 hits 3, then cuts off a UCLA screen by 4.  3 reverses the ball to 4 as 5 pins down for 1.  2 also cuts at the same time to the block.  4 will center the ball and make the reversal pass to 1.  On the pass to 1, 2 will set a cross screen for 5.  4 could down screen for 2 or you can space the floor as 1 and 5 play the 2-man game in the post.

Want to design your own plays using the Diamond alignment? Check out Tony Miller’s course Designing The Best Basketball X and O's to help you develop ideas.

Growing The Game Together!

Lason, Leigh, Marc and the Coaches Clinic Community of Coaches Helping Coaches