EL SEGUNDO — The Lakers’ usage of Stack/Spain pick-and-roll isn’t anything new.
The offensive set, run by most teams in the league, has been in their playbook since the preseason.
But they’ve been leaning on it more in recent weeks to great success, providing themselves with a go-to set that leads to effective offense.
“Stack is hard to guard,” D’Angelo Russell said during a recent episode of his podcast, “The Backyard Podcast”. “You got one guy setting a screen on the ball, you got a guy setting a backscreen on the guy setting the screen on the ball. Can’t nobody guard that.”
As Russell explained, Stack (the common term in the NBA), is a pick-and-roll combined with a backscreen for the picker, who rolls to the hoop. The set is especially effective against defenses using drop coverage against pick-and-rolls.
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If the defense is unprepared or caught off guard by the set, or is prioritizing staying attached to shooters, the roller (typically a big man) will most likely be open for a lob. If the defense packs the paint to prevent the lob or the ball handler from driving to the rim, the player setting the back screen will likely be open for a 3-point attempt if they cut above the arc. Or a pull-up opportunity could open up for the ball handler. If the defense tries to switch all screens, mismatches or scoring opportunities can open up if the screeners ghost (fake) their ball screens or slip out of them before making contact.
And even when the action is defended well, counters exist all around the court.
The Lakers have run Stack 29 times in the past five games, or about six times per game, according to data compiled by Cranjis McBasketball, a founder of BBall Index, which is a basketball data and analytics website. They’ve scored 1.7 points per possession when running those sets recently. They ran Stack 47 times over the first 65 games – less than once per game – according to Cranjis McBasketball’s data.
“Just trying to diversify our offense in ways we can be better offensively,” Lakers star LeBron James responded when asked about the set. “We’re not turning the ball over and getting great shots. So it doesn’t matter where we run.”
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The Lakers’ offensive versatility makes this set effective for them.
Russell and Austin Reaves, who have mainly been the ball handlers for the Lakers when they run Stack, have had good-to-great seasons with their pull-up 3-point shooting and finishing at the rim. Reaves, James and Taurean Prince, who often set the backscreen, have had good-to-elite seasons shooting 3-pointers off the catch and can attack closeouts. Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes are strong rollers.
“We want to get great shots and everybody feel like we’re in a good rhythm,” James said.
When asked about the increased usage of this play set after a practice last week, Russell suggested asking others on the team.
But as he was leaving a shootaround at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento last week, Russell asked a Southern California News Group reporter whether he read an ESPN feature story on Russell that was published last week – a story that referenced Russell’s vocalness during film sessions.
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Reaves told the Southern California News Group that the team’s increased usage of this play set was sparked by Russell and Reaves running the action for significant portions of the Lakers’ victory over the Boston Celtics on Feb. 1. Reaves added that Russell’s vocalness during a film session after the win was a key reason why the set has been incorporated more in recent weeks.
“Can’t nobody guard that,” Russell said. “We beat Boston with that play. We ran that play every time, they couldn’t guard it.”
Russell has been the ball handler a significant majority (over 70%) of the time the Lakers have run Stack this season.
“The secret to that is coming off with pace,” Russell said. “If you come off Stack with pace, it’s too many people involved. It’s too much confusion.
“If I just come off full speed, he’s trying to tell him to step up, ‘I switch, I got it’ … if I come off full speed, by the time y’all done did that, something’s opened up. Either my shot, the throwback, bounce pass, corner, it’s so much right then and there. It’s just pace.”