NBA ShootOut

A standard perimeter offense, the Hi-Lo post positions the center high and the power forward low, with the other three men moving back and forth along the perimeter. This creates a wide area for ball movement and, ideally, a lot of good passing and shot opportunities.

Best used when you have a team with good three point shooters, this set creates wide-open spacing, with three to four players on the perimeter. This is perfect for draining three-pointers and getting back quickly on defense, but not for offensive rebounds.

Both sets make use of man-to-man ball pressure in the hopes of making a steal, intercepting a pass, or otherwise forcing a turnover. The key difference comes in the coverage of the inbound pass.

Here, both the inbounder and the ball-handler are pressured. You might get a five- or ten-second violation or a quick turnover. Coaches often use a full-court press when their team is losing and they want to force a change in momentum.

This is your standard defensive set, which allows the offense to take the ball into the front court before man-to-man pressure is applied. Players don't tire as quickly, and it's harder for the offense to get a cheap basket...but you won't come up with many backcourt steals.