Blocker/Mover Offense

The blocker/mover system in basketball ,created by Dick Bennett while he was at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in the mid-1980s,can be seen today in several successful NCAA programs. It is an offense that centers on the assignment of specific responsibilities for each player.1 These assignments are typically your post players being screeners and your guards being the movers. There are also multiple alignments to the set including Lane/Lane, Lane/Wide, Wide/Wide, and Top/Bottom. This system has seen success at not only UW-Green Bay, the University of Wisconsin, and Washington State under Dick Bennett but also currently at the University of Virginia under Bennett’s son, Tony Bennett.2

In the blocker/mover system, the blockers need to be your best screener as their primary job will be to get the movers open by setting good screens. In order for the offense to be successful there are rules for the blockers to follow that help provide structure to the offense. The initial thought by some players might be that being a blocker might limit their ability to score. However, their ability to set good screens is what will allow them to score and score easily. When a successful screen is set, it is typically the screener’s defender that must provide the help defense to allow the other defender time to recover. This is a great opportunity for the blocker to make a cut or post up for an easy score.

While it is the blocker’s job to screen, it is the mover’s job to do just what is in their name, move.  But this movement is not just for the sake of moving but rather move with a purpose.  It is the mover’s job to find the blockers, set their defender up, and then make the proper cut according to how the defense is playing and where the ball is located.  Since the blockers have designated areas they must stay in, it is the job of the movers to take their defender to the blocker to screen. They must set their defender up by crossing the blocker’s face. This allows the blocker to become set and get the best angle for the mover to use. Once the mover begins to make their cut, it is then their job to read their defender and make the proper cut. For example, if the screen that is set is a down screen at the low block, and the mover’s defender goes footsteps, following the mover, they should cut wrapping around the blocker, continuing towards the basket.  If the screen is successful in slowing down the defender, the mover should pop to the elbow for an open jumper. If the defender goes ball-side around the screen, the blocker can reset and the mover can pop out to the perimeter with a flare cut.

Although it may seem as though this offense is a guard centered one, it can actually be very fruitful for the post players as well. They can be freed up for open looks and uncontested shots with successful screening. In future posts I will explore the various alignments that can be ran out of the blocker/mover system.

References

1Dick Bennett Coaching Record | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/dick-bennett-1.html

2Basketball Motion Offense. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.coachlikeapro.com/blocker-mover-motion-offense.html

3Lansing State Journal - Home. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/