How to Take Pressure Off the Point Guard in Basketball

Offenses are dependent on the point guard starting the offense. In many cases, the defense will put pressure on the point guard to prevent him/her from starting the starting the offense easily. This "How to" provides some ways to free up the point guard.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Set a parallel screen. By having a teammate running alongside the point guard as she brings up the court, she can quickly set a screen on the defender to relieve the pressure.
2. Wing sets a screen. Bring the wing up to where the three point line and free throw line extended meet. The point guard dribbles off that screen and takes the wing position to get the offense started.
3. Post sets a screen. Bring the post up to the elbow of lane and the point guard can dribble off that screen and penetrate to the basket.
4. Give and Go. With the defender playing tight on the point guard, it is a great opportunity for the point guard to make a pass to the wing and make a quick cut down the lane for a return pass.

Tips & Warnings

• Strong ball handling skills by the point guard are the best method of breaking the pressure