Hard Show

Hard show is a pick-and-roll defense in which the defender guarding the screener briefly lunges at the ball above the level of the screen with their back to the sideline toward which the ball-handler is moving.

NBA defensive philosophy has shifted to a more conservative approach that focuses its efforts on protecting the rim and the three-point line. The mechanisms behind this change have been a greater reliance on pick-and-roll coverages known as “Drop”, “Weak”, and “Ice” — all three of which attempt to minimize defensive rotations and push shot attempts toward the mid-range area.

“Showing” on pick-and-rolls, which can, at times, result in longer and more complex defensive movements, fell out of favor. But resurgence in defensive aggression has attempted to counterbalance the impact of playmaking guards and wings. Their ability to make off-the-dribble three-pointers and wreak havoc in the space provided by these preferred coverages too easily exploited its weaknesses. Part of the response has been more aggressive drops to take away the three-point line; the other part has been more shows on pick-and-roll.

Although the show is still one of the lesser used pick-and-roll defenses in the NBA, it is an effective technique when executed properly. At its core, what separates the show from every other pick-and-roll defense is that it prompts the man guarding the screener to confront the ball-handler above the level of the screen. That is why most teams restrict their use of shows to their more athletic bigs — typically 4s. It takes particularly quick feet to execute a good show, and not all NBA 5s have that ability.

Instead of partially conceding a downhill path to the rim for the ball-handler as is common in a drop, weak or ice, the show disrupts the ball-handler before their momentum can get started. In some cases, this leads to the ball-handler necessarily getting rid of the ball — a defensive priority when the show is used against a particularly dangerous ball-handler. In other cases, it leads to an uncomfortably circuitous path for the ball-handler that takes away any immediately easy passing options. Either way, the key to every good show is a redirecting of the ball toward half-court and away from the rim.

Although the show can pressure the ball to a high degree, it is not a trap. The big who gets out to the ball is only there momentarily. How far they range above the level of screen and to what extent they pressure the ball is a matter of coaching preference, and these degrees characterize the slight differences in terminology. But unlike the sometimes marked difference between an aggressive and deep drop, the mechanics of a show do not vary greatly depending on its level of aggression.

How To Show

One of the most important parts of a show pick-and-roll defense is for the defensive big to be in proper position before initiating their show. Because they are jumping out above the level of the screen, they must be right with the screener as they go to clean up the on-ball defender. If the defensive big lags behind, their show is late and barely a disruption to the ball-handler, leaving them out on the perimeter with no advantaged gained.

If the big has called out their coverage early and is up near the screen once the pick-and-roll begins, their next step is to lunge out toward the ball, putting their arm and body in the path of the ball-handler, who is beginning their east-west move around the screen.

Show Counters

Slip

A proper show relies on timing. Because the man who is guarding the screener momentarily springs out above the level of the screen, they are somewhat exposed in other ways. There are, however, two common counters that capitalize on this coverage’s weaknesses. The first is a screen slip — meaning the screener doesn’t actually set the screen, but instead changes course and darts to the rim early.

The point of this counter is to attack the aggression of the show. Because defensive bigs know they have to get out on the perimeter, the speed with which they operate makes aborting the coverage difficult. Smart screeners who recognize this — or have studied the scouting report and know opponent coverage calls — pivot toward the paint early to avoid the chaos of the screening action. Instead of having to disentangle from the screening contact to begin their roll, they get into it immediately.

Smart ball-handlers will then throw an early pocket pass, catching the showing big by surprise and leaving them in a middle ground: neither pressuring the ball nor sticking with the roller.

Split

The other and more dangerous counter is the ball-handler splitting the defense. Instead of winding their way around the show, they slide between their own screener and the showing big to get north-south.

The split exploits the danger of a late or disconnected show. Being late to any pick-and-roll coverage is a recipe for disaster, but defenders in a show are particularly susceptible to compounding their mistake. If they are in fact late, it is likely the ball-handler has already begun their east-west move. This means the showing defender will not extend straight out toward half-court from the point of the screen, but will hop farther out in the anticipated path of the ball-handler. The problem with this approach is that it opens a space between the showing defender and the screener.

The defense is further disadvantaged by the fact that the ball-handler is given a clear line of sight to see the defense; they can track the showing defender readying to lunge at them, and can prep their ball-handling reaction accordingly.

Show + Tag

With the defensive big completely abandoning their man to bother the ball-handler, the screener against a show is often left momentarily unguarded as they roll to the rim. Although the defense hopes that the ball-handler will be unable to find the roller with a pocket pass, it does not completely rely on chance. As a safeguard, defenses tag the roller with an off-ball player to momentarily cover this free offensive player.

Tagging is usually an essential component of a show because of how separated the showing big gets from the rolling screener. Even though they provide ball pressure, they cannot always cut off a pocket pass — the ball-handler is operating in space with a live dribble. This means an off-ball player has to greet the roller as they approach the paint.

There is, however, one slight difference between a tag in a run-of-the-mill show compared to a drop, weak or ice.

Show + Empty Corner

An empty corner pick-and-roll can give conventional pick-and-roll defense fits, and the show is no exception. In fact, this is where a show will most often rely on a complete back-side rotation, with the defense recovering through coordinated switches away from the ball. Communication in these cases is the difference between success and failure, and most teams use terminology to trigger the rotations that direct defenders appropriately.

As mentioned in the “Drop” dictionary entry, empty corner pick-and-rolls present the problem of no logical tagger. In a show, defenses compensate with a football-like progression predicated on reads by multiple defenders that is actually very similar to the trap the box and sink and fill concepts. The first step is a possible baseline rotation (functioning as a tag) by the lowest weak-side player (preferably a big), who must decide whether they need to fully rotate or set up in a tagging position.

Show vs. Pick-and-Pop

One of the most popular times to use a show is against a pick-and-pop shooter. This is because a well-executed recovery angle by the showing defender can carry them right into the passing lane of the popper. This ability of the show to neutralize the pick-and-pop is unique among conventional coverages.

Still, defenses account for imperfect recovery angles by using a stunt to further disrupt the popping player.

Small-Small Shows to Avoid Switches

Another popular show usage occurs in pick-and-rolls involving two offensive wings or guards. In late-clock situations, many NBA offenses anticipate defenses switching all pick-and-rolls. The common response is to target the weakest off-ball defender by having their man screen for the ball-handler, which therefore switches this below average defender onto a strong offensive player. If this targeted defender is a small, defenses cannot use a drop, weak or ice because guards are neither accustomed nor equipped to handle the required responsibilities. Instead, they’ll have the guard quickly show and get back to their man to keep everyone matched up.

The tendencies of the players involved in these situations allow the show to succeed. Because the screener is typically a small, their instinct as a screener is to pop. This makes it easier for the showing guard to recover, as pick-and-pop rotations, as described previously, lend themselves to returning to normal matchups. Furthermore, the ball-handler is looking for a switch to isolate against, and this inclination generally prevents them from giving the ball up to their potentially open screening teammate — especially since the screener is usually a weaker offensive player, since that’s whom the defense will have its weakest player guard.