A great way to get a player open is by running a misdirection. This BLOB play works off of the classic flex BLOB play. It is a simple inbounds, pass and flex cut using the inbounds passer as the screener for the baseline cut. Now this play looks just like that play but changes the baseline cut into an up cut. After running the flex BLOB play a few times, this play is a great counter when the defense starts to jump to the middle to stop the flex cut.
The hardest pass is the initial entry pass to get the play started. The lob pass is not always the easiest pass and the defense can jump the pass if the offense loses focus. Once the initial entry pass is made, everything else should work easily with good cuts and good screens.
The simple concept and movement makes it a great play all the way from the youth level up to college and pro. This is a great addition to a series of BLOB flex plays that can keep the defense guessing and unsure of what the offense is going to do with each play. This series has all the plays looking the same but differences in actions and cutting never allows the defense to know what is coming next.
The play starts in a flat formation with all 4 players lined up on the baseline. The player right in front of the ball cuts up the lane line to receive the entry pass. As the pass occurs the point(1) in the ball side corner cuts to the block that the big(4) just left to catch the entry pass.
The baseline cut by the point(1) makes it look like the flex cut of other BLOB plays. The offense wants the defense to jump into the middle of the lane as the point(1) is cutting on the baseline. The farther the defense moves into the lane, the more open the point(1) will be on the up cut.
The center(5) cuts up the opposite lane line to receive the pass from the big(4). The point(1) has cut into the block. The forward(3) is cutting around the outside shoulder of the point(1) to the top of the block or midpost area.
The forward(3) cut is there to set up the final action of the play. Everything is now set to get the point(1) wide open on their up cut for a 3-point shot.
The point(1) now runs an up cut. The big(4) and forward(3) are setting a double stagger screen to get the point(1) open at the 3-point line just above the elbow. The center(5) passes the ball to the point(1) as they get to the 3-point line for an open 3-point shot.
This is a great play. It is simple in its execution. A good defense will start to jump the flex cut by the point(1) which leaves this up cut as a great counter to the defense jumping the baseline cut. This is a play that needs to be set up first in order to work. The more the offense can score off of the flex cut, the more likely this up cut will be there later in the game.
A team that runs the BLOB flex play needs to add this one right behind it. This gives the offense a great two play set that will keep the defense guessing on what is coming next. This uncertainty allows the offense to keep scoring even if the defense thinks they know what is going to happen.
