Pick-and-Roll vs. Pick-and-Pop: Basketball Concepts (Sports)
August 21, 2024
The pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop are both offensive plays in basketball that involves a teammate setting a screen to help free up another teammate for a better scoring opportunity.
Pick-and-Roll
A pick-and-roll will usually involve the center (“big man”) setting a screen for the ball handler (usually a guard). The guard will then in most cases either drive/roll to the basket or pass the ball to the screener for an open basket. The key advantages for a pick-and-roll are that it creates easier scoring opportunities near the basket, forces defensive switches (creating mismatches), and put more pressure on the defense to make quick decisions.
Pick-and-Pop
A pick-and-pop is essentially a flipped version of the pick-and-roll. The play still involves the center setting a screen for the guard, but instead of rolling to the basket, the screener will “pop” out to an open scoring spot on the court (usually a mid-range or three pointer). The key advantages for a pick-and-pop are that it helps spread the floor with creating more space for the guard to drive to the basket or find other open teammates, forces the defense to cover more ground, can expose slower defenders, and creates open opportunities for centers who can shoot the 3-ball (aka the stretch five). Some notable stretch five players that come to mind include Marc Gasol, Joel Embiid, and Brook Lopez.