BLOB 2-3 Zone Offense3 min read

Hawk

Watch this play in motion

Open the set on the board and press play to see every cut, screen, and pass animate step by step.

Part of the Hawk family β€” see the other reads off this same set.

Hawk is a fast, no-frills baseline inbound built to seal two zone defenders at almost the same moment β€” one shooter ends up open in the corner, and if the zone cheats to stop that, a post player is left with a clean midrange look on the block instead.

Setting Up

Line up in an irregular shape: three players along the free-throw line extended and one already in the ball-side corner. Put your best three-point shooter at 2, a post who can hit a midrange shot at 4, and your strongest screener at 5.

Two Seals at Once

The instant the ball is live, the screener cuts down the middle of the key and seals the zone's middle defender, while at the same moment the post walks his own defender closer to the basket with a screening action of his own. Both seals happen together β€” the timing here is the whole play.

The Corner Cut

The shooter cuts to the ball-side corner without ever making it obvious β€” facing the middle of the floor and even faking a screening motion before breaking to the corner. If both seals have done their job, he's open for the catch and the three.

If the bottom wing defender cheats over to deny that corner shot instead, the post player who set the second seal is left open for an easy catch-and-shoot midrange jumper right where he's standing.

Coaching Points

Timing is everything: both seals need to land at the same instant, and the shooter has to break for the corner immediately once they do.

The shooter should disguise the cut until the last possible moment β€” squaring up early gives the defense time to recognize where he's going.

This is a special-occasion play. Running it on every baseline inbound lets the defense catch on and take away both reads.

Key Takeaways

  • β€’Set up with three players along the free-throw line extended and one already in the corner.
  • β€’Two simultaneous seals β€” one on the middle defender, one on the bottom wing defender β€” are the engine of the play.
  • β€’The corner three is the primary read if both seals land on time.
  • β€’A cheating bottom defender leaves the post open for an easy midrange jumper instead.
  • β€’Save this quick hitter for a specific moment; it loses its edge if overused.