Panathinaikos: Chin Stampede

Welcome to the 24th (and final) issue of Hoops Beyond the Huddle for the season!

This week we’re taking a look at a set that Panathinaikos ran against Real Madrid in the first half of the EuroLeague Championship game. Panathinaikos upset the favorited Madrid team with a coaching masterclass lead by Ergin Ataman who lead his team to become champions in three of the last four seasons.

Watch the clip and we will break it down below.

There are definitions for all the actions explained in this newsletter, at the bottom. All words that are bolded in black can be found.

This action is called Chin Stampede.

This set starts off with the 2 bringing the ball up the court. The 1 and the 5 are at the elbows and the 3 and 4 are in the corners. The ball is entered to the 5 and the 1 sets an brush screen on the 1.

The 1 runs off the screen and gets a dribble handoff from the 5 at the slot.

As the 1 is receiving the ball, the 4 in strongside corner sprints to the rim. He cuts over his defender and the 1 passes him the ball for the dunk. This is known as stampede action.

The Pro’s Insight

The stampede action is a unique tactic. Traditionally, players are taught to catch the ball to either shoot or pass, or drive depending on the defender. The stampede action is opposite.

Advantages of the stampede is that it can catch defenders sleeping off ball, have a seamless transition into penetration and reduce decision making time. If done right, it can be very challenging to defend.

That’s the final breakdown of the season! Thank you all for your support. If you would like to reach out and discuss basketball, my email is always open.

Cheers,

Keevan

Founder of Hoops Beyond the Huddle