The Hybrid Mover-Blocker Offense: Spacing, Screens & Cuts

with Tom Palombo,
Longwood University Associate Head Coach;
Guilford College Head Coach from 2003 to 2025;
4x Bob Johnson ODAC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year;
5x ODAC Tournament Champions;
2007 NABC South Region Coach of the Year;
3x NCAA Division III Final Four appearances;
over 650 career wins

With effective screening action, hard cuts and precision passing, Tom Palombo's Hybrid Mover-Blocker offense provides his team with so many options - making it incredibly hard to defend. In this video, Coach Palombo breaks down the various steps of his offense in detail with a variety of drills that directly relate to the motions on the court. You'll get game footage of the actions taught in every drill, as well as diagrammed playbook tutorials so that you'll be prepared to install this great offense immediately.

Rules and Offensive Foundation

Palombo begin with the offensive rules you'll need to install his Hybrid Mover-Blocker offense. One of the main rules is that offensive players must learn how to read both the defense and each other on the court. "Blockers" must be player-watchers that can read specific angles in order to set screens that create the best options for the "movers." Additionally, everyone on Coach Palombo's team must be able to rebound after every shot.

Next, Palombo breaks down specific actions related to his offense. Three essential actions in the offense include:

• Freddy - Fade screens
• Charlie - Curl cuts
• Ricky - Re-screens

Each of these actions are repeated over and over to help players learn the basics of getting open and reading the defense. Players who receive screens get multiple opportunities to create space upon receiving the ball, which consistently leads to open shots and opportunities to drive.

Ways to Score

For blockers, scoring opportunities are plentiful. Many times in a game, screening is a selfless action that doesn't get rewarded. However, in Coach Palombo's Hybrid Mover-Blocker offense, bigs have tons of options to get post-ups and score off of rolls.

Some other keys to the Hybrid Mover-Blocker offense that you'll see broken down by Palombo are:

• Timing - Timing is essential so that each person receiving a screen comes off their screen in a manner and at a moment where they can get a chance to score.
• Spacing - Palombo does a great job allowing space for each of his players coming off a screen so they can shoot or drive into gaps.
• Fluidity - Players constantly move, which puts defenders in a compromised situation at almost every moment.

Coach Palombo does a great job of breaking down each piece of his Hybrid Mover-Blocker offense in this video, while also taking the time to install basic fundamental basketball concepts throughout. Your team will undoubtedly find success on the court with this offense and the teachings in this video.

101 minutes. 2020.