Builds physical, instinctive switching on dribble handoffs and ball screens, without hedging, trapping or fighting over screens. The drill comes from Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors.
Setup:
Four offensive players with 1 and 3 at the slots and 2 and 4 in the corners, each guarded by a defender. The next group waits in line.
Rules:
1 dribbles at 2 for a handoff. x1 picks up 2 coming off the handoff, and x2 takes 1 as they cut to the corner. 2 swings the ball to 3, who runs the same handoff with 4, and x3 and x4 switch again. The offense plays at game speed, with changes of pace and fakes.
Coaching points:
- Contact switch: call “Switch!”, bump or step through and stay tight to the new player.
- The defender leaving the ball hangs for a second so the ball handler can't split the switch.
- On off-ball screens, both defenders call and point to the switch before the screen arrives.
- Call every action loud and early, and stay low with active hands and feet.
