Using Manu Ginobili Off the Ball

The Spurs staged another ambitious comeback over the Timberwolves Friday night following Greg Popovich's ejection.  They held the Minnesota to 15 points in the fourth quarter with solid defensive play, and they took advantage of the young T-Wolves defenders on the other end.  In this sequence, they set up Manu Ginobili for an off-ball screen.  But instead they used him brilliantly as a decoy.

 
Here is the initial alignment:  Ginobili at the top of the 3-point line, Richard Jefferson at the left elbow, and Duncan at the right elbow.  Parker and Hill spread out the defense by occupying the corners.  Ginobili gets the ball and passes to Duncan.

Corey Brewer is guarding Ginobili and Jefferson comes over to set an off-the-ball screen, with Ginobili headed to his natural direction -- the left hand.  Love is guarding Duncan, who has possession of the ball, and Beasley is guarding Jefferson.  Brewer has his eyes fixed on Duncan and cannot see the screen coming from Jefferson.

Beasley can see that Brewer is not going to recover in time to do anything with Ginobili and with the threat of Duncan feeding Manu the ball, Beasley heads in that direction.  But the exquisite design has left Brewer behind Jefferson, who heads straight to the basket.

Duncan drops the ball over Kevin Love to Jefferson who goes right down the middle of the lane for the dunk.  George Hill cuts across the baseline trailed by Wesley Johnson, who doesn't react in time to even get anywhere near the play.

This last pic is staggering.  How can an NBA defense be that far away from a ballhandler standing smackdab in the middle of the lane on his way to the hoop?  Good luck, Kurt.  You'll need it with this group.