Raptors Playbook: “4 Flip”
Over at the Raptors Playbook YouTube channel (@RaptorsPlaybook on Twitter), I am breaking down the X’s & O’s of the Toronto Raptors. This week, we’ll focus on their “4 Flip” – a pet play for Pascal Siakam to leverage his strong driving ability going to his right. Watch the video embedded below alongside the summary written, and remember to follow and subscribe to never miss out on a video.
Option 1: 1st Attack – Starting at 0:13
The play starts with the Point Guard dribbling on the right wing and crossing into the middle of the floor as they cross half court. Trailing just a few strides behind is Pascal Siakam who will receive a flip/DHO pass from the Point Guard.
The defense is then forced to make a decision, as the two offensive players involved are crossing paths and the defensive players will likely run into one another’s path. This moment of confusion is leveraged by Siakam who is driving with his full momentum going to his right (dominant) hand.
Option 2: 2nd Attack – Starting at 1:07
If Siakam is unable to create a scoring advantage going to his right, he will flip the ball off to the wing/corner.
From there, the corner player can take a catch-and-shoot jumper if their defender sags/stunts off them to assist with the Siakam drive. If their defender recovers with an out of control close out, the 2nd attacker can drive to the rim.
Option 3: Weak Side Step-Up Ball Screen – Starting at 1:31
If the 2nd attack does not produce a scoring advantage, a quick swing pass will be made to the Weak Side of the court. This pass triggers a step-up ball screen – a difficult action to defend once the defense has already been stretched laterally with the primary action.
