Ghost Screen
Fake the screen, run away — defense rotates to nothing.
Ghost screens are the modern counter to switch-everything defenses. Switching is the defense’s reflex against ball screens — whoever’s near the ball takes the ball-handler, and whoever’s near the screener takes the rolling big. A ghost screen exploits the reflex: the ‘screener’ never actually screens. They approach, then run away before contact, popping out to the perimeter.
Against a switching defense, the ghost screen creates a problem. The big’s defender, expecting the screen, jumps out to switch. The ghost is already behind the three-point line with the original defender still recovering. The pass-and-shoot sequence happens before the defense knows what action was run.
Most analytics-era NBA offenses use ghost screens specifically against teams that switch high pick-and-rolls. The action is also a ‘free’ counter — if the defense doesn’t switch (just stays home), the ball-handler still has the floor and can attack one-on-one. Either response feeds an offensive advantage.
Key principles
- Screener approaches the ball-handler as if setting a normal screen
- Before contact, the screener pops back out to the perimeter (the 'ghost')
- Defense often switches anyway — leaving the screener open behind the line
- Counter to switch-everything defenses