A pick and roll is an offensive manoeuvre used in basketball that forms scoring opportunities through creation of space, defensive mismatch, and intrinsic variability (Crean and Pim, 143). For example through the pick and roll, the player who sets the screen creates space for the player with the ball to either drive, shoot, or pull defensive players in order to make space. Within the idea of defensive mismatch, if the defensive is "switching" their checks in response to the screen, the offensive can  utilize this and allow for a "inferior" (physically, height, skill) defensive player to be guarding a "superior" offensive player. This mismatch creates a scoring opportunity for the offence due to the "superior" player being able to beat the "inferior" player. At the core of any offensive basketball play, the pick and roll becomes a staple tactic on or off the ball (Cooper and Siedentop, 92-93). When the on the ball player and the off the ball player are able to communicate through body language they are able to systematically break down the defence, through changing up the strategies used, in order to uncover weaknesses within the defence. Thus the knowledge and practice of the pick and roll plays an integral roll for any successful basketball team (Crean and Pim, 143-145). As athletes progress through the learning stages of basketball and begin to become aware of different opportunities presented to them through the utilization of space. The pick and roll should be introduced as a main tool within their both on and off ball decision making.

The pick and roll becomes a lethal offensive strategy for two main reasons:

1: Creating space on the court:

- pulling defensemen from their offensive check to another offensive check

- moving defensemen from other point on the court in a “help” defence technique

- the roll seals out rollers defensemen, creating lane to hoop

2: Defensive mismatch:

- having defensemen “switch” their offensive checks may mismatch size or skill    levels between offence and defence

Here is a video demonstrating the multiple variations of attack a pick and roll can produce through the creation of space, and defensive mismatch. Watch to see all the different scoring scenarios that are created between the two offensive players. Also watch to see how seamless communication through body language works between the offensive players, in order to reveal and exploit weaknesses within the defence.