This steal technique is not precisely an on-ball concepts but a recovery tool to use when no one is on-ball. It can also be called the Chase Down Steal or in some instances a more classic back tip.
The Run Through is effective for multiple reasons. The first is why it is so powerful in recovery and a chase down setting. The Run Through allows you to keep stride, to sprint through the ball, and attempt to dislodge it. You don’t have to break your momentum or get your feet right, just sprint past the offensive player going for the ball.
The other reason it works is that most offensive players have a casual pick up when going for a layup, especially when there aren’t any defenders in front of them. The exposure of the ball on the casual pick up allows the run through to swipe or poke the ball loose. Sometimes the ball will even be dislodge off the leg of the offensive player.
And if the run through doesn’t succeed, there is still a chance that it disrupted the layup attempt. Causing the offense to shift their pickup and perhaps miss the layup on their own unnatural movement. As protective pickups are rarely worked on offensively.
A great technique that can impact the most dire situations: a wide open fast break layup. Giving the defender a tool and reason to use their maximum hustle and effort.
See you next time.
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