The Give and Go

The give and go is a universal concept across every sport.

When you're 6 or 7 years old, the give and go is pretty much peak ball movement. But even now, it's still great to watch when executed.

Yesterday during the Syracuse vs Gonzaga men's basketball game at the Maui Invitational, an announcer talked about how the best time for a give and go is when the ball-carrier gets his defender in the air on a ball fake. Once the defender is airborne, the ball-carrier can swing it to a teammate and immediately cut behind because the defender won't have time to recover.

Here's a nice example of the Denver Nuggets running the give and go in the NBA on this concept.

I think a rotating or approaching defender is the same thing as an airborne basketball defender.

For example, watch Brendan Curry continue his cut after moving the ball. The approaching defender has no shot to follow and guard Curry, and the defense is late to rotate (I know this is on the man-up but the point rings true).

The great thing about the give and go is you don't even necessarily need to have an advantage initially. When the ball carrier swings it, the defender almost always turns their head for a second to see where the pass went. This is when you should cut. Like all good coaches say, "Cut when you see the back of the head."

Watch Teagan Cook hit Campbell Heald at the 2026 BIC this past summer.

And UNC's Tanner Cook against UVA back in 2021.

Lastly, straight hustle can open up a give and go opportunity. Watch AU athlete Amanda Johansen fly down the middle of the field for the goal.

Check out Deemer's full film breakdown below for a deeper analysis on the individual clips of the give and go.

Thanks for reading!

Watch the Full 8-Minute give and go film Breakdown