James Chang
Published 02 April 2026

Pistol Chicago

This play is a Chicago action disguised with an early Pistol setup.
There are several backdoor opportunities built into the play, and because there are so many moving parts, it's tough for the defense to help or switch cleanly.
Timing is very important for this play to work.
Phase 1
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1 passes to 3 and cuts to the opposite corner.
Phase 2
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3 passes to 5 at the top of the key.
As soon as the pass is made, 2 backdoor cuts and becomes a scoring option. If the backdoor isn’t there, 2 immediately sets a back screen for 4.
  • Key Detail: 2 must always be a backdoor threat first.
At the same time, 1 sprints up to the top of the key and receives a handoff from 5.
Phase 3
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4 uses the backscreen and rolls hard to the rim, while 2 pops out to the perimeter. Because of this off-ball action, the defense will struggle to help the handoff, so it will be difficult for anyone to become the low man on 1’s drive.
Video 1
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