An Introduction to Basketball’s Spread Offense

Following nearly two years as a marine technician with the South Carolina yacht management business Captain’s Choice, Andrew Khoury joined the Charleston Battery soccer team as a setup manager. When he is not working or pursuing his degree in kinesiology at Charleston Southern University, Andrew Khoury enjoys staying active by playing basketball.

The spread offense in basketball, also known as a motion offense, is an offensive scheme that relies on consistent passing, driving, and well-timed cutting. A basic spread offense set begins with all five players spread equidistant from one another behind the three-point line, with the ball-handler at the top of the arc, two players in the corners, and teammates on either side of the ball-handler. From this starting position, the ball-handler’s options for initial actions include driving to the rim, at which point potentially passing to either corner or passing to one of the players at the top of the arc.

A successful spread offense is run on continuity, meaning after the initial action takes place, players continue passing the ball or pursuing dribble penetration opportunities with little to no idling. Cutting routes are relatively straightforward and somewhat infrequent in spread offenses but are still crucial in luring defenses into overplaying and falling out of rotation. Passing and ball-handling skills must be above average for all five players in order to run a successful spread offense. Three-point shooting is another valuable asset when it comes to goading defenders into rotation mistakes.