The Anatomy of a Beautiful Offense

The Indiana Pacers have captivated the basketball world with back-to-back playoff runs that seem to defy reason. To add to the intrigue, the Pacers play an offensive style defined by ball and player movement that is rarely replicated. Some have gone so far as to compare them to the ”beautiful game” Spurs that were crowned champions in the 2010s. In this article, I seek to explain the beautiful game offense tactically and how this offense is the perfect intersection between success and entertainment.

First, let’s start with the team for which the term “beautiful game” was originally inspired. The 2013-14 Spurs posted an 110.5 offensive rating (seventh in the league) on their way to 62 regular-season wins and an NBA championship. Going beneath the hood, their offense ranked first in three-point percentage (39.7%) and in assists/game (25.2). Their two-point percentage fell dreadfully behind, at only fourth in the league. From a modern perspective, they left meat on the bone with the number of long twos (looking at you, Tony Parker) and ranking last in free-throw attempts.

2013-14 Spurs Team Stats

In comparison, the Indiana Pacers in 2024-25 were top ten in three-point and two-point shooting with a top-five assist ranking. The Pacers were slightly behind the Spurs' offensive rebounding ranking, but countered by turning the ball over less. Overall, the Pacers ranked ninth in offense with a 116.5 offensive rating (the 2023-24 season saw the Pacers second in the league with a 121.0 offensive rating).

2024-25 Indiana Pacers Team Stats

As shown, these offenses thrive on elite shooting that predictably goes along with a top assist ranking. Though not exact, the comparison between last year's Indiana Pacers and the "beautiful game" San Antonio Spurs makes statistical sense.

(Super)Star Driven League

There is a common thought around basketball that stars run the show. This thought was encouraged by the creation of super teams in the 2010s; frequent examples include the Miami Heat, featuring LeBron James, and the Golden State Warriors, led by Kevin Durant. Both elite teams with the superstars to match. They are the picture of the ideal championship team.

Yet, the Spurs and Pacers complicate things with a roster devoid of the awe-inspiring star. The 2013-14 season was on the tail-end of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker, but before the rise of Kawhi Leonard. A sentiment shared by the public, with Parker being the only All-Star that season. The Pacers fell into the same lane, with Pascal Siakam being the only All-Star for the Pacers.

And now we strike at the main ideas behind this article. What makes both of these teams special if it is not overpowering talent? How did these teams become something more than their collective parts?

Creating Advantages

The game of basketball in its most basic form comes down to creating and capitalizing on advantages. The latter occupies much of the difficulty for offenses, so let's dive into the film to see how the Spurs and Pacers create advantages.

Pace(rs)

Listen, I am sorry for the obvious pun, but it is sitting right there, and I am a flawed man who couldn't resist snatching the low-hanging fruit and running nearly as fast as both of these teams did in transition. The Pacers get a lot of credit, and rightfully so, with a pace that seems to cripple opponents, but people don't think of the Spurs as a team that uses pace to create advantages. Yet, the following clip is a good example of how the Spurs used pace to stress defense.

The common theme that I want to talk about is how these teams use their pace to make simple actions effective against great defenses. Here's another clip from 2011, again showing offensive pace for the Spurs to attack a shifting defense by driving into space to create the advantage and passing to keep the advantage. The result is a role player attacking a long closeout to get into the paint and score.

Notice that both of these clips include empty side ball screens within the Spurs offense. We will talk about screening for both teams later in this article. But I want to pause quickly to acknowledge the Spurs frequently getting to this action to attack the common hedge coverage while getting their bigs the ball in a 4 on 3 advantage for the offense. This is a simple action that the Spurs could exploit by playing with pace.

The Pacers infamously hurt teams throughout the playoffs with a breakneck pace in the more traditional usage of the word. The Pacers created immediate matchup advantages because of their big men running the floor and advancing the ball with great passing. This meant less time for defenses to set up, which led to possessions like this:

I love the clip above because it emphasizes the importance of front-court players running the floor to create opportunities for themselves (deep post catches) and for their teammates (defensive mismatches). Additionally, it demonstrates the effectiveness of early baseline drives against an unsettled defense. These baseline drives are usually schematically stopped by good help defenses in slower settings, but the pace adds complexity for the defense while remaining simple for the offense.

For the Pacers, playing with pace relied on getting the ball into the attacking third (where the offense is a threat to score) as quickly as possible. The best way to accomplish this is by making great outlet passes to ball handlers who then make the decision to dribble or pass the ball up the court.

For the initial outlet, having two options on either side of the court is ideal because it makes it risky for defenses to try to deny the outlet. The two options are the two best ball handlers who are looking for space to receive the pass with momentum. On a made basket, the first person who touches the ball is taking the ball out of bounds.

The decision tree for the ball handler is simple on paper, but can be difficult for players to master. The ball needs to be advanced as fast as possible, and shaving every ounce of fat from the process is crucial. If the ball handler doesn't have momentum and/or their defender is matched up with them already, this triggers a passing read.

When the ball reaches the attacking third, the offense is looking to drive a one-on-one situation or post a mismatch. If those options aren't available, the offense is stalled, which triggers either a pistol screen from the corner, a drag screen from the trailing big, or a ball reversal to the trailing big.

In totality, this idea of players evaluating their own position and recognizing advantages for a teammate is a fundamental part of playing this style. Yet, it also depends on the rest of the team to actually sprint without the ball to create their own advantage or an advantage for a teammate.

Screening

Here is where a difference appears between the Spurs and Pacers. Where the Spurs quickly generated great offense using empty pick-and-rolls, the Pacers prefer using ghost or blur screens. Why the difference? It comes down to what the defense does. For the Spurs, the defense primarily hedged ball screens, which the Spurs attacked by running empty to let their screeners roll into a 4 on 3 advantage for the offense.

Below is a compilation of the Spurs' favorite secondary action that allows their guards to rip into a baseline drive, their bigs a chance for a quick post-up, or for them to get to their empty ball screen offense to attack whatever the defense tries to do.

Meanwhile, the Pacers used more ghost screens to attack teams looking to switch on the perimeter. With the pace they play at, it makes communicating those fast actions difficult. Either there is no switch, and the screeners defender has to show help, which opens up the ghost screener popping or rolling. Or, the screen defender doesn't show, and the on-ball defender has to find a way to keep the ball out of the paint.

Here are the important details to know about ghost screens before we go further. When ghosting a screen, the screener cannot make solid contact but has to make the defender feel the screen, which means playing two-hand touch with the defender. Additionally, the screen must be below the defender to make it harder to see, while forcing the defender over the top. These two details make ghost screens extremely difficult for defenses to apply exact coverage, meaning defenders have to execute split-second decisions.

A further layer of complexity is teaching the importance of shallow drives that turn into ghost screens. Though not necessary, a shallow drive turns a stalled middle drive into a perfect opportunity to ghost screen. Breaking off drives early before sprinting to a ghost screen further complicates the defense's job because the man being screened cannot see the screen, while the screener's man has to snap his focus from stopping a drive to executing the proper screen coverage.

For the Pacers specifically, the ghost screen offers a way to create an advantage quickly against switching defenses. With the Pacers wanting to advance the ball anytime they can, these advanced passes are perfect opportunities to drive with ghost screens being the ideal option if the driver cannot get to the rim, triggering the shallow drive into a ghost screen.

The final layer is understanding how the fives' positioning changes the read. If the five is ahead of the play, nothing changes, and the offense is looking for a deep post-up or drive that can flow into ghost screens. But, if the big man is trailing, the offense uses them to access the second side of the floor or to create an advantage through different screening actions.

Here's an example of the Pacers using the trailing big to create a screening advantage.

I've already shown many examples of the Spurs using their bigs to reverse the ball in the secondary offense. The Pacers are no different, but they are more active with the bigs. Using them more as a hub that their guards can orbit around, something that has become very popular in the modern game.

To summarize, the goal is to be in a position to attack in 3-4 seconds after gaining possession of the ball. Here's a list of four primary actions that these offenses hunt to create quick advantages that get them into their offensive flow.

• Post Ups - Be selective with positioning and attack quickly.

  1. Advanced pairings include split cuts and high-low between bigs.

• Baseline Drives - The weakside 45 cut after a baseline drive is very hard for defenses to guard.

  1. Using pistol screens (usually a ghost screen) creates more baseline chances.

• Ballscreens going middle - The emphasis changes based on coverage but usually involves through the ball back to the roller or backside to attack a closeout by the tag defender.

  1. Adding a third player to give a shallow or Spain look is difficult for defenses to communicate through.

• Ghost Screens - Actions between guards to force the defense to communicate through a fast action.

  1. Soft drives into gaps before the ghost screens make it even harder to guard.

  2. Always force the defender to go over the ghost screen.

Pace and Patience

Everyone wants to play fast, and teams that do play fast are usually praised. So, I want to focus on patience as the missing ingredient that teams often lack in comparison to these two teams.

The result is a team that is both aesthetically appealing and difficult to guard, with all five players empowered to make decisions. A systematic show of trust that many coaches are unwilling to give to the entire roster. Yet, both the Spurs and Pacers excelled in their decision-making despite giving all five players the power to make decisions with the ball. How so?

I have already talked about the pace component of their systems, which helps their overall decision-making by simplifying defenses. Similarly to how the no-huddle in football forces the defense to simplify its play calling due to the time constraint.

The Ball Brings Tranquility

Players cannot be expected to make consistently good decisions if the ball brings chaos. Rather, these systems emphasize their ball handlers playing with quick decisions (setup with off-ball movement that will be discussed soon) and a clear purpose.

Each player occupies a role that fits with their individual strengths. Some players can create and make great plays from a live dribble, while others are less efficient and need to focus on capitalizing on advantages created for them (closeouts, cuts, etc). This role distinction is important for keeping the ball calm.

In addition to players trying to do too much, other factors that bring chaos to the ball are driving into crowds and not setting up catches well. The first comes with ball handlers not recognizing and driving into space, which results from poor spacing or players pressing for their own offense. The latter is due to a lack of preparation (movement) before the catch. Deciding in .5 seconds is infinitely easier against a moving defender than against a well-positioned, stationary defender.

Empty Hands Cause Chaos

My favorite part of watching both of these teams is how their off ball players create chaos for the defense. There are three results that players can look for to see if they are causing chaos without the ball.

1. Generate a no-dribble shot for themselves.

2. Create space for the ball.

3. Attack a weak defender

Scoring Cuts

There is a fascinating separation between the perspective of cutting and the reality of cutting. The value of creating scoring chances from cuts is universally appreciated as efficient offense. Yet, there is a woeful shortage of active cutters in the modern game throughout all levels of competition.

This has created a market deficiency that both the Spurs and Pacers capitalized upon. Players willing to move and cut off the ball are not rewarded for that value when discussing their impact. A fadeaway jumper is still thought to be more impressive than a well-timed cut, despite the cut imparting a greater value to winning teams.

To simplify a potentially complex decision tree around cutting, I like to view it as a responsibility that every player on the team has to occupy their defender. Off the ball, defenders are given a lot of responsibilities to help their teammates. It is much harder to defend an active offensive player while still playing solid help defense, hence the goal to stay active off the ball.

This relates to scoring cuts because whenever the defender is not paying attention or is engrossed with other help responsibilities, these are the exact moments for players to capitalize on a scoring cut. Two common examples are the "45" cut and a corner cut that I call a "shadow" cut.

A "45" cut is where the player occupying the weakside wing cuts directly to the rim. This cut is typically used after a baseline drive draws help to the opposite low block.

Another usage of the "45" cut is when the ball is passed to the top of the key, triggering a ball reversal. Just like the baseline drive, the weakside wing is cutting to the rim and usually going opposite, but can read and float back to the corner like Nesmith does here.

The "Shadow" cut is used to take advantage when a help defender has to rotate to stop the ball (middle drive, short roll). The best example is on a typical short roll situation when the bottom help defender rotates to the ball, a "Shadow" cut comes from the weakside corner as they follow their defender into the paint like their shadow would.

Creating Space

The ability to create space depends on the team's ability to create a good environment for a drive. This means a quick baseline drive, a double gap, or a moment of confusion.

For players one pass away from the ball, they are looking for a pause with the ball to trigger their movement. The pause is crucial to recognize because running towards the ball at the moment the ball handler starts their drive is exactly the opposite of creating space.

So, when the ball pauses, this triggers either a “ghost” or “pistol” screen (they are the same, just used in different situations). The goal of these screens is to change sides in relation to the ball while bringing two defenders towards the ball.

If the defenders stay with the ball, the correct read is to pass to the pop/roll player, and the offense now has an advantage. If there is no numerical advantage from the screen, the ball handler now has a space advantage with a cleared gap to drive into.

For players two passes away or on the weak side, the goal to create space is the same, but the actions are different. Instead of screening for the ball, the lowest player on the floor needs to stay active on the weakside to occupy the bottom help defender. The best way to do this is to set a screen on a blind defender (flare/rip) as a strong side action begins (same time as a pistol screen, for example).

In the NBA, teams have even gone as far as bunching weakside players to cause further confusion for help defenders.

The technical explanation is that the bunch lifts the bottom defender away from the rim, which opens the baseline. Additionally, the angle from which the help has to position themselves opens up easier cutting lanes with the defenders having to turn their heads and bodies towards the strong side.

Hunting Mismatches

Players off the ball can create and punish mismatches in a variety of different ways, many covered in the previous two sections. Being active as a cutter to score and create space will pressure defenses into poor switches naturally. Where this section adds to the others is understanding how to capitalize on the mismatches.

It starts with the most basic example of punishing mismatches with the offensive player simply beating their matchup to the rim. Notice, the emphasis on getting to the rim when mismatch hunting. A semi-contested pullup jumper is not a good offensive process!

Where the off-ball players add further value is by cutting against a team, focusing on helping the mismatched defender. This clip has Cleveland overloading to help against the drive, which the Pacers beat with a flare screen that is slipped, leading to a layup.

Here's the Pacers attacking a mismatch created from a common "Pistol Flare Drag" action that they love. The drag screen creates the mismatch, which the Pacers instantly pressure by getting the ball back to the guard. What I love about this clip is watching the Pacers move all four players and then 45 cutting behind the overload, which creates the open three.

For attacking post mismatches, the process remains the same: recognize and attack. Yet, the inbounds pass adds a level of risk to the action. One option to counter teams threatening the post entry pass is using the mismatches' gravity to create a favorable driving opportunity.

To be clear, driving at a post mismatch is not ideal, but it is a good secondary pitch to be used sparingly. There are also opportunities for the big to take advantage of the mismatch by using the shallow drive to gain further positioning and have the guard reverse pivot to bounce the ball back to their big in good position if the drive is stalled.

Favorite Sets

The End

Exploring both of these teams has led me to a predictable and potentially disappointing conclusion for coaches. Creating a beautiful offense is not about implementing a rigorous system filled with elite sets called from the sideline. Rather, it is about building a framework that supports great decision-making and constructing a roster that values players that will move and pass within the offensive environment.

Hope this article was helpful for coaches and I would greatly appreciate supporting my X account through liking or sharing my content. Thank you and please reach out if you want any additional information. Cheers!