The Princeton Report: The Xs and Os of the Princeton Offense

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When the Philadelphia 76ers hired Eddie Jordan as their new head coach this offseason, they knew they had just signed themselves up for a revolution on offense.

During his five years with the Washington Wizards, Jordan implemented the Princeton offense, an offensive system predicated on passing, backdoor cuts, finding the open man, and most importantly, patience and discipline.  (As a sidenote, NBA.com has a great article here about the Jordan, the Princeton, and the Wizards from the 2006-2007 season.)  The team always looks to make the extra pass to find an open, high-percentage shot for a teammate.

Even as early on as his introductory press conference with the Sixers, Jordan had a summary for his offense well scripted.

"It's team basketball, [it] enhances players that are not great scorers and makes great scorers help teammates," Jordan said. "It's just not about perimeter shooting. At the end of the possession or somewhere during the possession, you're looking for a quality shot."

With the 2009-2010 NBA season barely a week old, I wanted to take time and dig into the basics of the Princeton offense.  I'll be turning "The Princeton Report" into a weekly column, where I evaluate how well the 76ers have been implementing Coach Jordan's complicated offensive system.

But first, we need to understand the basics.  What is the Princeton offense?

Princeton offense... does that mean it's for Ivy Leaguers?

The Princeton offense, at its core, is based on passing the basketball to the open man (sounds simple in theory, right?).  All five players on the court must have high basketball IQ, as they must know where they and their teammates plan to move on the court. 

The offense relies on constant motion from all five players on the court.  With all five players rotating, and the ball constantly being passed, the sets create disruption for the defense.  A player will often run as a "decoy" to draw a defender away from the basket, only to open up an easy shot for a teammate.  The Princeton offense relies on every player on the court to be able to pass, decoy, and shoot with consistency.

So yes, in a way, the Princeton offense is meant for Ivy Leaguers—or, at the very least, intelligent basketball players.  Your average, run-of-the-mill middle school basketball team will not likely be running a fluid Princeton offense any time soon.

(Again, like the NBA.com article above, Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.com does a fantastic job breaking down the specifics of the Princeton article here .  Even with pictures!  I'll do my best to explain the basics here, if you're not in a link-clicking mood.)

Fraschilla gives this little gem, which sums up the offense when well-executed: "the offense is the epitome of what good team basketball should look like."

Pete Carill, often credited as being the father of the Princeton offense, explains the basics as such: 

“Offensive sets revolve around the ability of all players being able to read defensive pressure. The center and forward use defensive reads to receive and pass from both the high and low post-positions. Guards use defensive reads to determine whether to cut back door, spot up for a three point shot, or dribble penetrate.”

All five players must be intelligent, must be at least adequate passers, and most vitally of all, must be able to knock down an open shot.  The ball will be coming to all five players on the court—ideally on each possession.

The Princeton's signature move would be the "back door cut," where a player draws a defense's attention away from the basket, then slices the defense with a pass that converts into an easy bucket for a teammate.  

In a write-up about the Wizards' version of the Princeton offense a few years back on NBA.com, the writer explains , "Ahh, the old back door cut. It is a play that is probably as old as the game itself. A player on the wing suddenly will move in towards the basket, receive a bounce pass from a guard on the perimeter, and often will find himself with no defenders between him and a lay up."  

This move is ESSENTIAL to the Princeton offense—it's the offensive players' responsibility to keep moving their feet and passing the ball to create open looks for teammates.

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