Throwing The Ball Off Your Defender's Hands: The New Bounce Pass

When a player bulldogs their way into the lane, it can be tough to find a teammate to pass to. With their body and focus on the hoop, most of the court isn't in their line of vision. Hitting a teammate at the top of the key, for instance, means whipping a difficult no-look pass or telegraphing their intention and turning completely away from the hoop.

The ideal move, then, is to pass the ball while pretending to shoot. The ideal move is to throw the ball off of your defender's hands at such an angle that it finds an open teammate behind the three-point line. It's called a Shabazz Assist (with the Harrison Barnes Corollary)—an intentionally missed shot that leads directly to a three-point field goal—and it's sweeping the nation.

In the GIF above from Saturday, you can see Gerald Henderson pass the ball directly behind him via a David West "block," and in the GIF below from yesterday, Elfrid Payton finds (a bit high) Victor Oladipo via a Steven Adams "block." It isn't as fundamental as a bounce pass or a two-hand chest pass (yet), but when done right the Shabazz Assist is devastatingly effective.

h/t Conner, Giuseppe, Michael