What is a Ghost Cut?
Video of the ghost cut in action. SSGs you can use to improve your player's ghost cuts.
Put simply, a ghost cut is a cut where the offense disappears and reappears some place spooky, like under the basket.
The best part is you can make a ghost cut from anywhere, essentially. In NBA circles there is a lot of talk about the 45 cut and its effectiveness. Defenses have been trained for the take 2 defender to sink and take away the “dunker” or the cut on the baseline. However, just like with most basketball decisions, the ‘correct’ decision will depend on how the defense is positioned.
Wade for Cleveland here makes the Ghost cut as he sees his defender in the lane to tag the roller.
Here you can see the kick ahead skip pass causing 1 defender to overreact to the ball, leading to a cut to the basket.
Rui times his cut perfectly as KD is distracted by the action in front of him.
Is LeBron the best Off-Ball cutter of all time? Reaves draws his help and James reads the runway perfectly for take off.
The short roll is a great time to make a Ghost cut as you will have the ball with a 4-on-3 or 3-on-2 advantage like below.
Quick read that doesn’t leave Westbrook with enough time to sink down to contest this shot.
Having bigs that can catch and make plays in the short roll opens up scoring opportunities for shooters and great cutters - Like Green in the clip above. Notice how he creeps into the paint as his defender positions himself right in the middle of the paint to take away the potential Allen shot.
The 5 uses his size to catch an alley-oop over the smaller sink defender who is not there in time.
As Reaves goes to double team from the baseline, the help defender does not react in time, leaving time for Prince to punish the defense with the ghost cut.
Donatas Motiejūnas catches the ball in the short roll and feeds the cutter. Notice that Monaco distort the sink defender by running a double, similar to the Lakers play above. You will see the sink defender guarding the offensive player that pops to take away the shot, essentially leaving a 2-on-1.
When to Make a Ghost Cut?
Your defender is ball watching. You can see the back of the defenses back.
When the take 2 or sink defender tags the roller/ helps on a drive:
Short roll situations
Penetration
2-side that has an advantage
During defensive rotations
Your defender goes to double team
Remember to explode out of your cuts and make a connection with your team mate.
SSGs to Practice the Ghost Cut
2 classic games, and I call them classic because I have been using them since I started coaching with the CLA, are the 2-on-1 shooting and 3-on-2 dominoes bursts.
Game: 2-on-1 Shooting
Rules:
2 offensive players start on the 45 and corner.
Defense starts on the block with the ball.
Defense passes the ball in and tries to contest.
Offense has 2 passes max, to get a shot.
Constraints:
Dynamic start. Players run into positions.
Double points for scoring from a ghost cut.
Game: 3-on-2 Dominoes Bursts
Rules:
3 offensive players around the 3 point line. 2 defenders.
Offense plays for 1 minute trying to get as many scores as possible.
Constraints:
Ghost cuts worth double
TO = no 0 second decisions, catching in the lava, and poor spacing
If defense can force 2 TOs, they can go to offense.
Game: 3-on-3 Continuous Dominoes
Rules:
Offense must run around a coach, who can change location, while defense follows.
If defense gets the ball, they go to offense and run around the cone to create the advantage.
Constraints:
First team to 3 ghost cut scores wins.
TO = lose the advantage.
2 players cut at the same time = TO
By adding specific constraints related to ghost cuts, I can getting my players attuned to the opportunities to make a ghost cut.
Ghost cuts are a powerful off-ball movement where the offense seemingly disappears and reappears in scoring positions, often under the basket. They can be made from anywhere but are especially effective when the defense is distracted or overcommitted, such as when the take 2 or sink defender tags the roller, helps on drives, or during short-roll situations and defensive rotations. The key is to read the defense's positioning, time the cut, and make a connection with teammates. By mastering ghost cuts, players enhance their unpredictability and off-ball effectiveness, becoming valuable scoring threats.