[LawVol13]

Originally Posted by cotton

The key to the diamond press is the 1-2-1-1 guy, not necessarily the power forward. In a typical situation, the ball comes in to the corner, where the point and one of the wings trap him. The other wing sinks to cut off the middle of the floor. What is being called the '4' in this thread has to cover the ball-side sideline.

It is a lot of ground to cover, so yes, a long, athletic, fast guy is necessary. If he can't do it, you are going to see a lot of balls coming down the floor quickly and a lot of 3-1 fast breaks. Long, quick wings are important as well, but the sheer amount of space the 4 has to cover makes him the cornerstone.

He is saying that the 4 man is on the ball which is incorrect. But you are right; the rover position that you are referring to is very important in a diamond press.