Chicago Action

One-line: Pin-down → dribble hand-off (DHO). Cousin of zoom but starts with a pin instead of a down-screen.

How it works

1. Wing in the corner receives a pin-down from the big at the elbow
2. Wing pops to the wing slot
3. Big follows up the floor and gives a DHO at the top of the key
4. Wing attacks downhill

Differences from zoom

• Chicago starts with a pin from the elbow → wing comes UP
• Zoom starts with a down-screen in the lane → wing comes UP differently

Both end in a DHO. Different angles for the defender.

Defense counters

• Switch both actions
• Top-lock the corner wing
• Veer-switch on the DHO

See also

• actions/zoom.md, actions/get-action.md
• concepts/off-ball-screens.md

Sources & further reading

Verified citations (this file's content can be checked against)

• Chicago/Zoom Action: Pindown-Into-DHO Reads for Modern Offense — NBA Playbook — explicitly treats Chicago and Zoom as the pin-down + DHO family and covers screener angle, catcher footwork, and ball-handler pace.
• Zoom Action — Coach Hoops (Substack) — defines the pindown + DHO three-man sequence; useful for the Chicago vs. Zoom comparison since both are commonly grouped together in modern terminology.
• The Basketball Action Dictionary — Medium — community-curated glossary entry for Chicago, Zoom, pin-down and DHO.

Recommended further reading for staff

• Actions/Plays glossary — Hoops Chalk Talk — broad action vocabulary reference; good for staff who are still learning modern terminology.
• Zoom action: sets, options & counters — CoachTube (Kostas Kalogeropoulos) — paid course but the description confirms Zoom is also referred to as "Chicago" action and lists 120+ sets if you want to expand the playbook.

Verification notes (Claude)

• The pin-down → DHO mechanic is well-documented and matches the file. The naming distinction the file draws between Chicago (pin-down to start) and Zoom (down-screen to start) is not universal — many coaches and the Coach Hoops/CoachTube sources use the two terms interchangeably. Treat the distinction as one school of terminology rather than a settled definition.
• I did not find a definitive origin/practitioner story for "Chicago" as a name. If you want to attribute it (e.g., to a specific NBA staff), do not rely on this file alone.