Stockton and Malone Perfect the Pick and Roll
1985 to 2003. 18 seasons of the same two-man game
John Stockton joined the Utah Jazz in 1984 and Karl Malone arrived a year later. They played together for 18 seasons, until 2003, and ran the pick and roll so often and so well that it became their trademark.
From 1988, coach Jerry Sloan built Utah's offense around Flex-style screening with the pick and roll as its main weapon. Stockton read the defense on every screen: hit the rolling Malone, pass to an open shooter, or keep the ball himself. Malone was a powerful screener and finisher who could also hit the mid-range jumper when defenders stayed back.
Stockton retired as the NBA's all-time leader in assists (15,806) and steals (3,265), records that still stand. Malone retired second in career points. The Jazz reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.
What changed
Stockton and Malone turned the pick and roll from one play into a complete offense, with an answer for every defensive choice. Coaches everywhere still use their games to teach how to read a screen.
In the Dictionary: Pick and Roll, Roll