During last season's championship run, the Nuggets' offense was head and shoulders above any other team. They incorporated some three-man actions that nobody had an answer for.
One of their most devastating actions was called Rip DHO, usually involving Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Aaron Gordon. If you saw Gordon flying in for a lob dunk or Murray wide open for a 3 off a Jokic handoff, then you may have been witnessing the results of Rip DHO.
DNVR's Adam Mares had a thorough explanation of the play, including the history behind it, options out of it, and why it is so effective.
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For a more basic guide, Rip DHO involves a player setting a rip screen, or a backscreen, followed by a dribble handoff (DHO). Murray used that backscreen/handoff combination to destroy teams throughout the playoffs.
NBA teams seem to have taken notice of how well that action has worked for the Nuggets. Rip DHO has been implemented by many teams through the preseason such as the Raptors, Lakers, and Bucks.
Rip DHO works well with an athletic lob threat paired with a dangerous 3-point shooter. The Bucks have the perfect personnel to run it with Giannis and Lillard, which they seem to recognize. New coach Adrian Griffin left some breadcrumbs indicating that he would incorporate it into the team's playbook, running it twice out of Horns formation in the team's first preseason game.
Lillard made his preseason debut on Sunday, and Griffin dialed up Horns Rip DHO twice again — once out of a timeout, and once after a free throw stoppage.
The Bucks like to use Lillard out of the Rip DHO action in Horns formation, with Lillard and Brook Lopez at the elbows. The first option for the play is for Lillard to set a rip screen for Giannis at the elbow, allowing Giannis to cut to the basket.
This simple action puts a ton of stress on the defense. If Lillard sets a good screen, then his defender D'Angelo Russell has to sink down to protect against that pass. Russell failed to do that, and Giannis got an uncontested dunk on the first time out.
If Lillard's defender does sink down to protect against that pass to Giannis, then that opens up space for the second option — Lillard coming off a handoff with Lopez. The Bucks went to that second option the second time that they ran the play on Sunday.
The timing was not good on the play (it's still preseason), and Lillard had the ball knocked out of his hands. As clunky as that action looks now, it should be unguardable with practice. If defenders stick to Lillard, then Giannis will have a lob. If defenders help on Giannis, then Lillard will have space to get off a 3. And teams won't be able to switch because Giannis will post up and pulverize smaller guards.
The Nuggets have won with that play because of that timing and practice. The Bucks aren't there yet, but it's in their playbook. Expect to see a lot of it down the line.
