The start of the season is a crucial time for players at all levels to establish good habits through effective basketball drills. As teams begin to come together, it's the perfect opportunity to lay a solid foundation that can influence performance throughout the entire season. 

Starting with structured drills also fosters a sense of discipline and teamwork. During this phase, players can learn how to communicate effectively on the court, understand their roles, and build chemistry with one another. Drills that emphasize teamwork not only improve individual skills but also cultivate a cohesive unit that works well together, which is vital for success in competitive environments. 

The start of the season is when players are most open to feedback and learning. They are often eager for guidance as they want to make an impression. By introducing good habits through drills now, players are more likely to internalize the lessons and apply them consistently during games.

All of these reasons indicate why there’s no better time than right now, as the basketball season is about to begin, to find a few drills that could become staples for your team, especially early in the year. This is why we’ve pulled three perfect early-season defensive drills from three elite head coaches that can provide you with a blueprint for how to get your team to mid-season form before your opponents on defense. 

Mark Downey - No Man’s Land Drill

The 1-3-1 zone defense in basketball is effective for several reasons: 

1. Strong Perimeter Defense: The formation features one player at the top, three across the middle, and one at the back. This setup allows for aggressive pressure on the ball handler and limits open shots from the perimeter. The top defender can rotate quickly to contest outside shots or redirect the offense. 

2. Interior Protection: With three players in the middle, the 1-3-1 is particularly strong against drives to the basket. This congestion makes it difficult for opposing players to penetrate, forcing them to rely on jump shots or tough passes. The player at the back serves as a last line of defense, ready to contest any shots taken close to the rim. 

3. Transition Opportunities: When executed well, the 1-3-1 creates opportunities for fast breaks. If the defense secures a rebound, the top defender can quickly move the ball downcourt, exploiting any disorganization in the opposing team’s transition defense. 

4. Forced Off-Ball Movement: The structure of the zone can force opposing teams to make quick decisions. Players must move off the ball and look for gaps, which can lead to rushed shots or turnovers if they’re not careful. This unpredictability can disrupt an opponent's offensive rhythm. 

5. Adaptability: The 1-3-1 can be adjusted to counter specific offensive strengths. For example, if an opponent is particularly good at shooting from the corner, defenders can shift their positioning to apply extra pressure in that area. 

6. Creating Turnovers: The zone naturally encourages teams to pass the ball around the perimeter. If the offense becomes too focused on finding an open shot, they may neglect ball security, leading to mistakes and turnovers that the defending team can capitalize on. 

All of this is proof that when implemented correctly, the 1-3-1 zone defense can be a versatile and effective strategy. And since there’s a slim difference between a good and great 1-3-1 zone, we’ve taken vital lessons from three basketball coaches who have seen success with the zone to help you improve your own team’s zone abilities. 

Bryan Gates - You Have to Have a Man

Zone defenses can be a game-changer in basketball, providing teams with strategic advantages that can significantly impact the outcome. 

By effectively covering key areas, a zone can force offenses into taking lower-percentage shots and making precarious passes, leading to turnovers and contested attempts. This is especially valuable against teams that favor isolation plays, making them less comfortable and more prone to errors when faced with a well-organized zone. 

However, for this strategy to truly shine, zone defense drills must be implemented that emphasize communication, positioning, and rotation. 

Drills are essential for zone defenses as they help players develop the necessary skills and understanding for success. Repetition builds muscle memory, enabling players to confidently execute these actions under pressure. Simulating game-like scenarios through drills prepares players for real-world challenges, helping them recognize offensive patterns and adapt quickly. 

All of this is to say that by honing skills and fostering unity among players, a zone defense can become an unstoppable force on the basketball court. This is why we’ve pulled four fantastic zone defense drills from three great basketball coaches that you can use to great effect, depending on which zone defense you’d like to use. 

Guy Shavers - Five Trips Drill

The pick and roll is one of the most effective plays in basketball because it creates multiple options for the team on offense. 

When executed properly, the pick and roll forces the defense to make quick decisions and adjustments. The player setting the screen can roll to the basket for a high-percentage shot, pop out for a mid-range jumper, or even shoot a three-pointer if left open. Meanwhile, the ball handler has the option to drive to the basket, pull up for a shot, or make a pass to the rolling player or to an open teammate on the perimeter. 

This play puts tremendous pressure on the defense and requires precise communication and teamwork to defend effectively. All of these reasons explain why the pick and roll can be an extremely effective and lethal offensive tactic for any basketball team. 

Teams often fail to fully utilize the pick and roll to their advantage for a variety of reasons. One is that some teams may not emphasize the pick and roll in their practice strategy, instead focusing on other plays or isolation sets. This lack of emphasis can lead to underutilization of the pick and roll as a primary offensive weapon. Plus, coaching and playcalling play a crucial role. If coaches do not prioritize the pick and roll in their offensive game plan or fail to teach proper execution, teams will not be able to fully exploit the potential of this play. 

We understand that implementing the pick and roll to your own team’s game plan can be daunting. But once you understand a few key points about this strategy, you’ll realize why employing it should be a no-brainer. 

Coach Luka Bassin’s ‘The ENCYCLOPEDIA of Pick and Roll - 101 ideas to attack different coverages’ course dives deep into different ideas on how to attack different pick and roll coverages. 

Given Coach Bassin’s experience as a Slovenian coach who worked for high-level European teams and national teams (among others with Slovenia NT) as an assistant coach, head coach, or player development coach, he is better suited to explain the strategies to perfect your team’s pick and roll attack better than just about anybody else. 

Attacking TRAP Coverage

Shooting drills are essential for basketball teams, especially at the beginning of a season, to help shake off rust and refine their performance. Here are several reasons why these drills are particularly important: 

1. Reinforcing Fundamentals: Shooting drills emphasize the fundamental mechanics of shooting, such as foot placement, hand positioning, and follow-through. By practicing these basics, players can correct any bad habits that may have developed during the off-season or from a lack of consistent practice. 

2. Building Muscle Memory: Repetition is key in basketball. Engaging in shooting drills helps players develop muscle memory, allowing them to shoot instinctively and confidently during games. This is especially critical at the start of the season when players might struggle with consistency and feel uncomfortable in game situations. 

3. Increasing Confidence: As players hit shots during drills, their confidence grows. This is crucial after a lengthy break. Confidence can be a significant factor in shooting performance; when players believe in their abilities, they’re more likely to take and make shots in high-pressure situations. 

4. Enhancing Team Chemistry: Many shooting drills involve passing and shooting in a team setting, which fosters better communication and chemistry among players. Developing this connection early in the season can result in smoother offensive plays and better shot selection during games. 

5. Game Situation Preparation: Shooting drills can be tailored to mimic game scenarios, such as shooting after a dribble, coming off screens, or catch-and-shoot situations. By replicating these circumstances, players can better prepare for the actual game experience, making the transition from practice to competition smoother. 

All of this is to say that shooting drills are a crucial part of succeeding early in a basketball season. But since there are endless shooting drills to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which ones to prioritize for your team. This is why we’ve pulled two tried and true shooting drills from two high-level coaches that you can install into your team’s next practice for immediate results.

Brian Wardle - 5 Man Shooting Drill

To effectively overcome a basketball zone defense, having well-designed offensive sets is essential. 

Teams that can deploy sharp, effective offensive strategies can exploit the vulnerabilities within a zone, generating high-quality shots and maximizing scoring opportunities. 

However, discovering these effective sets during games is often a risky endeavor, leading to wasted possessions when time is at a premium. In close matchups, this can mean the difference between victory and defeat. 

To mitigate this issue, teams must invest substantial practice time to prepare and refine their offensive tactics against zone defenses, using drills that mirror game conditions. With diligent preparation, players gain confidence and proficiency, allowing them to execute these plays seamlessly when it counts. 

By establishing a robust set of offensive options tailored to attack zone defenses, teams enhance their scoring efficiency and elevate their chances of victory. Ultimately, the focus should be on mastering these strategies in practice, ensuring that in-game execution will lead to success rather than experimentation.

But coaches would prefer not to waste all their valuable practice zone trying out various zone offensive sets against their second-team defense, hoping that success there will translate into the game. They’d rather employ a few offensive sets that have proven to create baskets, and themselves the stress of wondering whether they will work come game time. 

This is why we’ve taken three battle-tested zone offense sets from high-level basketball coaches and included them for your use in your next practice or game. 

Robert Jones - ‘Flash’ Zone Offense Set

Transition basketball is a crucial aspect of the game that emphasizes the importance of quick movement and decision-making. Here are some key points showcasing its significance: 

Speed and Tempo: Transition basketball allows teams to take advantage of fast breaks, enabling them to score quickly before the opposing defense can set up.

Creating Mismatches: When a team effectively pushes the ball up the court, it can exploit mismatches. Faster players can outrun slower defenders, increasing the likelihood of easy baskets. 

Defensive Adjustment: Transition plays force the opposing team to react quickly, often leading to defensive lapses.

Utilizing Athleticism: Teams with athletic players often thrive in transition. Players who can run the floor, handle the ball, and finish at the rim make transition basketball a potent weapon. 

Momentum Shift: Quick scoring in transition can shift the momentum of a game. A series of fast-break points can energize a team, boost morale, and put pressure on the opponent. 

Ball Movement: Transition basketball encourages ball movement and teamwork. Players must quickly pass, cut, and create space, improving overall offensive efficiency. 

Defensive Transition: Equally important is the ability to transition effectively to defense after a turnover or missed shot. 

Game Strategy: Incorporating transition basketball into a team’s strategy can lead to a more dynamic and unpredictable style of play. 

Teams that excel in this area often find greater success on the court. If you want your team to improve their efficiency and effectiveness on the fast break, the following three drills we’ve pulled from three top-tier coaches will help your pursuit to do so. 

John Leonzo - Colors Drill 

The 5 out offense in basketball can be a highly effective strategy, but its success hinges on proper drilling and execution. 

This approach involves positioning all five players outside the three-point arc, which opens up the floor and creates driving lanes. However, to reap the benefits of this setup, players need to be well-coordinated and have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. 

First and foremost, effective communication is vital. In a 5 out offense, players must constantly read the defense and make quick decisions. Drills that emphasize verbal and non-verbal communication can ensure that players are on the same page, which is crucial for executing plays fluidly. 

Not to mention that spacing is key in the 5 out offense. Players need to create and maintain optimal spacing to stretch the defense. This requires significant practice and an understanding of movement without the ball. Drills focusing on spacing and movement help players develop a sense of timing and awareness.

Passing and ball movement are also essential in this offense. Quick, accurate passes can force the defense to collapse, creating open shot opportunities. Players should practice passing drills that promote quick decision-making and efficient ball movement. 

Players must also develop their shooting skills for the 5 out offense to work. Since it relies heavily on perimeter shooting, players must be comfortable taking shots from beyond the arc. Regular shooting drills help players gain confidence and consistency, which are necessary to punish defenses that over-commit. 

And lastly, understanding defensive reactions is important. Players need to be able to read how the defense reacts to their movements. Drills that simulate different defensive scenarios can prepare players to make quick decisions and exploit mismatches or gaps in the defense effectively. 

It can be difficult to find drills that coach all of these bases when employing the 5 out into your offense. To save you time and energy, we’ve provided three drills that have proven successful in developing elite 5 out offenses below for your use. 

Jaycob Ammerman - Drilling Attack Gaps

Basketball’s modern motion offense is among the effective strategies that a basketball coach can employ for several reasons. 

1. It emphasizes constant movement, spacing, and player interchangeability, which can create mismatches and open scoring opportunities. 

2. It requires players to have a high basketball IQ and good decision-making skills, leading to a more dynamic and unpredictable offense. 

3. The motion offense can exploit defensive weaknesses and adapt to different defensive strategies, making it a versatile and effective system in today's game.

Despite these clear benefits, some coaches and players may be hesitant to use the motion offense in basketball. There’s no question that it requires a high level of basketball IQ and an understanding of spacing and timing, which can be challenging to implement effectively. 

Plus, some coaches may prefer more structured offensive sets and defined roles, finding the constant movement and decision-making of the motion offense overwhelming and difficult to effectively practice. Not to mention that transitioning to a motion offense requires time and commitment to teaching and learning the system, and finally, some teams may lack the personnel (such as versatile and skilled players) needed to fully maximize a motion offense’s potential. 

While all of these concerns are valid, it won’t take Mark Cascio long to prove to you that switching to a modern motion offense is always a wise decision. 

Mark Cascio is a championship basketball coach with 18 years of experience at the Division I and High School levels. During this time, his teams have won seven district titles, appeared in five Final Fours, and won a Louisiana State Championship in 2012. Coach Cascio was a head coach at the age of 21 and is the youngest coach to capture a state title in Louisiana at the age of 26. Mark’s tireless work ethic and quest to be a lifelong learner have provided him with resources he is eager to share.

Coach Cascio’s ‘The Modern Motion Offense’ course will have you learn how to keep what you love about motion while allowing for more player creativity, create more space, and use modern actions and triggers to create advantages, such as the two-sided break, zoom action, ball screens, split action, uphill DHOs, and more.

What is Modern Motion?

Having a few effective basketball inbound plays is what can set one coach and their team apart from others, and can be the difference between winning and losing games. 

Because inbound plays are often used in critical moments of the game, such as the closing seconds of a tight contest or after a timeout, teams need to be practicing these all the time. Well-executed inbound plays can lead to easy scoring opportunities, which can swing the momentum of the game in your team's favor. 

It’s also important to have a variety of effective inbound plays that can keep the opposing team guessing and make it more challenging for them to defend against your team's inbound passes. Yet, you don’t want to have too many set plays, because that means less time spent perfecting the few you’re most likely to use in these tight situations. 

Despite their importance, many basketball coaches — even very good ones — get some vital things wrong about inbounds plays. Some coaches tend to rely on the same inbound plays over and over again, making it easier for the opposing team to anticipate and defend against them. Failing to tailor inbound plays to exploit mismatches or take advantage of the opponent's defensive tendencies can limit their effectiveness. 

Another mistake is not emphasizing proper execution and timing during practice. Inbound plays require precise movements and timing, and if players are not well-drilled in executing them, the plays are less likely to be successful during actual games. 

Since there are so many inbounds plays out there, it’s hard to know which ones will work best for your team in which situations. This is why we’ve pulled three elite inbounds plays from three top-tier coaches that you can institute into your offense. While we can’t guarantee your team will finish the play, these plays will give them (and you) a great chance for success. 

Kim Mulkey - 11

Having effective drills is fundamental for any basketball coach looking to implement the European ball screen offense effectively within their team. This offensive system is not only complex but also requires precise execution, understanding, and coordination among players. 

Since the European ball screen offense demands a high level of skill from all players involved, practicing these skills repeatedly in a structured manner, players gain the confidence and competence necessary for executing the offense efficiently during games. 

Drills allow players to internalize the core concepts of the European ball screen offense. Through targeted practice, players learn not only how to set screens and read defenses but also how to move effectively without the ball. 

By experiencing various defensive alignments during drills, players become adept at making split-second decisions, whether that means driving to the basket, passing to an open teammate, or taking a shot. And as they become more proficient in their skills and familiar with the system, players are more likely to take initiative and assert themselves during games, leading to a more aggressive and dynamic offense. 

These are just some of the reasons why effective drills are a cornerstone of successfully installing the European ball screen offense within a basketball team. But, as all coaches know, there are so many drills out there to choose from, it’s difficult to know which ones to devote invaluable practice time to. 

This is why we’ve pulled four effective drills from three veteran coaches who have successfully installed European ball screen offensive principles into their teams with great success. 

Lason Perkins - Post Drill

The zone offense in basketball has become increasingly effective in modern basketball for several reasons: 

1. Spacing and Ball Movement: Zone defenses require teams to spread the floor and utilize crisp ball movement. This helps create open shots and driving lanes. Players adept at moving without the ball can exploit the gaps in the defense, leading to high-quality scoring opportunities. 

2. Exploiting Weaknesses: Zone defenses often have vulnerabilities at the high post and corners. A well-executed zone offense can exploit these areas, forcing the defense to make tough decisions and potentially leading to mismatches or open looks for shooters. 

3. Versatility of Personnel: With the rise of versatile players who can shoot, pass, and drive, teams can adapt their zone offense to different lineups. This flexibility makes it difficult for opposing teams to predict how to defend against them. 

4. Three-Point Shooting: The modern emphasis on the three-pointer means that a zone offense can be particularly destructive if it incorporates strong outside shooting. Stretching the defense horizontally can leave players open at the arc, capitalizing on the increased value of three-point shots. 

5. Pace and Flow: A well-executed zone offense can maintain a high pace, tiring out defenders while creating rhythm for the offense. Quick ball movement and timely cuts can catch defenses off guard, leading to easy transition opportunities. 

6. Player Intelligence and Awareness: Today's players are more skilled and knowledgeable about the game than ever before. They understand how to read defenses, recognize patterns, and make quick decisions that can exploit any lapse in coverage during a zone setup. 

7. Reduced Reliance on Isolation: By focusing on team play and ball movement, zone offenses can reduce the reliance on isolation plays that can become predictable. This unpredictability makes it harder for defenses to adjust.

However, these clear benefits are only available to coaches and teams who know how to successfully implement the zone offense into their offensive strategy. To ensure that you know how to do so, we’ve taken three lessons from coaches who know the zone offense like the back of their hand and included them below for your use. 

Scott Morrison - Preferred Zone Attacks

The lock left defense has been one of the best ways for basketball coaches to nullify elite offensive opponents in the modern game. 

For those who don’t know the Lock left basketball defense is a strategic approach designed to stifle an opponent's offensive plays by forcing them toward a specific direction—namely, to the left side of the court. This technique is particularly effective when defending against right-handed players, who are generally more comfortable driving and shooting from their dominant side.

In essence, the lock left defense requires defenders to position themselves in such a way that they channel their opponents towards the left. This involves not only physical positioning but also keen awareness of the offensive player’s tendencies and skills. By anticipating moves and cutting off lanes, defenders can significantly disrupt an opponent's rhythm and limit scoring opportunities.

Implementing lock left defense can elevate your team’s overall defensive strategy. It encourages cohesive teamwork, as players must communicate effectively to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding assignments and rotations, which can create turnovers and fast-break opportunities for your team.

Incorporating lock left defense into your team strategy will not only sharpen individual skills but also enhance team dynamics. And Tyler Coston can help you turn the lock left defense into a championship-winning strategy you can employ with ease. 

Coach Coston is the Founder of Savi Coaching and the developer of the Lock Left Defensive System and Race & Space Offensive System. He is known as a thought leader in player development, curriculum creation, and teaching methodology. Tyler spent the last 13 years providing leadership as Director of Basketball Development for PGC Basketball. 

In a recent clinic Coach Coston gave as part of the 2023 Bob Jones University Bruins Coaching Clinic held in Greenville, SC, he discussed player responsibilities for the Lock Left Defense, defensive rotations, build-up drills, and team drills.

Rule 1: Do Not Help One Pass Away

Transition offense in basketball is crucial for winning games for these four reasons:

1. It allows teams to capitalize on fast break opportunities and catch the defense off guard. 

2. Teams that excel in transition offense are able to score easy baskets before the defense has a chance to set up, giving them a significant advantage. 

3. By pushing the pace and capitalizing on fast break opportunities, teams can demoralize their opponents and build momentum. 

4. Effective transition offense puts pressure on the opposing team to get back quickly on defense, which can lead to defensive breakdowns and open scoring opportunities. 

While every basketball coach knows the benefits of a lethal transition offense, many underestimate how much coaching needs to go into an offense that plays fast and executes at an efficient rate. Because playing in transition requires players to make quick and strategic decisions while moving at a fast pace, players may struggle to understand their roles and responsibilities without proper coaching, which leads to disorganized and ineffective fast break opportunities. Coaches will play a critical role in teaching players how to recognize when to push the pace, when to pull back and set up a half-court offense, and how to make the right passes and reads in transition. 

By not just coaching transition offense but coaching it well, teams can maximize their scoring potential and capitalize on one of the most exciting and dynamic aspects of basketball. This is why we’ve pulled three vital lessons from three coaches who have made careers out of scoring in transition. With these tips under your belt, transition will become a core, consistent pillar in your offense strategy that you can always rely on. 

Aaron Fearne - Step Up Screen

Basketball's pack line defense is a strategic approach designed to protect the interior of the key while still contesting perimeter shots. 

However, implementing it successfully requires a coach to have the right pack line defense drills in place to teach the strategy effectively to their players. 

Players must understand the importance of their spacing and how to rotate effectively to cover both ball handlers and shooters. Coaches need to incorporate drills that emphasize defensive positioning, helping players learn to stay outside the three-point line while sagging into the lane when the ball is away. 

Another crucial aspect is teaching players how to close out on shooters effectively. The pack line defense bends but doesn't break, meaning defenders must be able to recover quickly and contest shots without overcommitting. Drills that simulate game situations, where players must switch from help defense to closing out on the ball, can develop these critical skills. 

The pack line also requires an understanding of how to defend screens and player movement. Drills that incorporate pick-and-roll scenarios can help players learn how to hedge, switch, or fight through screens while maintaining the integrity of the defensive structure. 

Finally, consistent practice and repetition in these drills enable players to internalize the pack line principles. When players understand their roles and responsibilities within the system, they can execute it more effectively during games. 

The pack line defense can be a formidable tool for a team, but it only shines when coaches have structured drills that reinforce the necessary skills and concepts. This combination of strategy and practice can lead to a significant improvement in a team’s overall defensive performance.

This is why we’ve taken three drills from high-level basketball coaches who have mastered the pack line defense with their teams and are sharing them for you to use at your leisure. 

Jim Boone - Zig-Zag Drill

The dribble drive motion offense in basketball is effective for several reasons: 

1. It emphasizes aggressive dribble penetration, quick ball movement, and spacing on the floor. 

2. This constant attacking mindset puts a lot of pressure on the defense and creates scoring opportunities for the offensive team. 

3. It also allows players to use their individual skills and athleticism to beat their defenders off the dribble, leading to open shots or driving lanes to the basket. 

4. The ceaseless, unrelenting movement and spacing make it difficult for defenders to help and recover, often leading to defensive breakdowns and open looks for the offense.

Despite these clear advantages the dribble drive motion offense can present a team, some coaches are hesitant into their team because players need to make quick decisions based on the movements of their teammates and the defense, which can be challenging to grasp for younger or less experienced players. Additionally, teaching players to read and react to the defense within the flow of the offense can also be a complex task. 

In other words, the dribble drive motion offense often requires a significant amount of practice and repetition to develop the necessary chemistry and timing among the players. This is why having a set of drills that you can return to is crucial for making the dribble drive motion offense work for your team. 

Luckily, Joel Justus has drills that accomplish this exact task. 

Coach Justus joined the Ohio State men’s basketball program in April 2024 and will serve as the associate head coach. Justus spent the previous two seasons as an assistant at NC State, which included a magical run to the Final Four during the 2023-24 season. NC State also won the ACC Tournament in Justus’s last season. 

Prior to NC State, he spent one season on Bobby Hurley’s staff at Arizona State, and Justus spent seven seasons on Kentucky’s basketball staff before that. 

Coach Justus’ ‘Early Practice / Dribble Drive Motion / Basketball Drills’ course shows you the drills and discusses the key teaching points and emphasis to make the offense effective. 

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It's crucial for non-primary ball handlers in basketball to practice dribbling for several important reasons. 

- Having a well-rounded skill set enhances a player's overall value to the team. Even if a player isn’t the main ball handler, being able to dribble effectively allows them to contribute to the offense by creating their own shot or breaking through a defensive set. This versatility can be a game-changer, especially in tight situations where primary ball handlers may be closely guarded or in foul trouble. 

- Improving dribbling skills helps to boost confidence on the court. Non-primary ball handlers often may hesitate to take the initiative due to a lack of practice in ball handling. When they develop their dribbling ability, they become more self-assured in their gameplay. This confidence can lead to better decision-making on the court, whether it’s driving to the hoop, passing to teammates, or executing plays. 

- Practicing and drilling dribbling enables players to better understand spacing and movement. This knowledge helps non-primary ball handlers to read the game more effectively, allowing them to create opportunities not just for themselves but also for others. By dribbling well, they can draw defenders away from their teammates, opening up passing lanes and creating favorable situations for scoring. 

- In today’s fast-paced game, the ability of any player to handle the ball is invaluable. Defenses are increasingly focusing on double-teaming primary ball handlers, so having multiple players capable of dribbling allows for better ball movement and offensive fluidity. This can keep the defense guessing and lead to easier scoring opportunities. 

All of this is to say that it's essential for non-primary ball handlers to practice dribbling. This is why we’ve selected three dribbling drills that are perfect for developing players who haven’t acquired the same confidence in ball handling as the guards on your team.

Rick Torbett - Three Ball Coordination Workout

A basketball guard’s ability to handle the ball directly correlates with how far they can take their basketball career.  

First and foremost, basketball ball handling is essential for creating plays. Guards need to control the ball while navigating through defenses, setting up teammates for scoring opportunities, or finding their own shots. If a guard struggles to maintain control of the ball, they become less effective in running the offense, which can lead to turnovers and missed opportunities. 

Effective ball handling allows guards to create space. Whether through dribbling, crossovers, or hesitation moves, a guard's ability to maneuver can create openings not just for themselves but also for teammates. Without these skills, defenders can easily anticipate their movements, making it harder to execute plays. 

Coaches look for and elect to play players who can contribute in multiple ways, especially when it comes to players who are responsible for holding the ball. Guards who lack solid ball handling skills may find themselves at a disadvantage when competing for minutes or spots on the roster. Teams value players who can not only pass but also drive and shoot effectively, and poor ball handling can limit a player’s versatility. 

Not to mention that as guards progress in their careers, the level of competition increases. Defenses become more sophisticated, and having elite ball handling skills becomes even more critical to succeed. Players who can’t adapt risk being left behind, as those with better skills will take prime positions. 

All of this is to say that developing as a ball handler is a must for any prospective guard. While there are endless drills a ball handler can use to try and improve their dribbling abilities, the four included below stem from coaches with decades of combined experience, during which they’ve singled these drills out as the most conducive for success as a ball handler. 

Dave Severns - Pound Dribble Drill

Having good footwork is pivotal for post players in basketball for several reasons: 

1. It allows post players to establish their position close to the basket, making it easier for them to receive entry passes and score efficiently. 

2. It enables post players to make quick and decisive moves, allowing them to create scoring opportunities and outmaneuver defenders.

3. It also helps post players maintain balance and stability, which is essential when facing physical defense in the low post. 

These are just three of the reasons why mastering footwork should be an essential part of every post player’s practice program, which will allow them to excel in the paint and become more effective scorers and playmakers for their team.

But it can be challenging to find effective basketball footwork workouts. Firstly, there is a wide range of drills available, and it can be difficult to determine which ones are truly effective for improving footwork. Plus, the effectiveness of a footwork drill can vary depending on the skill level and playing style of the individual player. Some drills that are utilized may not adequately simulate game-like situations, making it harder for players to transfer their improved footwork from practice to actual games. 

Thankfully there are trustworthy coaches out there who have proven time and time again through the success of their teams and individual post players that their drills and techniques are effective. We have pulled post player footwork drills and instructions from three highly respected basketball coaches, that are guaranteed to help improve your big men’s skills when navigating the paint.

Dave Severns - Positioning Target Feet

Closing out in basketball effectively is absolutely crucial for a team’s defense, and here's why: 

A strong closeout directly contests shots. When defenders aggressively close out on shooters, they disrupt the shooter’s rhythm and sightlines, significantly decreasing the chances of successful conversions. In today’s game, where shooters can drain baskets from long range, failing to close out can lead to disastrous outcomes. 

A solid closeout positions the defender to respond to potential driving opportunities. Defenders need to remain balanced and alert, ready to transition from contesting a shot to cutting off penetration. This adaptability is vital; it prevents easy drives and keeps the pressure on the offense. 

Effective closeouts enhance team integrity and foster communication. When defenders execute strong closeouts, they set off a chain reaction of verbal cues and coordination among teammates. A well-connected defense can anticipate offensive strategies, significantly increasing the team’s chances of success. 

Prioritizing closeouts cultivates a culture of defensive responsibility within the team. When players commit to closing out with intensity, it establishes a standard that elevates everyone’s performance. A team that embodies this mentality becomes relentless on the defensive end and positions itself for victory. 

Mastering the closeout technique is non-negotiable for any basketball team aiming to shine on defense. This is why we’ve taken three closeout drills from three quality basketball coaches and are sharing them with you today. 

Dave Adkins - 2 Man Closeout Drill

The packline defense strategy has been one of basketball’s most effective ways of winning games on the defensive side of the ball for decades. 

For those who aren't aware, packline defense is a defensive strategy in basketball that focuses on protecting the area close to the basket. It involves clogging the paint with defenders to prevent easy scoring opportunities inside. The defenders collapse into the key to help with penetration and discourage opponents from driving to the basket. The packline defense is known for forcing opponents to take outside shots and limiting high-percentage scoring chances in the paint.

The packline defense has proven to be effective for countless means for multiple reasons:

1. It limits dribble penetration and discourages opponents from driving to the basket by clogging the paint with defenders. This makes it difficult for the opposing team to score easy baskets near the rim. 

2. It forces opponents to take outside shots, which are generally lower-percentage scoring opportunities compared to shots in the paint (especially at the game’s amateur levels). 

3. By packing the defense inside, teams using the packline defense can also effectively help and recover to contest perimeter shots. 

Despite these clear benefits when done correctly, the packline defense can also prove disastrous for coaches and teams that attempt to employ it without understanding the crucial cogs in its wheel, so to speak. This is why having a defensive whiz like Chris Mack illustrating some crucial tips and tricks when instituting this defense can be a life (and game) saver. 

Coach Mack is the new men's basketball head coach at the College of Charleston.  Mack, whose teams have participated in the NCAA Tournament in nine of his 12 seasons as a head coach, guided Louisville to a 24-7 record and a 15-5 ACC mark in 2019-2020. 

Before joining Louisville, Mack spent nine seasons as the head coach at Xavier, guiding the Musketeers to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the Sweet 16 on four occasions. 

Coach Mack’s ‘Packline Defense Philosophy’ course goes into the basic concepts and principles behind the packline Defense, reviewing philosophy, basic positioning, and adjustments all coaches should know. 

Packline Rules and Dribble Penetration

The read and react offense has become a preferred style for modern basketball coaches due to the flexibility and versatility it provides. 

The read and react offense is effective because it is versatile and allows players to make quick decisions based on the defense's movements. Instead of relying on set plays, the read and react offense emphasizes players reading the defense and reacting accordingly. This can create confusion for the defense and open up scoring opportunities. 

Another massive benefit to the read and react offense is that it promotes constant player movement, which can lead to open shots and scoring chances. Not only will this help your team, but it will also enable your players to develop their individual offensive skills while learning how to incorporate those skills into a team atmosphere. This will be crucial for the player’s continued progress within basketball — which they’ll owe to you the offense you elected to run. 

However, despite its many benefits, the read and react offense presents distinct coaching challenges. Unlike traditional offenses that rely on set plays, the read and react offense demands that players make split-second decisions based on the defense's movements. This means that players need to be able to read the defense, anticipate their teammates' actions, and make the right decisions on the fly. 

Since the offense is based on players' reactions rather than predetermined actions, it can be more difficult to teach and implement compared to more structured offensive systems.

These reasons point to why it’s a massive benefit for coaches to have a few core pillars they can rely on when instituting the read and react offense into their own scheme. This is why we’ve pulled some of the best tips about executing the read and react offense from three top-tier coaches, which will prove vital in maximizing this offense’s effectiveness. 

Jody Wynn - Read and React Offense

Good shooting is crucial in basketball because of how it directly contributes to a team's ability to score points. A player with strong shooting skills can consistently put the ball in the basket, adding valuable points to their team's total score. 

Additionally, good shooting can force the opposing team to adjust their defensive strategy. If a player is known for their accurate shooting, defenders are forced to guard them closely, creating opportunities for their teammates to drive to the basket or find open shots. 

There’s also the fact that having good basketball shooting team drills instills confidence in both the shooter and their teammates. When a player consistently makes their shots, it boosts the team's morale and can demoralize the opposing team. All of these reasons convey why good shooting is a fundamental aspect of basketball that can greatly impact a team's success on the court.

Despite its obvious necessity, teaching shooting in basketball can be challenging because many players try to emulate the shooting style of NBA superstars like Steph Curry.

While Curry is undoubtedly an exceptional shooter, his unorthodox shooting form and long-range accuracy have led to a trend of young players attempting to mimic his technique. The challenge arises from the fact that just about nobody aside from Curry himself has the natural ability to shoot the way he does. Additionally, focusing solely on imitating Curry's style can lead to a lack of emphasis on the core principles of shooting, such as footwork, balance, and shooting fundamentals. 

This is why it’s essential to teach players that while they can admire Curry's shooting prowess, they should focus on mastering the foundational aspects of shooting that apply to all players, regardless of their style. And Dave Severns has a few tried and true tips to start instilling in your basketball team’s shooters. 

Coach Severns is currently a basketball scout for the Indiana Pacers. Before that, he spent 14 years in the NBA as Director of Player Development for the LA Clippers from 2010-2016, Director of Player Development for the Chicago Bulls from 2008-2010, and Pro Personnel Scout for the LA Clippers from 2016-2021. 

His ‘Elite Shooting’ course dials in on each body part and its role in executing the shot, and will have your team setting up, executing, and making more high-percentage shots with ease.

Shooting Fundamentals - Shooting Foot/Legs

The 5 out offense has become one of basketball's most common offenses due to its ability to spread the floor and create open driving lanes and passing angles. 

By positioning all five players outside the three-point line, the 5 out offense forces the defense to extend, opening up space near the basket. This offensive strategy also allows for quick ball movement, constant player movement, and multiple scoring options, making it difficult for the defense to anticipate and react effectively. There’s also the fact that the 5 out offense is well-suited for teams with versatile and mobile big men who can shoot from the perimeter, adding an extra dimension to the team's offensive capabilities. 

All of which is to say that many coaches consider the 5 out offense the perfect solution for playing modern basketball, where spacing, ball movement, and outside shooting are highly valued.

Some basketball coaches believe they can execute the 5 out offense with only a basic understanding of its principles. However, successful implementation of the 5 out offense requires more than just a surface-level understanding. 

Coaches must comprehend the intricacies of spacing, player movement, timing, and decision-making within the system. Without a deep understanding of these aspects, teams may struggle to effectively execute the offense, leading to stagnant possessions, poor shot selection, and an overall lack of offensive cohesion. 

While the 5 out offense offers numerous benefits, coaches must invest time in studying and teaching its nuances to ensure its successful implementation on the court. That’s why we’ve pulled lessons from basketball coaches who’ve learned to master the 5 out, providing with you tips that will make a world of difference when you instill the 5 out into your own program.

Cody Toppert - Run Wide

It takes a lot more than talent to produce a winning basketball team. There are a variety of factors that can (and will) influence a team’s win and loss record each season. And while on-court talent is certainly one of those factors, all of the talent in the world won’t mean a thing if a team doesn't have core principles to abide by.

Creating a team culture can be a daunting task; especially because each team is comprised of different personalities who require something slightly different to put their best foot forward. Although there are coaches who have developed a set of core principles and devoted basketball coaching resources to each team they’ve coached, which has allowed their team to develop, operate as a cohesive unit, and find success, on the court, in the locker room, and out in the world. 

Sean Sweeney is one of those coaches. 

Sean Sweeney is currently an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to joining Dallas, Sweeney spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Pistons and the previous four as an assistant with Milwaukee. During his time with the Bucks, Sweeney was Antetokoumnpo’s head trainer and spent countless hours after practices to help the “Greek Freak” develop into the NBA player he is today.

In a 2018 article with The Athletic, Antetokoumpo said of Sweeney, “The killer mentality — he definitely helped me with that… Having Coach Sweeney for those years, he really helped me as a player and as a person off the court.”

In his ‘Core Principles – How We Want to Play’ course, Coach Sweeney details the main pillars he instills within his players. We will be breaking down his most pertinent points and sharing them with you so that you can get your team operating at maximum capacity. 

Core Principles For Your Program

It's important for coaches to be able to switch things up when running a practice. Things can get redundant when basketball practice planning, and ultimately it can become a bit boring for coaches and players alike. This is why adding a competitive twist to practice can really elevate team morale and foster excitement that translates into success in games. 

Coaches can incorporate competitive shooting drills into their practices to not only strengthen shooting, but also boost rebounding, and increase conditioning. While any wise coach will want to kill multiple birds with one stone (so to speak) when constructing their team’s practices, figuring out the most efficient and effective way to do so can seem daunting. 

Luckily that’s exactly what coach Aluara Sharp has done. 

Coach Sharp is the head Women's Basketball Coach at Appalachian State, a job she started in April 2024. Prior to that, Coach Sharp spent six seasons as the head coach at Presbyterian College (PC). Under Coach Sharp’s leadership, PC finished fifth in the regular season standings and earned a first-round bye in the Big South Conference Championship for the first time since 2017-18. The 2019-20 team increased its win total by five games and advanced to the Big South Championship quarterfinal round for the second time under Sharp's leadership. 

Putting together competitive shooting drills for her team has been a cornerstone of Coach Sharp’s success. And her ‘Competitive Team Shooting Drills’ course will teach you how to Implement competitive shooting drills into your practice plan and bring out the best in your team, both individually and as a unit. 

Regardless of the basketball level you’re coaching at, your players’ improvement from these drills will translate onto the court and boost their confidence in their ability to shoot the ball, which could spell the difference between success and despair during your next season. 

Rapid Fire Shooting

Youth basketball coaching has never been more difficult than it is today; especially when it comes to the ‘I’ Generation (the term used to describe children born between 1995 and 2012 who are growing up in the Internet age (therefore the letter I)).

With the access that these young kids have to the internet, it’s easy for them to convince themselves that they’re experts on the sport and don’t need to learn from their coaches. This, combined with the internal and external pressures that over-exposure to social media provides, makes them incredibly difficult to teach. 

Yet, there are coaches in the basketball world who have found ways to negate these negatives that the ‘I’ Generation has grown up with. One of those coaches is Jenny Boucek.

Coach Boucek is currently an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers. Boucek, has been on the Pacers staff since coach Rick Carlisle took over coaching Indiana in 2021. Before that, Boucek was also on Carlisle's Dallas Mavericks staff, becoming the NBA's third female assistant coach in 2017. She was on WNBA coaching staffs from 1999-2017, including three years as head coach of the Sacramento Monarchs (2007-09) and three for the Seattle Storm (2015-17). As a player, Boucek played 10 games for the Cleveland Rockers in 1997, and professionally in Iceland. She played at the University of Virginia.

When Coach Boucek isn’t helping the Pacers prepare, she’s studying creative ways to teach the ‘I’ Generation. We have pulled some insights from her ‘What You Need To Know About Coaching The `I Generation’’ course, which was recorded when Coach Boucek was still with the Dallas Mavericks and which will give you useful tips on helping the next wave of basketball talent develop.

“I Generation” - Characteristics

Practice is one of the most vital parts of any team's success. A basketball practice or training session is designed to help you address your players' weaknesses, improve their weaknesses, sharpen their strengths, and push them outside of their comfort zone so that you as a coach can advance and develop them into greater players. 

Basketball players can learn quickly, but to master the skills they must practice constantly. It is a known fact that if you practice something every day then you'll eventually get better at it over time. 

Through repetition, basketball drills help players improve their skills. When players practice basketball drills consistently and with the right technique, they develop muscle memory and good habits that can be useful in game situations. 

And few basketball coaches know effective drills better than Michael Fly. 

Coach Fly is in his first season with the Mizzou men’s basketball program as the team’s Director of Scouting and Analytics.

Before joining the Mizzou Tigers, Fly served as head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University from 2018 to 2022. During his tenure at FGCU, he led the Eagles to the third-most wins in a single season in the program’s history with 22 victories during the 2021-22 campaign. FGCU also set school records for non-conference wins, 3-pointers made, 3-pointers attempted, blocks per game, and total blocks in a season.

Overall, Fly recruited and developed two Atlantic Sun Newcomer of the Year award winners in addition to the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year during the 2021-22 season. 

Coach Fly knows how important establishing good practice routines is for getting his players to consistently perform.  This is why he has developed drills to help players get into rhythm at the start of practice. 

In his ‘My Favorite Warmup Drills to Start Practice’ course, Coach Fly breaks down each of his favorite beginning practice drills in detail, including how to run them effectively for your own team, making actual practice that much more effective and impactful.

6 Minute Shooting

Building a basketball team’s culture takes a lot more than using positive encouragement and convincing players to high-five their opponents after games. Creating a solid culture that can make an impact for players both on and off the court, in the present and in the future, requires a daily commitment not only from a basketball coach but also from their players. 

And it can sometimes take years to build a program’s culture from the ground up. Yet, when a coach is conscious about the messages they’re sending, both verbal and non-verbal, the culture they’re trying to build can spread throughout their team like wildfire, and influence winning outcomes sooner than they might imagine.

Coaches like Jim Boone have laid out the blueprint for doing so. 

Coach Jim Boone moved among the Nation's top 5 winningest NCAA Division II coaches with over 600 victories in the 2023 season. His career includes two Final Fours and 6 Sweet Sixteens, taking an unprecedented 4 different schools to the NCAA Tournament. 

Coach Boone was able to bring this impressive track record of success to multiple different schools because he brought his winning culture along with him. And in his ‘Building a Championship Program: The Jim Boone Way’ course, Coach Boone shares his thoughts and philosophy on building a successful basketball program and creating a winning culture. In doing so, Coach Boone invites coaches to learn the systems and teaching methodology that has led his programs to numerous championships and milestones.

We have pulled some of his most pertinent points, giving you a taste of the value Coach Boone has imparted throughout his course. 

Possessions Are of the Utmost Importance

As the Boston Celtics are getting ready to take on the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, it gives us a great opportunity to study some basic fundamentals of the game. 

The Boston Celtics have been known for their effective and tough defense for the past couple of years, whether with Coach Brad Stevens or Coach Ime Udoka. 

I am really excited about this one, so today, I want to go over a few drills I have from Boston Celtics Assistant Coach Brandon Bailey, who gave us a great look at Celtic’s defense and techniques to improve fundamentals of individual defense.

Steph Curry has gone from an overlooked high school scorer to an NBA MVP.

Why? Steph has the unique ability to create his own shots. Not only is he a premier shooter, but he handles the ball as well as any point guard in the league. And it’s this ability to handle the rock that makes way for his legendary shot.

Think you have what it takes to dominate? In this article, we’re going to look at 5 ball handling drills that can turn you into a Steph Curry-esque guard.

With each drill, remember to stay low, keep your back straight, keep your head up and never let the ball come above your waist.

1. Zig Zag Drill

The Zig Zag dribbling drill is one of the simplest, most effective drills in basketball. The key to this drill is keeping your form solid while practicing a variety of moves to switch direction and develop multi-hand dexterity.

Let me start by emphasizing that the whole point of this drill is to develop BOTH hands. Don’t favor your good hand. The key to great ball handling is equivalent skill in both hands.

Start in the back right corner of the court and dribble with your left hand to the elbow. Use a simple crossover to switch the ball to your right hand and dribble to the sideline.

Next, use a crossover again to switch the ball back to your left hand and dribble to the half court line. Crossover again and make your way to opposite elbow, and then finish off with one last crossover and a trip to the far corner.

This drill takes you from one end of the court to the other, practicing a change of direction move each time.

You should continue running this drill alternating through the following moves with each cross-court trip:

Basic crossover

Between the legs crossover

Spin move

Behind the back

Quick stop

The key to any basketball drill is to treat it like a game situation. In fact, if you find yourself or your players loafing during the drill, have them pair up and go against a defender. You will want to practice these moves at 100% so when the game has started, you feel comfortable using these moves with either hand. 

2. Two Balls, Two Hands

Ball control is key to becoming a better ball handler. The next few drills all focus on ball control and strengthening your wrists, forearms and confidence in controlling the ball at all times.

There are many variations to a drill that I call 2 Balls, 2 Hands. The key to this drill is to 

become more confident in your ability to handle the ball with both hands.

You can practice this drill by simply sitting on the bottom bleacher at your local gym, grabbing 2 basketballs and just dribbling them by your side. You are going to want to keep them low to the ground and make sure you feel comfortable with the ball in your off hand. I used to do this every day for about 5 to 10 minutes before practice or a game while other teams were using the gym floor.

The second variation of this drill is to take 2 basketballs and practice dribbling while walking down the court. Again, you want to make sure you stay low and stay in control at all times. Go slow to begin with and focus on form and control, then, as you get more comfortable, you can speed up the pace.

During these drills be sure you keep your head up, so that you can see the court around you while dribbling.

3. Low Dribble Drills

The final drill may be the most important. The biggest mistake I see among young guards is dribbling the ball too high off the ground. The higher you dribble the ball, the more time it takes to move between your fingertips and the floor, which allows the defender more time to knock it away. When dribbling the ball, you should always stay low to the ground with a good bend in your knees, your back straight and your head up.

Start the drill off slow by walking down the court, making sure to maintain good form. While walking, be sure to practice some change of direction moves like a cross over or between the legs crossover. You will notice how much quicker the change of direction is happening when you keep the ball low.

Once you get to half court, simply turn around and come back. As you run through subsequent reps of this drills, speed up the pace and add a defender. Instruct the defender to reach in and attempt to steal or knock the ball away anytime they see a small opening. You want your offensive players to realize the value in keeping the ball close to the ground.

One of the best parts about professional sports is that the camera is almost always on the players. That means that when something funny happens, it’s easy for it to become immortalized into a legendary animated GIF. We spent time scouring the Internet and found these great 13 funny basketball GIFs.

1. Raptor

This hilarious GIF is somewhat representative of this franchises history…

CoachTube Basketball Training Advisor Chris Corbett recently had the chance to interview renowned speed & agility expert Rich Stoner on the topic so many ambitious young athletes seek answers to.

How can you gain an edge this offseason?

Check out Rich’s answers below and then head on over to his industry-leading CoachTube course.

Much like choosing your offensive strategies in a basketball game, calling the right defensive plays can be crucial in a win. When choosing a defense, you must evaluate both your team and opponents on the court and choose the best defense that fits their size, quickness and strength.

Although some coaches decide to go with the same defensive strategy throughout a game or season, having multiple strategies can give your team an edge and keep your opponents guessing.

However, you must be certain that your team is well prepared; otherwise they will only end up confusing themselves.

There are a lot of different defensive plays and strategies out there. Listed below are a few tried-and-true strategies I recommend adding to your defensive playbook.

The Man-to-Man Defense is Simple, But Important to Understand

The main principle when defending man-to-man is to make sure every player on your team defends one opponent. Another big component of a man-to-man defense is a term called “help side defense.” This happens when a defender that is “two passes” away drops off his man to help offenders that are cutting or setting screens.

The whole point of a man-to-man offense is to keep pressure on the ball at all times. However, for the defenders away from the ball, the defense is treated a bit like a zone defense. This makes it a very important defense to learn and memorize. It teaches great on-ball defense, which includes moving your feet, staying on your toes and knowing where to be at the right time.

As the Dallas Mavericks look to close out their series tonight against Utah Jazz Game 6, one name keeps being mentioned by basketball experts as one of the rising superstars in the coaching business: the Mavericks’ Assistant Coach Sean Sweeneyps://coachtube.com/seansweeney">Sean Sweeney. 

Coach Sweeney is being mentioned as an instrumental part of developing The MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in his early days, and so far has been a key component in turning around the Dallas Mavericks as they are attempting to bring Championship back to Lone Star State.

Sean Sweeney helped to transform Mavericks in just one season by developing these components into team culture: 

1. Head First Transition Defense

One of the keys to Mavericks success throughout the whole season has been transition defense. Mavs Assistant Coach Sean Sweeney teaches transition defense in 5 key steps:

Get Ahead of the Ball

Stop the Ball Above the Three Point Line

Match Up and Communicate

Lower to the Basketball

Think Help! 

The main goal is to force offense to go against the set defense, without giving any open looks or forcing any unnecessary fouls.

To fully implement these 5 key components into game situations, Coach Sean Sweeney uses “5 on 4” and “Coaches Transition” Drills in every practice. Watch the breakdown here:

Are you struggling to establish a culture within your team? In the basketball world, building a winning culture is vital to long-term success. A strong basketball culture sets the foundation for teams to excel, attracting fans and sponsors alike. It promotes teamwork, trust, and commitment among players, resulting in better on-court performance. 

A winning culture emphasizes continuous improvement and accountability in everything from strategic game plans to player development. Coaches and players who prioritize the development of a winning culture gain a competitive advantage in their league, increasing their chances of winning and championships. Begin developing your basketball program's winning culture today and witness the transformative power it has on your team's success.

Creating Culture

Queens University basketball coach Bart Lundy is well known for his outstanding leadership skills and the winning culture he has fostered there. As a highly accomplished coach, Lundy's strategic approach and dedication to his players have propelled the team to extraordinary success. 

Lundy, for one, is aware of the significant influence of factors outside of the basketball court. He understands the importance of providing a supportive and nurturing environment for his players off the court. Lundy ensures that his athletes feel valued, motivated, and prepared to excel academically and personally by cultivating a positive and inclusive environment. 

Second, Lundy prioritizes recruiting players and staff who share the program's values and vision. He builds a cohesive and driven team by carefully selecting individuals with the necessary skills, character, and work ethic. 

Scoring ability is a valued skill that can have a significant impact on game outcomes. This guide is designed to provide you with expert insights, ideas, and methods to become a dominant scorer on the court, whether you're an aspiring basketball player looking to improve your scoring abilities or a seasoned player aiming to take your game to the next level. From mastering shooting techniques to developing offensive moves and understanding the art of creating scoring opportunities, we'll cover all aspects of scoring in basketball. 

If you aspire to be the go-to player who consistently puts points on the board and leads your team to victory, this is the guide for you. You'll learn how to create separation from defenders, navigate through tight defenses, and unleash a variety of scoring methods, both inside and outside the paint. We will also go over the mental side of scoring, teaching you how to read defenses, exploit weaknesses, and maintain focus even in high-pressure situations.This guide will turn you into a lethal scoring machine with experienced instructors ideas, extensive drills, and real-game examples. 

The 2023 Eastern Conference Finals was a rollercoaster. Two star-studded rosters battled it out through 7 games as the 8th-seeded Miami Heat pulled off the upset to keep their miraculous Finals run alive, and the 2nd-seeded Boston Celtics fell short of becoming the first team to overcome a 3-game deficit.    

Through all 7 action-filled games, both Miami and Boston implemented highly effective defensive strategies to counter the other’s offensive strengths. Specifically, both teams utilized zone defenses to great effect. For instance, Miami’s use of zone defense helped limit Celtics star Jayson Tatum to 14 points in Monday night’s Game 7, spelling Boston’s 3-game comeback effort. 

The implementation of zone defense disrupted the coordination and flow of opposing offenses, forcing them to adjust their strategies in seek of alternative scoring opportunities. Zone Defense proved effective in limiting dribble penetration and protecting the paint, forcing lower percentage outside shots. This proved to be the deciding factor in the series, as the Celtics shot only 30.3% from behind the arc, leading to their elimination. 

The heavy use of zone defense in the Eastern Conference Finals indicates a broader trend of utilizing the zone as a method to combat the movement toward positionless basketball and explosive offensive strategies. 

To examine this trend, we’ve compiled a breakdown of the different zone defense strategies used by the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Matchup Zone Defense

Perhaps the most effective and prevalent zone defense used by the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals was the Matchup Zone. 

As former NBA G League and Duke Women’s basketball coach Hernando Planells details, matchup zone combines concepts of man-to-man defense and zone defense, making it an on-ball, off-ball hybrid defense. Matchup zone assigns specific defenders to guard specific offensive players while maintaining the positioning and rotational principles of the zone defense. 

While the on-ball defender plays tight, close-out defense, similar to a man-to-man, the off-ball defense remains similar to help side man-to-man defense. While the matchup zone resembles a man-to-man defense, the defenders have the flexibility to switch freely with one another, allowing defensive big men to stay down low, protecting the paint, while quicker guards and wings defend the perimeter. 

The matchup zone is versatile and difficult to prepare for, providing the defense with a key advantage. 

The matchup zone has become a core tenet of Miami’s defensive strategy, as it provides an element of unpredictability to their defensive schemes. Using the matchup zone, the Heat are able to adapt to different offensive strategies, counter offensive threats, and create and maintain favorable defensive matchups through individual assignments, rotation, and active communication. This defensive strategy allowed the Heat to gain favorable defensive matchups and force low-percentage shots. 

Here, Planells breaks down game film explaining the matchup zone. 

Speed training, agility, and vertical training are crucial components of any basketball player's skill set. In the fast-paced and dynamic nature of the game, athletes need to possess explosive speed, sharp agility, and an impressive vertical leap to excel on the court. These important characteristics not only improve an individual's performance but also contribute to team success. 

The ability to shift directions quickly, drive past opponents, and leap above the rim may be game-changing. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of speed, agility, and vertical training in basketball, exploring effective techniques, drills, and strategies to help you improve your game and training fundamentals. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting out, mastering these aspects of basketball training will give you a competitive edge and make a significant impact on your overall performance. 

Why Shooting is Important and How to Develop Itp It

While high long-range, shooting offense is generally associated with high-level basketball players like Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, shooting is vital for an offense at any level of play. 

Good shooters pose a constant scoring threat, forcing defenders to guard them closely, and creating opportunities for teammates to move the ball, drive and find open spaces. Ultimately, since it stretches the defense, high-percentage shooting is a catalyst for offensive spacing and increased versatility, resulting in easier scoring. 

To develop an effective jump shot, a player needs to learn proper shooting form and technique, ensuring proper balance, alignment, efficiency, and repeatabilityfaaa296fab">shooting form and technique, ensuring proper balance, alignment, efficiency, and repeatability. Repetition is crucial for a player’s jump shot, as muscle memory creates reliability and consistency.

___

Key Takeaways

1. Shooting can improve offensive versatility, increasing scoring opportunities

2. Shooting improves offensive spacing, opening up the court and making the defense cover more ground

3. Good shooting is based on fundamentals and technique 

4. Repetition and muscle memory are essential in developing good shooting skills

5. Shooting skills and consistency can be improved through structured drills

Shooting can be developed by implementing structured shooting drills, as shown by NBA players such as Lonzo Ball- who improved his 3pt FG% from 30% to 42% in a few short years.

To aid this development, we have compiled detailed breakdowns of 5 essential shooting drills for instilling proper technique, form, and muscle memory to grow your team into a sharpshooting, championship squad. 

Click here to view more basketball shooting drill resources.

1. Georgetown Warmup Drillrill

Since shooting is one of the most crucial aspects of basketball, your team’s practices should reflect its importance. Incorporating it into all phases of practice, including the warmup, can help build shot comfortability and increase shooting reps while helping to loosen up your players.

In his clinic, current Florida Gulf Coast and former Georgetown basketball Assistant Coach Kevin Sutton details the Georgetown Warmup Drill, a repetitive series of shots that helps build comfortability taking spot-up shots coming off of ball screens. 

In this drill, a player takes a shot at the lower block. The player then runs around a chair simulating a pindown screen up towards the elbow and takes a spot-up jump shot. The player then rolls down to the block and takes a third shot. The sequence is repeated for a total of ten shots. 

As the player comes around the screen, maintain a low hip position, and elevate straight up for a balanced jump shot. Proper footwork is vital; make sure the player is set and jumps vertically for a consistent shot.

In 2021, Oral Roberts became the second No. 15 seed ever to earn a spot in the Sweet 16. ORU's 5 Out System is one of the best in college basketball. 

Per Synergy Sports, Oral Roberts is a top 15 offense once again this season.

Russell Springman, ORU Assistant Coach, explains that one of the biggest keys of the offense is keeping it simple.

He understands that having a few key points will drive the effectiveness of the offense compared to overcomplicating it with 100’s of points. 

Here are 6 Points of Emphasis of a very successful 5 Out Offense that ORU and other coaches/organizations preach:

#1 - Screener

The screener had two jobs in regards to their set up: step away or looping under. 

The second step for a screener is sprinting into the ball screen. The first 3 steps of the sprint is to create separation. The goal is to arrive alone. 

The third step is the screening angle. ORU’s goal is to force defenders over the screen or put the player’s chest into the shoulder blade. 

The last step is separation after the screen. The goal is to get away from the screen. 

(Click on Image to Play Video)

As basketball season swings into action, it is crucial for athletes and teams to optimize their practice sessions for maximum effectiveness and efficiency. By implementing well-planned practice routines, athletes can sharpen their skills, enhance teamwork, and make improvements to their physical and mental capabilities. Investing time and effort into purposeful practices can give athletes a competitive advantage and help them perform at their peak when it matters most.

In this article, we will explore proven methods that will take your basketball practice to the next level. From sharpening fundamental skills to strategic drills and conditioning exercises, we’ll guide you through a variety of methods to help you make the most of your time on the court. Get ready to embrace the power of effective practice methods and become a force to be reckoned with this basketball season. So, lace up and get ready to unlock your full potential as we dive into the most effective and efficient basketball practice methods.

Organizing an Effective Practice

Coach Bobby Gonzales, former head coach for Seton Hall, has extensive coaching experience that sets him apart as a highly credible basketball coach. With over two decades of leading teams at various levels, including collegiate and internationally, he has achieved reputable results.

Coach Gonzales emphasizes being organized during practices, by creating a culture of organization and togetherness. Recognizing the significance of a cohesive and unified team, Coach Gonzales instills the value of player-led teams through captains by setting expectations before and after practices. You can do this by hosting meetings with your players and staff and listening to your players before they actually step on the court.

Gonzales has transformed the concept of efficiency in basketball practices through his strategic implementation of terminology, filming, and statistical analysis. Implementing a well-defined system of offense, defense, and communication, Coach Gonzales ensures that every player is on the same page by minimizing confusion on the court. Furthermore, Coach Gonzales emphasizes the importance of keeping statistics during his practices to enable objective evaluation, this can be focusing on things like rebounding, blocked shots, etc.

Additionally, Coach Gonzales incorporates filming practices to provide valuable feedback and enhance player development. By analyzing filmed practices, both individual players and the team can identify areas of improvement and refine their skills. Discover more here on how Coach Gonzales organizes his practices.

The ability to pass effectively in basketball is an extremely underrated asset for any player to have. While point guards are expected to be elite passers, few are blessed with the anticipation and court vision that it takes to find open teammates and produce easy baskets on a game-by-game basis.

And what about other players? It can’t just be the point guard that’s passing the ball. Every other person on the court must remain capable and accountable enough to deliver the ball to their teammates. 

But, like anything else, basketball passing drills are something that must be done repetitively if a coach can expect their players to execute during the game. And few coaches know this better than the legendary Kermit Davis. 

Kermit Davis spent five seasons at the helm of Ole Miss Basketball. A nine-time conference coach of the year, Davis left the Rebels 29th among active Division I head coaches with 477 career wins over 25 seasons, including stints at Middle Tennessee, Idaho, and Texas A&M. In 28 seasons as a college basketball head coach, he amassed 543 wins.

While defensive aptitude was at the core of Coach Davis’ coaching strategy, he also made passing a priority in his practices; which helped contribute to his teams’ sterling assist to turnover rate in each season at Ole Miss. 

Coach Davis’ ‘5 Great Passing Drills’ course pools together all of his favorite passing practice drills throughout his nearly three decades running Division 1 college basketball programs. We have pulled three of those drills and explained them at length, giving you a glimpse into the ways you can vastly improve your own team’s passing prowess. 

Left Hand Right Hand Passing

The Princeton offense has been one of basketball’s most effective offensive systems for nearly a century. 

The core principles of the Princeton offense involve perimeter players spacing along the three-point arc along with a high post player (who is commonly called the “pivot player”) setting up at or around the free-throw line. This pivot player is what makes the Princeton offense so effective. Given they have both an ability to drive into the paint and make that midrange jump shot, their position near the free throw line will force defenders away from the hoop, which will create open space in the paint for backdoor cuts from perimeter players, a layup from the pivot player, or facilitate open passing lanes for the pivot player to his teammates along the perimeter. This plethora of options has created an offensive system that has withstood the test of time. 

This offensive strategy is effective because of how it emphasizes movement through constant motion, cuts, and screens, which can create confusion for the defense and facilitate them making mistakes. The offense also encourages player movement and passing, which can result in open looks and high-percentage shots. Not to mention how the Princeton offense is versatile and can be adapted to different personnel and skill sets, making it a valuable system for teams with diverse rosters and that doesn’t depend on having extremely gifted players to be utilized well. 

There have been some iconic coaches who have made a career out of using the Princeton offense. And one blossoming young coach who’s in the process of doing so is Quinn McDowell. 

Coach McDowell is currently the varsity boys’ basketball coach at Baylor School, a position he has held since April 2024. Before accepting this position at Baylor, McDowell served as the assistant coach at Longwood University since July 2022, where he played a critical role in helping Longwood win 20 games in three consecutive seasons for the first time in school history, and helped Longwood qualify for NCAA March Madness for the second time in three seasons.

Before Longwood, he served as an assistant coach for Lehigh University (2019 – 2022), Taylor University (2018 – 2019), and Virginia Wesleyan University (2016 – 2018).

Coach McDowell’s ‘The 7 Basic Actions Of The Princeton Offense’ course conveys an overview of the basic actions that make up the majority of the Princeton style of play while offering high-level tips for any coaches who want to maximize their offense’s potential.

7 Basic Actions of Princeton

The NBA has undergone a seismic shift in how the way the game is played over the last decade. Sharpshooters like Steph Curry have made basketball offenses more reliant three-point shooting than ever before. 

Yet, it isn’t just the NBA that has evolved due to Curry. Every level of the modern game, from youth basketball, AAU, high school, and even college requires much different offensive tactics than they did ten or twenty years ago. Therefore, if you aren’t an NBA coach, you still must learn how to adapt your coaching to the modern game.

That said, you might as well learn how to do so from an NBA coach. And luckily, Mike Weinar is more than willing to teach you. 

Mike Weinar is an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers. Before his time with the Pacers under Rick Carlisle, Coach Weinar was a member of the 2011 championship team coaching staff with the Dallas Mavericks. He is responsible for opponent preparation and contributes prominently to the offensive side of the ball. Weinar can often be heard shouting out play calls and helping players with defensive assignments as well, due to his diligent preparation ahead of each game.

Weinar has a front-row seat (literally) to how basketball is evolving. We have compiled some of the best insights from his ‘Guide to Modern NBA Offense’ course, providing you with the insights you need to modernize your coaching style to fit the times. 

Expert in Room

Two-ball basic basketball dribbling drills work well because the player can work on both hands at the same time, which will help to maximize basketball training time and also force the player to develop their weak hand. 

Many youth basketball players have a bad habit of always transferring the basketball to their strong hand when they get in trouble during the games. While this may be all right at the game’s lower levels, this bad habit will cause problems as the player continues to progress, which is another great benefit to two-ball drills.   

Another reason that two ball dribbling drills are good, is because the extra ball puts added difficulty on the move or the drill. The thinking behind this is to make the move more difficult than it would be in a game with only one basketball. That way. when the player does the same move in a game it will be much easier for them to do. 

The more time a player spends on dribbling with both hands, the more comfortable that player will be with this maneuver, which will allow them can focus on seeing the floor and making the right play to help their team win. 

BasketballHQ's ‘Two Ball Workout’ is directed by Kyle Ohman, who played college basketball at Liberty University before playing professional basketball in Spain. 

While these drills will teach you the basics of two-ball workouts like making sure that you are keeping your dribble tight, staying in an athletic stance, and keeping your eyes up to see the floor, it also explains more nuanced aspects that will allow those doing the drills to get a level up on their competition. 

Crossover Hold 2 Basketball Dribbling Drill

Not Rebounding? Not winning. It's that simple.

History shows that teams who can consistently perform well on the glass have better chances of winning and a higher win average. It’s no surprise that rebounding is one of the most important aspects when it comes to winning basketball games. There are three ways rebounding can impact your result.

A team's offensive rebounding ability gives them possession of the basketball, giving them a second opportunity to score. Each possession helps both the offense and the defense, as opposing teams become frustrated. As an offensive player, rebounding allows your team to score more points and potentially go back to the free-throw line. Every coach loves a monster on the glass. 

And a good defense relies on defensive rebounding, which limits the offense to a single shot. When the game is closing down and it matters most, rebounding on the defensive end can seal the win for your team. Defensively you can put an end to any potential momentum the opposing team could gain from retrieving their free throw. As we know, momentum can change the course of the game very quickly.

Rebounding is a noble skill that demands persistence to understand and master. If executed properly, rebounding can (and will) help you to gain vital positioning under the rim, allowing you to out-rebound taller and stronger opponents effortlessly. And Jamy Bechler has the perfect basketball rebounding drills to improve your team’s skillset beneath the basket. 

Jamy Bechler had worked with teams ranging from the NBA to the Big Ten to the high school ranks.  Before he became one of the top experts in the field of team leadership and the author of The Leadership Playbook: Become Your Team's Most Valuable Leader, Bechler was a successful college basketball coach and high school athletic director.  As the Director of Athletics at Marion High School in Indiana, he oversaw the Marion Giants winning their 8th boys' basketball State Championship. 

In his ‘Championship Rebounding’ course, Coach Bechler shares how his teams have achieved tremendous rebound success with the philosophies and practices he shares. He explains how to improve your rebounding offensively, defensively, and at the free-throw line by developing a toughness ethic. Learn how to make your players constantly compete at their best by developing an aggressive mentality in them. 

Gaining an Edge

Even if a basketball team has an elite array of offensive weapons at their disposal, no squad can expect to consistently win if they don’t have a solid defensive foundation. 

And defense can be tough to teach players; especially at the game’s higher levels, where most teams are reliant on man coverage in order to slow down opposing offenses.

Hence why drills are a great way to instill defensive strategies and philosophies within a defense. And Brandon Bailey has the perfect drill that any coach can use for their own team’s benefit. 

Coach Brandon Bailey is currently the head men’s basketball coach at DePaul University. Prior to that, Coach Bailey was an assistant coach at Ohio State University and an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics, who recently won the 2023-24 NBA Championship.

After beginning his career as a video intern with the Celtics in 2011, Coach Bailey rose through the Celtics’ coaching ranks to ultimately earn himself an assistant coaching position. And the defensive that he has sworn by throughout this ascension is called the Shell Drill. 

In his ‘Shell Drill To Stimulate Your Defense’ course, Coach Bailey details the best ways you can utilize this drill to turn your defensive unit from a liability to one of your team’s strongest assets. 

3 on 3 Shell - RIM Protection

With the basketball season now in the rearview mirror, spring and summer time presents the perfect time for a coach to start developing their guard’s ball handling and get them a head start for next year.

With the help of his assistant coach Mark Morefield, longtime Baylor head coach Scott Drew constructed a series of specific skill building workouts that has helped him produce a winning program year in, year out — including when they won the 2021 NCAA National Championship. 

Drew believes this master class set of drills is the key to creating well-rounded guards that will start the season with a leg up on their competition. 

Coach Drew shared his Baylor Guard Development Workout course, which breaks his drills down into eight separate sections designed to help your players blossom and help your team succeed. 

Those eight sections are as follows:

1.) Warm Up Shooting

2.) Commando Ball Handling

3.) 5 Spot Shooting

4.) Jab Step/Shot Fake Series

5.) Tracing the Arc

6.) “Get Open” Series

7.) 1 on 1 Moves

8.) 5 Spot Cool Down  

1. Warm Up Shooting/coachtube.com/course_lesson/baylor-guard-development-workout/warm-up-shooting/2503410">Warm Up Shooting

Why is Off Ball Movement Important?ant?

Denver Nuggets MVP Center Nikola Jokic’s eye-popping stat sheets have consumed much of the discourse surrounding the NBA Finals. With 33 points, 9 assists, and 14 rebounds per game, Jokic’s Finals play has been lauded as generational, with his playmaking skills generating astronomical hype. 

ABC’s Mike Breen even went so far as to call Denver Nuggets Star Center Nikola Jokic the “best passing big man of all time”.

While Jokic’s greatness is undeniable, how much of his success can be attributed to his supporting cast and team strategies?

The truth is that the Nuggets’ read-and-react offense leverages off-ball movement to create wide-open, high-percentage shotsa296fab">read-and-react offense leverages off-ball movement to create wide-open, high-percentage shots through complex screen actions, cuts, weak side movement, pin-downs, and more. 

Denver’s success highlights the importance of off-ball movementcoachtube.com/courses/basketball/motion-offense?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">off-ball movement in an increasingly individual basketball landscape. 

Off-ball movement adds a layer of unpredictability and complexity to an offense, keeping the defense constantly engaged, and forcing them to rotate constantly and communicate effectively. Additionally, off-ball movement creates opportunities for the offense to exploit defensive breakdowns, create mismatches, find open shots, and generate advantageous scoring chances. 

By emphasizing off-ball movement in offensive strategies, teams can optimize offensive efficiency, increase spacing, create multiple dynamic scoring options, and capitalize on uncoordinated defenses focused on man-to-man.ple dynamic scoring options, and capitalize on uncoordinated defenses focused on man-to-man.

___

Key Takeaways

-Nikola Jokic’s playmaking ability is accentuated by Denver’s stellar Off-Ball Movement

-Off-Ball Movement creates spacing and mismatches, placing stress on uncoordinated defenses

-Off Ball strategies create complexity and diversify methods of scoring 

-Players can find open shots and scoring lanes, supplementing on-ball offense

-Teams can implement off-ball strategies to place players in advantageous spots

___

To help improve off-ball movement, we have compiled breakdowns of five effective offensive strategies and sets, including those implemented and inspired by the Denver Nuggets. 

International Set- Stagger Screen & Back Screenreen

Motion offenses//coachtube.com/courses/basketball/motion-offense?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">Motion offenses place an emphasis on constant and layered off-ball movement to avoid stagnation. 

Polish player turned coach Pryzemyslaw Frasunkiewicz has implemented many layers of off-ball movement and screening into his motion offense, including his Stagger Screen & Back Screen set. rse_lesson/international-basketball-best-international-sets-vol-1/przemyslaw-frasunkiewicz-stragger-screen-back-screen/13127218?a=f8c5a18145b44d5faaa296fab">Stagger Screen & Back Screen set. 

In this set, Frasunkiewicz implements a series of screens to free a three-point shooter on the wing.

At the top of the key, the point guard and shooting guard begin with a DHO leading to the elbow, where a big man sets an off-ball stagger screen at the elbow. The big then moves to set a pick and roll with the ball handler. 

A wing player moves in from the corner to screen the shooting guard’s trailing defender at the low block, and the big rolls down into a double consecutive screen at the elbow. The Shooting guard becomes option one for a three-point shot. The big man can also duck in for a layup after the initial screen at the elbow.

The game of basketball is in the golden age of dynamic point guards. As high-level players such as Memphis’ Marcus Sasser have shown, point guards have to be all-around playmakers able to read defenses, distribute the ball with a notable basketball IQ, and space the floor with a knockdown jump-shot. 

Having a reliable Point Guard who can score, facilitate, and distribute the ball is a necessity for any championship team. 

There are many ways to develop an average player into a force to be reckoned with. Incorporating advanced player development drills is arguably the most effective way of enhancing a player’s ability to produce for the team at a high capacity. 

As Head Coach of Baylor Basketball since 2003, Scott Drew has compiled a lengthy list of achievements, including three Big 12 Coach of the Year awards and an NCAA National Championship in 2021.

Drew has a track record of developing productive, pro-level guards having produced 4 NBA draft picks at the guard position including 2 top-ten selections in Sacramento’s Davion Mitchell and San Antonio’s Jeremy Sochan. Drew will soon add to the tally with Keyonte George and Adam Flagler, both highly regarded prospects in this year’s draft. 

Drew and former Baylor Assistant Coach Mark Morefield stress that a developing point guard must become proficient in these main attributes, among others, to be successful:

-A sheer desire to win

-Ability to focus on others and direct the game plan

-Ability to Direct the Fastbreak

-Value each and every possession 

-Ball handling skills

-Take care of the ball

-Facilitate- make teammates better

-Situational Understanding 

-Shotmaking

To help instill these winning characteristics and skills in point guards, Drew and Morefield detail key player development drills and strategies in their Baylor Guard Development Workout and Baylor Advanced Guard Workout. 

Click here to view the full Baylor Guard Development Bundle.

Warm-Up Shootingting

In the first leg of their Baylor Guard Development series, Drew and Morefield incorporate shooting while focusing on laying the foundation for a successful point guard training workout: an efficient warm-up. 

The elbow-to-elbow shooting drill is a surefire way to ensure players are warmed up and ready to go for the rest of the workout while allowing them to get shots up simultaneously.  surefire way to ensure players are warmed up and ready to go for the rest of the workout while allowing them to get shots up simultaneously. 

The elbow-to-elbow jumper drill begins with a shooter at the elbow and a rebounder below the basket. After receiving a pass from the rebounder, the player at the elbow will take a jump-shot and immediately move to the other elbow. The key is for the shooter to be ready to receive the ball in the pocket and transition into the jump-shot without dipping the ball below the waist. 

This 30-second partner drill will get players’ legs warmed up and allow them to get some shots up without putting them under stress with long-range jumpers or full-speed movement.

Spread offenses are all the rage in the football world right now. Then again, while the term might not hold the same meaning on the basketball court, the truth is that spread offenses have also taken over the basketball world. 

Consider the effect that Steph Curry has had on the sport. If you watch a youth basketball game or practice, kids are shooting the ball from further and further away, realizing that, if they can become lethal from three-point range, then their potential skyrockets. And the Caitlin Clark effect is revolutionizing the sport of women’s basketball right now because of her ability to drain the deep three-pointer with ease. 

Even big men’s value in the NBA is about them being able to at least threaten a three-point shot in order to free up space in the paint and allow their guard teammates driving opportunities. 

But a team full of players who are chucking up threes with reckless abandon is not conducive to success. This is why the basketball community needs coaches like Charlie Henry to harness the game’s evolution into a winning offense. 

Coach Henry is currently the head men’s basketball coach at Georgia Southern University, where he has been since 2023. During his first season at the helm, Henry guided the Eagles to an 8-10 record in Sun Belt play and a quarterfinal appearance in the Sun Belt Tournament for the third consecutive season. Under his tutelage, the Eagles set program records in three-pointers (309) and free-throw percentage (.732), finishing the season 27th in the NCAA in three-pointers per game. 

Before Georgia Southern, Henry spent four seasons at the University of Alabama and brings to Statesboro over 10 years of coaching experience that includes stops at the Chicago Bulls, Windy City Bulls, and Iowa State, among others.

Coach Henry’s offensive strategy is all about spreading the floor. And his ‘Spread Offense’ course is a perfect way for a basketball coach at any level to learn how to turn their team’s three-point shooting tendencies into a consistent, tried and true offense that doesn’t have to rely on a hot hand to win.

Eliminate Catch 

Spring is a great time for basketball coaches to reflect on how their season went. These quiet moments off the court and out of practice present the perfect opportunity to analyze what went well so that it can be built upon in the future, and what went awry so that it can be fixed quickly. 

Yet, even if the season ended in resounding success, great coaches can always find a way to improve. Just take it from Dan Hurley, Nate Oats, Jay Wright, and Kim Mulkey. 

All four of these college coaches have made it to the Final Four, with three of them leading their teams to the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. And they’re still discovering ways to become a better version of themselves with each passing day.

CoachTube has courses from all four Final Four coaches, and we have pulled four quotes that any coach can learn from. We’re going to take a closer look at each one, allowing you to unpack the wisdom within and take tidbits to utilize in your own coaching strategy.

Dan Hurley - “Having good transition defense, ball screen defense and closeouts are the easiest ways to having a winning team.”

Dan Hurley is fresh off of winning the 2024 NCAA Championship with the UConn Huskies. He also won the 2023 NCAA Championship, and is the most in-demand college basketball coach in the world right now. 

It’s no secret that Hurley prides himself on defense. His teams are always some of the most disciplined on defense, especially when it comes to the fundamentals. And the above quote — which comes from his ‘UConn’s Defensive Principles’ course — is a testament to that. 

Hurley emphasizing transition defense, ball screen defense and closeouts make a ton of sense, especially in the college game. Because college basketball is a game of momentum and features exceptional athletes, solid transition offense and defense can be the difference between winning and losing. If a team can stop easy transition baskets and make their opponents work for every point that’s shown on the scoreboard, they’ll often find a way to win. This is also why closeouts and ball screen defense. 

Perhaps most important is that these defensive techniques are something that should take place every practice. Yet, it’s easy for players to go through the motions in practice, because they’re done it so many times. But coaches who keep their players accountable in practice will see them shine when it matters most. 

Nate Oats - “These are our five non-negotiables: Talk, Sprint, Stance, Ball Pressure, and Finish.” 

Alabama head coach Nate Oats just led his team to a Cinderella run during March Madness, where the Crimson Tide made it all the way to the Final Four before losing to Hurley’s Huskies. 

Oats tries to keep it simple when it comes to his defensive philosophies, which is proven on his Coaching School - Play Fast’ course from back when he was the head coach at University of Buffalo.

We want to focus on the first and last of Oats’ non-negotiables, because these are cultural pillars that every coach needs to employ. Talk between players isn’t just important because it helps with defensive alignment. It also instills camaraderie and cohesiveness between a team. And teaching players to finish everything — the play, the game, their homework assignments — is teaching them discipline. And teaching discipline is teaching them what it takes to be a successful man or woman in the world. 

Pack Line Defense: The Best Defense You’ve Never Heard ofd of

As a basketball coach, implementing effective defensive strategies is essential for the development and success of your team. The pack line defense is a proven system that emphasizes positioning, help defense, and denying easy scoring opportunities.

The simplicity and effectiveness of pack line defense makes it especially effective among youth basketball teams. This Coaches Clinic course has detailed instructions for executing a perfect pack line defense for your youth basketball team.

History of the Pack Line Defenseense

The pack line defense was popularized by Coach Dick Bennett and his son, Coach Tony Bennett, who implemented the system during their coaching careers. Dick Bennett, known as the architect of the pack line defense, first introduced it during his tenure at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He continued to refine and develop the system throughout his coaching career. Under the guidance of Coach Tony Bennett, the Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team achieved remarkable success using the pack line defense. Known for their suffocating defense, the Cavaliers have consistently ranked among the top defensive teams in the NCAA. Their commitment to the pack line principles, coupled with disciplined execution, led them to win the NCAA Championship in 2019.

Another notable team that employed the pack line defense is the Butler Bulldogs, led by former head coach Brad Stevens. During Stevens' tenure at Butler, the Bulldogs became a defensive force, earning back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances in 2010 and 2011. Their disciplined pack line defense played a pivotal role in their tournament runs and established them as a defensive-minded program.

One of the most well-known teams to use the pack line defense was the NBA Championship 2004 Detroit Pistons. Widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive basketball teams of all time, their strong help defense, aggressive double-teams, and success in forcing difficult shots through clogging passing lanes made scoring on their basket extraordinarily difficult. These actions and goals on defense are because they ran a strict, disciplined pack line defense.

Under the guidance of Coach Brown, the Pistons embraced the Pack Line Defense and transformed their team into an impenetrable fortress. Led by defensive stalwarts such as Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, and Chauncey Billups, the Pistons developed a reputation for suffocating opponents and stifling offensive schemes. The success of the pack line defense is evident from the Pistons' defensive statistics during their championship-winning campaign in 2003-2004. They faced a stacked Lakers roster in the finals, including the greatest 1-2 punch in basketball history with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Despite facing some of the greatest players of all time, they held the Lakers under 100 points for every game in the finals and won in just 5 games. They held opponents to a league-leading 84.3 points per game and allowed a mere 41.9% shooting from the field, both remarkable feats in a high-scoring league. Not all of their defensive success can be attributed to the pack line defense, but the 2004 Detroit Pistons showed the sheer power of a well-executed pack line defense. 

Pack line’s primary distinction from man-to-man defense is the lack of the denial aspect. Pack line instead focuses on just helping and recovering. So your team knows that on defense, if they aren’t on the ball they should be in the help position. The simple strength of this defense makes it easy to understand. If you coach youth basketball, the pack line is the best intersection of simplicity and effectiveness for your team to run. A tried and true staple in basketball defense, teaching your team how to run the Pack Line Defense. 

The Pack Line Defense Breakdowndown

The pack line defense is a team-oriented system that aims to disrupt the opponent's offensive flow by denying dribble penetration and contesting shots. It focuses on maintaining proper positioning, help defense, and closing out on shooters. The key principles of the pack line defense are:

Positioning and Spacing: Defenders position themselves just inside the three-point line, forming a compact formation that discourages driving lanes and forces opponents to take contested shots.

On-Ball Defense: Defenders apply pressure on the ball handler, staying in front of them and denying easy drives to the basket. Closeouts on shooters should be aggressive but controlled, preventing open jump shots.

Help Defense and Rotations: When a teammate is beaten off the dribble, defenders must provide timely help by sliding into help positions and rotating to cover open players. Quick and precise rotations are essential to maintain defensive integrity.

Denial and Ball Pressure: Defenders actively deny passing lanes, disrupt offensive plays, and make it difficult for opponents to receive the ball comfortably. They use active hands and anticipation to force turnovers.

Rebounding and Transition Defense: Players must prioritize rebounding to secure possessions and limit second-chance opportunities for opponents. After securing a rebound, players quickly transition from defense to offense to prevent fast break opportunities.

Our Pack Line Defense Certification Course features drills like the 5/4 Defense Drill, that works on the rotations of the pack line defense with a special emphasis on stopping penetration down the lane from the top of the key. Developed by Coach Jim Boone, his 600 career wins, 2 Final Four appearances, 6 Sweet 16’s are more than enough references to his capabilities as a coach.

University of Ohio head coach Jeff Boals is a whiz when it comes to basketball defensive drills. 

During his seven seasons working as an assistant coach at Ohio State, Boals helped develop recruits like Evan Turner, Jared Sullinger, and Aaron Craft into National Players of the Year, first round NBA Draft picks, and all-time steals leaders in school history.

Since arriving at his alma mater of Ohio in 2019, Boals has turned the Bobcats program into a stalwart defensive force within the MAC conference.

Boals is deceptively simple when it comes to defensive strategy. He relies on a series of effective team defense drills that build unity on the defensive end rather than force Boals to rely on his players’ individual athleticism and talent. This allows Boals to sustain defensive excellence every season, regardless of what players he has rostered.

Luckily, Boals discussed these techniques at length through his ‘Drills To Improve Team Defense’ course. He gives a detailed breakdown on how to use these drills, along with how they benefit player development both individually and as a unit, which will turn your defense into a cohesive and intimidating entity.

Here are three of Boals’ drills to improve team defense: 

1 vs 1 - Zig Zag Full Court into Post Defense Defense

Erik Spoelstra and Michael Malone, two excellent basketball minds, are prepared to lead their teams, the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets, in an epic battle for the championship title.

Spoelstra has proved his strategic brilliance and ability to harness the talents of his players as the Heat's head coach. Malone, on the other hand, has expertly managed the Nuggets with his tactical brilliance and excellent leadership. 

This blog post delves into the coaching theories and techniques of these two coaching masters, examining their impact on the success of their individual teams as well as their impact on the game of basketball.

Fundraising is the lifeblood of high school athletic programs. Without it, our teams wouldn't have the equipment, uniforms, and facilities they need to compete and shine. But let's be honest, selling chocolate bars and washing cars can get a little old, right? One piece of equipment that can revolutionize your fundraising game is an LED video board (or a digital scoreboard).  And if it’s not in your gym and your outdoor stadium, it should be!

This underutilized gem can boost school spirit and engagement while also driving fundraising efforts. How, you ask? Well, buckle up because we're about to dive into ten inventive ways to turn your school’s video board into a fundraising powerhouse.

To succeed with these unique fundraising ideas is that you first have to present them to potential sponsors.  The first sponsors you talk to will need to know that their business is going to be presented in unique ways to your fans on GameDay.

Experience shows us that once other local businesses see how you are using your video board to promote your initial advertisers, they will begin calling you to support your program with their sponsorship!

Use our ten suggestions to generate your own ideas for what will benefit your athletes, sponsors, and fans!

The Fundraising Game Changer: Video Boards

1. Quarter/Half-Time Challenges

Picture this: the buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the quarter. Instead of everyone checking their phones, the video board lights up with an interactive challenge. Sponsored by a local business, a chosen fan gets to participate in a fun game with the chance to win prizes. It's entertainment for the crowd and a great advertising opportunity for the sponsor. Win-win! You are only limited to the challenges you have by your creativity. Here's one example of a halftime challenge: We call it “15 seconds of fame.”

The members of each sport that uses your video board record 15 second videos answering a “name as many as you can” question.  Name as many as you can: Olympic sports, state capitals, rivers, European cities, etc… One topic per athlete.  

The player should not know the question in advance.  They get the question and then the 15 seconds starts.  At the end they get a score of how many they named. Say they get 8 correct responses in 15 seconds.  If the player has trouble with their answers, give them a new topic and a new chance.  Again, this athlete’s part is recorded, not live.

At the break, a fan is randomly chosen from the list of fans who registered.  When the fan is announced, they should come down to the scorer’s table.  They will not know the question until their time starts.  Put the video feed of the fan on the video board (along with the sponsors name and logo).  Give them the same question that the players answered and 15 seconds to name as many as they can.  After the fan gets their score, play the pre-recorded video of the player answering the same questions on the video board.

If the fan beats or ties the player’s score, they receive a prize from the sponsor—gift certificate, swag, or whatever you workout with the sponsor.  If the fan doesn’t beat the player, they receive a consolation prize from the sponsor.

2. Sponsor-Featured Trivia

Who doesn't love a good trivia question? Displaying trivia on your digital scoreboard or video board related to a sponsor's products or services keeps the audience engaged during timeouts and quarter breaks. 

You can then pick a fan to answer the question (Display their answer on your board) and win a gift certificate or another prize from the sponsor. This not only promotes the sponsor but also adds an interactive and fun element to the game.

3. Live Social Media Feeds

In today's digital age, everyone's looking at their phones at timeouts. Why not leverage that? Display live social media posts from sponsors during game breaks on the video board.  It creates instant connections between the audience and the sponsors. 

Sponsors can offer deals and discounts for fans who connect with them on social media during the games.  Plus, it's a super cool way to use technology, right?

4. Instant Offers

How about turning your video board into a billboard that actually benefits your audience? 

Display QR codes for exclusive discounts from your sponsors that fans can redeem during or after the game.  For example, local restaurants offer a discount that is good only after the game.  Another in game discount could be to sign up for a free session at a local gym.  

Once you get the ball rolling, your sponsors will be able to tell you what will benefit them.  All you have to do is provide them with the opportunity by featuring them on your videoboard.

It's a win for the fans, a win for the sponsors, and a win for your fundraising efforts!

5. Virtual Contests

Virtual contests or sweepstakes sponsored by local businesses will create a sense of anticipation and excitement for your sponsor and for your school. Have the businesses run a contest for the week leading up to the game and announce the winners on the video board at the next home game for an added touch.

Just think of the buzz this will create!  It is a way for sponsors to promote themselves and it is also a way for you to increase attendance at your events!

6. Sponsored Fan Challenges

Fan challenges like the loudest cheer or the best sign can really pump up the school spirit. Feature the video feeds of these challenges on your scoreboard.  Add in prizes from local businesses, and you've got yourself a recipe for an unforgettable game night.

7. Spotlight on Sponsors

Dedicate a segment of the game to showcase the community involvement or philanthropic efforts of your sponsors. It's a feel-good segment that lets your audience see the core values of your sponsors businesses.

8. Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Take your fans on a virtual tour of a sponsor's facilities. It creates an interactive experience that can bring a sponsor's services closer to your audience, fostering a deeper connection.

9. Interactive Polls

People love to share their opinions. So why not engage fans with live polls related to your sponsors' products? Ask multiple choice questions regard the fans favorite products or other sponsor related questions. Reveal the results on the video board near the end of the game, stoking curiosity and participation.

10. Virtual Fan Cam

The virtual fan cam showcases fans watching from home. You can connect with family and friends who are not close enough to attend your games in person.  Or feature fans who have a hard time attending in person due to age, physical challenges, or work schedules.  Incorporating sponsor logos into this can provide added exposure for your sponsors.

Now, for how to select fans for these interactive experiences. Why not have a registration booth right at the entrance to the game? Fans can sign up for free or for a small fee, and you can randomly select participants during the game.

What Will You Do to Be More Creative in Your Video Board Fundraising?

Each of these revenue generating strategies not only adds to the excitement of the game but also provides unique advertising opportunities for sponsors.

By leveraging your video board in these creative ways, you can ensure continued support for your high school athletic programs while injecting a healthy dose of school spirit. Creatively harness the power of your video board and take your fundraising game to the next level. Your teams, your fans, and your sponsors all win! GameDay will never be the same!

Now that the 2024 NBA Finals have concluded, the basketball season is now officially in the rearview mirror. 

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t basketball still being played. Not only is the WNBA (which has never been hotter) in full swing right now, but the 2024 Paris Olympics is also underway.

And one of the most intriguing sports in this year’s Olympic games is 3 on 3 basketball. While this version of our beloved sport was first introduced to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the expectation is that it will receive a lot more attention — and popularity — this summer.

While watching 3 on 3 basketball is entertaining enough in and of itself, there are also ways that coaches can learn lessons from the style of play that having fewer players on the court demands. In fact, implementing 3 on-3 into a regular basketball team’s practice schedule can produce a plethora of benefits. 

Coach Kara Lawson is a major advocate of this. Coach Lawson is Duke University's Head Women's Basketball Coach, and before that was an assistant coach with the 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics. As a player, Coach Lawson spent 12 seasons in the WNBA, won a WNBA championship in 2005, and was selected to the WNBA All-Star Game in 2007. She also won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games as a player. 

Coach Lawson’s ‘Maximizing Development Through 3 on 3’ course is a masterclass on how you can utilize this more barebones version of basketball to help your players tap into their true potential. Not to mention that it will make watching the Paris Olympics this summer even more exciting.  

Kara Lawson Introduction

The pick & roll is one of the simplest (yet lethal) offensive tactics that a basketball coach can employ. And while it can sometimes seem impossible to stop when an offensive duo is executing it to near perfection, there are a few tried and true ways that coaches have adopted over the years, in order to put a halt to this two-man play and give their team a chance to win. 

One of the coaches that has been pivotal in crafting a defense against the pick & roll is Lindsay Gottlieb. Coach Gottlieb is currently the head coach of the University of Southern California women’s basketball team. Prior to her arrival at USC, Coach Gottlieb was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA franchise, starting in 2019. This was historic, because it made Coach Gottlieb the first NCAA women's head coach to be hired by an NBA team.

Prior to being in Cleveland (who are in the midst of an intense NBA playoff series against the Boston Celtics), Coach Gottlieb was the head coach at the University of California, Berkeley, for eight seasons. She has collected a 268-154 overall record across 13 seasons as an NCAA head coach. 

Coach Gottlieb has proven to be one of the best, when it comes to defending the pick & roll. And her ‘Defending The Pick the Roll from College to the Pros’ course from when she was with the Cleveland Cavaliers is a masterclass. 

We've compiled some of Coach Gottlieb’s best insights on how to defend the pick & roll, giving you the tools you need to defeat this game-wrecking play. 

General Principles

Are you looking to take your basketball game to the next level? To become a true force on the court, you must master the art of defense. With the right techniques, drills, and strategies, your team can become an elite defense capable of shutting down even the toughest opponents. 

Defense is often an overlooked aspect of the game, overshadowed by the glamour of scoring and offensive prowess. However, a team's defensive performance can make all the difference between average results and achieving greatness on the court. As a basketball coach, educating your team on multiple defenses such as zone defense, press defense, and packline defense can give you an advantage.

Developing a strong defensive mindset and instilling effective defensive principles in your players can lay the foundation for success. In this article, we will explore the drills and strategies that can help elevate your team's defensive capabilities to an elite level. From individual defensive skills to team concepts and game planning, we will provide valuable insights and practical tips to enhance your team's defensive prowess. 

Giannis Antetokoumnpo is undoubtedly one of the NBA’s very best players. Yet, the “Greek Freak” wasn’t always this dominant. Prior to his two NBA MVP awards, eight NBA All Star appearances, and 2021 NBA Championship, Antetokoumnpo was nothing more than a raw, skinny prospect from Greece with freakish athletic ability and an eagerness to learn from an elite basketball player development coach. 

Then, after he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, Antetokoumnpo was paired up with Sean Sweeney. And the rest is history. 

Sean Sweeney is currently an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to that, Sweeney spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Pistons and the previous four as an assistant with Milwaukee. During his time with the Bucks, Sweeney was Antetokoumnpo’s head trainer, and spent countless hours after practices to help the “Greek Freak” develop into the NBA player he is today.

In a 2018 article with The Athletic, Antetokoumpo said of Sweeney, “The killer mentality — he definitely helped me with that… Having Coach Sweeney for those years, he really helped me as a player and as a person off the court.”

In his ‘Everything You Can Learn from NBA Coach’ course, Sweeney details all of the major lessons that he taught Antetokounmpo, which helped him blossom into the player he is today. 

Below are three of our favorite tips that Coach Sweeney imparted, which you can use to ensure your players develop to the best of their abilities. 

Lesson #1: Fundamentalsps://coachtube.com/course_lesson/everything-you-can-learn-from-nba-coach/fundamentals/12834841">Fundamentals

The NBA Draft is a pivotal event that shapes the future of basketball, and this year's class of prospects is filled with incredible talent and potential. Join us as we analyze the top prospects' strengths, such as elite ball handling, sharpshooting, transition offense, and lockdown defense, providing valuable insights and lessons that can be applied to the game of basketball.

We will explore the diverse skill sets that distinguish these prospects, from scoring prowess to defensive toughness, playmaking talents, and shooting accuracy. This article will provide essential insights into the talents and tactics that define the NBA's future stars.

Victor Wembanyamayama

The 7-foot-4 basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama is making waves in the basketball world with his exceptional skills and a towering presence on the court. Wembanyama, who is only 19 years old, has already established himself as one of the game's most promising young players.

Wembanyama's versatility is what truly sets him apart. With the ability to alter games, Wembanyama is a dominant force as an elite rim protector. His shot-blocking abilities are nothing short of incredible, and he has the timing, awareness, and length to consistently disturb opponents' shots near the rim. To understand more about defensive positioning, click here to become an elite rim protector!

The Dribble Drive Offense is a game-changing basketball strategy designed to optimize scoring opportunities and disrupt opposing defenses. With its emphasis on dribble penetration, kick-outs, and spacing, this offensive system has gained significant popularity among coaches and players alike. 

By mastering the Dribble Drive Offense, teams can unlock their full potential on the court, utilizing aggressive drives, precise passes, and strategic positioning to create open shots and exploit defensive weaknesses. Understanding the concepts and strategies of the Dribble Drive Offense is crucial, whether you're a coach hoping to change your team's offensive strategy or a player looking to improve your abilities. Join us as we explore the core concepts, successful implementations, and notable coaches associated with this dynamic offensive strategy.

In recent years, the basketball landscape has witnessed a remarkable shift in playing styles and team strategies. Traditional positions have become less rigid, making way for the rise of positionless basketball. This innovative approach emphasizes player development, adaptability, and skillful players who can excel in multiple roles on the court. 

We will examine the idea of positionless basketball, consider its effects on the game, and talk about its promising future. Join us as we uncover the key elements of this evolving playing style and its potential to revolutionize the sport.

Embracing Versatility and Creativity in the NBA NBA

Chris Johnson, a player development coach who has trained with athletes such as Jimmy Butler, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade, mentions that positionless basketball is the future of the league. In today’s NBA, it is not about positions 1-5 on the court, it is simply learning how to play the game of basketball. 

Positionless basketball is a style of play that is gaining traction in the NBA. It is based on the idea that players should not be restricted to playing a certain position on the court. Instead, players should be allowed to move freely and play multiple positions. 

The idea of positionless basketball is to create a more dynamic and open game. Players are encouraged to be versatile and to take advantage of mismatches on the court. This allows for more creative and unpredictable offensive and defensive play. It also encourages teams to develop a more well-rounded roster, as players are expected to be able to play multiple positions. This shift can be attributed to several factors, including the increasing emphasis on skill development, the influence of analytics, and the desire to exploit mismatches and create versatile lineups. To learn more about Chris Johnson and his theories of positionless basketball, click here!

The offense is a critical aspect of any basketball team's success, and there are various offensive concepts that teams use to score points. The goal of any offense is to create easy scoring opportunities, whether that be through pick-and-rolls, isolation plays, or fast breaks. 

Coaches also focus on teaching their players the importance of ball movement and spacing to create open shots. Overall, the offensive strategy is just as critical as the defense, and teams must develop a well-rounded and efficient approach to ensure success on the court. In this article, we will delve into motion offense, zone offense, and 5 out offense to expand your knowledge on these offensive concepts. 

The Art of the Fastbreak

The fastbreak is a dynamic phase of basketball that can quickly shift momentum, turning the tide of a game in your favor. Fastbreaks provide a significant advantage for teams looking for a quick bucket, emphasizing the game’s modern tenets of pace, athleticism, and quick decision-making. Allowing for rapid transitions from defense to offense, fastbreaks provide an opportunity to catch opponents off-guard, preventing them from establishing defensive sets and matchups. Fundamentally, fastbreaks capitalize on speed, quick ball movement, and increased spacing, enabling teams to find numerical superiority and wide-open driving lanes to score easily before the defense can react. 

Since the game has evolved to be faster and more high-scoring, transition offense has become a major aspect in modern basketball, as teams such as the Golden State Warriors have placed immense emphasis on transition offense. This emphasis has trickled down to all levels of competitive basketball, making fastbreaks an essential component for any team aiming to excel and dominate their opponents.

While they may look effortless and free-flowing, a successful fastbreak requires speed, coordination, and flawless execution. To help you and your team unlock the potential of this efficient, high-octane offensive strategy, we’ve curated a collection of insightful articles and videos from renowned coaches that provide valuable guidance on fastbreak drills.

Transition Drills

Rebound, Outlet, Long Pass- Tony Bozzella

The first step to any successful fast break is a rapid transition from offense to defense. To achieve this transition seamlessly, a fast recovery and outlet pass to quick-start the offense is paramount. 

Here, Seton Hall Women’s Basketball Head Coach Tony Bozzella describes how he teaches comfortability and speed with passing ahead to create spacing through the Rebound, Outlet, Long Pass Drill. 

I

Basketball offensive philosophies have undergone multiple complete makeovers over the past few decades. 

Perhaps the most influential shift came by way of the Golden State Warriors, during their four NBA Championship title victories from 2015 to 2021. Seeing the sharpshooting “Splash Brothers” Steph Curry and Klay Thompson open up the floor and make the Warriors the most lethal, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing basketball many people have ever seen in their lives.

And this prompted the next generation of basketball players to fall in love with the three-pointer, which is already creating a massive offensive shift in the game’s youth levels. 

But what if the three-pointer wasn’t the actual key to the Warriors’ mesmerizing offensive success? Don’t get me wrong; Curry and Thompson being wizards from three-point range is a huge reason for their success. But head coach Steve Kerr’s offensive strategy made it possible for the Warriors to score in bunches even when his shooters weren’t shooting well. 

How did Kerr do this? By utilizing schemes inherent to the circle offense. 

And very few coaches know the ins and outs of the circle offense better than Steve Gomez. 

Coach Gomez recently concluded his 21st season at the helm of the Lubbock Christian University women’s basketball team, and the 11th season at the NCAA level. He opens the campaign with a 500-143 record, which includes a 24-3 record in NCAA postseason play.

In his first 10 seasons at the helm, as LCU was an NAIA institution, the Lady Chaps made 10 consecutive trips to the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament. But Coach Gomez’s astounding success (namely on offense, by utilizing the circle offense) convinced officials that his team should join the Division 2 ranks. And that’s where Coach Gomez remains today.

Coach Gomez’s ‘Circle Offense’ course divulges the most important teaching point about installing this strategy into your own offense. It lays the groundwork for how to turn any stagnant offense into a fluid, rhythmic scoring machine that doesn’t need players like Steph Curry or Klay Thompson to thrive. 

Why Circle Offense?

ATO plays, also known as "after timeout" plays, are a crucial aspect of basketball coaching. When the game is on the line and every possession matters, a well-executed play can make all the difference. ATO plays are designed to optimize offensive opportunities after a timeout is called by the coach. 

These plays are strategically developed to exploit the weaknesses of the opponent's defense and create scoring opportunities for the team. Whether it's a well-timed screen to free up a shooter, a quick dribble drive to the basket, or a clever play to catch the defense off guard, ATO plays can completely shift the momentum of a game.

The coaching staff meticulously crafts these plays, taking into account the team's offensive strengths and the opponent's defensive vulnerabilities. ATO plays are not only important for the immediate offense situation, but they also provide an opportunity for skill development and team cohesion. Over the years, ATO plays have become an integral part of basketball strategy, utilized by coaches in both college and professional basketball. The success of ATO plays lies in their ability to capitalize on valuable timeouts and maximize the team's offensive potential.

Standing out at a basketball tryout goes beyond just showing up. It's about having a basketball tryout plan that starts well before the day arrives. From improving your drills to mastering the fundamentals of basketball (such as scoring and defense techniques) preparation is key to showcasing your skills. This planning not only involves honing your physical ability but also mastering basketball’s mental aspect to elevate your tryout performance.

Committing to a basketball tryout plan means diving deep into drills that sharpen your shooting form, dribbling finesse, and overall evaluation rubric for a standout tryout. A positive attitude towards teamwork and sportsmanship also plays a crucial role in standing out and becoming a valued player.

So let’s get into how you can stand out at a basketball tryout!

Preparing Physically and Mentally

Your basketball tryout plan should require both physical and mental preparation. Here's how you can ensure you're ready to shine on the court:

Physical Preparation:

Conditioning: Begin with cardiovascular training to boost your strength and conditioning. It’s tough to perform well when you’re constantly winded.

Skill Development: Dedicate time to shooting every day and practicing dribbling drills. At the end of this article, we’ll provide you with a great shooting drill that is sure to improve your long-range skills.

Mental Preparation:

Visualization and Mindfulness: Engage in visualization techniques to strengthen your mental game. Imagine yourself succeeding in your basketball tryout, and making your preferred team. This helps manage anxiety and improves focus.

Positive Self-talk: Regularly practice positive self-talk and read positive affirmations. This builds confidence, which is essential for facing the pressures of tryouts.

Nutrition and Rest:

Healthy Eating: Consume foods that provide quick energy, like oatmeal and bananas. Drink a lot of water as well!

Adequate Sleep: Get at least eight hours of sleep before your tryout, to ensure optimal energy and alertness.

By doing all of these things, you’re setting yourself up for success before stepping on the tryout court.

Mastering the Fundamentals

Remember: it's not just about having the ball in your hands. It's about making every touch count. Here's how you can elevate your fundamentals:

Ball Control Techniques:

o   Focus on dribbling with both hands, so you can navigate the court under pressure.

o   Incorporate passing drills that mimic game scenarios.

o   Set daily shooting goals, aiming for consistency from various spots on the court.

Strategic Play and Coachability:

Engage in game-speed scenarios to understand the flow and transitions of a real match.

Show your willingness to learn by focusing on coach feedback.

Compete against stronger opponents to challenge and improve your skills.

By using these strategies for your basketball tryout plan, you're not just preparing—you're improving. It's the details that coaches notice, so demonstrate your understanding of the game, and your ability to execute their feedback, and display your desire to improve every day.

Showing Coachable Behavior and a Positive Attitude

In the heart of every standout basketball player is an enthusiasm to learn and adapt. This is what being coachable is all about—but this trait isn't just about nodding along to what the coach says. It's about actively engaging with feedback to elevate your game. Here's how you can showcase this invaluable attribute:

Active Listening and Engagement:

Maintain eye contact and nod to show you're absorbing your coach’s every word.

Ask questions if you're unsure, showing you want to get it right.

Apply the feedback immediately in drills or scrimmages.

Positive Attitude and Body Language:

Keep a positive attitude, even when drills don’t go your way. A smile can go a long way.

Avoid negative body language, like slouching or eye-rolling. Coaches notice these small details.

Celebrate teammates' successes openly. High-fives and encouraging words contribute to a positive team atmosphere.

Examples of Coachability in Action:

Arrive 15 minutes early to tryouts and start warming up right away.

Be the player who dives for loose balls, communicates on the court, and always looks to improve.

Lead by example in both practice and game situations.

Embracing these aspects of coachability not only makes you a better player but also a more attractive prospect to coaches who are looking for team players who add to the team dynamic.

Communicating and Being a Team Player

In basketball, communication and being a team player are pivotal. Here's how you can elevate your presence on the court:

Effective Communication Techniques:

Be Loud and Clear: Ensure your voice can be heard across the court. Use specific terms for actions to avoid confusion.

Timing is Key: Communicate early enough so that teammates can react.

Stay Positive: Focus on constructive feedback rather than blame. Encourage and uplift your teammates.

Non-Verbal Cues:

Eye Contact and Hand Signals: Use these when the gym gets noisy. They're quick, effective ways to communicate.

Team Bonding: Engage in activities that build rapport. Building friendships makes for a better team–and better tryout performance.

You don’t need any basketball skills to utilize your voice. Coaches need leaders, and this is your way to showcase that you’re an asset for fostering unity and driving your team toward success.

Conclusion

Basketball tryouts can be stressful. But by preparing both physically and mentally, mastering fundamentals, and showcasing coachable behavior and communication, athletes can significantly enhance their visibility and impact during tryouts. These strategies will guide you toward a standout performance that captures the attention of coaches and teammates alike.

And last (but certainly not least), don’t forget to have fun! That’s why you’re playing basketball in the first place. Think of the tryout as another fun opportunity to play with your friends and show off the skills you’ve worked hard to acquire.

Now go out there and show the world what you’ve got!

Steph Curry Shooting Series

Transition is one of the hardest aspects of the game for a basketball team to train for because it's fast-paced and it's over in seconds. 

For an offense, it's the easiest opportunity to score easy baskets, drive to the lane, and rack up points in bunches before their opponent has time to adjust. Especially now with so many teams focusing their effort on playing fast and pushing the pace, It's important to set up a good transition defense game plan.

Opposing teams will often try to take advantage of the transition because players are typically scattered on the floor and it's hard for a team to get back into their defensive set amidst this chaos. As part of transition defense, it is crucial not to allow the opponent any easy points. The best way to achieve this goal is to always make sure one player is focused on getting back on defense so that there’s at least one person available to stop a transition attack. 

A few common tips for a player on transition defense is to sprint back and try to force at least three passes, which will ideally give their teammates time to get back. Players should also not backpedal, as this might throw them off balance. Players should also aim to protect the basket and shrink the floor. But possibly the most important point is communication via talking and pointing while running back, which can make the job easier. 

While all players and coaches know these basic transition tips, Chris Kreider can take your transition defense knowledge to a whole new level. 

Coach Kreider is in his second season as an assistant coach at SMU. Prior to that, Coach Kreider served as an assistant coach at Georgia State. He was previously at Rice University, where he guided the Panthers to a 16-6 record and a third-straight appearance in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship Game. Along the way, he led the Panthers to an opening night, quadruple overtime victory over Georgia Tech, marking the program’s first win over an ACC opponent in school history. 

Coach Krieder’s ‘Transition Defense’ course is an excellent resource for any basketball coach who is looking to turn their transition defense into a stalwart force that any opposing team will struggle to score against. 

Things to Consider

Coaching women's basketball comes with its own set of unique challenges: 

1. Breaking through gender stereotypes and biases that may exist in the sports world. As a coach, it's important to create an environment where female athletes feel supported and empowered, and where their skills and abilities are recognized and valued. 

2. Managing the different communication styles and emotional dynamics that may be present within a women's team. Effective communication and understanding of individual personalities are crucial for building a cohesive and successful team. 

3. Addressing the specific physical and physiological differences between male and female athletes is important. Training programs, injury prevention strategies, and overall game tactics may need to be tailored to accommodate these differences. 

Overall, coaching women's basketball (and running women’s basketball coaching clinics) requires not only a deep understanding of the sport but also a strong awareness of the unique social, emotional, and physical aspects that come with coaching female athletes.

Few people understand how to navigate and persevere through these unique challenges better than Lin Dunn.

Coach Dunn currently serves as the General Manager for the Indiana Fever WNBA team, which has become the WNBA’s most-watched and popular team due to them drafting former Iowa Hawkeyes sensation Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 pick of the WNBA Draft. 

Prior to becoming the Fever’s GM, Dunn spent 11 seasons as a professional head coach, she has compiled a record of 181-160 capturing the 2012 WNBA Championship with the Fever. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 after over four decades spent as a coach in the world of amateur and professional women’s basketball. 

Coach Dunn’s ‘Keys For The Head Coach’ course gives the five keys for head coaches to make a successful basketball program. In addition, Coach Dunn conveys the four areas that a head coach needs to manage in order to keep the program intact. Having a plan is one of the most important and necessary qualities for any coach to have success.  

Have a Plan

In basketball, strength is an essential attribute for any player. It provides a competitive edge when vying for rebounds, maintaining position, and driving to the basket. Moreover, being strong enables players to endure physical challenges from opponents, allowing them to execute plays with greater efficiency and resilience. Additionally, strength is indispensable for executing effective screens, fending off defenders, and playing robust defense. Ultimately, being strong not only enhances an individual player's performance but also significantly contributes to their team's overall success on the court.

Despite these clear benefits, it's surprising to see how strength is often undervalued. While attributes like speed, shooting, and ball-handling skills are highly praised, the significance of physical strength is frequently overlooked. Many people fail to recognize the crucial role that strength plays in the game. It's often underappreciated how strength enables players to hold their ground, power through contact, and execute powerful moves on the court. Despite these contributions to a player's effectiveness, strength is frequently not given the recognition it deserves in basketball.

One potential reason why basketball players don’t emphasize getting strong as part of their off-season workouts is because they don’t know how they should be increasing their strength while not sacrificing their athleticism and agility on the court. Many believe that lifting as heavy weight as possible all the time is the only reason to get strong. But in reality, there are plenty of ways to get stronger without becoming a powerlifter or putting one’s body at risk of unnecessary injury in the weight room. And Kostas Chatzichristos is the perfect person to teach you how to do so. 

Kostas Chatzichristos is currently the Director of Performance at the Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. He is responsible for player athletic development and rehabilitation, as well as medical and performance staff management.

An eleven-year veteran in the Euroleague, prior to Fener Kostas held the same role at CSKA Moscow for eight years. 

Coach Chatzichristos’ ‘In Season Strength and Power Training’ course analyzes his philosophy in building in-season strength programs during a game-dense season, which makes it the perfect tool for basketball coaches and players to employ when building out their own strength programs. 

Why Strength is Important in Basketball?

Having solid transition defense in basketball is absolutely crucial. Picture this: when a team fails to hustle back and set up its defense promptly after a turnover or a missed shot, it's practically serving up easy scoring opportunities to the other team on a silver platter. 

Good transition defense is like a safety net in the way it prevents the opposing team from capitalizing on fast breaks and scoring those effortless baskets. Not only does strong transition defense thwart the opposing team's offense, but it also sends a powerful message about a team’s toughness and grit. By consistently regrouping on defense and shutting down easy scoring chances, a team can frustrate their opponents while also boosting their confidence and control over the game. 

Not to mention that effective transition defense can also open up doors for the defending team. By forcing the opposing team to play a half-court offense, it increases the odds of getting a stop and securing a defensive rebound, ultimately creating more offensive possessions and scoring opportunities. 

All of this is to say that impeccable transition defense is a game-changer in basketball. It's a cornerstone of successful team defense and can truly tip the scales in favor of a victorious outcome.

But if coaching transition defense was easy, every basketball team in the world would be elite at it. The reality is that coaching transition defense in basketball is challenging due to the need for quick player coordination, individualized teaching, and instilling a strong defensive mindset. 

However, coaching transition defense can be made a whole lot easier with tips from a legend like Dan Hughes. 

Coach Hughes most recently served currently as the head coach of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, a role he held from 2018-2021. In 2018 he led his team to the finals and won a WNBA championship with the Seattle Storm. Coach Hughes is the WNBA’s all-time leader in games he has coached (588) and is ranked third all-time in career wins (263). 

His 'Culture and Transition Defense’ course conveys vital tips for making transition defense one of your basketball team’s biggest strengths.  

Q&A Assigning Crashes

Everyone likes a basketball team that scores effortlessly because it's fun to watch. However, in order to become an offensive juggernaut on the basketball court, there are hurdles you must overcome. There are typical problems every team faces when revolving the offense. 

Coaches must focus on their zone basketball offense troubleshooting when things get stale. Since the game has become a shooter’s league, a majority of teams face the same problems. A lack of movement stings the offense as players become stagnant in their catch-and-shoot role. Players now love to shoot the ball, emulating Golden State Warriors legend Steph Curry. Therefore resulting in a lack of penetration. It has now become one of the most undervalued and underutilized strategies, driving to the basket for a dunk or layup was the foundation of basketball. 

Another problem is a lack of offensive rebounding, which allows the offense to get into a rhythm and create second opportunities to score. As well as a lack of passing which forces drives, forced shots, and forced passes, resulting in turnovers and bad possessions. 

Yet, when there is a problem, there is always a solution. And Bob Starkey has solutions ready to share with you. 

Coach Bob Starkey returned to Baton Rouge in April 2022 to serve as the associate head coach on Coach Kim Mulkey’s staff. Starkey’s impact was immediately felt, helping lead the Tigers to their first national championship in 2023. Throughout the championship season, Coach Starkey worked primarily with the post players (such as Chicago Sky rookie superstar Angel Reese) and developed intricate scouting reports that set LSU up for success against any opponent they faced. 

Starkey came to LSU after one year of coaching at Auburn. From 1989-2011, Starkey coached at LSU with tenures with both the men’s and women’s programs, coaching basketball legends like Shaquille O’Neal and Sylvia Fowles. 

In his ‘5 Things To Do When Your Offense Isn`t Working’ course, Coach Starkey discusses tips and tricks to help improve your offense when things become stagnant. He breaks down how to implement drills into practice and make sure your players get their touches.

Transition Attack

Applying pressure during basketball defense throughout games is vital for a team’s success for several reasons. 

First, it can disrupt the opposing team's offensive rhythm and flow, making it difficult for them to run their plays effectively. By pressuring the ball handler and denying easy passing lanes, the defensive team can force turnovers and create scoring opportunities in transition. 

Additionally, defensive pressure can wear down the opposing team both physically and mentally. Constant pressure forces the opposing players to work harder to get open and make plays, leading to fatigue and potential mistakes. This can also lead to frustration and impatience, causing the opposing team to rush their shots and make poor decisions. 

Not to mention that applying defensive pressure can help set the tone for the game and establish a sense of urgency and intensity for the entire team. It can energize the defensive players and the crowd, creating momentum that can swing the game in favor of the defensive team. 

All of these reasons indicate why applying pressure on defense in basketball is a fundamental strategy for disrupting the opposing team's offense, creating scoring opportunities, and establishing a competitive edge on the court.

Yet, turning your basketball team into a stalwart, pressure-based defensive force is easier said than done. When an undisciplined or under-coached team tries to apply pressure, mistakes can often get made, which will lead to easy baskets on the other end. This is why knowing how to teach pressure-centric defense is even more important than deciding to do so in the first place. 

And Joe Golding is among basketball’s elite in teaching this tactic. 

Coach Golding was appointed the 20th head coach in UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso) men’s basketball history on April 13, 2021. This came after Coach Golding led Abilene Christian to the NCAA Tournament in two of his final three seasons with the program and an upset win over third-seed Texas in the 2021 "Big Dance". 

Coach Golding’s ‘Joe Golding/ Brette Tanner - ACU Pressure Defense’ course explains how culture can be built on the foundation of playing hard, along with the core defensive drills from 1-1 all the way up to 4-4 to build a team defense built on intense ball pressure, quick rotations, and communication on the floor.

Building A Culture

A basketball guard can have all the dribbling skills, quickness, and athleticism in the world. But if they don’t have decisiveness and finishing ability at the point of attack, then they’ll never be able to develop into a lethal score and all-around elite player.

For those who don’t know, the “point of attack” is where a guard (or any other basketball player) makes split-second decisions on whether to finish on one leg or two or with their inside and outside hands. In other words, it’s the moment when a guard must decide how they’re going to finish a drive without their shot getting blocked by a taller player. 

Practicing a floater is a great start to this for many players. But if a guard wants to keep playing past high school, they’ll need to develop a great point of attack finishing package that includes more than one finishing move. And Doug Novak is one of the world’s best when it comes to teaching guards how to excel at the point of attack. 

Doug Novak possesses nearly three decades of college basketball coaching experience, and most recently joined Northern Kentucky Women's Basketball as an assistant coach before the 2023-24 season. Prior to that, Novak served as the associate head coach for the men's basketball program at Army West Point during the 2022-23 season. Before West Point, he was the interim head coach for the women's basketball program at Mississippi State in 2021-22. 

Before his lone season with the Mississippi State women’s team, Novak served as the Head Men's Coach at Bethel University from 2013-21. There he composited an overall record of 131-68 in eight seasons, leaving with the highest winning percentage (.658) of any Bethel basketball coach in program history. 

A main focus for all of Coach Novak’s teams is being able to finish effectively and efficiently in the paint. This is why his ‘Point of Attack Finishing’ course should be required for every basketball coach to understand so that they can not only help their guard score more points in the paint but also help increase these guards’ chances of making it to (and succeeding at) the game’s next level. 

Mastery

Basketball is a game of inches and angles. And just the slightest margins of error, both on the offensive and the defensive ends of the floor, can be the difference between winning and losing. So any easy opportunities that an opposing team’s defense provides your offense must be capitalized on. 

But what if there was a way to increase the amount of mistakes a defense makes during a game? This would not only allow for easy points but also put added pressure on that team when it’s their turn on offense. And especially at basketball’s amateur levels, applying pressure usually amounts to success. 

Throughout his coaching career, Mike Neighbors has learned how to manipulate opposing defenses into making crucial mistakes using basketball defensive drills, which have earned his team countless wins. Coach Neighbors has been the Arkansas Women’s Basketball Head Coach since 2017, after being the University of Washington’s head coach for four seasons. During his time at Arkansas, Coach Neighbors has guided his Hogs to the best six-year period of sustained success in program history with 120 wins and five postseason qualifications. Coach Neighbors has accumulated 218 wins during his 10 seasons as a head coach, the most of any Power 5 head coach in 10 or fewer seasons, as well as one of only two NCAA Division I Head Coaches.

In his ‘Actions to Make Any Defense Wrong’ course, Coach Neighbors details the precise techniques and strategies that you can use to outsmart an opposing team. Below are some of the key takeaways from his fascinating course, which can set your team up for success by being more clever than your opponent. 

Preventing Opponent from Using Two for One - Using Substitutions

While having great basketball coaching resources is surely beneficial, there’s more to helping your team win than getting the X’s and O’s nailed down. Since basketball is a team game that relies on multiple players executing their roles and playing in cohesion with one another, coaches must learn how to help guide their team’s offense, rather than direct it. 

Not to mention that, because basketball success is so much predicated on individual talent, sometimes a coach should let their best players improvise on the court, rather than constrain them with set offensive schemes. 

All of these reasons indicate why having an offensive coaching philosophy should be a prerequisite for basketball coaches at every level. But if you don’t how to build your offensive philosophy, let Eric Musselman provide you with a blueprint. 

On April 4, 2024, Eric Musselman was named head coach of the University of Southern California men’s basketball team. Before signing with USC, Coach Musselman was head men’s basketball coach at the University of Arkansas since 2019. 

Musselman has more than 30 years of coaching experience. In his five years as a collegiate head coach, Musselman’s teams have won at least 20 games each year. Before entering the collegiate head coaching ranks, Musselman was a head coach for seven professional teams, including two seasons with the Golden State Warriors (2002-04) and one with the Sacramento Kings (2006-07). He has won over 500 games as a professional head coach with an overall winning percentage of .634 (508-293).

Coach Musselman prides himself on his offensive philosophy. And he was willing to share his insights in his ‘Offensive Clinic’ course from the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association. We have taken some of his most prudent insights and compiled them below, for you to use when helping you create your offensive philosophy. 

Adjusting to Personnel

Women's basketball has never been better than it is right now.

The Caitlin Clark Effect is in full swing, Angel Reese has become a global phenomenon, and the WNBA’s entire 2024 rookie class is packed with superstars who are bringing unprecedented levels of attention to the league. 

And we can’t forget about the league’s veteran superstars, either. Players like Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, and Diana Taurasi have been holding the torch for years, and the wider sports world is just starting to catch on to how incredible these basketball players are. 

But these fantastic females wouldn’t have gotten to where they are today without coaches like Pat Summitt (and her women's basketball training) to guide them. 

Coach Pat Summitt is the former University of Tennessee head women's college basketball coach. During her career coaching the Lady Vols from 1974 to 2012, she lead the team to eight NCAA championships. Coach Summitt was the first NCAA coach to achieve 1,000 victories, and in 2009, the Sporting News placed her at number 11 on its list of the 50 Greatest Coaches of All Time in all sports (she was the only woman on the list). In 38 years as a coach, she never had a losing season.

The same coaches who taught Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and A’ja Wilson about the game’s basics learned many of their methods from Coach Summitt. And her ‘Coaching Women's Basketball’ course is a gold mine for any coach who wants to get the most out of their female players’ careers.  

Backcourt

While there has been lots of discussion about half-court actions and offenses like 5 Outef="https://coachtube.com/courses/basketball/5-out-offense">5 Out and Dribble Drives://coachtube.com/courses/basketball/dribble-drive-motion">Dribble Drive, you also hear a lot of coaches talking about playing with pace. 

We know that analytics show the advantages of scoring in transition but it leaves some unanswered questions coaches face such as

What does pace mean exactly?  

How do you teach it?  

The pace concept has been linked to a transition offense system known as the 2 Side Break.  

Yes, the 2 Side system was used by the Houston Rockets but it can be adopted to all levels of play. You can get layups and 3’s in this system, based on your talent level.

Coaches such as Zak Boisvert have mentioned it in clinic presentations but nothing has been produced that goes into greater detail.

Thankfully, Brent Tipton has put together a clinic breakdown of this offensive system and is now available here.

2 Side Transition: How To Trigger Offensive Advantage goes into detail discussing

How 2 Side Transition impacts pace

How to go Early and Opposite

How to go Early and Up

When to Dribble Push

How Stretched Spacing Rules create multiple closeouts

Incorporating 45 cuts and DHOs in transition

Here is Coach Tipton showing examples of early and opposite ball movement and how it disrupts transition defense.

It’s that time of year as you are starting to prepare for the playoffs or state championship run. Here are 5 OB plays against the zone that are designed to get you a good shot. 

This is the time of year where everyone is scouting and one of these might help you in that crucial moment at the end of the year. If you can win the OB battle vs your opponent it could be very well the difference between advancing to the next round.

Watch some of the best shooters in the game of basketball, and it becomes pretty evident that the way they shoot is a systematic approach that never, ever changes.

If you’ve been playing basketball for a few years, chances are you’ve been taught the proper way to shoot a basketball. You know – triple-threat stance, dominant hand under the basketball, elbow in, eyes on the target, etc. But the ability to shoot a basketball well doesn’t just come to a player overnight, and it doesn’t occur the split second a player develops the proper shooting technique.

Proper shooting becomes an art form and, like many things in this world, requires plenty of practice in order to master. When the end result is finally reached, however, shooting a basketball can be compared to riding a bicycle – no matter how often a player gets on a court, the muscle memory is there and the skill, though it may get rusty, can’t be unlearned. 

Practicing your shot is the best way to develop the repetition that is needed to build up proper shooting habits. The reality of the game is this: as a player’s body develops, her shooting technique will change. It’s roughly when a player hits middle school that the necessary muscles for repetitive shooting start to take shape. But a player is never too young to get a feel for the style of shooting on a 10-foot rim.

Some of the best shooters in the game today are amazing at shooting the ball off the pass.

Being able to quickly receive a pass when you are already in an ideal shooting position allows you to quickly get a good shot off before the defender can challenge the shot. Follow these 3 keys and allow your teammates to set you up for great looks at the basket, whether you’re coming off screens or on a fast break.

Square Your Feet, Hips & Shoulders To The Basket

 Every good shot is taken with your body being square to the basket. Having your hips and shoulders facing the basket allows for greater accuracy and a higher percentage of made shots. While this is fairly easy to do during shooting practice, it takes concentration to square up before shooting in a live-game situation.

 In practice, pay close attention to your feet, as the rest of your body will follow their path. When pivoting into shooting position, step first with the foot closest to the basket and then rotate your body, swinging the outside foot into a square-to-the basket position.

When moving off-ball, you should be squared, with your feet, hips and shoulders all pointing directly at the basket, by the time you receive the pass.

Be sure to run drills coming off the pick from both sides of the court and pay close attention to your footwork so that it becomes second nature once you get in the game.

Have Your Hands Ready To Shoot

Every good shooter always has his or her hands ready to shoot the ball.

These scorers want the ball and expect the ball when coming off a screen or coming down the wing on a fast break.

When you always have your hands in a ready-to-shoot position you let your teammates know that you are looking for the shot and can quickly go into your shooting motion once you receive the ball. As you progress through the ranks of youth basketball to high school and college, it becomes more and more important to be able to quickly get off your shot.

Your opponents become quicker and taller, so as a shooter, you must also refine your game in order to keep being successful. Always have your hands ready to shoot so your teammates will keep feeding you the ball.

Keep Your Body Tight

Everyone wants to take the ‘Kobe Shot’. You know the one I am talking about, where he is on the baseline at the 3 point line with his back to the basket and he turns, fading away from the basket, and knocks down the shot. These are called low percentage shots, because there is very little chance of you actually making them.

 The more your body is turning or moving, especially away from the basket, the less likely your shot is to go in. When shooting off the pass, always keep your body tight. Running off screens and shooting the ball makes it easy to fall away from the basket or to the side as you shoot. Instead, keep your body square to the basket and your body tight and balanced during the shot.

Every basketball coach I’ve ever had said the easiest ways to find yourself on the bench is to miss shots, turn the basketball over, and to not give 100%. Although a missed shot is perhaps better than a turnover with the chance for an offensive rebound, coaches don’t want to see their players throwing up contested jumpers when there are better options. With these ten shooting tips, I’ll look to provide you with techniques and tips to improve that field goal percentage in a hurry.

TIP #1: Become a student of the game

There is a lot of value to be learned through watching some of the greats do what they do best. Watching NBA games or collegiate matches can offer an opportunity to closely observe how the pros shoot and apply it to your own game. Follow how these shooters are working both with and without the ball and look for the elite shooters on each team. Another tool would be to watch basketball instructional videos or watch YouTube of guys like Ray Allen and Stephen Curry.

TIP #2: Watch your shot on film

Seeing your shot on film can be a real eye-opener. It makes it easier to understand where you are succeeding and what areas still need some seasoning. This drill will really provide benefits into making some finishing touches on your jumper to prevent any mechanical issues.

TIP #3: Get to the basket

The majority of young players today all want to be the ones knocking down threes. However, if you become overly reliant on shooting from distance, your field goal percentage will likely suffer as a result. To offset this, you need to possess the ability to attack the basket. Not only will this get you some easier looks, but the chances of earning a trip to the free throw line increases as well. In practice you can work on penetration looks to improve this trait.

When we talk about basketball, there’s no need to describe dribbling. It’s the lifeblood of the sport; moving with the basketball isn’t possible unless the player in possession is dribbling.

Players learn how to properly dribble at a very, very young age. While a child’s motor skills develop, some of the simple concepts of dribbling aren’t instilled until later years.

For example, traveling and double dribbling – both violations of the rules when they are strictly enforced – don’t necessarily come easy to those learning how to play the game.

When players are young, there’s only one focus: get the ball in the basket, regardless of what it takes.

As players get older, dribbling and passing become the two functions of moving the ball on offense. While it’s not every player’s strong point, dribbling should be something in which everyone, even the big men or women, should be fluent.

It is the point guard’s responsibility to get the ball up the court every single play, which means dribbling the ball effectively is a large part of the position’s game. But dribbling isn’t always everyone’s favorite thing to practice.

But it has to be done, and there are plenty of players that take more pride in making the pass that leads to a pretty basket, or making a defender look silly with a great crossover move. Naturally, the best way to improve dribbling skills is to practice heavily. For those looking to improve, there are dozens of ways to do so, and all you need is a ball and some space.

Try These Dribbling Exercises

Start with the simple right-handed low dribble.

When a player is dribbling the ball, it’s always best to stay low with much of his or her body shielding the ball from the defender. So it’s important to do the same in practice to get familiar with the feeling.

Dribbles should be quick, short and with force. And a player should never be looking at the ball when dribbling – there are far more important things that should command their attention. A player needs to develop a feel for the ball and know where it’s going to be when he or she is dribbling.

Then switch to high bounces, using excessive force to pound the ball into the floor. The dribbles should come up to roughly the player’s shoulders. He or she wouldn’t dribble like that in a game, but the point here is getting used to the force that is exerted with each pounding dribble. It develops a type of coordination with the ball.

All drills should be done with both hands. Being ambidextrous with the ball is an essential part of the game. So incorporate crossover drills and, if you have access to them, set up some cones through which you can dribble. Being elusive with the ball in your hands is part of the job, and a good crossover move might be the most useful in a player’s arsenal of tricks. Two ball drills are a great way to work on being confident in dribbling with both hands.

A coach can’t create team chemistry. It formulates on its own. But a coach can help facilitate chemistry within his team, and sometimes that factor is more important than being good with X’s and O’s.

Youth

On the youth basketball level, wins and losses aren’t the main goal, but there’s no reason a coach can’t have it all – ensuring his players are having fun and developing skills while becoming competitive and winning games in a positive fashion. A team that jells with chemistry has a greater chance of winning games than one whose players have too many individual objectives.

The latter is more prevalent on the high school, college and professional levels and usually not so much on the grassroots level of basketball. Achieving chemistry is important because it teaches friendship, sportsmanship and teamwork. It starts with having fun, and a team that has strong attendance at practices and games is a sure sign the kids want to be there both individually and collectively. Keep parents informed through team emails as well, because engaging their interests makes it a team effort.

At the start of a practice, give your players the chance to shoot around together and interact as a team informally. The smiles and laughter will be a strong indication the players are gelling as a team. For one of the first drills of the preseason, players get to know each other by passing the ball to teammates while they shout out the receiving player’s name.

Drills

As you move into more basketball drills, keep them fun and positive. Do a good job of explaining how to perform a skill and its importance. Encourage players who are working hard and developing good technique.

Is this the year you nail your bracket?

Maybe this can help.

We thought it would be fun to list all the courses and playbooks to study up as you watch the tournament to get and edge and learn what they are doing to separate themselves. 

# 1 Seeds

Gonzaga - Gonzaga Playbook 

Baylor - Scott Drew Guard Development  -Jerome Tang - Skill Development for Posts and Guards

Illinois - Offensive and Defensive Playbook

Michigan - Juwan Howard Playbook

# 2 Seeds

Alabama - Assistant Coach Charlie Henry Spread Offense

Ohio State - Offensive Playbook

Houston - PNR Offensive and Defensive - Kelvin Sampson 

# 3 Seeds

Arkansas - Eric Musselman Offensive Philosophy

West Virginia - Larry Harrison Complete Guide to West Virginia Press Defense

Texas - Q and A with Shaka Smart TABC Virtual Clinic

Kansas - Bill Self Playbook

# 4 Seeds 

Florida State - Charlton Young Assistant Coach - Transition Offense

Purdue - Micah Shrewsbury Offensive Concepts and Actions - Purdue Offensive Playbook

Oklahoma State - Mike Boynton 

Virginia- Virginia vs Texas Tech National Championship X’s and O’s

# 5 Seeds

Creighton - Creighton Bluejays Playbook

Villanova - Jay Wright Multiple Defenses 

Tennessee - Rick Barnes Transition Basketball Course

# 6 Seeds 

Texas Tech - Offensive and Defensive Playbook

BYU - Offensive Playbook 

# 7 Seeds 

Oregon - Spread Offense Playbook

UCONN - Dan Hurley Defensive Philosophy and Drills

# 8 Seeds 

Oklahoma - Lon Kruger Clinic Notes 

# 9 Seeds 

Missouri - Cuonzo Martin 

# 10 Seeds 

Virginia Tech Offensive Playbook 

# 11 Seeds

UCLA  Mick Cronin Creating a Defensive Culture 

Michigan State Tom Izzo Defensive Skills and Drills

Drake Larry Blunt Breaking into the Coaching Profession 

# 12 Seeds 

UCSB Joe Pastarnack Program Defining Drills

Winthrop Pat Kesley Measuring your team success with analytics 

# 13 Seeds

Ohio Jeff Boals Recruiting Strategy 

UNC - Greensboro Chris Lepore  Climbing the ladder 

# 14 Seeds 

Abilene Christian - Joe Golding High Low Offense 

# 15 Seed

Grand Canyon Ed Schilling Player Development become the best

# 16 Seeds

Norfolk State Rob Jones Offensive Zone Sets 

Texas Southern Brandon Chambers Pick and Roll Coverages

Good Luck!

Last season, Southern Utah had one of the best offensive teams in the country according to Synergy Sports. Synergy lists them as the #10 ranked offensive team. 

Southern Utah was also marked as “excellent” in zone offense. 

Head Coach Todd Simon came from the high school level → then worked his way up to college level → and now he is the head coach of Southern Utah. 

Coach Simon’s philosophy against a zone defense is to dictate. To do this he uses many different actions within his zone offense.

Three of the main actions Southern Utah uses are: Inside Ball Screen Overload, Outside Ball Screen and Corner Action. 

#1 Inside Ball Screen Overload

Coach Simon’s zone offense is usually initiated by a wing entry then a throwback to get the defense moving. 

After the throwback, the big man comes up to set an inside slot ball screen. 

The best shooter will be located in the opposite slot. 

 The wing then sprints through to create an overload.

Today we kick off the NCAA Tournament with the First Four Games to advance to the 64 team bracket.

Here is a breakdown of what you can expect:

Texas Southern vs. Mount St Mary’s

Texas Southern likes to play up-tempo and attack in transition using lots of ball screens to create an advantage. 

On Defense you can expect Texas Southern to be ready to stop the pick and roll. Here is a clip of Texas Southern Coach Brandon Chambers sharing his philosophy on Pick and Roll coverages.

What has changed in the NCAA Basketball Tournamentis that the most successful teams were traditionally the ones full of veteran players. Today, many of the most talented players are freshmen instead of seniors. What hasn’t changed is the importance of having a strong point guard. No team wants to be caught without one – the so-called “quarterback” on the court, leading the flow of action on both ends.

The positions in basketball are numbered one through five, and, appropriately, a point guard is the one whom others follow. That’s the mindset a youth basketball coach wants to bring out. A skilled point guard makes everybody’s job easier because his decision making and leadership are an extension of the coach on the floor. He is adept at handling the ball, setting up teammates, scoring, directing and exploiting weaknesses in the opposition. Indeed, a Peyton Manning in gym shorts.

Development

To develop a point guard, a coach wants to instill confidence in him, always suggesting how his leadership runs both the offensive and defensive sets. Teammates will respond to how a point guard displays a relentless style in practice, so a coach who develops the mindset of his point guard is basically doing the same for his entire team.

While some athletes will lead vocally or through example, the point guard has to do both. On offense, he is the main dribbler, so the ball will be in his hands the most. It’s pivotal that he dribbles with his head up so he can see the floor in front of him and recognize the best way for his team to score a basket. He calls out the plays to signal what should be happening. It’s his job to set up his teammates through his passing, so he often leads his team in assists. But his ability to score points on jump shots and drives to the basket provides points, too, so he can draw defenders away from his offensive teammates.

Mechanics

Defensively, the point guard is the great communicator. He’s demanding intensity out of his teammates and disrupting the opposing team. His aggressive play will draw the same out of his teammates more than a coach yelling instruction from the sideline will.

Drills in practice will improve any young player. Some have the potential to bring out the best in a point guard. From the first day of practice through the playoffs, a coach must stress muscle memory and proper mechanics. He can turn a simple full-court dribbling drill into a two-way teaching tool.

If a young point guard constantly uses his or her dominant hand to dribble the ball, work on the opposite hand. Have your "quarterback" use his opposite hand to dribble from the end line to midcourt and back. Don’t stop there, either. He immediately should turn and dribble to the far end line and back. With the opposite hand! The dribbler has to keep his head up to see the entire floor. If he struggles at first, slow the action and have him dribble in place to gain a better feel for the ball while his head is up. Keep it low and by his side. As he progresses, have him do a full-court up-and-back dribble against a defender.

Defensively

The defender on the up-and-back dribble will gain as much as the dribbler. Have the dribbler go forward with a diagonal dribble. The defender has to drop-step and slide with the dribbler. Knees should be bent with balance on the toes, not the heels, and the eyes should be directed toward the belly because the ball will be on that plain. The defender’s palms should be up, and if he goes for a steal, he should tap the ball from underneath, not from above, where he often will slap the dribbler’s hand and cause a foul. The dribbler wants to pick and choose his opportunity for a steal. He’s more trying to slow the dribbler and force him into a mistake. You want your point guard to be more focused than the dribbler.

Guess what? This simple drill is working on conditioning, too. Your point guard should want to outlast all the other players on the court. He’s the quarterback, he sets the tone.

Full Court Press Drills

Teams utilize the full-court press in basketball for two reasons. The first is to create havoc and, ultimately, turnovers. Those turnovers translate into offensive opportunities to score and, of course, the more of those opportunities a team has the more likely it is to win.

The second reason teams run a full-court press defense is to dictate the tempo of a game. Pressing defenses can force opponents away from their strengths and play a style of basketball with which they are not comfortable. 

Regardless of the reasoning, teams looking to become skilled in the art of pressure defense must drill it on a daily basis. Here are five drills that can turn your team into a nightmare for opponents.

Trap Transition Drill

Trap Transition is a full-court basketball drill in a 5-on-5 situation that teaches defenders to anticipate the first pass out of a trap. The drill begins after an entry pass with the ball in the hands of a guard who has been immediately trapped.

A guard starts with the ball in the trap. The guard must hold the ball for a full two seconds before being permitted to pass. Defenders work on staying knee-to-knee in the trap so the guard cannot split it.

The press can be a man-to-man press or zone. The remaining defenders anticipate the pass out of the trap.

The goal is to get a deflection or interception and a quick score off the turnover. 

The drill can be repeated on different areas of the court.

Circle Trap Drill

The Circle Trap Drill teaches defenders how to trap properly and do so without committing a foul. A trap should not be able to be split. This drill reinforces that. The whole drill takes place in and around the circle at the top of the key.

To begin, three offensive players align around the circle spaced evenly. Three defenders align inside the circle in the gaps between the offensive players.

A coach initiates the drill by passing to one of the offensive players. 

The two closest defenders immediately execute the trap. They position themselves knee-to-knee and use active hands to prevent the split.

The third defender anticipates and attempts to take away any passes to the remaining two offensive players.

The offense must stay outside of the circle.

The drill also helps the offense work on breaking the trap and passing while under pressure.

Fast Breakdown

For whatever reason, there are times when the full-court press breaks down. The offense breaks through a trap and gets the ball ahead of the defense. The result is a 5-on-3 disadvantage situation. The Fast Breakdown drill teaches players how to deal with such a situation.

A ball handler starts with the ball in the backcourt. He dribbles and cannot pass until he gets into the front court. The two trapping defenders trail the ball handler attempting to steal the ball.

The goal of the defense is to prevent a scoring opportunity early in transition.

Once the ball is passed into the front court, the possession can be played out in a 5-on-5 situation.

4-4-4 Drill

The 4-4-4 drill is a great team full court press drill. Players must stay focused and are held accountable in this fast-paced drill. It begins with three teams of four players each. One on one end of the floor, a team in the middle circle, and the third team on the opposite end of the floor.

The team on offense keeps the ball when they score and must inbound against the press. When an offense reaches half-court, the defense on that end of the floor steps up to defend. 

If a defense gets a stop, they become the new offense. The closest team of 4 becomes the new defense. If the offense reaches half-court, remember that the defense at that end steps in to become the new defense.

Score is kept like a regular game.

The goal is for defenders to pressure the offense into turnovers and for the offense to break the press and score.

2-on-2 Run & Jump Drill

In most full-court pressure defenses, the ball gets trapped along the sidelines. The purpose of this drill is to handle situations where the ball is advanced up the middle of the floor. Players execute the Run & Jump instead of the trap in an effort to create a turnover.

Player 1 brings the ball up the middle of the floor. His teammate is on the wing. 

The defender of Player 1 forces him into the wing. 

The defender of Player 2 executes the jump picking up the ball handler. The defender of Player 1 falls back to pick up the wing. Essentially, the defenders are executing a switch in this drill.

If the ball handler pulls the dribble, the two defenders execute a trap.

The drill continues to progress until three Run & Jumps are completed.

Here is an example of the 1-2-2 / 3-4 Court Press by Head Coach Patrick Chambers.

Seton Hall Head Women's basketball Coach Tony Bozzella is one of the best at pushing the tempo on offense.

He has led the Seton Hall women to two NCAA Tournaments and holds the best winning percentage in school history for women’s basketball. 

Playing fast looks like it would just be easy -- just go out and rebound and run.

Of course we know that is not the case. Playing with a tempo consists of many details that go into a successful transition offense.

Coach Bozzella’s transition offense starts in practice. 

Here are 3 drills that Coach Bozzella believes will help make a better transition offensive team:

1) 2 Man Layups

The two man layups drill works on the small details of a transition offense.

In this workout, we are looking to work on jump stops, passing and running wide to score the basketball. 

The objective of the drill is to score 25 layups each side -- so 50 total in 2 minutes.

This will help create the proper pace and perfect trips up and down the court. 

This needs to be done precisely to be able to finish the drill on time.

Doodling takes on a life of its own with a youth basketball coach. Any scrap of paper offers the opportunity to diagram set plays.

Running structured plays though, comes in baby steps with the younger ages. Inbound plays underneath an opponent’s basket are a great place to get started.

Considering most opponents will be playing man-to-man defense on the younger levels, the “stack” is a common way to introduce a structured play starting underneath the opponent’s basket.

At least one of the four players in the stack should get open for a bounce pass or chest pass from the inbounder, and probably more than that.

New Favorite Actions from Around the World

Thanks to the feedback we got from you, we decided to share some more great actions and sets we have observed from watching games from around the world.

Play 1:  Slice to Middle Pick and Roll

Starting in a 1-4 high, 1 hits 3 and cuts to the corner off 5.  At the same time 2 is cutting off 4.  3 can hit 2 if open.  If not, 3 reverse to 5.  On the reversal pass to 4, 2 screens for 3, then comes off the down screen from 5.  4 reverses to 2, who then uses 5’s ball screen.  

You can change which player comes off the down screen for the high pick and roll.  In this example, when the ball is with 4, 2 and 5 set a stagger screen for 1.  1 catches up top and then gets a ball screen from 5.

Due to a variety of reasons, basketball has become more up-tempo over the years. Coaches have become enthused with the use of speed to take advantage of opponents and create more fast breaks. Perhaps no one has adopted this philosophy to a greater degree than former NBA head coach Mike D’Antoni. His pick-and-roll offense first gained prominence with Steve Nash’s Phoenix Suns and then later in New York with the Knicks.

Seven Seconds or Less Principle

One of the key concepts behind Mike D’Antoni’s offense was this idea of the seven seconds or less principle. It has been well documented and was even the subject of the book, :07 Seconds or Less, which was released in 2006 telling the story of these run and gun Suns. This principle centers on the mindset that while there are good shots, there is always a better shot. Further, when you play offense at such a high-tempo, the defense doesn’t have time to get set. If you take too long to get a shot off, the defense can get set up like they’ve planned. When utilized effectively, there are usually fewer turnovers since fewer passes will be thrown (hence, only 7 seconds are used). While some may argue that this run-and-gun approach takes away from the traditional values of playing in half-court sets, it has been proven to work at all levels.

Relying on Speed

If you don’t have speed and quickness on your team, then the pick-and-roll offense will likely not be as effective.

D’Antoni’s teams were often quicker than the other teams. It’s not that other NBA teams weren’t conditioned enough to compete with the Suns, rather D’Antoni had his players operating on the mindset that they needed to get the ball up the floor as quick as possible. Less thinking was required on the players, as they were focused on speed rather than plays. When you’re attacking this quickly, opposing big men have trouble keeping up. For coaches out there that may suffer from a size advantage, this offense will work for you because it combats many of the strengths of having a bigger team. Ultimately, it is a way for smaller teams to put paint points on the board.

Presence of Pure Shooters

A short look through the stats of the 2005 Suns reveals they had plenty of three point shooters. Quentin Richardson, Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa, and Jim Jackson made up the list of these long-range bombers. The reason why the utilization of these players is so important is because it is an aspect that was missing for so long from the up-tempo offenses. This concentration of perimeter players allows a team to capitalize on nearly every fast break opportunity. In the end, the fast break situation will play out like this: The ball-handler races up the floor to attack the paint. While the opposing big men are still on their way down the court, the backpedaling wings will most likely collapse in the paint to get in front of the charging ball-handler. With this being the case, the ball-handler can either attack the wings to draw a foul or kick it out to one of the sharpshooters around the arc.

Making the Defense Commit

In all of the situations dealing with up-tempo and pick-and-roll offenses, the defense will have to decide how to react. An article from Knicker Blogger brings up some of the various decisions a team can make in response to the frequent pick-and-rolls in D’Antoni’s offense utilizing the point guard (Raymond Felton) and heavily-used post player (Amare Stoudemire).

Big Shows: Here, Stoudemire’s man comes out and shows, thus preventing an easy jumper from Felton off the screen. However, Stoudemire’s speed allows him to get to the hoop quicker. A simple pass over the top or lob can take advantage of this. If a third defender helps, Stoudemire will have an open shooter somewhere around the arc.

Big and Small Switch: When this happens, the point guard (Felton) is able to have a situation matched up with a slower big. His quickness would allow him to either drive to the paint or work the big in a one-on-one situation to get a medium range jumper.

Big Stays with Big: In a situation like this, Felton would immediately be able to go around the screen ahead of the trailing guard. With the opposing big stuck to Stoudemire, a third defender will collapse on Felton’s drive. Then, Felton utilizes his decision making to find an open shooter.

Big Splits the Difference: The last decision would be for the defense to leave the big closer to the basket and not attack the pick and roll. However, here if either of the players can knock down a long-range jumper, it would be available.

As seen with these numerous different decisions, the key is to make the defense decide first before the offense reacts. The speed and presence of shooters allows the offense to have more ways to react on any given play.

Crucial Chemistry

As with any aspect of basketball, players must have chemistry with their teammates to be efficient and effective. Through practice with each other, it becomes easier to understand tendencies and preferences. More than ever, in a pick-and-roll offense, players have to know where guys like to spot up. Even though I mentioned spot-up shooters as being essential, there are going to be guys that tend to evaporate towards the corners on fast breaks. As for teams at lower levels, not all of the point guards will have the ability to handle the ball effectively with both hands. To assist the point guard, teams must design pick-and-rolls that play to the dominant hand to open up either driving lanes to that side or passing opportunities.

The three-point shot is a very popular skill amongst basketball players, mainly due to the advantage a player has when they can shoot from a long distance. However, this type of skill does not come easily. It takes a lot of practice and a lot of strength and conditioning to master.

One of the most important things when shooting a three-pointer, and shooting a basketball in general, is the mechanics of your shot.

This will play an important role in how far you can successfully shoot a basketball. The other way to improve your range is through increasing your physical strength and power. Improving these two aspects of your game will show great results when moving further back to shoot, as well as an extra point.

Technique Is Everything

Shooting a basketball in general is a very difficult task to master. It takes a lot of hard work and practice. One of the most important things when shooting is being comfortable with your shot. If something feels wrong, figure out what and fix it.

When shooting a three-pointer, there are a few tips and tricks to take into consideration. As opposed to a free throw or a mid-range shot, three-pointers take more strength, more power, more mechanics and more practice. With the right training through effective drills, you can master the three-point shot on your own.

When Dr. Stephen Covey published The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People in 1989, it had a tremendous impact on people across the world, including coaches looking to increase their effectiveness and impact.  I personally was so moved by the material that I spent 3 years working for Dr. Covey’s company as they were providing 7 Habits content to school systems across the country.

It has been years since I read the book, as well as Dr. Covey’s books after publishing 7 Habits. So I decided to go back recently and review the principles from 7 Habits and how they apply to coaching. 

So what are the 7 Habits and why should I be interested in them?

Well, I would say that if there is any area of your life that you are looking to perform better at, the 7 Habits can help you.

Let’s start with Habits 1, 2, and 3.  The first three habits are designed to help people move from a state of dependence to independence.  Dr. Covey stated this by saying “Private victory precedes public victory” so there are steps to take first.

 Habit 1. Be Proactive.

Rather than explain what it means to be proactive, let me ask you a question.  Do you make choices based upon /values/principles or upon your mood, feelings, or circumstances?  Are you teaching your players the importance of making good choices?

 Dr. Covey explained being proactive with his famous quote, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response.” One of the best visual illustrations of this was in a workshop I attended where the presenter used a bottle of Coke (reactive person) and a bottle of water (proactive person) to represent how we respond. 

If we want to make this easier, we can put it this way.  Think before you act vs. act before you think.

Habit 2.  Begin With The End in Mind

Again, let me ask a question.  Do your actions for your team and your own individual life flow from a meaningful mission statement?  We know that businesses and organizations use vision statements to clarify what is important to them and why they exists (besides making a profit or winning).  What about you and your team?

Here is a basic understanding of Habit 2, directly from the Franklin Covey website:  “Habit 2 is based on imagination--the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don't make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default.”

As you consider putting together a mission or values statement, keep in mind that your statement should inspire you, tell what you are about, what you value, and what you stand for.

Habit 3.  Put First Things First

This habit simply comes down to this question. “Are you able to say no to the unimportant, no matter how urgent, and yes to the important?” 

We know that planning is important as a coach when we sit down and prepare for the season or a game.  With all the demands on our time and energy, we have to make good choices where we focus, especially with social media and other activities that can us off track.

Dr. Covey developed this framework to help individuals  identify where they allocate their time.

Habit 3 is basically about focusing on relationships, not schedules or tasks.  It’s easy to get caught in Q3/Q4 activities on a daily basis and takes you off track from what you have identified as important.  You will have temporary imbalances, so don’t be too hard on yourself when those occur.

For me, I have broken my planning process down to two things.

 What roles do I have?

What is the most important thing I can do this week/today in my role as ________?

Habit 4.  Think Win-Win. 

 It may be the most misunderstood habit and has become somewhat of a cliche.  Habit 4 focuses on how we can create mutually beneficial decisions and having the courage to walk away from situations where a win-win deal is not possible.  Habit 4 also centers around having an Abundance Mentality vs. a Scarcity Mentality.  

Writer Dean Yeong puts it this way:  Win/WIn is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win/Win means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfying. With a Win/Win solution, all parties feel good about the decision and feel committed to the action plan. Win/Win sees life as a cooperative, not a competitive arena

Since coaching and athletics is world of competitiveness, can you still create win-win agreements with others?

Habit 5.  Seek First to Understand, Then Be Understood.  

This habit is focused on two things: The ability to listen with empathy and the ability to make your expectations clear.  Look at the order here. Before we can express our expectations, we must listen first.  

Dr. Covey introduces the concept of the Emotional Bank Account in this habit.  Very simply, its about making deposits into others rather than withdrawals that leave others feeling empty and unappreciated.

This is a challenge for everyone, including myself, especially during the season.  

Habit 6. Synergize.  

Synergize is basically the idea of creative cooperation and the ability to build better outcomes with others called the Third Alternative.  It focuses on valuing others perceptions of reality.  

Again, another habit that is easy to talk about but difficult to implement.  What areas in your program have you had a challenge with Habit 6?

Habit 7.  Sharpen the Saw.  

This is the habit of constant renewal in 4 key dimensions: Spiritual, Physical, Mental, and Social/Emotional.  The concept of continuous learning and improvement fit nicely into Habit 7. 

How are you staying sharp and renewing yourself in these areas?  Are you out of balance?

The Spain PNR has been a popular topic with our clinics recently.  For those not familiar with the concept, the Spain PNR expands on the basic 2 man game by adding a third player (typically a good shooter) to screen the defender guarding the ball screener.  Its name comes from its use by the Spanish national team in recent years. A coach named Diccon Lloyd-Smith wrote an article years ago attributing the action to Coach Zeljiko Obradovic, currently at Fenerbahce. 

It’s a staple with teams across the world from the pro-level all the way to high school.

I remember watching the 2015 Eurobasket Finals with Spain and Lithuania.  Spain took control of the game in the first quarter with a set play action we now call Spain PNR.  I immediately scribbled the play down on my notepad and have been using this action ever since in my own playbook.

Of course, there are variations and adjustments coaches have made in the past few years to make this action effective for their teams.  The ability to run this action from baseline and sideline out of bounds enhances its effectiveness.

Play 1:  Spanish Pick and Roll from the head coach of the Spanish national team and assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors, Sergio Scariolo

When I say “guard” that includes the point guard, shooting guard and with the way

today’s game is going the small forward as well. Look at some of your favorite

players at the small forward position such as Kevin Durant, Paul George and Lebron

James. Each of these guys are at least 6’8 but have the same skill set as the guys who

are 6’2. The game has changed. Coaches want nearly every player on the court to be

equipped with these three skills, therefore if you play positions 1-3, this article is for

you.

The three skills that are the most valuable to any perimeter player are ball handling,

shooting and defense. Many will argue maybe its passing or slashing or some other

popular skill that most perimeter guards have. What they fail to realize is these are

the skills that will get you on the court and if you can specialize in them it may even

earn you a paycheck one day.

The season is approaching and we hope our players have spent all summer getting better… but what have we done as coaches? If you had an undefeated season last year then congratulations, if not, we have some work to do. After surveying the top college coaches in the country, here are their top 4 pre-season basketball drills that will help you win more games this season.

Drill #1: Beat the Belt (Demonstrated HERE by Tom Izzo of Michigan State University)

This basketball drill is designed to help your players perfect their Help-Defense technique by defending the passing lane.

Setup: 3 players are on offense: One on the right wing with a ball, the other in the right corner also with a ball. The third offensive player is a little outside of the left block. Defender is in the middle of the key.

Execution: The offensive player on the left block must step into the key and sprint to the free-throw line to try and receive a pass from the right wing. The defender must deny him from receiving the pass and deflect it with his outside hand. As soon as the ball is deflected, the offensive player backdoors his defender to try and receive a pass at the rim from the corner passer. The defender has to deflect both the free-throw line pass and the corner pass at the basket to leave the drill.

Drill #2: Power Moves (Demonstrated HERE by former Incarnate Word University assistant coach Christian Mueller)

This basketball drill is designed to improve your post-player finishing technique, especially with contact.

Setup: Lineup post players on the baseline next to the short corner, each of them must have a ball. Have a coach in the middle of the key.

Execution: The player tosses the ball directly in front of them into the short corner and catches it landing on both feet. Have the post player make a strong pivot towards the basket and take one dribble into a lay-up. The coach should act as a help defender and make contact with the player as they attempt the lay-up. If the offensive player does not make the lay-up they must do 10 push-ups (Modify if Necessary).

Drill #3: Pick and Roll (In-Depth demonstration HERE by Hubie Brown 2-time NBA Coach of the Year)

This basketball drill will help your team understand the fundamentals of the Pick and Roll and be able to execute it flawlessly in the game.

Setup: 1 perimeter-player on each wing and 1 post-player on each block. You will need two coaches or players above the top of the 3-point line, each with 2 balls.

Execution: Coach will pass the ball to the perimeter player on his side. The post player on the strong block will come up and set a screen for the perimeter player to drive to the middle. The perimeter player must take two dribbles to the elbow and elevate for a shot. Once the perimeter player drives past the post-player, he must open up and relocate to the short corner for a pass from the coach for a Jumpshot.

Drill #4: Halfcourt Hussle (Demonstrated HERE by former Martin Methodist University head coach Jamy Bechler)

This basketball drill helps your team hustle and prepares your players to track down long distance rebounds.

Setup: Have a coach or player on a wing with a ball as a designated shooter. The rest of the team is lined up behind half court.

Execution: The coach shoots a 3-pointer and as the ball goes up, a player from half-court must chase down the rebound. Once the player retrieves the rebound they must make two layups as quickly as possible. The objective is to not let the ball hit the ground.

Start using these drills in practice today to put your team in the best position to win!