Killester Basketball Club

Now that the season if off and running, you need to continue to work on the things that will help your team to develop to it’s fullest potential. John Wooden says, “You need to plan your work, and work your plan”.
We start to get busy with games and practices and fail to work on the things that will eventually make better teams and players. Let’s build on what we looked at last month:
1. Coaching 2. Offense 3. Defense 4. Drills 5. Player Tips 6. Books and videos
7. Humor 8. Links 9. Quotes

Basketball Coaching Philosophy: Each coach must develop his/her own coaching philosophy, or system of beliefs and ideas. We will continue to build on the things discussed last month. (topics already covered: Be Yourself, Teaching Style, Organization, Learn from others, Impact young people, Set rules and maintain discipline).

7. Style of play
Some coaches are "go" coaches and like the fast-break, full-court press, gambling, trapping, and like the game to be a track meet. This style of play is ideal for a team with lots of quick, athletic players and a deep bench, allowing for lots of substituting. This style is often liked by players, parents and fans because it lets players "play the game" and more players get playing time, helping maintain team harmony.

Other coaches are "whoa" coaches who like a more deliberate, slower-paced game with little risk taking. This style favors a team with strong inside post players who are better in a half court type of game, rather than a running game. Teams without quick, great ball-handling guards would do better with this style of play. Teams with very little "bench depth" will be better off too since key players will be able to play more minutes in a slower paced game. Additionally, coaches may feel they have more control over a team that plays this style of game, with more control over each possession.

Flexibility is key here. Some years, you may have race horses and you can use the running game. Other years, you may have mules and bulls and will find the slower paced, inside power game better. Even if you are a coach that structures your entire program on one style of play, you may find that you will need to be flexible in some game situations. For example, we like to press and run. But when we have a couple of our slower players in the game, we may have to drop the press in favor of good half-court defense.

8. Prepare your team

Preparing your team for a game is more important than any courtside game-coaching "wizardry". It's true that good coaching may help determine the outcome of a closely played game, but preparation is much more important. Preparation means teaching kids correct fundamentals and team skills. Having great practices are key as you "play like you practice". If you play and compete hard in practice every day, it's more likely you will play that way in a game. So make your practices competitive and upbeat. Prepare a lesson plan for each practice, selecting those drills that will help your style of play and game plan. Know your opponent through scouting, film, previous experience, and work on your game plan in practice... how you are going to stop them defensively, and what you can do offensively.

9. Foster a great work ethic

Once they lace up their shoes and walk onto the court, all of the day's problems and issues are put aside, and each player must focus on the job at hand. Each player owes it to the other players to practice and compete as hard as he/she can. Every player, coach, assistant, manager, etc has a job to do. Your star players and seniors should lead by example and work hardest of all, and set the tone for the entire team.

10. Team concept

The coach must instill the concept of "team", rather than the individual. A cooperative team spirit must be cultivated both on and off the court. A team whose players come to understand that they are part of something more important and bigger than their individual considerations, and become unselfish in their thinking, will achieve more and will obtain more satisfaction from the overall experience. A team must arrive at the notion of a singleness of purpose and a dedication to the course. The idea of "don't let your buddy down" is a good one. (from Coach’s Clipboard)

Basketball Motion Offense - Continued from last month

This offense has often been called the Passing Game, but remember, players can dribble out of it also. Areas already covered: Spacing, Triple Threat Position and patience, dribbling, player movement, and passing.

Situations for Perimeter players:

1. You have the ball and the defender is overplaying you up tight: make a jab-step fake and drive straight to the hoop. Don't go wide around the defender as this just allows the defender time to recover. Make contact with the defender's shoulder and get him/her on your backside. If help defense closes in, dish to the low post where the help came from.)
2. You have the ball and the defender is sagging off you: hit the outside shot.
3. You have the ball and the defender is playing good defense on you: pass to a teammate and then execute one of the five options above (what to do after passing).
4. You have the ball and the defender is playing good defense on you and your teammates are being denied the pass: call out and execute a weave screen play.
5. You are one pass away and the defense is denying the pass to you: Make a fake outside, and then cut hard backdoor. The low post on that side should learn to read this situation also and clear out to the opposite side, to make spacing for the backdoor cut.
6. You are one pass away and the defender is sagging off you: make a V-cut inside and come back out for the perimeter pass. See Diagram C.
7. You are one pass away, and the defender is playing good defense and you can't get free: Set a screen either for the ball-handler or the low post.

Situations for post players:

motion offense post player movement

1. Read the defensive over-play (deny) on the wing. Flash to the high post to receive the ball and then pass to the wing going backdoor (see Diagram B2).

2. You get the ball one on one against the defense: Make a low post move. Try to score or get fouled.

3. You get the ball and are double-teamed: Pass the ball back outside, often to where the double team came from. Going "inside-out" is a good way to get wide open three-point shots.

Post players working together:

1. If the ball-side post is being fronted: the opposite post flashes to the ball-side elbow for the pass. Meanwhile the low post player seals the defender on his back, and the post at the elbow passes inside to the low post for the lay-up. See Diagram D.
2. If the ball-side post defender is playing behind: The wing should pass to the low post, and the opposite post player should clear out to the weak-side elbow. See Diagram E.
3. If the ball-side post defender is 1/2 or 3/4 defending him with a hand in front: the ball side post should set a screen for the weak-side post, who comes to the ball for the pass and lay-up (Diagram F). Note that if the low post defenders switch on this screen, then the low post cutter should move out to the ball-side short corner (or high-post), and the screener should seal off his defender and come back to the ball for the lay-up. (see Diagram G).

3-out, 2-in motion offense

Also, Hi-Lo options that your post players can run. Once your team learns and executes these concepts, you can devise your own patterns and special plays to create opportunities for your best scorers and take advantage of the defense's weaknesses. ( from Coach’s Clipboard)

3. DEFENSE
This month we will be looking at the tenets of Man to Man Defense: Man-to-man defense enables us to get pressure on the ball at all times ("on-ball defense"), while still protecting the basket ("helpside defense"). I love watching a well-coached team that plays great man to-man pressure defense. Good man-to-man defense is a team defense, not just five individuals guarding their own man, but five players working together. Here is a good quote: "The best man defense looks like a zone and the best zone defense looks like a man." Here's the way we teach it.

1. Force to the sideline and baseline.

Teach the on-ball defenders to force the ball toward the sideline and then down to the baseline. Once at the baseline, do not allow penetration along the baseline, but try to trap there. Forcing the ball to one side
immediately allows you to establish your helpside defense. When the ball is at the top of the key or in the middle,the low defenders must play fairly "straight up" and you must defend the entire court. But once the ball goes to the side, our weakside defenders can move into a helpside position and deny the pass into the post, and help prevent dribble-penetration. When the ball is in the corner, you only have to defend one half of the court and can load all five defenders toward that side. With the long skip pass to the other side, there is usually enough time (while the ball is in the air) for the defense to quickly rotate back.

2. Deny the Wing Pass? (Coaches have different opinions on this)

Some believe the wing defenders should play "on the line" and prevent the pass to the wing player. By denying the pass to the wing, you may be preventing one of their better shooters from getting the ball. Also, since the entry pass to the low post most often comes from the wing, you are making it more difficult for the offense to get the ball into the low post by contesting two passes (the point to wing pass, and the wing to low post pass). The disadvantages of this strategy include (1) the wing defender getting beat by the back-cut, and (2) dribble penetration up the lane by point guard who can shoot or dish off to the low post.
On the other hand, some coaches want to get the ball out of the point guard's hands and allow the pass to the wing uncontested, but then deny the pass back to the point guard. This philosophy has the ball getting into the hands of players who may not be as skilled as the point guard. This helps stop the point guard from being a big factor, but may allow easier access to the low post.
So which philosophy is best? As is often the case in this game, I think you have to be flexible and adapt your strategy according to the team you are playing. If your opponent has strong wing shooters, or likes to get the ball into the low post with a pass from the wing, then try to take this away from them by denying the wing pass. If the opponent's strength is their excellent point guard who likes to dribble penetrate, then pressure the point guard, have X2 and X3 sag inside more (deny the seam), and allow the pass to the wing. Then aggressively deny the pass back to the point and keep the ball out of his/her hands. (from Coach’s Clipboard)

More Man to Man Defense next month

1-on-1 Drill

All defenders must learn how to play good 1-on-1, on-ball defense. In this drill, each player has a partner (opponent) that he/she goes 1-on-1 against. Each pair has a ball. Use both ends of the court. The player with the ball starts at the top of the key and tries to make a move, or shoot the outside shot and score on the defender.
The defender must stop the offense, box-out and get the rebound. The offense gets a point for (1) each basket made, (2) for each offensive rebound and (3) if the defender fouls. No second shots are allowed. Each pair keeps track of their score. Have post players paired up with post players, and guards paired up with guards. Play until each player gets five offensive possessions. At the end, the losers do 5-10 push-ups.

Rotation (see arrows in the diagram)
After a pair has finished their duel, they get in line on the other end of the floor, but switch offense and defense for the next possession.
This drill is also great for offensive players working on their 1-on-1 moves... jab step, shot fake, dribble moves , etc.

Shooting Drill 2: "3-2-1" Shooting

This is a fun competitive drill. Have players partner-up and use all of your baskets. Each player will shoot nine sets of shots (see diagram). Each set consists of a 3-pointer, a shot fake with jump shot, and a lay-up. We start in one corner and rotate around each of the nine spots (seen in black in the diagram). The partner rebounds and passes back to the shooter. We rotate shooters after each set of "3-2-1", so the shooter becomes the rebounder and vice-versa. The two players compete against each other and keep track of their individual scores. Each made 3-pointer = 3 points, a jump shot = 2 points, and a lay up = 1 point. The loser does push-ups. (from Coach’s Clipboard)

Shooting drill, 3-2-1

When you don't have the ball...

What do you do when you are on offense but you don't have the ball?
Think about it! Most of the time you will not have possession of the ball. Half of the time you will be on defense. Of the remaining half when your team has the ball, 80% of that time you personally will not have the ball, as one of your teammates will have it. So what do you do when you don't have the ball? Do you simply stand still and wait for someone to pass to you? That's not what wins games. There are things to do when you don't have the ball.
1. Try to get open for an easy pass and shot. Keep moving, not aimlessly, but with a purpose. Be savvy and cut into an open spot on the floor, especially if the defense is in a zone. If the defense is in man-to-man, set screens for other teammates (and not just the person with the ball). Setting picks will free up teammates for easy shots, and oftentimes the screener is the one who gets open for the shot .
2. The low post players should constantly be trying to get into a post position, in order to get the pass from the guards. Post players can screen for each other to get free.
3. Maintain spacing on the floor...don't get bunched up. Poor spacing results in bad passes, turnovers and the defense stealing the ball.
4. Never take your eye off the ball. Be smart. Look for a chance to time a cut through the paint, or go "back-door", for a quick pass from a teammate, and a lay-up.
5. Be alert and position yourself for a rebound. Assume your teammate will miss the shot, and get into position for a rebound. You'll get extra shots and points this way.
6. Be ready to jump in after loose balls.
7. Guards be aware of the other team trying to slip a guard down floor for an easy lay-up. Be ready to get back and cover this.
8. Be alert to help a teammate if he/she stops the dribble or is in trouble.
9. When the shot goes up, each defensive player must know instantly what his/her assignment is and move quickly for the offensive rebound, and the outlet pass. The offensive players must know who should be attacking for the rebound and who should be "staying back" to prevent the opponent’s fast break.
Remember, usually it is not the person initially with the ball who scores. Instead a good pass to you cutting, or coming off a screen, is where the score comes. So work hard on offense when you don't actually have the ball...never loaf! (from Coach’s Clipboard)

6. BOOKS AND VIDEOS - Court Sense by George Selleck – on how to “teach” basketball.
You will have to order this.

7. HUMOR

8. LINKS

www.degerstrom.com/basketball
There are sites with drills and then there is this site, with 833 basketball drills separated into 14 categories.

Tommy’s Basketball Playbook
www.angelfire.com
This is a must see website for any basketball coach.

Coach K Quotes

1. "A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That's how I want you to play."
2. "Each group and each youngster is different. As a leader or coach, you get to know what they need."
3. "If you have talent with teamwork, you've got a chance to be a championship team."

John Wooden Quotes

2. "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

Hope you got something out of this month’s Coaches Corner. Try going to some of the websites to get more information on coaching. Remember, “You haven’t taught, until they’ve learned”. If your team isn’t doing what you’ve practiced, then do it again. The key to good coaching is: Teach it, then repeat it.