"I don't have the time to consider all the things I have to consider." - Denny Crane, Boston Legal
Quiz our players. That's a culture of "performance-focused, feedback-rich" (The Heart of Coaching) coaching. Be sure we know everyone is on the same page?
Here are some questions worth considering:
1. What are our primary pick-and-roll defenses? Whoever names one, ask to explain it.
2. Who goes to the offensive glass? Two or three?
3. What is your assignment in defensive transition? When you're in the game, will you be going to the boards or getting back in conversion?
4. What are our defensive transition priorities?
- Protect the basket.
- Stop the ball.
- Sprint back engaged to neutralize advantage.
5. Call a timeout in practice. Diagram a play. Hand out pencil/paper and ask players to draw the play.
6. Show how and where to set screens.
7. Explain options for reading screens.
8. Explain some choices for defending off-ball screens (e.g. switch, jam, through, under).
9. Explain why screening is NOT scut work. Screening is opportunity - 'the screener is the second cutter', the screener can pop to open spots to shoot or drive, and the screener can slip.
10.On a three-on-two break as the ballhandler, what are your priorities? E.g. attack if not well-defended, pull defense away from your best shooter, pass on time and on target when advantage presents.
Practically, we can ask an astonishingly number of 'choice' questions.
Lagniappe. "Something old, something new..." Study old and new ideas.
Although theory changes, practicing an old offense can work.
