But first, I'll share a few 'favorite sayings.
"Basketball is a game of cutting and passing." "Movement kills defense." "Ball reversal stresses defensive rotations."
Break down their 8 concepts:
BALL REVERSALS.
- Force rotations and closeouts, but be alert to overplays, which create opportunity.
When defenses get more aggressive to prevent reversals, you create chaos. The 'dangerous' wing-to-top pass creates back cuts. The concept of "touch time" reminds us that quicker decisions and ball movement create more points.
PLAYER MOVEMENT.
Play with a purpose. Of all the movement choices, "standing (around) leads to sitting (next to me)." Change pace and direction, and think Jay Bilas' "Toughness" mandate, "set up your cuts."
SCREENS.
Help your teammates. Set hard, legal screens. Headhunt (screen the player, not an area). Remember, the screener is the second cutter. Learn to read screens to separate maximally.
DRIVE and KICK.
Drive to score. Drivers should either expect to score or draw help freeing up a teammate. Receivers must move to open passing lanes. "Don't play in the traffic." Great players want space.
PASSING ANGLES.
You can't make every pass from every spot. Chess players "chunk" information to find playing solutions. Basketball players need to see the game similarly.
There's no angle for 3 with 5 fronted. 3, 1, and 5 must recognize the 'seal' with ball movement and then pass to the corner of the backboard.
INSIDE OUT
Defenders are often taught to "dig" or "double" against a talented or a vulnerable post. Be ready to pass and relocate for a shot. Post players must "know" that if the double comes from the help side that the opposite wing or corner MUST be open.
DESIGNED PLAYS.
"You need to make plays, not run plays." - Mike Krzyzewski Most sets are designed to create separations and opportunities according to how the defense reacts.
I call this the "3 Man Game." Against overplay, players should expect "Blind Pig" post to back cutting wing to be open. If it's not there, 5 still has a great one-on-one setup if she can put the ball on the floor. If you set 5 lower, 1 and 3 have scissors action available, and of course, you can cut 3 through at the outset and have the high ball screen.
UNSELFISH PLAYS.
"Papa John." Better ingredients make better pizza. Better passes make better shots. Guards "water the flowers", delivering chances to post players. I want to hear talking and squeaking sneakers (from cutting), not endless dribbling. The best players need the least dribbles. How you are judged depends on whether you create more for your teammates. If you can't or won't pass and don't defend or rebound at an elite level, what do you do for the team?
