We can analyze every possession and explain why a team scored (what went well) or failed. We can start with an aphorism, "great offense is multiple actions." That might include a great outlet pass, a scoring pass, and a pedestrian layup or another basket approaching art.
But we can focus on how possessions die. I will argue that we can group them by concept (organization and decision-making) versus technical (failed execution). Obviously, it's an oversimplification and discounts the critical role of superior defense (multiple efforts).
Conceptually, can you identify what offense is trying to accomplish? Do we see motion, continuity, dribble-drive, ball or off-ball screens, triangles. something? When transition isn't available or breaks down, is there detectable "early offense?" For example, the other night while watching Boston-New York, the Knicks operated the basic "Triangle Offense" and the high cutter cross-screened the Celtics defender near the mid-post and the hosts got a layup off the cutter. It was a basketball version of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Ultimately, we have to find a process to believe.
When I'm coaching or watching, I see these actions more often leading to offensive frustration.
Excessive actions from one side of court give better defenses numerical advantage.
Excessive perimeter play for younger players or less talented (or consistent) shooter means "live by the outside shot, die by the outside shot." Even against a zone defense, you must find a balance between perimeter and interior offense.
East and west action. Although 'ball reversal' has meaningful results in deforming zones and in forcing formidable closeout challenges, some teams and players don't threaten defenses because they play 'sideline to sideline'.
Poor spacing simplifies the defense's work. The magnetic action of the ball is an offense's worst enemy. Remember Chuck Daly's admonition "spacing is offense and offense is spacing." Poor decision making leading to playing "in traffic" exacerbates the problem. The best players find ways to play "in space." From your earliest days, your parents tell you "don't play in the traffic."
Ball movement (2 seconds) and player movement define your offensive identity. With longer "touch time", shooting percentages are low as is the scoring percentage off individual effort versus shots coming off passes. I remind players that "movement kills defenses."
The other critical component for a successful possession is technique (tekhnika) via Spartak tennis - "Spartak can be summed up in one word: tekhnika (technique). Every moment, every resource is devoted to helping players with the most essential task: hitting the ball correctly. Or, to put it a different way, to building a reliable, fast skill circuit."
Successful offensive teams usually are the best passing teams. Better passes create better shots as surely as Papa John's promotes, "better ingredients, better pizza." The assist/turnover ratio encompasses passing (and finishing) normalized for mistakes.
Literally, teams with the highest assist-turnover ratios are among the best teams. High assist-turnover ratios aren't as pure a measure of success as points per possession but they correlate well.
Individual achievement cannot compromise team performance. Players who cannot or will not pass reduce our team effectiveness and short-circuit our goal of quality basketball. No better illustration occurs than this (warning: graphic violence) excerpt from "The Untouchables."
No substitute exists for the ability to shoot the basketball. You cannot win zero to zero. Finding quality shots (in range, in rhythm, on balance, not closely guarded) for your best shooters in their best spots goes a long way to informs each possession. Pete Carril said it this way, "non-shooters are always open." Jay Bilas' "Toughness" comment applies, "it's not your shot, it's our shot."
Reviewing available tape shows me that our limitations belong among all of the above. With a developmental program, I can't (and don't) tell any player that she cannot shoot. But I encourage all players to know their and their teammates' best scoring situations. Because coaching is about helping players go where they cannot go alone, we have an obligation to work a process that spawns teamwork, good decisions, and the better execution.
