Turnovers drive every coach nuts. Ball security is the seat belt and air bag of basketball. Win or lose, turnovers age coaches.
Losses often feel like chance discarded. We lament close losses more than we question close wins (we're entitled to close wins and undeserving of close losses?). I know how often we lost close games...yet conveniently forget close wins.
I think these are the most common youth basketball turnovers.
These were the highest frequency NBA turnovers during the past season up to January 27, 2019.
Shot turnovers are especially vexing, whether skill-based or decision-based. Each player should know what shots are good shots for every teammate. In a "numbers" advantage, players need to vet the best shooters/finishers to decide the highest percentage play. We evaluate this during practice continually during the 3-on-3 chase drill.
Adam Grant's Give and Take explores reciprocity styles - takers, matchers, and givers. Givers bring energy to the court and energize teammates. Givers are about helping. A team of givers moves without the ball helping to limit turnovers and moves on the pass to create takeaways. Givers make everything possible.
Winning the turnover battle matters. "The NBA team with fewer turnovers wins about 58 percent of the time. If field goal percentages are about equal, the team with fewer turnovers wins 69 percent of the time."
Winning the turnover battle matters. "The NBA team with fewer turnovers wins about 58 percent of the time. If field goal percentages are about equal, the team with fewer turnovers wins 69 percent of the time."
We focus excessively on what happens late in games. Train teams to win this possession. A turnover or poorest quality shot automatically loses a possession.
I define a close game as a margin of six or fewer points (two possessions). I suspect that in two possession games, turnover margin is second to field goal percentage in determining outcome in youth games.
Lagniappe: How do you ruin your excellent defense?
