I've stolen Picasso's line a thousand times. You should, too.
There aren't "ten best" tips to share, but certainly ten worthwhile ones. Find individual actions that foster or prevent scores. With many games decided by few possessions, a few possessions inform outcomes.
1. "The ball scores." Five players defend as one. Some players wear "blinders" focused on stopping their assignment and forget to help.
2. All transition is not created equal. Our goal is to get the second pass over half-court. We need a mindset and commitment to play fast. Secure the rebound. Outlet guard above the free throw line, back to sideline to open visual field. Run wide. "Basketball isn't a running game...it's a sprinting game.
3. "Don't go there." Make life hard for defense by cutting hard, moving the ball quickly, and moving without the ball. Avoid primary trap zones that beg double teams.
4. "Run similar actions from different formations and different actions from the same formation."
5. Practice special situations every practice. O-D-O (offense-defense-offense) lends itself to practicing free throw offense and defense, BOBs, and SLOBs.
6. Practice "must score" actions at a minimum including best BOBs, best SLOBs, best Man-to-man, and best Zone set.
7. Pop says "Technique beats tactics." We don't go back to basics. We never leave them. Shooting is a highly perishable skill. To score at three levels (inside, mid-range, perimeter), practice at three levels.
8. Be on target. In A Sense of Where You Are, John McPhee shared a Bill Bradley free throw shooting tip. Bradley aimed at the center of the four bolts that held the goal to the backboard. "More than seventy colleges tried to recruit him, nearly all of them offering him scholarships. Instead, Bradley chose a school that offered him no money at all." If a player struggles, consider refocusing their target.
The target worked for him. Bradley made fifty-seven consecutive free throws as a freshman at Princeton.
10. "Fall in love with easy." As Pete Carril shares, "the quality of passing informs the quality of shots."Back to Back Layups. Nobody has stopped the Warriors "1 Side" set yet. pic.twitter.com/BY0YvVkcKf— Half Court Hoops (@HalfCourtHoops) May 17, 2019
Lagniappe: Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) with a 1-4 action and a tough finish.
A 1-4 flash to the high post and pitch back creates an easy alternative to a high ball screen at the of the shot or game clock. pic.twitter.com/DBgrN5rIWg— Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) August 24, 2019
