Alabama Coach Nate Oats shares his process. Younger players lack the skills to effect a lot of these, but the principles are valid.
"I'm not going to turn our guys into robots...we want five guys on the floor who can pass, dribble, and shoot."
"You need to be able to make plays."
Freedom. Spacing. Confidence. Paint touches.
"Teach 'em what a good shot is."
He borrowed a lot from Vance Walberg (dribble drive). He goes to different NBA training camps.
Everyone knows the most efficient shots (free throws, layups, kickout 3s). Bama looking for more scoring at the rim. Hard to do this with three-out, two-in (spacing).
He was a math teacher and believes in analytics.
Four-out and one-in gets most space with a 'dunker' spot.
If the 5 beats his man, they want him rim running. If not, this is their version of 4-out, 1-in, which is NBA spacing (Rockets). Only realistic if 4 can shoot. Defense won't cover you if you can't shoot.
By cutting the 4 through, they generate a "triple gap." (This is realistic at most levels.)
5-out isn't ideal without movement as it restricts driving (no gaps).
**What 'reinforces' desired actions (practice)?
0.5 Game (Spurs) - 1/2 second for action -
- SHOOT
- DRIVE the closeout
- ONE MORE pass
Doesn't want OPEN GYM BASKETBALL. Freedom still needs structure.
On a baseline drive (every drive wants a layup), dunker (5) relocates. If you're driving to pass, defense figures that out (turnovers). The next read is what's going on the weak side - corner 3 (drift). That translates to either a SHOT or a ONE MORE pass to 4 (below).
A lot of this would be irrelevant (for us) because (middle school) we shoot (maybe) 15 percent from threes except for the occasional player.
Drill (above) - 2 in the corner baseline drive. Two defenders (coach, manager)...no help 2 drives and scores. If x5 helps dump to 5 to score. If x5 helps on drive, and x3 helps on 5, then pass to 3 for KICKOUT 3. Very logical progression.
"Don't necessarily score on 'the action' but on the hard closeout into ball movement. How do you get that hard closeout (force a two-on-one)
Simplest action against the zone, 1 dribbles lower, ball is reversed and 2 and 3 are covered by one. While not stated, the DRAW 2 concept leads to a 2-on-1 somewhere.
This action (if ball is passed around to the 2 in the corner (5 goes opposite) creates the SAME READ if a corner drive, 5 ducking in, and baseline DRIFT opposite. He's saying, don't expect to score on a three every time.
1) Baseline drive
2) Duck in 5
3) Baseline DRIFT (to 1)
4) Skip to 4
5) Drive and KICKOUT 3
(Everyone is involved IF everyone has skill.)
Coach Oats notes that if they got ZERO paint touches in transition, they averaged 0.8 points/possession and if at least one, 1.19 points/possession. The former loses consistently; the latter wins. In the half court, ZERO point touches, 0.77 ppp, one paint touch 1.15, two paint touches, 1.24. But 3+ 1.17 (traffic). That means 40 points better per 100 touches IF you get at least one paint touch.
If teams are shooting early in the possession against you, you're not very good.
In practice, they lay out CORNER BOXES to reinforce spacing.
(Note: Reminder, basketball symmetry.) OFFENSE space the floor, DEFENSE shrink the floor. I'm big on symmetry.
Lagniappe: Opening tap play, 1972-1973 season (Lonesome) and about 30 seconds of play. The easiest assist I ever got. The guards' job was to get the ball into the big guys without turning it over.
Lagniappe 2: SLOB, Zipper boomerang roll.
Improvisation success: Past season - SLOB zipper with return to inbounder into rolling post.
Lagniappe 3: Hat tip - Brook Kohlheim Reflective leadership, observations from Ulysses S. Grant