Basketball Friday 1-3-1 Drill, Concepts, Play...highlighting SPACING and a LIFESAVING TIP

Coaching is a teaching profession where coaches come from many different backgrounds. Bill Belichick, John Thompson, and Brad Stevens have degrees in Economics, John Wooden English, Dean Smith Mathematics, and Bob Knight History and Government. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. And we never have enough.

Friday 1-3-1 presents a drill, three concepts, and a play. 

Drill/Concept. Finishing off two-feet. I've "undertaught" this skill. My bad. Two-footed finishes allow for better power and balance. 



Jay Wright's Wildcats have excelled at getting into the paint to finish or kick out passes. 



Coach Nick shares a drill from BBallBreakdown working on finishing tough off two feet. 

Concepts. Spacing 1. Everyone knows Chuck Daly's quote, "offense is spacing and spacing is offense."

Explain to players how spacing opens driving and passing lanes and makes double teams difficult to execute. Help comes at the cost of long closeouts. All coaches know that. Many young players do not. 

Spacing 2. We call the three-point line the 'spacing line.' We sometimes warmup with dribbling drills around the three-point line for added emphasis. By the time a player enters high school, she should be capable of scoring on one dribble from the spacing line. 

This ancient (2006) video shows WNBA guard Shey Peddy in high school. Peddy is the backup point guard for the Washington Mystics. Yes, my identical twin daughters were her high school teammates. 

Spacing 3. Excellent players win in space not in traffic. Spacing is like magnetism, repelling offense while the ball attracts defenders. "Never cut to an occupied post" warns players to maintain spacing. 

In a "spread" offense, use the spacing line as a trigger for backdoor cuts when the defender crosses outside the line. 

The "downside" of the screen game is compromised spacing. 

Play: "Great offense is multiple actions."

Floppy morphs into a staggered screen. That may open a "three" or encourage a switch leading to a post mismatch. 

Lagniappe: Extensive tips for improving basketball IQ from Basketball For Coaches. Among other truths, basketball is a game of separation - getting and preventing it. Are we watching or studying a game?

Kidd stuff. 

Lagniappe 2: Summer physiology tip. SAVE A LIFE, MAYBE YOUR OWN.The physiology of breath-holding is complicated. But hyperventilating PRIOR to underwater swimming can cause underwater blackout and death from low oxygen. Navy divers are trained NOT to do this. Don't you or your children do this either. Don't turn summer fun into tragedy. 

Basketball: Professionalism as a Middle or High School Player

"(S)he's a pro's pro." What does that mean for a student-athlete? What separates one player from another? Develop a temperament and habits that model excellence. Professional behaviors cross disciplines. How you approach basketball is how you live your life. 

Be on time. Younger players have less control. They rely on parents and parents have "real-life" constraints, schedules, multiple jobs. I remember a time when my father called to say he couldn't get me a ride to a 6:00 practice. I had twenty minutes to run two miles not to be late. I wasn't but then I had to practice. Luckily, I was in shape. 

When asked about keys to success in acting, Helen Mirren answered, "Be on time. Don't be an a*hole." 

Take care of business. Take ownership of family matters and academics. Be responsible for time management, proper sleep, nutrition, and hydration. "Discipline determines destiny." Deserve success. 

Be a great teammate. Collaborate and communicate at high levels. Everyone can't be a great player. Each player decides whether she is a great teammate. 

Embrace your role. Be a star in your role. That doesn't mean not working to expand it when possible. If you're playing behind an All-State player, taking their minutes probably won't happen. But prepare and practice hard and you might find the coach finds a way to get you on the floor. "Do more to become more; become more to do more." It's that unrequired work that separates ordinary from special players. 

Be prepared, physically and mentally. When your chance comes, seize the moment. When you don't understand the core concepts of your team's offense and defense, how can you rise to the occasion? 

Be fully engaged at all times. FAA, Bob Woodward's term - focus, act aggressively. If you're on the bench, study what is working or holding your team back. Whom will you defend if you get into the game? 

Impact the game. "Don't cheat the drill." Find ways to make a difference. Last year on the WNBA Champion Mystics, Shey Peddy had short minutes but also worked as an Assistant as Video Coordinator. This year, after injuries, she has a bigger role as backup point guard. 

Think at the next level. Corinthians shares, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." As a reserve, think as a starter. As a starter, think as an assistant coach. As an assistant, think as the head coach. As a head coach, think as an elite coach. When we watch a college or professional game, think along with the coach. Do they need a substitution, tactical change, timeout? Keep expanding your toolbox. 

Summary: 

- Professional behaviors cross disciplines.
- Collaborate and communicate.
- FAA (Focus, act aggressively)
- Do unrequired work.
- Think at the next level. 
- Deserve success.

Suggested reading: 

Atomic Habits, James Clear (designing your life)
Tools of Titans, Tim Ferriss (how elite performers think)

Lagniappe: Without a plan there is no clarity. "Tell the story of why you failed" (to yourself) before you start. 

What we do is what we believe and what we become (our identity). Habits effect change. 

Basketball: Drills to Teach Multiple Skills and Wisdom from Sheila E

Because "great defense is multiple efforts" and "great offense is multiple actions," devise methods to practice both. These drills aren't "new" or mine, just ones I've adapted or am planning to implement. Good teams don't beat us with trickery, they execute. 

First, what's the (obvious) ultimate drill to test offense, defense, conversion? 1 5-on-5 game play. That brings individual skill development into conflict with "playing." This may be a unique season as (most likely) the generic player has less supervised practice and play because of the pandemic. 

It keep bringing us back to Dave Smart keys:
- "We don't run a lot of stuff."
- "Every day is skill development." 
- Be good at transition/transition D, PnR offense/defense, half court actions. 

And Mano Watsa's caveat, "don't major in the minors." Invest time on what you do a lot. 

But some drills teach multiple actions: 2 Shivek Drill (offense and limited defense)

1. Give-and-go (pass and cut) and finish.
2. Cut to the ball, shot ready. 
3. Pass and sink (to the corner)
4. Basket attack against a closeout 

3 "Ten seconds to glory." 

"Floppy action" where "scorer" needs to read defense against off-ball screens, defense can vary defense, and players have a time element (ten seconds) to score. I created it and steal away, brothers and sisters. 

4 "SSG diagonal" (from Aaron Fernandez)

5 "Advantage-disadvantage" 5 versus 7 full court press, no dribbling. If you master the press break against numbers with constraints, you should handle most presses. 

6 Knight's Triangle screening 


Set and defend pindowns and cross-screens. Make it competitive to add spice. 

Simple is better. And nothing works unless they do. 

Summary: 
- Scrimmage 
- Shivek 
- Ten Seconds to Glory
- "Sideways"
- 5 on 7 Advantage-Disadvantage
- Triangle Drill

Lagniappe: Followup on "Defending the 3" from Coach Nick's blog. Better mouse; better mousetrap. 

Watch how he’s rotating in the air to immediately pop back in the play. I’ve been preaching this for a long time, and I’m ecstatic to see a major college team training it. The choppy steps high hands close out on shooters is becoming extinct, thankfully. https://t.co/kIn786Svlt

— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) July 28, 2020

Lagniappe 2: "If someone says "you're asking too many questions," you're going to get ripped off." - MasterClass, Sheila E. (Look out for yourself.)  

Sheila E. has a chapter titled, "Advice to Musicians." They work for basketball, too. 

She makes a key point about authenticity, that if people copy you, be proud of the original. 

Basketball: A Dozen Commandments. A Brief Catalog of Bad Plays

Coach killers. Bad plays and mental mistakes make us lose our minds. Endured these? You know you have. "Make a mistake ONCE." There's no comprehensive list of mindkillers. But off we go. 

Zak Boisvert's framework describes mistakes as either decision-making or execution. 

1. The double down. A player commits a mistake, usually a turnover, then immediately doubles down with a bad foul, commonly a reach in. A mental mistake compounds a previous physical or mental mistake. 

2. Whiffing the block out. Some mistakes immediately translate into opponent points - bad fouls, blown assignments ("she's not mine," and failed block outs. Not blocking out in the opening moments matters just as much as a poor play in crunch time. 

3. "Steal me" passes. Games are literally "thrown away." 

Youth and high school games often have the stolen "wing to top" pass where the point defender "sits on" the pass to the top. Top to low post passes traverse the "Bermuda Triangle." 

4. Playing in traffic. Excellent players win in space. Poor spacing asks for traffic violations. Everyone's parent told them "don't play in the traffic." Don't drive into traffic. Don't pass into traffic. 

5. Shot turnovers. Bad shots. Forced shots. $#@& shots. Doc Rivers calls them "shot turnovers." A player went 0 for 8 on three-point shots with four airballs in the first half. She had to be the coach's daughter. You don't need a green light for parental love. You need permission to shoot from the parking lot. 

6. "The ball scores." The off-ball defender thinks, "I did my job. My girl didn't score." When you fail to help or rotate, you're either the problem or part of the problem. 

We never double the post across. I've seen a sectional championship game lost partially because of failed rotation (above). 

7. Dead Man's Defense. Pressure and contain the ball. Playing "six feet under" the ball means dead man's defense. You're not bothering the ballhandler, just the coach. "Don't back down." Get in their face. "Crawl up into them, nose on the ball." 

8. "My turn." There is no my turn shot. If you want your turn, play chess, checkers, or cards. Coaches "see" the wheels turning in a player's head when her eyes get big. There is no my turn. 

9. Shorten the pass. Step to the receiver and to the passer. How many stolen passes result from players waiting for the ball, allowing defenders to step in. Go to the ball. 

10. A Sprinting Game. "Basketball is not a running game. It's a sprinting game. When you don't sprint back in transition or on the break, you're cheating your teammates and yourself. The coach can easily find someone who will. 

11. Situational Failure. "Play the game not the scoreboard." Coaches want you to play hard, but always smart. There are times to run clock, to use the shot clock strategically, and not to shoot.

12. Gone Sideways. Sports and games preach strength up the middle. Chess, checkers, baseball, football, and certainly basketball favor controlling the center. Yet some players and teams habitually want to run the offense from the edge. 

Offense is hard enough without allowing defenses to play us 5 against 3. 

Lagniappe: Empower players in decision-making. It's better to GET TO than to HAVE TO. 

HOW DO YOU BUILD A POSITIVE CULTURE IN YOUR PROGRAM?@andyberwa shared two great ideas in the #GBetBBChat!

Click➡️#GBetBBChat for more ideas on this topic & be sure to join the conversation every Wednesday at 8 pm (EDT)! https://t.co/cvsY1yPf2b

— Coach DeMarco, EdD (@Coach_DeMarco) July 27, 2020

Basketball: Ideas for Defending Three Point Shooting

We want most Middle School opponents shooting threes. Each team may have one or two players who can "hurt" you if unguarded. Identify them and take away ROB (in range, open, on balance) shots. Never FOUL jump shooters and decide on conventional CLOSEOUTS or rarely FLY-BYS. 

Defend the three-point line by understanding common origins (e.g. penetration-and-kick, short-roll and perimeter pass, post-to-outside passes.) 

• Perimeter defenders - don't leave your coverage. 
• Close out with a hand up on the shooting hand (refer to the Nenad Trunic defensive system).
• Pressure the ball to challenge scoring passes. 

We're not facing players with this skillset off the short roll.  



Coach Donovan shows a hard-to-defend sandwich screen (a.k.a. elevator). Be aware of new approaches to find three point shots. 



Coach Nick shows the correlation between defending the three and overall defense. 

He reviews some of the techniques strong teams use:

• Switching
• High effort
• Running the shooter off the line
• Avoiding off-ball screens by going through (saw this practiced at Celtics' workout)
• Managing the PnR with 'Ice' and 'Drop' coverages 
• No Middle
• Limiting double teams and one-pass away help
• Scrambling with great communication

It gets back to "multiple effort" against offenses' "multiple actions." 

Jared Dudley discusses individual defense to take away the three and the middle. 

Summary: 
- Find 'em.
- Take away the ROB. 
- Stick or switch.
- Stay mentally engaged. 
- Contest without fouling. 

Lagniappe: via Zak Boisvert

Commander’s Intent:

Centralize the What
Decentralize the How

— PickandPop (@PickAndPopNet) July 25, 2020

Meaning: Get everyone on the same page (top down). Execute the mission with individual responsibility (bottom up). 

Lagniappe 2: "Baseline Rip" BOB variation on America's Play

Basketball: Lessons Learned Last Season Plus an Action, BOB, and SLOB

Mike Dunlap asks, "what did you learn?" Mistakes are our teachers if we embrace them. "Make a mistake ONCE." 

Organize our lessons? I'll steal from Michael Useem in The Leadership Moment. 

• What went well? 
• What went poorly?
• What could we do differently? 
• What are the enduring lessons? 

What went well? 

• Most players improved. In the context of "teamwork, improvement, and accountability," that's progress. The goal is to get players "varsity competitive" as freshmen. Several are. Maybe others are working on their game. 
• We were second in the twelve team league in scoring. 
• We won a playoff game for the first time in three postseasons, beating a club we had not defeated over a three-year span.  

What went poorly?

• We couldn't contain the ball. No defense is good without ball containment.
• We were in the bottom third of the league defensively. Why? See above. 
• We didn't defend the three-point line consistently. 
• We had poor participation in the offseason program. Everyone decides (appropriately) where basketball fits versus other sports. 

What could we do differently?

• Our offense had poor balance. We had an exceptional player that scored over half of our points.
• It's impossible to work on fundamentals enough with young players. "Every day is skill development day." - Dave Smart
• We should have pressed even less as extended defense wasn't our forte...bad coaching...
• We had to change to zone and hybrid defenses (triangle and two) to cope with our ball containment problems and perimeter defense problems. 
• Would a more balanced offense have scored more? I don't think so. 

What are the enduring lessons?

• Having an exceptional player creates challenges and opportunities. As Herb Welling reminded me, "when you have "the kid" you have to take care of her." 
• There's no 'forcing' a system on personnel not well-suited to it. 
• Tactics cannot compensate for technique (fundamentals).
• Be grateful for the game; the pandemic took a lot of it away. 

Lagniappe:  "Fall in love with easy." Via @GentsCoachD

Dribble at and use the back cut. 

I’ll take the back🚪any day 🙋🏽‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/YZmmEe5oO2 

— Chris Dorsey (@GentsCoachD) July 25, 2020

Lagniappe 2:  America's Play Post Option

Lagniappe 3: Indiana Fever SLOB Zipper Curl 

Basketball: Training Across Disciplines...Sheila E, Springsteen, Stevens' SLOBs

Learn and teach across disciplines. That's how we change lives. 

The only drumsticks in my house can't be used on TOMs or cymbals. But in Lesson 8 from Sheila E's MasterClass she informs the value of Training and Conditioning. 

"Musicians are like athletes."

"It's really important to run and exercise." 

"When you get older, recovery takes longer."

"Be aware of what you eat and drink."

"Recovery is harder, recovery has to be faster." 

"Play full out, so that you're training yourself to be ready (for stage)." 

"I don't want anyone to be thinking...play from your heart."

"We've done the homework...that allows you to create." 

"I'm expecting everyone to give the same level that I'm giving." 

"If they're not rising to the occasion, then they shouldn't be in the band." 

"...and then I tore this muscle (rotator cuff)..." 

"I changed the way I played (to avoid injury)...have more control." 

"This is going to be exciting...we're going to change people's lives." 

Lagniappe: I know someone who's been to nineteen Springsteen concerts, because the band gives it their all every night. 




Lagniappe 2: SLOB packages from Brad Stevens' Celtics 

Take a look at one of the go-to sideline out of bounds packages, from the best SLOB team in the NBA!
The Celtics have multiple options, starting from the same initial action, which makes it difficult to defend.#XsAndOs | #NBA#GrowTheGame🏀 pic.twitter.com/ukD1HjVUVV

— Dynamic Coaching Tools (@DynamicCoaches) July 23, 2020

Basketball Friday: 1-3-1. Drill. Concepts. Set Play. Rainy Days and Timeouts.

"What shapes our lives are the questions we ask, refuse to ask, or never think to ask." - Sam Keen, in One Small Step Can Change Your Life - The Kaizen Way

Reach out to people with simple questions. A coach asked players, "how can we improve our operations?" Another asked, "how can I help you do your job better?" Players responded with better morale and performance . 

The Friday 1-3-1 lays out drills, simple concepts, and a set play looking to improve operations. Plus, lagniappe, "something extra." 

Drill. "Fake a pass to make a pass."

Defend the box with the constraint of each offensive player needing a foot in the paint. Fake passes and look off defenders. 

Free throw sprints. How many shots to make 9? 

Concepts: Using Timeouts. 



A. Timeouts, taken and not, win and lose games. Years ago, I saw a high school ten point lead evaporate in a minute while the star player (now in the WNBA) waited at the scorer's table. The team saved a timeout, but ultimately lost the game (by two) waiting for a stoppage of play. Even an intentional turnover (e.g. throwing the ball out of play) to get a substitution would have sufficed. 

B. Saved for a rainy day? We won a game when the opposing coach exhausted all five timeouts in the first half to avoid held balls or ten-second violations. As his team fatigued during a comeback, he had no timeouts and his club was gassed. "Make their tongues look like neckties."

ATOs are gold. Timeouts set up scores. This season, we went three for three on ATOs in a three point win. An official congratulated us on that after the game. 


Slip the cross screen and the defense bites (collapsing on our top player), yielding an open layup. 

C. Timeout MasterClass from Dean Smith. Coach Smith preferred to save three timeouts for the last four minutes. From Basketball: Multiple Offense and Defense, page 262, "We feel strongly that time-outs should be used very carefully so several remain available for the closing minutes of a close game." 

Set play. Golden State 12 exchange in high ball screen/DHO.

Lagniappe: Coach Daniel shares the revamped OKC defense. NBA coaches don't just let them "roll the ball out there and play." 



With personnel changes, Coach Billy Donovan changes scheme. With less size and rim protection, they favor "drop coverage" that forces more mid-range shots (lower EFG%) and allows fewer free throws, with the tradeoff of fewer turnovers forced. 

Lagniappe 2: Don Kelbick informs four "area" mandates for zone offense. I like the way his approach distorts the zone. 



Lagniappe 3: Celtics Box SLOB (a few options) expands on GSW concept above. 

Basketball: Mike Dunlap Podcast Notes with Dan Krikorian

Mike Dunlap shares lessons from four decades of coaching. 

Communication mentors - Newell, Wooden, Brian Goorjian, George Raveling and others 

Success habits - "The Miracle Morning" - his morning routine (wakes at 3:00) SAVERS acronym

• Silence-meditation
• Affirmation
• Visualizations
• Exercise
• Reading
• Scribing (journaling)

"Never be without a yellow pad." - George Raveling (note-taking)

His morning routine dampens stress. He's 'body aware' knowing when he's off. 

Self-analysis. Look in the mirror when things don't go well. We all have bad days. What did you learn? 

Knew he wasn't the smartest guy...work through ego.

What coaches do... transfer truth. 

DK: "ability to move through cycles of wins, losses, and uncertainties" and "joy is not made to be a crumb (Mary Oliver)"

(An aside) Prefers front pivots into a jumpshot (rhythm). 

Coached one season in the NBA (Charlotte), two years as an assistant for George Karl. Took a sabbatical for a year for learning. 

Culture: "know that your talent won't be the same as your best opponent (Gonzaga)... pass-first people and pound the glass." Winning first, style second. 13th in the country on defense. Boring isn't boring if you're winning. Selling "possession by possession." 

"Don't compromise your standard by bringing in unmotivated players." Find competitors. Find overachievers. Make action competitive in practice... "time and score." He finds peer pressure can have value about motivation. 

Talks about Gridiron Genius... Belichick finds great competitors. 

Best motivator in the NBA...Popovich. Spent a week with David Robinson's seriously ill father, showing that he cared. No matter where you are, players care about your competence and ability to add value. 

Best investment? Will invest in great teachers (studying them). 

Read, ask questions, take notes. Recognize that I'm not the best. Wants to be a master teacher and master his craft. "I want more knowledge...and enjoy people." 

The gym is his happy place. He learned at Charlotte although "I wasn't very good." 

Summary: 

- SAVERS
- Constant learning. Take notes.
- What did you learn? 
- It can't be about you. It's about the players. Work through ego. 
- Invest in your learning. 
- Build your competence and ability to add value. 

Lagniappe 1: Mike Dunlap defensive clinic notes

Lagniappe 2: 

“Are they a great teammate? When they get subbed out of a game do they sit at the end of the bench with a towel on or are they involved in the game?”

What kind of teammate are you? What kind of player are you? pic.twitter.com/vrxYVpZIOD

— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) July 8, 2020