Monday, June 14, 2021

Basketball: Highlights to Study, Why Things Work. "It's the Concepts!"

Basketball is... a game of separation and finishing

Because "great offense is multiple actions," study those actions and develop those skills. "We can't run what we can't run." In other words, "we can't be a three and D team if we can't make threes or play D." 

Distill concepts to borrow from exceptional team play. 


0:06-0:13 Space, open a gap, drive into the gap. That works equally for "five out" as a general principle. 

0:16-0:25 Horns, double stagger away, handoff, drive and kick (if help off the corner).

0:26-0:32 Horns "trio" post entry, dribble at, back cut. 

0:44-0:49 High ball screen, low set double stagger for three

1:13-1:20 Horns, double stagger, DHO into pick-and-roll 

1:41-1:45 Simple spread PnR hits roller (classic)

1:56-2:02 Horns, post entry, PnR across "Elbow get"


Something similar from FastModelSports.com (above)

2:35-2:43 Nail stack into high ball screen into Spain action with second screener pop*

2:45-2:55 Zone offense with initial dribble exchange followed by "one more" action into ball reversal 

3:33-3:40 Horns, post entry, fake downscreen into DHO three-pointer

4:21-4:28 Elbow isolation, "shoulders game, low man wins." 

Use 'hard to defend' actions.
Space to stretch the defense. 
Create multiple options.
Put players in a position to do what they do well.
Get everyone involved. 
Emphasize patience (e.g. wait for screens)
Cut urgently. 


Lagniappe. "Finishing school." Every day is player development day.



Lagniappe 2. Mental model. "Inflection point." When it's broken badly enough, don't fix it, replace it. This also represents "cutting losses" and differs from sticking with a poor plan because of "sunk costs." 

25. Inflection Point