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Wednesday, September 29, 2021

5 Is a Magic Number in Basketball


Nothing magical about the number 5 in basketball or is there? 

Find 'easy' ways to score like those below.



"Easy scores." The Attention to Detail series shares scoring 'easy threes' - inside out, off screens ("the screener is the second cutter"), transition threes. The short roll pitch to corner is another NBA favorite. 

Get all five involved. Five players on the court., yet recognizing each brings different skills. "It's not the five best players but the five who play best together." 

Finishing five. Coach always told us that "it's not the five who start but the five who finish." Become trusted at the end. Want minutes in crunch time. 

"Do five more." Dan Pink shares a tip about doing five more - do five more reps, five more sprints, make five more sets of a shooting drill. Unrequired work separates ordinary and extraordinary. 

Buffettology. Start with a list of twenty-five useful items. Whittle it down to Warren Buffett's essential five. "Do well what we do a lot." 
  • Transition defense
  • Defensive rebounding
  • Half-court defense (ball containment, coverage, and protection)
  • Half-court offense ("where do the points come from")
  • Special situations (apply pressure on BOBs, SLOBs, ATOs) Be special. 
Summary: 
  • Get easy scores
  • Involve all five
  • Be part of the finishing five
  • Do five more
  • Whittle your MUST list down to five
Lagniappe. Theme on. Have a fistful of favorite 5 out options in addition to give-and-go, pass and screen away high, and pass and ball screen. 


Lagniappe 2. Develop your own version of '30 buckets'