Like Parris Goebel, coaches are choreographers. Goebel emphasizes three key elements:
- Formations
- Transitions (connecting movements)
- Levels (height)
Coaches do something similar:
- Formations (horns, spread, 4-out 1-in, two guard fronts, etc)
- Transitions (player and ball movement)
- Spacing (screen-based offense has different spacing)
Offenses have choices including running varied actions from the same formations or running similar actions from varied formations.
Actions like elbow get have multiple options... pick-and-roll, reject the screen into one dribble layup, and ghost screen as five basket cuts.
Taking over new teams, we introduce our systems. In a developmental system, I favor three offensive elements:
- Individual skill development (separate and finish, "end possessions")
- Hard-to-defend actions (e.g. ball screens, off-ball screens, pass and cut, back cuts, complex screening (screen-the-screener, staggers)
- Defeating pressure defense
Why these? I see my job as to prepare players for high school basketball. Under ideal conditions, graduates of our program compete for minutes and roles as freshmen. It's a mixed blessing as upperclass players and parents feel the heat.
Lagniappe (something extra): Do you DHO?
Lagniappe 2. Why coach?
