Friday, December 17, 2021

Basketball: TODO - Specific Suggestions for Higher Performance Basketball

TODO. It's not TODO, it's a "TO DO" list.

Be a worthy opponent. How?

1. Have a tactical-technical plan to wear down opponents. That's unique to your experience, training, and personnel. Maybe it's relentless pressure and speed or maybe it's slowing the game to a crawl with inside power. It's your team. Have your "elevator pitch" to explain your plan. 

2. Handle pressure (extended defenses). 

  • Scrimmage 5 versus 7 every day for weeks to handle the press if needed.
  • Gauntlet is another tester. 
Offense must traverse four areas. 1 dribble per catch. Defense rotates up and offense becomes the back line defense.

3. Free throws. "Teams that cannot shoot free throws do as well as dogs that chase cars." Shooting fifty percent at the stripe in high school won't cut it. 

  • Have competitive free throw shooting in practice daily. Raise the stakes for winners and losers. 
  • Another alternative is "swish or miss" scoring. Add pressure by scoring only swishes.

4. Win special situations. With roughly a third of games being decided by two possessions. special situations are opportunity. Emphasize their value to players and the imperative to make a difference. 


Celtics SLOB (STS) 

Geneseo BOB STS. 


We defended BOBs with a 2-3 zone which switched into man on the catch. "Zone to man." Here's an alternative, including discussion on how to defend what I call "America's Play" (below).


Phraseworthy? Teach "bigs away come back into play." Most teams want the bigs finishing if the play targets the inside. 

5. Don't give games away. Pet peeves are endless but three ways we give games away:

  • Turnovers (every turnover at best is 0.00 points/possession) at worst bleeds into an opponent score.
  • Bad fouls and worse fouls (doubling down on a bad play with a foul).
  • Bad transition defense.
Get players on the same page to remedy these areas. 

Summary: 

  • Reduce turnovers.
  • Handle pressure.
  • Make free throws.
  • Win special situations.
  • Don't give games away.
Lagniappe. One of the greatest games ever played in college history, this game devastated me as a Maryland fan.