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Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Basketball: Doing the Hard Things Better

What hard things, done better, turn failures into success? 

  • Ball containment
  • Closeouts
  • Transition defense
  • Defeating defensive pressure
  • Defending the pick-and-roll
  • Making a higher percentage of free throws
Share a few specific ideas to improve each. 

1. Ball containment


  • Improve lateral quickness with jumping rope
2. Closeouts
  • Review principles of helpside defense of your coach (e.g. what is your rule for helping off the corner three?)
  • Know the personnel...are you closing out on a shooter or a driver
  • Consider using fly-bys against selected shooters 
3. Transition defense
  • Shape up (e.g. defensive alignment - stack, triangle)
  • Know your assignment (are guards back, how many to the glass?)
  • Set a goal - no more than three transition baskets/game
4. Defeating defensive pressure
  • Advantage-disadvantage practice (5 v 7 no dribble)
  • Get the ball in quickly after a made basket
  • Survive the gauntlet (28 special) 
defenders rotate up 

5. Pick-and-roll defense
  • Be on the same page, planning and communication
  • "Work the coverage, trust the protection"
  • Vary the coverages depending on opponent (hedge, drop, blitz, ice)
6. Make more free throws
  • Improve targeting (e.g. the word on the plate...e.g. Spaulding)...Bill Bradley aimed in the middle of the four bolts attaching the rim to the back board and shot over 87% in the Ivies and 84% in the NBA
  • Pressure free throws (partner can harass but not touch)...
  • Sprint between series to simulate game fatigue
  • Track daily progress (set a target for consecutive swishes)
 Lagniappe: If we're not making enough shots, analyze why 


Lagniappe 2. Down 1, the Bulls go post entry to inside out...3 instead of 2