Saturday, March 16, 2024

Basketball: Hidden Landmines

Coach Bob Knight said, "basketball is a game of mistakes." Many mistakes are obvious - passes thrown away, poor quality shots, missed free throws. We've all made these mistakes and had our players do the same. 

Some mistakes appear less obvious to untrained eyes. Many fall under "basketball IQ."

Missed opportunities: 

  • Failure to reject ball screens
  • Failure to slip overplayed screens
  • Failure to "look ahead" in transition
  • Casual cutting creates no separation (less efficient possessions)
  • Unexploited mismatches 
  • Offense habitually initiated from sidelines

The defense gets advantage by shrinking space, loading to the ball, which is magnified farther the more that offense runs from the sideline. 

Opportunities created for opponents:
  • Lack of communication
  • Allowing opposition to get into their offense too easily. 
  • Poor clock management including 2 for 1s end-of-quarter (shot clock) and misuse of tempo during comebacks and closing out games
  • Live ball turnovers
  • Poorly organized (numbers to the glass, shaping up, protecting the rim) or executed transition defense
  • Allowing impact offensive players to get the ball too easily
  • Excessive fouling including fouling perimeter shots and allowing opponent to get in the bonus early
Where is the low hanging fruit? That will vary by team. Several "difference making" examples:

1) Make it harder for opponent's scorers to get the ball and get it in their preferred locations. (Reduce EFG%)
2) Clarify transition assignments and how many players go to the offensive boards. Transition points often change momentum. (Reduce EFG%)
3) More urgent cutting
4) Reduced fouling should be a priority 

Lagniappe. Backdoor cuts can create high percentage shots. 
Lagniappe 2. Long closeouts create opportunity. 
Lagniappe 3. Slip-sliding away. 


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