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Monday, April 29, 2024

Basketball: Ten Things to Think About Timeouts

Timeouts are examples of economics, the allocation of scarce resources. Their application wins and loses games. 

1. Why? Teams use them for many reasons.

  • Substitution (to get a player in or out for ineffectiveness or for foul trouble considerations).
  • Rest. 
  • Interrupting opponent momentum. 
  • Change of strategy and/or pace. 
  • To set up an ATO play. 
  • To maintain possession, e.g. avoid a held ball. 
  • Literally to stop time for game management. 
  • Combinations. 
  • Miscellaneous (e.g. to get recognition for a player coming out). 

2. Key opportunity. "Core messaging." A coach may say, "DO NOT FOUL" or "double team the inbounds pass after the first dribble."  

3. Mechanics. "Get everyone on the same page." Accomplish part by seating players sequentially 1 through 5. If we're setting up a play, everyone knows their position by the seating arrangement.  

4. Less is more. Each timeout should deliver one or two key messages. "Keep them off the offensive boards" or "let's stop fouling as this team will kill us in the bonus." 

5. Practice timeouts. Bob Knight would call a timeout in practice, diagram a play, and then hand out paper and pencils for the players to draw what they saw.  

6. Rainy days? Dean Smith tried to reserve three timeouts for the final four minutes. Teams that excel in Special Situations (e.g. BOBs, SLOBs, ATOs) have an advantage. 

7. The Count. Teams have lost championship games (e.g the Chris Webber game) because they were unaware of having no timeouts. 

8. Total focus. Teams lose games because players did not understand the strategy (e.g. run out the clock) or failed to get the ball in the hands of their proven free throw shooters. 

9. Examples. One team lost a game by two points when they avoided burning a timeout to reenter a star player. A ten point swing happened with the star at the scorers table. Another team lost because they used all five timeouts in the first half trying to avoid held balls. 

10.Have a collection of ATO plays, BOBs and SLOBs that can create quick shots or guarantee safe entry if the priority is running clock. 

Lagniappe. Superb Link to Chris Oliver post on Timeouts 

  • Written Communication: Coaches often utilize written communication during timeouts. Whether it’s writing plays on a whiteboard or conveying specific instructions, the clarity of the message is paramount. It is crucial to ensure that players understand the symbols and diagrams used, as misinterpretation can lead to confusion and mistakes. (this is why Knight's idea of testing players in practice regarding timeout messaging is great). 

Lagniappe 2. Shooting balance momentum change from Reid Ouse. 

Lagniappe 3. Earn more minutes from Greg Berge.  

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