When someone remembers you as a player, do they think of "great passer?" Me, neither. Coach Ellis Lane pounded it into us, "Take care of the basketball. The ball is gold."
"Turnovers kill dreams."
"Everybody knows that." Most assuredly, our players all do not.
How do our players "feel" and "think" about passing? Passing is about the other guy.
1. Create a better opportunity
It reflects Pete Newell's imperative, "Get more and better shots than opponents." Passing is a critical path.
2. Opposite of “My Turn”
"My Turn" or "Me, Too" shots inform selfish basketball. Willing passers change a team.
3. "The ball has energy"
Sharing the ball gets everyone involved. Ball stickers do the opposite. Bring energy and energize teammates.
4. Recognize advantage
"Passers" find and exploit advantage...mismatch, overplays, defensive inattention (e.g. head turners), getting scorers the ball in their spots
5. Passers become cutters
Defenders tend to relax when the passer gives up the ball. That's the perfect time to seize advantage. Just as "the screener becomes the second cutter" so a passer can cut to score.
6. Fall in love with easy
Flashy assists combined with high turnovers are a net negative. Assists demand context. Aaron Levenstein’s famous quote states: “Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.”
7. Passing is reading
Passers read plays, seeking to make on time, on target passes. That means understanding angles, defensive intent, and seeing "help defenders." The passer may pass away from one defender and to another.
8. Knowing when not to pass
There are times not to pass. Big guys in space are often not great ballhandlers. Close and late, passing to a poor free throw shooter is a negative. Remember Knight's "Power of Negative Thinking" and learn to understand the dos and don'ts.
Lagniappe. Write with a specific person in mind. Explore the thread; it's worth it.
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