Clinic notes - Renato Pasquali part 4

Another entry in the continuing series of notes from a recent clinic featuring Renato Pasquali, hosted by Ontario Basketball, facilitated by Mike MacKay of Canada Basketball. More thoughts from Coach Pasquali:

• "tactical" coaches teach game to game, teach different matchups, apply teaching to a certain player in that game on that day
• "fundamental" coaches teach longterm, teach HOW to play, apply teaching to every situation in every game
• coaches need to ask themselves the question "What kind of coach am I?"
• if your team can effectively defend screen/roll action and defend post then 70% of defensive teaching is done
• in order to know effectiveness of screen/roll defense and defending of post entries, these actions and stats need to be charted (otherwise how do you know) - use your assistants!
• "Two Dribble Rule" - don't allow the ballhandler more than two dribbles, force a pickup with strong defense otherwise shot could open up or ball could drive to the rim
• overall defensive goal should be to have the offense play in areas of discomfort (if they like to enter with a wing pass then deny that wing and force a catch well beyond the 3 point line)
• make the offense work hard, no easy catches, they must have to move in order to catch
  

Geno Auriemma notes on defense

Coach Auriemma has enjoyed success at the Division I level of NCAA women's basketball. While his teams have certainly been able to score the ball, defense has been a cornerstone of UConn basketball. Some thoughts on defense from Coach Auriemma:

• you can tell a lot about players by letting them play one-on-one in a drill
• a tough defender is never afraid to put their opponent on the floor (from aggressive D)
  
• defending 1-on-1, you will be shown how much emphasis a defender places on stopping people
• offensively 1-on-1, you will see how important it is for any player to get to the rim
• great defenders take personal pride in stopping scorers and attackers
• championship calibre teams take tremendous pride in playing great overall team D
• defensive competitiveness has to be drilled and grown each day in practice
• one of coach's toughest decisions is how team defends a screen and roll
• if defense works hard to get the ball to one side of the floor then they need to work even harder to keep it there and NOT ALLOW REVERSAL (the key to their supportive weakside help D)
  

A good stance

When a coach yells "stance" what should the players be doing, how should they look? If you are at Villanova, being coached by one of the best - Coach Jay Wright - in D1 then the players would look as follows:

• legs low and wide, strong base of support
• weight back slightly (if shoulders over knees then too far forward)
• back is straight
• bottom is down (sit down, remember "lowest one wins")
• head is up
• head is on the ball
• distance from defender is one arm's length away (should be able to reach out and touch the ball)
• for proper balance, keep arms inside the legs (otherwise will be leaning and less reactive)
  

Defense - Coach Dave Odom

In just five weeks (June 4-5), the following coaches will be teaching and sharing at the annual Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic in Windsor - Dave Odom, Don Casey, and Greg Kampe. As in previous years, the attending coaches (it's not too late to sign up) are in for a treat!

For yet another glimpse into the style and detail of Coach Odom, watch the clip (courtesy of sportsnationvideo) on YouTube - www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoH2a2nGoDE. Pay particular attention to his emphasis on 'early' help and recovery when setting the defense inside of 3. For those coaches interested in the entire instructional dvd, it is available online from sportsnationvideo.com (and is produced by Championship Productions).

Keep it simple

Basketball is a wonderful sport, at times made better through complex systems and detailed technical teaching. However, when teams are struggling or important games are to be played, coaches remind their players that they should stick to fundamentals and keep the game simple. Teams, beyond the talent of individual players, succeed when they give strong consideration to the following:

• rebounding - on offense, fight hard for every board, be creative in pursuit
  
• rebounding - defensively, make contact and be sure to protect their hoop
• turnovers - defensively, force them then convert them in transition
• turnovers - on offense, limit (preferably eliminate) them, value the ball
  
• fouls - on offense, try and draw them and put the defense in early bonus foul trouble
• fouls - defensively, play tough and stay out of trouble
• screens - on defense, don't get hit by them, talk through them
• screens - offensively, set them low and solid, read and attack
  
• location - make opposition play offense in uncomfortable areas and ways
• location - play offense in attack areas, get passes inside the paint, get to the FT line
  

Offense - screener responsibilities

When screening on the ball, the screener has just as many responsibilities as the ball-handler that receives the screen. If the ball-handler needs to be patient (in the waiting and reading of the screen) then the screener needs to sprint to the screen in order to buy some time for that action to occur. As mentioned in a previous post, the screener must screen above the ball (further from the hoop) in order to cause enough of a defensive disruption. The screener must make contact with the defender and therefore needs to be low and wide enough (must take up space). A screener must have a strong basketball I.Q. - after all, they need to read both the defensive reaction as well as their ball-handler's decision. Screeners need to consider:

• opposition coaches will be instructing their defenders to NOT get hit by the screen so emphasis needs to be placed on making defender contact
• must pay attention as the action may require a re-screen (which will happen quickly) based on movement, don't assume job is done after the initial screen
• if ball-handler accepts the screen and drives defender into it, then screener will need to roll if screen defender hedges or flare away if screen defender zones off to the lane
• if ball-handler rejects the screen (because of defender leaving a drive line) then screener will need to space away opposite or step back (as a fill) into space away from defenders
• if ball-handler splits the screen and the hedging defender (because the ball defender chased behind and the hedge defender left a gap) then screener should look to flare away from the two defenders (to open space)
• if screen defender zones off the action to the lane, and ball defender goes under the screen, then the screener should read and stay as the wall for the ball-handler to shoot behind
• overall, the screen must be aggressive and the screener should be a threat and space to an area that is effective and does not draw defenders to the ball
• screeners must always be aware that teams may trap the ball-handler and therefore need to be visible to the ball on all movement out of a screen
• all of this, and much more, is covered in great detail every summer during the weeks of intense basketball instruction at COBA
  

Learn from games you watch

This time of the year offers plenty of basketball to be watched, whether on TV or in the gym. Beyond the enjoyment and scouting aspects, there is much personal learning that can take place. Based on what coaches see, they should take time to evaluate their own teams. Ask the simple question - "when I see movement such as those listed below, am I happy with how we run it or defend it?"

• side or wing ballscreen
• quick ball reversal to low post entry
• slip to the rim (out of ballscreen) by a big
• high ballscreen
• split (of ball and screen defender) by a ball-handler
• perimeter shot opened up by a back side screen after a skip pass to weakside
• dribble handoff at the wing
• lane penetration to a kick out pass
  

Strategy - plan for special situations

At all times, coaches should know which players need to be in the game and why. They should also have some deliberate and strategic play calls at their disposal. The following represent a small list of the many eventualities for which every coach must have a plan:

• who to put in if the best player/shooter/defender/ball-handler/rebounder is hurt or has too many fouls (for that stage of the game)
• a late game three pointer is needed
• end of shot clock or game clock out of bounds play (sideline and/or baseline)
• an intentional miss of a free throw (which side, where is positioning, what is movement, how to miss)
• up by three points with little time left on the game clock and the opponent has the ball (to foul or not)
• down by five with enough time for two expected possessions
• subbing offense for defense and vice versa (if possible based on stoppage of play)
• a small and fast lineup (which five players should be in the game)
• type of trap or defense to promote a turnover and recovery of the ball
  

Defense - defending the post

As with any aspect of basketball, there are several ways to execute a move and there's always plenty to consider. That thinking applies to defending a ballscreen, attacking from the wing, making a pass, defending the post, etc. Today's topic, defending the post, gives rise to the following:

• where to defend the offensive post player - need to know where they are a threat (4, 7, 10 feet away) to score
• what are the post player's dominant and counter moves - know their routine (i.e. hard dribble before move), know their favourite shoulder, know their usual counter
• how do you defend the post player - based on coach's decision and your personnel, will you front, play behind, or double (if so, with whom and from where)
• post D need to know where they have team help, then force their offensive post match up into that help
• defenders need to gap the catch
• must be positioned in balance and be strong, lower and wider than offensive player
  
• post D must have high hands, and box out on rebounds (catch the ball high with two hands)
  

Enjoy a brief glimpse of Coach Dave Odom

For those coaches that are interested in the Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic and/or Coach Dave Odom, please link to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVlz7GTEtvM. This clip shows Coach Odom hard at work, doing something he does best - teaching zones with great passion.

Coaches that have enjoyed Coach Odom's sharing at previous clinics report that he not only provides plenty of technical knowledge, but also brings a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. The brief clip, with thanks to http://www.sportsnationvideo.com/, clearly illustrates Coach Odom's skills.

As a reminder, the Can-Am clinic runs June 4th-5th in Windsor, and features respected coaches Don Casey and Dave Odom. Simply go to www.cobacamp.com/New/2010 Basketball Clinic Brochure.pdf to print a form and register for the upcoming clinic.

End of game - the comeback

We've all experienced this scenario. It's late in the game, our team is trailing by a small margin, the game is exciting, the crowd is yelling, your team is battling, the game could be decided by a single late play. This situation should be fun, and will be if you are prepared and remain poised. This is the time when the hard work and preparation in practice should shine through in your team. As for the strategy of the moment, the coach has many tools available in order to craft a win out of the opportunity. Coaches need to be mindful of the following:

• remain patient - based upon the time and score, understand how many possessions remain for your team
• in order to get into your offence quickly, have some full court quick hit plays ready
• philosophically, players must attack the rim and put themselves at the free throw line (in both the attack and the free throw, importance is just as much mental as physical)
• use your assistants - have a clear understanding of team and player foul counts for both teams
  
• to help with setting up pressure, sub players at free throws and dead balls
• in FIBA play, remember the clock stops after made baskets under two minutes
• if expecting full court defensive pressure, an option is to have a time out pre-called after being scored upon - if under two minutes in a FIBA game, your team inbounds the ball from midcourt and can enter the ball either front or back court (hence reducing pressure and advancing the ball half the distance)
• know what the other team is likely to do if they are up or down by a few points (think, what would you do if you were them?)
• do you have a plan for the scenario of having just scored to go up by 3 points - are you fouling in order to get the ball back after opposition free throws?

Defending ballscreens

Proper defending of ballscreen action is a vital component in the success of overall team defense. The screen defense calls and reads that are made are dependent upon the team's defensive system and priorities, the skills of the individual offensive players, the skill sets of your personnel, game variables (i.e. player fouls, team fouls, time and score), offensive sets of the opposition, etc. Regardless of the plans chosen, all members of the defense MUST communicate - especially the four that are away from the ball and can clearly see the screen action. Decisions, based on team philosophies, must be made - some screen defensive strategies are more aggressive than others. Some options for defending ballscreens are:

• trap on the ballhandler by both the ball defender and screen defender
• jam by both defenders - jam up into the ballhandler by the on-ball defender as well as a jam under the screener (to prevent a roll or movement) by the screener's defender
• hedge by the screen defender and then position under the screen action by the ball defender (must read, don't assume the ballhandler is using the screen to then go a certain direction)
• hedge by the screen defender and then movement over the screen action by the ball defender (either over the hedge or through a gap between the hedge and the screener that the screen defender would then have to close on recovery to the screener)
• zone off and back (i.e. to a defensive lane position) by the screen defender with an aggressive chase over the screen action by the ball defender (to disrupt the ball and force a hurried play)
  
• the hedge by the screener's defender can, depending on system and priorities, be a hard hedge to take the ball up and away from the rim and towards midcourt or a high hedge followed by a flat hedge (90 degree screen defender pivot) in order to prevent the ball from penetrating the lane (and further help the on-ball defender)
  

Thoughts on pace, pressure, intensity

Whether on offense or defense, coaches want their teams to play at a certain pace. That tempo is based on your team, your philosophy, personnel available, the opposition, the game conditions, and several other variables. Some thoughts on intensity, tempo, and pressure follow:

• dictate tempo with defense and transition
• control tempo with offense and rebounding
• when coaches teach pressing, they need to focus on teaching rotations - once players know the fundamentals of defensive rotation, any press can then be adapted or added
• Defense = System + Attitude (must teach it and demand it)
• it is okay to set the intensity level for your team as long as your players understand that you are doing so because you want them to be successful (it is much more effective for your players to choose a high intensity level without your involvement)
• in order to teach your players to LIVE LOW (play and stay down), use ball-handling drills such as stationary figure 8 dribbles that maintain a good low player stance
• when bringing the ball up against a quick, ball-pressure, defensive point guard try and find a way to change the match-up of who defends the ball coming up the floor (i.e. have a different player bring the ball downcourt) or enter the ball early and high into your offense
  

Learning from BIG games

Big games are part of every team's schedule. You have to prepare for them. Kentucky and Louisville had a well publicized one yesterday. As much as it was not necessarily the best game ever, in a way it was - because it was real. Yesterday's big game in Lexington proved that sports are played by people, not robots. There may have been moments during the game when the two coaches wished they had robots on the court executing, but the learning and teaching of young men would not have happened.

Yesterday's much-hyped game between two historic rivals provided many lessons for coaches and players alike:

• there is no such thing as TOO MUCH work on individual fundamentals such as shots from in close, layups, footwork (offence and defence), passing, box-outs, close-outs, staying on your feet when defending up fakes, etc.
• players are NOT robots, emotions play a role in their games and those emotions need to be self-controlled (so that their coach is not forced to remove a player 8 seconds in to the game in order to have a nose to nose discussion about maintaining a cool head)
• teams can NEVER GIVE UP, whether they are down 13-1, 25-12 or any other score, there is always an opportunity to fight back and be up 42-41 after plenty of dedicated play
• teams need to always be working on small and large group concepts of spacing, talking, proper rotations, defending ballscreens, group rebounding, trapping, etc.
• given the pace of play and expended energy, proper hydration becomes even more important (to maintain energy, prevent cramps, etc.), especially for the players that will log the most minutes
  
• in order to best replicate a high stakes game versus a tough opponent/traditional rival in an away gym with an unfriendly crowd, practices must resemble chaos with multiple odds stacked against a group of five players that they must then battle through with poise
• a disruptive full court defence must be practiced - yesterday's game proved that a tough D is effective against even the most highly rated and determined point guards (in practice, it also serves to better prepare your own point guard for what they should expect to see from tough opposition - in that way, it is mutually rewarding)
• you don't always have to buy professional dvd's about certain aspects of the sport - taping an important game for your own viewing pleasure and analysis is equally, if not more, beneficial
  

Strategic thoughts and concepts

Some general thoughts and specific strategies:

• when teams trap your ball screen action, the easiest pass for them to defend is the pass to your rolling screener (especially if they use a zone concept to protect the lane)
• when defending a 2 on 1 break, the defender should bluff at the ball then plant both feet with shoulders square to the drive and take a charge
• teams need trust in order to be a great defensive group (especially if you press) - players, when doing their job, must know that teammates have their back
• strong offensive rebounders don't accept being hit on box outs - they spin or swim, keep their feet moving, and watch the ball NOT the rim
• a trapping team should have a "no trap call" in order to disrupt the rhythm and movement of the opposition's press break
• in the offensive post position, the key to a post player's balance and power is a flat foot on a drop step or post move
  

Material for practice plans

Some thoughts to help with the planning of practices. The list below contains some drills or concepts to include in every practice:

• in order to get lots of shots in a simple shooting drill, go with two balls and three shooters (or 3 balls with four shooters depending upon space availability), feet always moving, rotation is space to a shot, catch and shoot, follow shot and rebound to another "shot ready" teammate, space to a new spot and quickly "prepare to shoot"
  
• in any drill, always reinforce that shot quality is greatly determined by the quality of the pass - need to emphasize quality passing in all drills
• include at least three defensive rebounding drills per day (emphasis on catching the ball above the head or above the net), with progression to box outs into fullcourt transition to simulate game conditions for the new offence and defence (want to promote handling the challenge of the quick switch between offence and defence)
  
• in any drill that results in a winning team, they should validate their win with a made free throw (depending upon philosophy or emphasis, coach can pick, losing team can pick, or winning team can select the shooter) - if free throw is missed, then the winners and losers will be conditioned together (no advantage for the win)
  
• in defensive drills, consider that most ball-handlers are likely to only take max of three dribbles in game conditions so defensive movements should mirror that scenario in practice (three slides to one side before help arrives, ball picked up, passed, or shot) - good idea to start along the imaginary centre line of the court and work to one side or the other (2 or 3 steps left or right)