Coaching is indeed a privilege. With it, comes the tremendous responsibility of giving back to the game. Through sharing, our players benefit, our programs advance, and we realize personal growth.
The concept that coaches "get what they accept" is so simple and so true. At the peak of any season, beyond a team sharing the ball and making their shots, coaches often comment that championships come down to aspects such as defense, rebounding, and ball protection.
That said, why are players allowed to come in to the gym and not work with a purpose, even if they are in for extra/leisure time? The small changes will make the big difference. Granted, the sport needs to be fun but consider the following:
if a player walks in to an empty gym and sees a ball they will likely pick it up and dribble it - they would be more effective going through a short series of dribble moves
if a player is simply taking shots, get them to move to new spots, move laterally or inside/outside, chart their progress, take a set number, don't just shoot
emphasize footwork, don't simply shoot close to the rim, self-pass to imitate a post reception and then work on various moves to each shoulder
throw the ball off the backboard, work on rebounds, catch above the head with two hands, protect the ball at the chin, work on strong wide pivots with a look downcourt
pass the ball off a wall, practice good pass reception to strong ball protection - applies to post players and perimeter players, vary the body location of the catch (chin, overhead, hip, etc)
work on slides, digs, loose balls, close-outs - these can be done without a partner
This drill works on offensive rebounding intensity and competitiveness. Starting practice with short high intensity drills can set the right tone for the type of practice you want on a particular day. Developing rebounding skill is essentially an emphasis more than a technique. This means that you must emphasize rebounding in all your drills/competitive situations and not just in a specific rebounding drill. But a drill like this one can help set the tone for the intensity required to be a successful rebounding player and team.
Coach Don Meyer spent a weekend in Windsor and ran multiple sessions at a recent Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic (next clinic is June 4-5). Some coaches are still talking about that particular session, MANY are still referencing the notes they took. Beyond making good plain basketball and life common sense, Coach Meyer loves to use (and offer) helpful short forms and acronyms. Here are some to ponder:
the 3 R's (as it relates to notes) - Retrieve, Review, Reinforce
OBC - Offensive Board Coverage (teams must have it)
MBO - Must Block Out (do whatever it takes, fight for what is yours)
BOPCRO - when rebounding, get a Body On a Player, Chin the ball, see the Rim, Outlet the pass AND Block Out, Pursue the ball, Chin the Rebound, Outlet
SOSO - Screen Out, Seal Out (offensive system strategy in a 3 out rotation)
H2G - players need to be Hard to Guard (team needs to help get others open)
PHPSPT - teams need unity - Play Hard, Play Smart, Play Together
TEAMS - Tough, Effort, Attitude, Motives, Servant Leaders
Although coaching creativity is definitely encouraged, much is still to be learned from those that have paved a solid path before us. Among many successful coaches leading that way is Don Meyer. Due to his discipline, work ethic, unquestionable character, and countless attributes, Coach Meyer is to be greatly respected. He is also responsible for the following gems:
importance of body language, he asks "how does your team sub?" - need to hustle on and off the court
on communication, players need to "yell what they are in" - shows leadership, makes sure everybody is paying attention
regarding confidence, players need to be strong and not worry about getting shots blocked
importance of ball reversal, critical for getting a good shot, two or three reversals may be needed
know how to draw fouls - get out quickly on the break, take the ball to the rim, get the ball in to the post
on rebounding, play hard, rebound "out of your range", pursue the ball, secure it with two hands
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
There are plenty of resources available to coaches and players to help them teach/learn proper shooting techniques - books available at Barnes & Noble or online at Amazon or Indigo, dvd's listed at Championship Productions and Human Kinetics, to name a few. Coaches often use the acronym of B.E.E.F. to help simplify shooting instruction - what follows is an expanded version with some extra teaching:
Before - you catch the ball, need to be ready to catch and shoot, legs loaded, fingers pointing to the sky
Base - feet far enough apart so a coach could not tip you backwards if they pushed a finger at your forehead
Balance - be centered in every way and not leaning (to a side or front/back)
Behind - need to get it down low enough to use big powerful muscles in the legs
Eyes - focus them at the rim (visualize the ball going in)
Elbow - under ball for power and direction, holding a ball should look like a waiter balancing a tray of food
Elevate - shot power comes from legs, up through the body to the arms, and the ball must use that power to go up with a good angle of arc (for entry into the hoop)
Extend - shooting arm should take the ball up (over a defender's hand) NOT out (toward a defender)
Every time - repetition, get in shots using the same routine on a daily basis, must develop the muscle memory
Evaluate - be the master of your own shot, understand enough to know why a ball is missing left or right or coming up short
Energy - do shooting drills on the move, simulate game conditions, transfer forward motion into upward energy
Feet - need to be squared to the target every shot
Fingers - last two to touch the ball on release should be the index and middle (fork)
Follow through - when ball leaves the shooting hand, fingers need to be pointing at the target and held there (don't pull the shooting hand back)
Free Throw - beyond shots from in close to the hoop, FT line is a great place to practice shot form (same distance, same form, routine, lots of reps)
Feet moving - active feet, follow your shot, rebound the ball (you have the advantage over the other team as you took the shot and know the path)
Far - take your shots from further away ONLY when you have mastered your technique and are shooting a high percentage closer to the hoop
Fun - shooting is one of the most enjoyable aspects of basketball, do it properly, take plenty of shots
At this point in the season, more than ever, some components of play are crucial to team success. In no particular order, attention should be paid to the following:
with a fastbreak emphasis, guards MUST get rebounds - first steps after a missed shot (or a score) are very important
on a transition wing pass ahead on the break, emphasize an attack to the middle to put basket pressure on the defense
on penetration, the emphasis must be placed on sprinting cuts, making the proper read, and shooters spaced in positions where the ball can see them (don't get three in a row with ball and defender)
every practice, an assistant should meet with each point guard and review their checklist - turnovers, rebounds, effectiveness, leadership
reinforce the use of concentration cues in timeouts in order to gain focus - allow players 15 seconds for water and settling, then cue them for priorities with a "listen up"
as the late Jim Valvano said, "never give up" - no matter how the quarter or half is going, the next one can always be better (if your team is willing to work and play to it's strengths)
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)
Whether in transition or in the half court, no matter what teams run on offense, strong post play is a significant contributing factor to success. Playing in the post requires a specific mindset. In the post, every practice or game, it is a war - players must be prepared to battle. They must be tireless workers, and always be looking to gain an advantage. Just as they need good physical balance, post players also require mental balance - they need to play with both an urgency and patience at the same time. Want to be strong in the post? Consider the following:
be aggressive, must WANT the ball
the game slows down in the post (on catch of the ball)
the lowest player is the strongest player - need to be lower, wider, longer
do NOT worry about blocked shots - score, draw a foul, or get the ball back
make and maintain contact (for a proper read, need to know location of defender)
finishing school - follow through with EYES and hands
must have a jump hook and be able to shoot that hook from an 11-12 o'clock position
EVERY shot needs to be considered a potential rebound (eyes on the ball)
need to have a go-to move, a counter, AND a third move - must have enough to get it done
develop a European Post style of play - play big down low, have a three point shot, be effective with dribble drive attack
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
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
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)
