Here are some questions to use for defining the roles within your basketball team that your players will fill. I hope that it also inspires you to come up with more questions that fit your program.
One of the challenges that basketball coaches face is defining roles for our players. Then, working to keep them in those roles. Finally, working to help them improve their skills to grow within those roles.
- What roles will each player perform on this year’s team? (This usually is, but is not always who is best in each area. Example: Our best perimeter player might also be our best post player. We may not want to put our best on ball defender in a position to pick up extra fouls until later in the game. )
- Who will be our leaders?
- Who will be our captains?
- What projected playing time box should each player check?
- The playing time box is a form that I use at the beginning of the season so that I know where each player thinks he stands–1) Start and play regularly 2) Be in the regular rotation, be on the team–no guarantee of playing time.
- Which players will be the primary ball handlers?
- Who will jump center?
- Do we want our best player guarding their best player?
- Who is our best on ball defender?
- Who is our best at blocking out to guard their best offensive rebounder?
- Who is toughest to shoot over?
- Who is our best perimeter gapper? (Gapper is the term that we use for a player who is a helper in our packline defense. A perimeter gapper is a defensive player on the perimeter who is responsible to deter penetrating drives by his positioning and then helping if there is a drive.)
- Who is our best post gapper? (Gapper is the term that we use for a player who is a helper in our packline defense. A post gapper is a defensive player on the perimeter who is responsible to deter post feeds by his positioning and then trap the post if the post player receives the ball.)
- Who is our best low post defender?
- Who do we want to get the most shots and where do we want those shots to come from?
- Who are our best passers? Who are our best post feeders?
- What positions for our offensive scheme and defensive scheme should each player learn?
- What is our inbounder order? Under?, side?, full?, game winner? Should they all be the same?
- What press offense spot will each occupy? Inbounder? Ball Side? Opposite? Middle? Finisher?
- What shots can each player hit?
- Who are our best cutters? best screeners?
- What set play (including in bounds and zone) spots should each know?
- Who is our designated defender/fouler if need be?
- What is the halfback order? (Halfback is the player we send to the top of the key when we shoot. That player is then responsible for picking up the basketball in our conversion defense.)
- What is the fullback order? (Fullback is the player we send to the volleyball attack line near midcourt when we shoot. That player is responsible for retreating to defend the basket in our conversion defense.)
