Offense

Man Offense Sets Boisvert

By Brian Williams on October 28, 2013

Zack Boisvert has put together some short clips of some of his favorite man to man offense from NCAA and NBA games on the You Tube video below.

The point is not a “highlight” tape, but the movements to get shots. Several of the teams miss the shots in the video of the set they are running.

He has posted several videos of some of the better schemes he has seen. His You Tube channel is: Zac Boisvert YouTube Channel

If you are interested in subscribing.

He also is also very active on Twitter: @ZakBoisvert

He also has an outstanding resource site for coaches. You can access it here: PickandPop.net

Here are 10 different man-to-man sets. Most are shown more than once. Some have sound and some do not. I hope you can find one or two that fit your basketball program.

The videos are hosted on YouTube, so please make sure that the network you are on provides YouTube Access.

Click the play arrow to begin the video

Del Harris 8 Point Transition Offense

By Brian Williams on October 24, 2013

Del Harris is the former head coach of the Lakers, Bucks, and Rockets. Coach Hariis guided the Rockets to teh 1981 NBA Finals.

I have had a couple of email correspondences with him and he has gracioulsy provided me with a few articles for the site that I will be posting in the coming weeks.

He went to high school and started coaching in Indiana and I have crossed paths with a few of his former students and players. They all say that even with the success he has enjoyed, he has remained loyal to those who knew him on his way up the coaching ladder.

8 Points for Transition Offensive

Del Harris

There are some basic things that help these things to happen. You may do any or all of them already or in the future.

1. Always have the ballhandler “loop” to get open either when the ball is ob after scores or after the Rebound when possible. Hopefully, you understand looping, but it is mainly that to prevent the ballhandler (we will call him the PG from now on) get the ball on the move and never with his back to the defense. Looping puts him in motion and in a position where he has his back mainly to a sideline, not the halfline.

2. Do not have your first big man running the court to run in the exact vertical middle of the floor. He should run on the weak side of the middlei, more in line with the weakside block. We rim run, but not directly down the middle to the rim. We have them slightly on the weakside and he can cross the lane right in front of the goal to catch a lob on a high pass option or he can cut across later to the strong side block when he doesn’t get the lob option. He will read to cut across to the strong side block only when he sees that the PG will not be penetrating all the way to the goal in the transition. He keeps the PGs lane to the rim open in this way and puts himself in position to rebound a shot by the PG or to get a late high pass from the PG on a drive if his defender leaves him to attack the PGs penetration. In addition, the running of the court this way not only puts the big man in position to catch the lob, it also creates a better pass angle from the PG if a pass is made earlier than at the rim. Running down the middle makes it harder for the PG to make a pass that is catchable in stride because the big man is forced to try to catch that is coming at an angle more over his back instead of from the side angle. This same principle applies on the pick and roll—the big shold open up to an angle on his cut as opposed to cutting straight to the goal so as to give the passer an angle to make the Pocket Pass or the lob.

3. As for the wings—look for the pass ahead in the half line area, but when he sees he is not going to get the pass ahead, he should not stop on the wing—vital point. He must then continue on to the corner or cross under the goal, as you wish. But the stop on the wing is a killer to transition unless totally open to catch an early pass at the extremely high wing angle nearer the half line.

The reason is that his defender can help make the penetration lane to the basket look crowded and take away his drive to the goal option. Again, if the big man has already gotten to the strong side block and the wing man is stopped on the wing, the only option the PG has is to swing the ball off a pass or a transition PNR.

4. If the wing gets the pass ahead he should look to attack and if the big man has run correctly, he will be on the weak side part of the lane and can get a high pass just as if the PG were penetrating. And he is in position to rebound the jumper or floater or to get a good high pass if his man attacks the wing penetration.

5. If the wing has gone to the corner, he must be ready to come up a step or two ot of the corner if the PG decides to penetrate the lane. He will read his defender in this act. If the defender drops to help vs. the PG, he is in position to catch the ball in rhythm to catch and shoot or to catch and turn the corner for a second penetration. The PG will pull to the strong side corner to replace the wing man and follow up the penetration by the wing. On the other hand, if the defender on the wing stays up on the wing man in the corner on the PG penetration, the wing has the option to backcut if he reads it early enough so as not to get right in the PGs path.

6. Big thing is that if there is no easy, clear option on the first side as we have discussed in the first 5 points, do not force the action on the first side. I don’t like a forced shot, drive or pass on the first side. First side action must be clearcut. Otherwise, swing the ball and look to attack. In high school or college there is always time to set a play after the ball has been swung, if you are a set offense coach. I always like to have 3-4 options off of the secondary break—when that first side action is not there but the defense is not set. I like to keep it various ways–either by hand or verbal signals, or by the dribble or pass action by the PG or by his cut if he has thrown the ball to the strong side wing or even to the top.

7. The second key to having a simple, yet multiple, transition game is to have the trailer do different things when he is in the swing position. Of course, one is that he can run a transition PNR on the ball handler that must not be a stop and pick, 2-step option, but rather a fluid dynamic motion where he crosses in front of the PG and intiates more of a crossing action in the PNR than a regular PNR. But more than that, he can pass the ball on to the weak wing and cut to the goal or screen the low man or set a double on the weakside with the PG for example. Or he can pass to the wing and follow the ball to set a PNR on that man, if he is PNR capable.

8. Another thing that one can do is to have the weak side wing man to be alert to do one of two things: He can run to the corner as well when he is well out in front and then be ready to move up to present himself as an outlet if the PG penetrates and gets stopped—if the PG goes all the way to the baseline, he will drift back down to the corner to be the baseline drift man. Or, secondly, if he is not out in front on the transition, he should run to the high angle spot between the middle of the court and the foul line extended weak side and look to get a deep kickout pass from the guard or the strong side wing on penetration. If he is a 3-shooter, he can let it fly. If he is not he is in a position to penetrate or pass inside.

Del Harris, GM Texas Legends
Author, On Point -four steps to better life teams
You can read a free sample by clicking here: On Point Sample

This is what Coach Harris had to say about the book:

“Every coach should have his point guard read my book. It came as a result of my speaking at the Nancy Lieberman
Award in Detroit in 2010. I wanted to say something that would make sense to the hundreds who would be there who were not the women’s NCAA D-1 best point guard in America, getting the award named for Hall of Fame PG and all time greatest woman player. I came up with the idea of noting the qualities in terms of abilities and attitudes that made for great point guard play. Then I showed how we all could mine those elements from within ourselves on the various Life-teams of which we are and would become a part.

The book will not only be good for the PGs to read but will absolutely make the coach a better coach. I wish I had known all that I have written when I was in my 20s , 30s or 40s. I am totally confident that what I have written is truth and it is backed up totally by biblical principles.”

Best regards and blessings to all, Del

For another sample and if you are interested in purchasing the book, you can click this link to see it on Amazon:

On Point: Four Steps To Better Life Teams

Zone Offense Sets Boisvert

By Brian Williams on October 10, 2013

Indiana State Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach has put together some short clips of some of his favorite zone offense quick hitters on the YouTube video below.

He has posted several videos of some of the better schemes he has seen. His YouTube channel is:

Zac Boisvert YouTube Channel

If you are interested in subscribing.

He also is also very active on Twitter:

@ZakBoisvert

Here are 12 different zone attack sets. Each is shown more than once. Some have sound and some do not. I hope you can find one or two that fit your basketball program.

The videos are hosted on YouTube, so please make sure that the network you are on provides YouTube Access.

Click the play arrow to begin the video

Ball Screen Actions to Complement Motion

By Brian Williams on September 25, 2013

Chalkboard Strategies To Setting a Great Ball Screen

By Brian Anglim Fundamentals First Basketball.

In the last couple of Fundamentals First Basketball Newsletters, I have been writing about developing motion offenses. A common failing (in my opinion) amongst motions coaches is utilizing the ball screen. To maximize the effectiveness of the ball screen the angle of the ball screen, timing of the action, and spacing must be perfect.

The free flowing action of motion offense does not allow teams to set up the correct spacing and angles to really take advantage of the pick and roll game. With that said, I think every coach regardless of what system they run must have some sort of ball screen set. You will find there are opponents where one of their post player’s is poor at hedging or trapping in a ball screen action. This allows you to expose that players weakness and potentially get them in trouble. I also feel like there are teams that have too much quickness where you can’t create penetration from the normal flow of the offense and a ball screen can open things up for you. As a motion coach I had a transition call and 2 set play call’s that utilized a ball screen and then allowed us to flow into our motion offense.

What I want to talk about in the next two articles are some strategic ideas of creating plays that make life difficult for the 2 defenders. The key to defending the ball screen in my mind is the screener’s defender has to offer some sort of help to allow the ball handler’s defender to recover back to his man. I want to make life difficult for that screener’s defender so he is late in getting out on the pick to hedge or trap, so that we have a great opportunity to turn the corner and get into the lane. Here are four simple plays that put stress on the hedging defender.

Screen the Picker Action

Below we have a simple diagram of a down/cross screen but we really aren’t trying to get the cutter open (player 5) for a shot, rather make it difficult for X5 to be able to get into position to get on the high side shoulder of the pick and hedge. With the screen diagrammed below X5 has to under the screen, or he would be very susceptible to the curl cut. He thus can’t get out on the floor and help on the ballhandler attacking the paint.

Post Exchange

Here is another play where we have the post player’s execute a diagonal down screen. The reason I really this is that I would have 4 coming down to act as if he is going to pick for 1, but he is really faking the pick and slipping down the lane to ball screen. This creates confusion for X4 and doesn’t really allow him to get into position to help bump 5 cutting up to set the pick. i also like this because we used to have a pick and roll big man and a pick and pop big man and we would want to exchange them for different reasons.

Carolina Pick

In the action below we have 1 passing to 2 on the wing and cutting to the opposite corner (opening up the middle for the driving action). As he is cutting through the middle 5 (most likely the trailer) cuts right off his ass to get in position to set the pick. You would be surprised how much contact you can get away with when you are cutting together versus screening .

Coaching Basketball Team Offense

By Brian Williams on May 2, 2013

This section has ideas for developing an offensive philosophy and system. I hope that it stimulates your thinking to come up with additional questions that can help your basketball staff to clarify ways that you can get the most out of your players.

Transition

Do we want to run in lanes for spacing or run random transition?
What do we want to get out of transition?
Do we want to run any secondary break actions?

Press Offenses

How many press offense alignments do we need?
How many press offenses do we need?
What players comprise our “good hands” team?

Man Offense

What motion offense (if any) best fits our team?
Do we want to add, subtract, or change any of our continuities?
Do we want to add, subtract or change any set plays?
Do our man offenses put us in the best position to offensive rebound as well as have defensive floor balance?

Zone Offense

Should we add, subtract or change any of our zone actions?
Should we add, subtract or change any of our zone sets?
Are we able to attack all types of zones and traps with our zone offense?
Do our zone offenses provide us with offensive rebounding opportunities as well as defensive floor balance?

Inbound Plays

How many different alignments do we want to use?
When do we want to put in each alignment? (Should we save any for late in season?)
Do we have a play that takes advantage of any way that the opponent may guard us? (Zone, Denial, Pack, Switch)
Do we have plays that take advantage of the positioning of the inbound defender?

Special Situations

Do we want to add, subtract or change any of our last second full court, 3/4 Court, 1/2 Court, 1/4 Court or UOOB plays?
How much time is needed on the clock to execute each play?
Do we need to make any changes to our delay game?
What FT plays do we run if we have to miss intentionally and need a two-point shot or three-point shot to tie?
When will we start to hold for the last shot to end a quarter?
When will we shoot the ball to end a quarter?
What play will we use to end the quarter?

Basketball Offense 5 Strategies Against Switching Man to Man Defense

By Brian Williams on April 12, 2013

This article was written by Coach Randy Brown.

He has passion for the game of basketball and works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. C

A speaker and writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally published.

His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year career. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona.

Randy’s coaching resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference Championships and 5 NCAA appearances. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at [email protected]

In my current role as a mentor to coaches, I receive a lot of questions about practice and game strategies and ideas. Recently I was asked how to beat a team that switches screens in their man to man defense. There are five ideas that I’d like to share with you.

1. On ball screens–One of the most difficult defensive tasks is guard on ball screens. One way to attack a switching defense is to set on ball screens that will create mismatches. The Big/Little and Little/Big on ball screens will create constant matchup problems for the defense. It will be up to them how they choose to handle this situation.

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2. Pass and Cut strategy–Instead of screening, pass and cut on every pass, not giving the defense a chance to switch. This will open the floor and allow your post players to gain good position in the block areas.

3. Run set plays. I think that sets are more difficult to switch than straight motion. Sets are designed to include many mismatch-type screens mentioned in #1. Motion screens are mainly between like sized players, making it easier for the defense to switch.

4. Back cutting–If you are down screening on the wing, the defense will anticipate a switch coming. Just before the point of the screen, the cutter can back cut hard to the basket. The question now is, who has the cutter? Does the original defender keep him, which goes against their switching policy, or does the screener’s man have him even though the cutter has not yet come into the defenders area.

5. Screen your own man–I know this sounds crazy, but think about this tactic. Suppose you made a pass to the left wing and down screen for a teammate on the right wing. As the cutter is about to use your screen, you screen YOUR OWN MAN. Why? Because he’s getting ready to switch onto the cutter, but he CAN’T because you are screening him. This will really confuse the defense as you are getting open easily on every screen. I have seen this work against very good man to man college teams so I know it is technically sound and a good strategy to go to against switching.

What makes the game great is all of the wrinkles and strategies that a coach can use. I hope this has given you some insight on how to attack and beat switching defenses.