The Coach in the video is PGC Basketball Director Tyler Coston.
You might not agree with his assessment, but at least I hope it helps you to define more clearly what you want your ball handlers to look for in transition.
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Submitted by Coach John Kimble
CoachJohnKimble.com
Retired high school and college coach
Follow him on Twitter @CoachJohnKimble
Diagrams created with FastDraw
The “Pivot and Pass Offensive Drill” and the “55 Second Offensive Drill” are the two most valuable drills that any offense could have to improve players’ performances and techniques. Besides the individual offensive techniques and skills that these drills teach and give players opportunities to improve on, the drills maximize time efficiency. Each drill is multi-faceted, with several techniques being able to be worked on at the same time by different participating players. The drills are game-realistic and competitive which brings out the best in players and also includes physical conditioning. This saves valuable practice time, so that these and other drills can be used more often for coaches to teach, coach, and correct players as well as for the players to learn and improve in the various skills that are needed for individual and team success.
An invaluable offensive fundamental that is needed for a team to be successful in the execution of any offense is the crucial fundamental of all players being able to dribble against pressure, to pivot away from or around individual defensive pressure and then to be able to deliver the ball to an open teammate. This could be against man-to-man pressure, against half court zone or trap pressure or against full court defensive pressure. Teams must be able to move the ball both on the perimeter as well as to the inside to constantly attack defenders in the many various defenses that could be executed against them.
This drill should be utilized only after instilling the attitude to all players that the drill is a multi-purpose drill needed for each player to become a well-rounded and fundamentally sound basketball player. It is not just a dribbling, pivoting and passing drill for 01. It is not just a defensive drill for X2. It also is not just a drill for 03 to catch the ball and to then work on shooting techniques. Instead, the “Pivot and Pass Offensive Drill” is an all encompassing offensive drill where all three players can work specifically on the offensive techniques that they individually need to improve on. After three rotations of players, all three players in each group will have worked on the three segments of the drills–the fundamentals of the dribbler/passer, of the defender and of the pass receiver/shooter. Because it is such a time-efficient and valuable drill and because it includes so many different fundamentals, this drill should be used more than once in every practice (for just short periods of time).
The dribblers/passers (01, 04, 07, and 010 in Diagram 1) work on the obvious dribbling, pivoting, and passing techniques and skills that are required for them to be solid offensive ball handlers. The first technique to be worked on is the actual dribble as the dribbler approaches the defender. Dribbling quickly (but in a very controlled manner) with the head up in a semi-crouch stance is the first point of emphasis for this offensive player. Protecting the ball with the non-dribbling hand and dribbling with either hand is one of the most important skills and techniques that each dribbler should also work on. Another important skill for the ball handler is to work on the skill of passing the basketball with either hand. Still, another vital skill of the ball handler is being able to pivot with either foot as the pivot foot.
Working on defending a dribbling ballhandler and pressuring him when the dribble is killed is very necessary for a team to have pressure on the basketball during a game. X2, X5, X8 and X11 are the first “on-the-ball defenders” in this drill.
Being able to catch the ball on the move, making a quick pivot and shooting quickly are necessary for an offensive basketball team to be able to score. 03, 06, 09 and 012 are the first cutters/shooters in this drill. Notice that while 03 and 06 cut to their left to receive the passes, 09 and 012 cut from the left to their right. These directions can be alternated periodically. Diagram 1 illustrates the placement of an entire team so that each player in each three-man group can work on their specific techniques that are needed to be practiced. See Diagram 1.
After a pre-designated time limit, all three offensive players rotate to their next position in the group. An example of the first rotation of the drill would be to have 01 rotate to become the next defender while 02 now becomes the next designated pass receiver/shooter. 03 rotates from being the first receiver/shooter to becoming the next designated dribbler/passer, also placing 06, 09 and 012 as the other new dribblers/passers. The newly designated defenders are X1, X4, X7 and X10. The newest pass receivers/shooters will be 02, 05, 08 and 011 after the first rotation of offensive personnel.
After all three players in each of the four groups (for example, 01, 02 and 03 in the first group with 04, 05 and 06 in the second group) have rotated through all three of the positions: the dribbler/passer, the defender and the pass receiver/shooter; the drill starts over but with the pass receivers/shooters now breaking in the opposite direction that they originally started the drill. In the first repetition of the drill, two of the designated groups have their shooters cut from the right to the left while the other two groups cut originally from the left side towards the right. In the second repetition of the drill, all three players in each of the four separate groups will start in their initial positions. But the actual shooters will break from the opposite directions that they originally started. Therefore, this repetition of this drill will now have two shooters (03 and 06) break to their right, with the imaginary basket still being at the sideline behind the initial dribblers/passers. That makes these shooters’ left shoulder, heel and foot the so-called “inside” shoulder and heel/foot. The second two groups have the first designated shooters (09 and 012) cut towards their left. This now makes their right side the “inside shoulder” and “inside heel and foot.”
A quota of a designated number of passes and shots in the set time limit can make the drill more accelerated and competitive. There could be a contest between the defenders and the dribblers/passers of how many “successful” completed passes and deflected passes take place in the time limit. “Winners” and “losers” could be defined with a small penalty given to the “losing player” after the conclusion of the drill.
The designated pass receivers (03, 06, 09, 012 in Diagram 1) work first on the “pre-catch and pre-shooting stance.” The coaching staff constantly should be emphasizing to the (potential) shooter to “get your feet and hands ready!—to get behind the ball—give the passer a target!” See Diagram 1. In this scenario, the pass receivers/shooters (09 and 012) are breaking to their right and the imaginary basket is directly behind the passers at the sideline. Even before the actual catch of the basketball, the pass receiver should try to already have his “inside shoulder” (shoulder closest to the basket, which is the left shoulder in this example) facing the basket and to have both his “guide hand” and “shooting hand” up (as if he is already shooting the ball). With the “shooting hand” in that position, it gives a good target to the passer. The pass-receiver should always pivot off of the heel of his “inside foot” (the foot closest to the basket, which is the left heel in this example). If the pass-receiver is in a stationary position, he can start with the “inside heel” already touching the floor and the remaining portion of that foot not yet touching the floor. If the pass receiver is on the move, he might have to “chop up his steps” in order to time the “inside heel” hitting the floor (to pivot) just as the ball hits the palm of the “shooting hand.” From there, the heel being planted first will stop the pass-receiver’s forward momentum of his cut toward the passer. After the shot, the shooter should be able to rise straight up and come back straight down and not “float” in either direction. Stopping all of the momentum from the shooter’s cut before he shoots the ball will greatly improve shooting accuracy. Each shooter (03, 06, 09, and 012) shoots as if the original passer (01, 04, 07, and 010) is the basket, so that the ball is returned for that passer to restart working on his skills and techniques. See Diagram 1.
Once the momentum of the cutter is stopped, the inside heel actually will allow for a smooth, easy and complete pivot toward the basket, as the shooter swings his free (outside foot and leg) around so that he is completely “squared up” to the basket. In this offensive drill, the pass/receiver/shooter “shoots” the ball at an imaginary basket back to the original passer. The passer (01, 04, 07, and 010) is now quickly ready to resume working on his technique of passing to the shooter again, so the shooter can again quickly work on the “foot and handwork” part of his shooting technique (beginning with a new dribble and jump stop.
The men in the middle of the drill (X2, X5, X8, and X11 in Diagram 1) utilize the drill as a defensive drill, who initially are guarding the dribblers/passers (01, 04, 07 and 010). Effort and the emphasis on defensive fundamentals (such as proper stance and other various defensive techniques) should not be taken lightly by players or the coaching staff, as the drill is stressed to them as being a defensive fundamental drill. These defensive players work on defensive techniques only on the original dribbler/passer and not on the pass receiver/shooter.
The specific footwork and techniques of each passer/dribbler are demonstrated in the four steps are shown in Diagrams 2 through 5.
Step 1 of the “Pivot and Pass” Technique—As the dribbler approaches the defender and kills his dribble, the dribbler should take a small bunny hop and land simultaneously on both feet. This allows the “killed dribbler” to use either foot as the pivot foot. See Diagram 2.
Step 2 of the “Pivot and Pass” Technique —If the passer wants to attack the defender by passing laterally around the defender’s left side, the dribbler should land and make the right foot (the foot directly facing the defender’s left foot) the free foot and therefore make his left foot the actual pivot foot. This makes the passer’s right foot the foot that can laterally step toward the outside of the defender’s left foot. As this is taking place, the passer should protect the ball by firmly holding the ball with both hands with the ball held behind the knee of the free knee (the right knee in this example). If the passer’s free foot is laterally outside the defender’s foot, the passer then could “fake low and go high” or “fake high and go low” (passing high over the defender’s left hand or passing low under the defender’s hand). Constantly tell the dribbler-turned-passer to “protect the ball behind the knee” and to “step due east or due west.” This means that the dribbler/passer should constantly attack the flanks of the defender by stepping laterally around the defender and not toward the defender. See Diagram 3.
Step 3 of the “Pivot and Pass” Technique —If the on-the-ball defender counters the dribbler’s first lateral attack, the dribbler should “rip the ball low and hard across his shoe tops” as he steps with a front pivot across the face of the defender to laterally attack the defender on the opposite side (in this scenario, it is the defender’s right side). The ball ends up on the inside of the passer’s knee of the free leg (the right knee in the diagrams). If the passer’s free foot (right) gets outside defender’s (right) foot, the passer looks to pass the ball around the defender (“fake high and go low” or “fake low and go high”) on the opposite side from the initial side of attack. Again, coaches should strongly emphasize to the pivoting passer to protect the ball behind the “free knee” (right) and again step “due west and/or due east” in the lateral attacks on the ball defender. See Diagram 4.
Step 4 of the “Pivot and Pass” Technique —If the ball defender reacts quickly and takes this second technique away, coaches should emphasize to the offensive player to remain in the semi-crouch stance, to then quickly reverse-pivot off of the same (left) pivot foot and to then attack the ball defender’s original (left) lateral side. The ball should now be back behind the outside of the knee of the free (right) foot.
Again, the main three points of emphasis to the passer are:
After the 55 seconds expires, the dribbling/pivoting/passing player (01) switches to the defensive station, while the first defender (X2) switches to work at the pass-receiving station/shooting station, and the first pass-receiver/shooter (03) rotates to the dribbling/pivoting/passing station. This rotation should take less than 5 seconds and the drill starts again. 55 seconds later comes the next rotation of the three players. After the third 55 second time frame has concluded, coaches can start the second round with all offensive dribblers using a different dribbling hand and making the right foot as the new pivot foot. Three minutes will allow for all three players to rotate through each position again. In just six minutes, three players have each had almost two minutes of concentrated work on all three stations—the dribbling, pivoting, and passing phase, the defensive phase, and also the pass-catching and shooting phase. See Diagram 6.
Every offensive/shooting and shooting drill has definite characteristics, but all drills must be “game-realistic.” To make these drills as “game-realistic” as possible, coaches should incorporate as many types of pressures (on the players) as possible. They should try to incorporate “success” and “competition” pressures–trying to beat other players, other squads, or other types of opposition. The other types of opposition could be pre-set standards and can be time on the clock. Obviously, accuracy should be stressed in all shooting drills, but also “quantity” should be emphasized. All shooters, passers, and rebounders should always go at “game speed” in practice because they will be going at that speed in the games. Coaches should continually accelerate rebounders, passers, and shooters in each and every shooting drill. They should have pre-set “quantity AND quality” standards set for each shooting drill used. That increases the game realism, because each individual is trying to succeed not only for himself, but for his team (or group or squad). Every shooting drill has a pre-set standard of a specific number of attempts the shooter must take as well as a standard of how many shots he should make. Again, this forces the tempo and intensity level up for each shooting drill used. Game realism also means rewards for the winners and penalties for not winning. None of the penalties are harsh or hard, but they are a true penalty. They could be some type of a running penalty, some pushups, or sit-ups. Competing against the clock is always beneficial, because everyone has a common opponent and measuring stick.
Using the scoreboard clock not only gives every player a common opponent, but a clear, visible and constant opponent. Using time limits always speeds up the shooting groups–it does not allow a shooter to take too much time in shooting. The phrase “Be quick, but don’t be in a hurry” is a great phrase that should be used often in this drill and in games. When in a game does a shooter, a passer, or any player have the luxury to take his time and to go at a “comfort speed?” By continually accelerating players in all drills (not just shooting), coaches get players used to having a much-quicker “comfort speed.”
Every drill must also be as time-efficient as possible, because no practice time can afford to be wasted. This can be accomplished by incorporating other offensive techniques and fundamentals into each shooting drill, such as passing, rebounding, cutting, coming off of screens, catching, pivoting, as well as the shooting. Coaching staffs should incorporate the spots where the player will most likely get those shots in games, as well as the types of passes used in games. Also coaches should place the passers where they will pass the ball in game situations. Shooters should start in their initial locations and the shooters are required to cut and break to the spots where they most likely will take the shots in games. Passers are required to use the same type of passes they will use in a game, always at game speed. Passers are forced to quickly AND accurately make the appropriate passes that they will make in a game. Sometimes have managers or coaches can have their hands up in front of the shooters to act as dummy defenders. Rebounders are encouraged to aggressively offensively rebound the basketball before making quick and accurate outlet passes as they would in a real game. If the coach constantly emphasizes the speed and intensity needed, other drills that follow in that day’s practice will naturally pick up the same speed and intensity levels that are required for those drills to be successful. Another by-product from these shooting drills can be conditioning. If everyone works at meeting the “quantity and quality” standards that have been set, every player’s physical conditioning will also improve.
In the many different types of shooting drills that incorporate the “55 Second Offensive/Shooting Drill” theme, there are three players involved. See Diagram 7.
One player is the designated “Passer” (02), one the designated “Shooter” (03), and one is the “Rebounder” (01). After 55 seconds, all three players rotate over one designation and the drill is executed again.
The “Passer” rotates to the “Shooter,” the “Shooter” rotates to the “Rebounder” station and the “Rebounder” rotates to become the next “Passer.” See Diagram 8. 55 seconds later, the three players then rotate for the last time (on that side of the court.) See Diagram 9.
There should not be more than 5 seconds for the transition and the player rotation. In three short minutes, each player receives almost one minute of concentrated work on offensive skills of passing, catching and shooting, and rebounding and outlet passing. The best rotation is from “Passer” to “Shooter” to “Rebounder” and on to a different shooting location, where the three-man rotation starts again. It is important to notice that this drill is not only called the “55 Second Offensive/Shooting Drill to demonstrate the drill lasts 55 seconds (before there is a rotation), but to also emphasize that the drill is not just a shooting drill, but a rebounding and outlet passing drill, a cutting and pass receiving drill, and a passing drill. Otherwise this would mean that the remaining two players in the drill other than the shooter are not as important and do not need to work as hard at the various fundamentals they need to be working on. On the contrary, the two players that are not shooting in this drill are equally important and should work just as hard as the shooter in the drill.
Diagrams 10 and 11 are illustrations of the shooter shooting from the wing areas on the offense’s right and left side of the court, with the passer making the pass from the top of the key. Other examples could be of the shooter shooting from the deep corner after receiving the pass from various spots where he could receive the ball from in games. Those spots could be from the weakside wing area on a “skip pass,” from the ballside wing area on a “down pass,” or possibly from the ballside low post area on a “kick-out pass.”
The locations of the designated “Shooters” and the placement of the designated “Passers” can vary to fit the specific offense’s needs, while the “Rebounders” obviously always remain near the basket to grab the rebound, outside pivot (away from the imaginary defense or against a manager), and make the outlet pass to the “Passer.” See Diagrams 12 thru 16 for just some of the possible combinations of passing and shooting locations the drill could utilize on just one side of the court (even though the drills could and should be utilized on both sides of the court). These passing and shooting spots should be determined by the coaching staff analyzing the particular offense(s) used and where passes and shots are generated from those offenses.
The “Pivot and Pass Offensive Drill” and the “55 Second Offensive Drill” are the two most valuable drills a coaching staff could use because they allow coaches an excellent opportunity to not only teach the techniques the proper way, but they give each player game realistic opportunities to learn the skills, to practice the skills and to improve those necessary skills. Each drill is multi-faceted, with several techniques being able to be worked on at the same time by different participating players. The drills are game-realistic and competitive which brings out the best in players and can then include physical conditioning. This saves valuable time in the practices, so that these and other drills can be used more often for coaches to teach and coach players as well as for the players to learn and improve in the various skills that are needed for individual and team success.
About the Author
Coach Kimble held the Head Basketball Coaching position at Deland-Weldon (IL) High School for five years (91-43) that included 2 Regional Championships, 2 Regional Runner-Ups and 1 Sectional Tournament Runner-up. He then moved to Dunlap (IL) High School (90-45) with 2 Regional Runners-up, 1 Regional, 1 Sectional and 1 Super-Sectional Championship and a final 2nd Place Finish in the Illinois Class A State Tournament. He was an Assistant Basketball Coach at Central Florida Community College in Ocala, FL for 1 year before becoming Offensive Coordinator and then Associate Head Coach for 3 additional years He then was the Head Basketball Coach at Crestview (FL) High School for 10 years, averaging over 16 wins per season.
He has had articles published in the following publications such as: The Basketball Bulletin of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Scholastic Coach and Athletic Journal, Winning Hoops, Basketball Sense, and American Basketball Quarterly. He has also written and has had five books published along with over 25 different DVDs by Coaches Choice and Fever River Sports Production.
See him on Twitter @CoachJohnKimble and his Web Page “www.CoachJohnKimble.com”
This pst was written by Peter Lonergan, Manager Basketball Development and Communications, Northern Suburbs Basketball Association–Australia.
When deciding on which offensive structure or system to implement with a team, it is important to understand what components make for a successful offense. The “six point checklist for offensive structure” can assist in simplifying the choice of structure and ensures that the coach does not waste time implementing and teaching an offensive system that does not provide consistent scoring opportunities.
Perhaps the most important aspect before even selecting your offensive structure or putting it to the “six point test” is that it suits your playing personnel and is something your players have the ability and skills to operate.
Any offensive system will only be as good as the fundamental base of the players and the bulk of practice and preparation time should be devoted to individual skill development.
The next step is to put your offensive structure or system to the “six point checklist”.
DOES YOUR OFFENSIVE SET OR STRUCTURE HAVE:
· Opportunities in transition (early offense)
· Spacing
· In-built ball reversal
· Opportunity for dribble penetration
· Opportunity for post play
· Opportunity for shooters
To effectively challenge the defense and provide high quality scoring opportunities, it is important an offensive structure or system has most, if not all, of the above qualities.
1. OPPORTUNITIES IN TRANSITION (Early Offense)
Any offensive system needs to be able to provide scoring opportunities early in the possession, either after a defensive stop or a made basket. Basic full court organization, perhaps with an inbuilt counter for extended pressure and clear roles for all players in transition, are valuable in creating quality shots early in the possession and possibly “easy” baskets. The transition or early offensive system needs to flow quickly and smoothly into the half court set to ensure shot clock pressure is not created as the offense “burns” clock in getting organized.
2. SPACING
This is perhaps the most important aspect of any offense. Without it, the ability of individuals to execute one on one skills and key elements such as post play and penetration are limited. Whatever the system being used, all players need to have an understanding of spacing and just as importantly, how to identify and react accordingly when spacing is poor.
3. IN-BUILT BALL REVERSAL
As with spacing, the ability to shift the defense through ball reversal is essential to effective team offense. Most effective offensive systems have “in-built” ball reversal, that is, they explore one side of the floor, then create action away from the ball and a conduit to take the ball to that action on the opposite side of the floor. This can be achieved through stepping interior players to the perimeter to reverse the ball, or reversing through the post.
4. OPPORTUNITY FOR DRIBBLE PENETRATION
Ask coaches what is the toughest thing to defend in the half court. Many will reply containing the ball and handling dribble penetration. Penetration of the ball into the key is a vital element of team offense and places pressure on the defense in terms of stopping the ball and then reacting to players in receiver spots. The “drive and kick game” has become more and more prevalent with the change to the FIBA shot clock and most players have the ability to break down an opponent off the dribble. It is essential for an offensive system to provide “penetration lanes” and create action that leads to close-outs and opportunities to “put pressure on the rim” through dribble penetration.
5. OPPORTUNITY FOR POST PLAY
The focus of any offensive system is to create quality, high percentage scoring opportunities and this is often done through the post or creating shots in the lane. The lane and post area can be described as the “80 per cent land of opportunity” so common sense would suggest it a sound idea to create action that provides scoring opportunities in this area of the floor.
6. OPPORTUNITY FOR SHOOTERS
When all is said and done, the name of the game is scoring and putting the ball in the hoop. This can be done in a variety of ways, but good teams combine a combination of early offense, with post play, shots in the lane and perimeter shooting. To ensure a team is both hard to guard and scout, creating opportunities for shooters is important in providing offensive balance and making for a balanced attack.
If an offensive set or system has all the above ingredients and players have a fundamental base, there is a strong chance it will provide plenty of quality scoring opportunities.
This checklist can also be used as a reference point during games. Often the offense may struggle because one of the above six points is not in place.
There are rarely magic solutions to team offense or coaching in general, but the application of this checklist and reference to it during the course of practice and games is one way to ensure your team is a tough proposition for any defense.
These notes from Arkansas’ Mike Neighbors. The topic starts as Transition offense, but there are a few ideas from other areas as well. They were originally posted on Bob Starkey’s HoopThoughts Blog
Two clinic curses:
1. Can’t take it all back
2. I can’t do that because…
“Be good at the things you do a lot.” -Pete Carril
Chart success of your line ups
How fast can you function
Reward role players
1. Win race
2. How many screens set
Transition is about race and space
MN: Player loses two races in a row and she comes out.
Not running floor you’re either tired or unengaged
Rim runners (MN calls “Rabbits”) make for a great transition offense.
Goal for rabbit is to occupy the deed defensive transition player
“Locks” are the left and right corner runners.
“Ball” refers to point guard
“Dragon” refers to trailer
Defender back peddling can’t defend offensive player running down hill
“Make the defense wrong.”
“Reward decision making, not actions.”
Outlet — must be quick or long (or both)
Point guard is passing up the street or crossing the street with the dribble
Doesn’t like to feed the “rabbit” below the foul line on the run — chases her opposite the ball.
“Boom” is call for double drag when Rabbit is late.
“Pirate” = roll and post up
Need a good zone offense because people don’t want to guard you.
MN: We only have 4 players (with options)
Man: defense decides match up
Zone: offense decides match up
“If your best player isn’t getting the most shots, you suck as a coach.”
Key ball screen concepts: Arrive w/out a defender (change speed, direction, angles)
How are you occupying the help
“Argue with an idiot long enough and no one will know who the idiot is.”
Green light shooting…player is given “green light” on game day because she met a set numbers from a series of shooting drills. Players have to earn their “license.”
Ball screen defense — you need to play it more than one way. “Switchin’ and Fixin’”
Post defense: chin on shoulder
Wall up because their aren’t enough good post players to score
If transition defense walls up as a team to take point guard penetration away, your trailer has to be open.
Don’t let coaches pass in drills…use players do all the passing to improve their passing.
Advice he got from Coach Gary Blair: Be great at something.
Submitted by Coach John Kimble of CoachJohnKimble.com
Retired high school and college coach
Follow him on Twitter @CoachJohnKimble
ZONE MOTION OFFENSES vs. ZONE CONTINUITY OFFENSES
Some coaches believe in choosing various forms of motion offenses in their zone offensive attacks that will then give freedom to their offensive players and also create a high level of unpredictability to opposing defenses. Coaches disagreeing with this type of philosophy will state that unpredictable movement is good, but movement with no purpose or fundamental value is not good.
It is difficult for the proper player to have proper movement at the proper time. This ‘motion’ philosophy may also give individual offensive players so much freedom that their indecisiveness in choosing their movement may actually stifle the movement desired. Many offensive players (and teams) may need more structure in their offensive play and more help in their offensive decision making.
Another group of coaches believe in maintaining a high level of controlling what their individual players can and cannot do, based on the coaching staff’s evaluations of individual and team’ offensive abilities. This can be achieved by utilizing half-court continuity offenses that provide structure to offensive players.
Opponents of using the continuity offense philosophy complain that it makes the offensive players too predictable in their movements and the predictability makes it easier for opponents to defend. Additionally, some coaches believe that it makes offensive players ‘robots on specific tracks.’
We want to institute somewhat of a blend of both philosophies and try to get the best of both worlds. And that is a continuity offense that can smoothly transition from one phase to the final phase, which is a continuity offense that has some freedom as well as a structure in the form of rules. Every time a player has the basketball and makes a pass to one of his other four teammates, there is a rule that provides structure and helps guide the movement of all five players.
It is not a rigid offense because the player with the ball realistically has at least three (of his four) teammates that he can almost always pass the ball. Each pass from any of the five “spot-up” locations then has at least three potential pass receivers. Therefore, there is the freedom of making the pass to different players and thus a high degree of unpredictability of what movement takes place after the unpredictable pass is made.
Depending on which zone offense is utilized, there are various (movement-of-players) rules based on the type of pass that is made. The various types of (purposeful and fundamentally sound) movement by players are dictated by the type of pass that is made. There are possible passes from a ‘wing spot-up’ location down to a ‘deep corner spot-up’ location that includes a corresponding movement rule. Passes from a ‘wing spot-up’ location down to a ‘short-corner spot-up’ location has its own movement rule.
There can be passes made to post players that possesses “inside pass” rules. There must be “wing pass” rules, “skip pass” rules, “down pass” and “up pass” rules as well as “reverse pass” rules. The opposition will have a high degree of difficulty knowing the type of movement that follows the specific pass that was made and therefore defending that type of movement. These rules give the offense a degree of structure, but still provides freedom of fluid and unpredictable movement by all offensive players.
SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM ONE PHASE OF THE ZONE OFFENSEINTO THE FINAL PHASE of ATTACK
We want to place all of our offensive players “in positions to succeed.” This means that every offensive play/entry out of the offensive sets/alignments has multiple objectives. The initial objective of every play/entry is to immediately “place the right people in the right place” so that those players can utilize their specific strengths, minimize their individual weaknesses and therefore have better opportunities to score quickly and directly off of the play.
Another major (but not immediate) objective of each play is that if the entry does not produce a shot, all five offensive players end up in what we call “spot-ups.” These “spot-ups’ are the five specific locations/positions on the floor that allow the designated continuity offense to immediately flow from the finished entry into the designated continuity offense—giving the opposition’s defense absolutely no time to adjust or recover from their attempt of defending the offense’s entry.
This philosophy of flowing smoothly and immediately from half-court entries/plays (that do not produce shots) should and is incorporated from the other offensive avenues of attack—Press Offenses flowing into Primary Fastbreaks that flow into Secondary Fastbreaks into the designated continuity offense as well as from ‘Defense-to-Offense’ Primary Fastbreaks that flow into Secondary Fastbreaks into the desired continuity offense.
In addition, all Baseline and Sideline Out-of-Bounds plays should also possess the ability of smoothly and instantly flowing into the continuity offense that is to be executed.
Utilizing various plays can highlight individual player’s offensive skills while attacking weaknesses of both individual defenders as well as the overall team defense in the form of quick-hitting plays. These plays can also serve as a conduit to smoothly flow into the designated continuity offense.
The entries can move the zone defenders as well as disguising how the offensive team is proceeding to attack the zone defense. This adds another layer of unpredictability to the overall offensive attack. The zone defense must first place all attention and effort into attempting to stop the entry/play and without any time for reorganization or regrouping to then attempt to defend the continuity zone offense.
This is the philosophy behind each and every zone continuity offense and its package of entries/plays that we firmly believe in. It must be emphasized that a team can have an excess of entries/plays as well as too many different continuity zone offenses. Therefore, a coaching staff must evaluate its personnel both physically and mentally to make sure the correct offenses and the correct number of offenses are chosen.
“ZONE OFFENSE CONCEPTS”
Concept 1: A successful zone offensive package must require simplicity (for its own offensive players) possibly as its main component. Players must know what their assignments and responsibilities are in each phase of the offensive attack. Coaching staffs must evaluate their team’s mental abilities as much or more than their squad’s physical skills and talents to determine its mental capacity and how much that team can utilize other important characteristics and traits such as ‘’Fluidity,’ Multiplicity,’ ‘Flexibility,’ ‘Expandability,’ ‘Adaptability’ and ‘Unpredictability.’ From these characteristics comes the ability to be so unpredictable to opposing defenses that the offense can have such high degrees of success.
Concept 2: Regardless of the number of offensive sets utilized and the number of offensive plays/entries/quick-hitters that are implemented; each play must have the ability to instantly, seamlessly and fluidly flow into the chosen continuity zone offense. This gives the offensive package separate (on paper) phases of offensive attack that blend so smoothly that it appears on the court to be one long continuous offensive assault on the opposition’s zone defense. This is the very important ‘Fluidity’ characteristic.
Concept 3: Once the ‘Simplicity’ factor and the ‘Fluidity’ trait has been integrated into the package, many other very important characteristics/traits can be implemented, with the ‘Multiplicity’ trait quite possibly being the most important. This is because the ‘Multiplicity’ characteristics are the bridge to many other more valuable traits. Being able to have multiple plays, multiple sets/alignments and multiple continuities is invaluable to an offensive system. This allows the offense to be more varied and less predictable to opposing defenses, while still maintaining a degree of simplicity for your own team.
Concept 4: An offensive package that is ‘Multiple’ also allows the offense to be ‘Flexible,’ ‘Expandable’ and ‘Adaptable.’ If an offensive team has the ability to change its method of attack because of the opposition’s defensive strengths and weaknesses, it will be a much more successful offense and add more ways to attack the opposition’s defense, then it increases its offensive strengths exponentially. This is the important characteristic of ‘Flexibility.’
Concept 5: An overall offensive scheme that possesses the strength of also being expandable always gives the offensive team the potential to add other types or forms of attack as the season progresses to become a more explosive offensive team. This is the characteristic we call ‘Expandability.’
Concept 6: If an offensive team has the ability to change or vary its plan of attack because of game ‘time and situation’ factors in the middle of a game or because of personnel changes in the middle of the season, then it increases a team’s chance for a more successful season. This is the important characteristic of ‘Adaptability.’
Concept 7: An offensive package that is ‘Multiple,’ and/or ‘Flexible,’ and/or ‘Expandable’ and/or ‘Adaptable’ will very much possess the all-important weapon of being unpredictable to all opposing teams. If an offensive team can make changes in how it attacks opposition’s defenses from game to game and even from quarter to quarter of the same game, it makes it extremely difficult for any defense to attempt to solve the offensive plan that can constantly change. This is the important characteristic of ‘Unpredictability.’
Concept 8: Utilize a primary and secondary fast break system that is compatible with and that fully complements your zone offense package.
Concept 9: Use different sets/alignments and entries/plays to be more varied and less predictable to opposing defenses. Various sets and entries can be used to become less predictable to the opposition while still maintaining a degree of simplicity for your own team.
Concept 10: Every zone defense has inherent weaknesses. Coaches should learn the particular styles of the zone defense that are being used by your opponents (the basic slides and responsibilities in that zone) so that they may attack and capitalize on the weaknesses of each defense.
Concept 11: Capitalize on the strengths of the offensive alignment/set by distorting the shape of the original zone defense to stretch the zone both vertically as well as horizontally (such as wing players slightly below the FT line extended and/or post players aligned in the ‘short corner’ area.)
Concept 12: Having a zone offense continuity with clearly defined responsibilities and assignments can create levels of specialization that will showcase individual player’s talent levels and improve the overall effectiveness of the zone offense.
Concept 13: Capitalize on your offensive personnel’s individual strengths via various entries/plays or different alignments/sets.
Concept 14: Use different entries and/or alignments to capitalize on an opposing individual’s defensive weaknesses. Make sure that the ending spot-ups of each entry/play fit the beginning spot-ups locations of the designated continuity offense.
Concept 15: With some zone offensive sets, begin certain offensive plays/entries with ‘false ball movement’ and/or ‘false player movement.’ This concept could be compared to a football team “shifting” from one offensive formation and actually ending up in a different offensive formation before the action actually begins (causing defensive problems).
Concept 16: If an offensive team is mentally able to handle it, some offensive sets can be camouflaged by actually beginning in one alignment, then using a form of ‘false ball movement;’ before then ‘shifting’ into the actual desired zone offense set.
Concept 17: Make sure that defensive transition responsibilities (i.e., preventing opponents from getting into their fast break offense) are clear-cut and carried out by all five players in the zone offense.
Concept 18: Have clear-cut offensive rebounding responsibility rules for all five players in the zone offense and make sure that they are executed by every player in the zone offense.
Concept 19: Reverse the ball to force the defensive zone to defend both sides of the floor. This allows the zone to horizontally stretch and therefore weaken the defense.
Concept 20: Attack the zone defense from behind the defense’s back-line of the zone with various types of cuts, often from along the baseline. This is another way of stretching the zone defense vertically.
Concept 21: Flatten the zone defense by getting the basketball down to the baseline and then reverse the ball quickly to the opposite side of the floor. This is another way of stretching the zone first in a vertical manner and then in a horizontal manner.
Concept 22: Maintain good floor balance and spacing in the zone offense.
Concept 23: Zone offensive players should know the value of the dribble and utilize the dribble properly. Utilize the various dribbles in each of the various zone offenses: Pull Down Dribbles, Gap Dribbles, Pull Up Dribbles and Freeze Dribbles
Concept 24: When catching the basketball, zone offensive players should be prepared to become immediate offensive threats as shooters, passers, or dribblers.
Concept 25: Zone offensive players should remember the value of ball fakes and shot fakes. All zones are ball oriented and will react to the basketball.
Concept 26: Zone offensive players should remember the value and then utilize skip passes.
Concept 27: Screen defenders in the zone defense with on-the-ball screens and/or off-the-ball screens (such as back, flare, pin and interior screens).
Concept 28: Using cutters (from the perimeter who cut through the heart of the zone defense to the opposite side of the offense) is another effective method of attacking zone defenses.
Concept 29: Anytime the ball is passed into the middle of a zone defense, the receiver should look to ‘extend the pass,’ to a teammate that is closer to the basket and on to the opposite side of the floor from where the original pass originated.
Concept 30: If the ball is passed inside to a post player, perimeter players should flare-cut to the various soft spots in the zone defense and be prepared to quickly catch and shoot off of the pass. This cutting action after inside passes are made again can stretch the zone both vertically as well as horizontally.
Concept 31: Post players should ‘gap-cut’ in the middle of the zone defense. Once the defense’s perimeter has been stretched thin, the middle is vulnerable and should be attacked. Attacking the middle of the zone with ‘gap cuts’ starting from behind the zone should be very productive.
Concept 32: Zone offenses should have an ‘inside-out’ perimeter shooting attack as well as an ‘outside-in’ type of attack.
Concept 33: When passing the ball to offensive post players, perimeter players should use bounce-passes away from the post defenders (unless it is a lob pass to a player behind the zone).
Concept 34: Offensive post players should look to obtain (and maintain) body position advantages over their post defenders.
Concept 35: If zone defenses try to deny the inside scoring of the offense, ‘skip passes’ should be utilized to attack the defense’s weaknesses in its over-commitment of its interior defense.
Concept 36: After ‘skip passes’ are made, post players should seal off the post defenders that deny them the ball on the original ballside and be prepared to receive the pass from the original weakside.
Concept 37: When zone defenders react to the ‘skip pass,’ a second ‘skip pass’ back to the original ballside can be very effective. A phrase “One good ‘skip pass’ deserves another” should be taught and utilized in every type of offense that is used.
Concept 38: Post players should know and effectively implement specific offensive post moves after catching the ball in the zone defense’s interior, such as:
*The “Show-and-Go-Opposite” offensive post move.
*The “Square-Up and Up-and-Under” move.
*The “Whirl” Move (sometimes called the ‘Olajuwon Move’).
*The “Duck-In” Move into either a power move or a face-up move.
*The “Spin-and-Post-Up” move when the defense is fronting the ‘duck-in’ move.
Concept 39: The “Shifting” concept is simply when offensive personnel move or shift (on cue) from their original locations to different locations before the play/entry/quick-hitter begins—changing the offensive set from one to another (before the defense can adjust.)
Concept 40: The “(False) Motion” concept is when offensive personnel move from their original locations (on a designated time) after the ball and player movement—disguising what the offense’s final alignment and intended action (to confuse and weaken the defense.
Concept 41: The “Combo Offense” concept is executing one continuity offense and when at a designated ‘trigger point,’ the offense simply converts to an entirely different continuity offense with no delays or interruptions.
About the Author
Coach Kimble was the Head Basketball Coaching position at Deland-Weldon (IL) High School for five years (91-43) that included 2 Regional Championships, 2 Regional Runner-Ups and 1 Sectional Tournament Runner-up. He then moved to Dunlap (IL) High School (90-45) with 2 Regional Runners-up, 1 Regional, 1 Sectional and 1 Super-Sectional Championship and a final 2nd Place Finish in the Illinois Class A State Tournament. He was an Assistant Basketball Coach at Central Florida Community College in Ocala, FL for 1 year before becoming Offensive Coordinator and then Associate Head Coach for 3 additional years He then was the Head Basketball Coach at Crestview (FL) High School for 10 years, averaging over 16 wins per season.
He has had articles published in the following publications such as: The Basketball Bulletin of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Scholastic Coach and Athletic Journal, Winning Hoops, Basketball Sense, and American Basketball Quarterly. He has also written and has had five books published along with over 25 different DVDs by Coaches Choice and Fever River Sports Production.
See him on Twitter @CoachJohnKimble and his Web Page “www.CoachJohnKimble.com”
—Excerpted from the book, “Stuff Good Players Should Know” by Dick DeVenzio
Posted with permission from PGCBasketball
PLAYERS OFTEN TAKE SHOTS IN PRACTICE THEY CAN MAKE AGAINST THEIR SECOND LINE, BUT NOT AGAINST THE BETTER PLAYERS THEY FACE IN BIG GAMES.
I invented the term LONHOBIRAT some time ago to indicate what I thought was most important about shot selection. It means, get a Lay-up Or a shot with No Hand up, On Balance, In your Range with Adequate Time to shoot.
The word covers most of what is important in selecting shots but, over a period of time, I found myself changing my own way of teaching shot selection. Yes, those are still the ingredients to be considered, but now I use a numbering system. I begin by simply watching a scrimmage and requiring that my players find a shot that elates me.
When they get a shot that elates me, I call it a 7. If we get a wide open lay-up—a shot we will literally make 99 times out of a hundred, I give that a 9. There is no such thing as a perfect 10. Even an NBA superstar with a wide open dunk can miss. So the best shot possible is a 9.
During a practice, when I call something as not a particularly good shot, a player is likely to argue, “Coach, I can make that shot.”
Indeed, he may very well have just made it. But the problem is, too many shots that athletes choose in practice may score against the second team defense but not against the better players they will face in big games. In other words, the so-so shot that manages to go in during practice too often misses during a game.
As a result, you look back after a big game that you lost by a few points and you have to admit that you chose your way to failure. The other team didn’t beat you. You chose shots that were so so and it’s no big surprise that you missed them.
You cannot let your team choose the very shots in practice that will assure them of losing big games for you. Therefore, other than wanting my players to know that being on balance, being within their range, and having adequate time are all important, I want them—during the action of practice scrimmages—to realize that I’m not interested in arguing about details. I just want to be elated. If the shot was taken a bit off balance, a bit too fast, or a bit too far out, who cares which bit it is? I’m just not elated with that shot, and so taking that shot in practice is not leading us to the promised land.
I give these so-so shots that most teams toss up willingly everyday in practice a 5. They go in fairly often, but they don’t lead to wins in big games, which is precisely what you practice for. (You can win easy games without practice.)
When watching practice, I can yell out instantly what a shot is worth. Anytime I’m not sure, I yell the number in between. Am I elated? Then 7. Not sure, but it’s better than a so-so 5? Okay, I give the shot a 6.
When you start thinking about shots in this way, and get your team thinking about them in this way, it becomes a lot easier to get everyone on the same page about shot selection.
Should everyone be allowed to shoot an open shot? Of course not. Everyone should be allowed to shoot a shot that elates me.
The more you practice and the better shooter a player becomes, the more I am likely to be elated by his choices. But every player has the same requirement: elate me.
The reason I have gotten away from talking much about LONHOBIRAT is the L part, the lay-up. I find one of the most common problems teams have is the number of lay-ups they choose and miss, particularly by post players inside.
You work hard teaching guards to look inside and get the ball inside to your big men, and then your big men toss up some whirling loopty-doo shots and—Hello? We’re supposed to all be happy with them?
Sorry. Just because a shot is taken close to the basket does not mean it’s a good shot. In fact, most big men have a habit of turning potential 7s and 9s into 5s and even 3s by tossing up shots that have very little chance of going in.
Often they are going to their weak side, tossing up shots over the hands of defenders who are taller, stronger, and better than the players they face in practice each day. Small wonder that they miss these shots.
Your big men have to be taught to go strong to the basket with their strong hand; otherwise, there is a very good chance they will take a shot that will go in only occasionally when it really matters.
Even more important, big men are very likely to shoot too fast, a problem most young coaches fail to recognize because they think the shot must be taken quickly to avoid nearby defenders.
Yet the best big men in the world take their time and take the shot they want. They don’t hurry. They rely on strength and technique, not speed and surprise.
You must make sure your big people take high percentage shots, just as you have to assure it in your guards who want to stand beyond the three-point arc and toss up prayers. If you don’t demand great shot selection during your practices, you are very unlikely to find yourself elated with your shot selection after your games.
The best way I know to get the shots you want is by making them a requirement in your daily line game scrimmages. When you see a shot that fails to elate you, you don’t need to bother with explanations that irritate your players. Blow that whistle.
Get them to the line, and let some of your players say it. “You weren’t exactly elated with that shot, were you, Coach?”
No, you weren’t elated. The shot went in. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great. It wasn’t what you wanted your player to select. It was so-so, and you were glad the team recognized it.
You could use a shot like that some day, at the end of a quarter or when a shot clock violation is about to occur. But you don’t want your players choosing that shot in practice; and it makes things a lot easier to have some of them telling you, rather than you constantly having to correct and criticize them.
—Excerpted from the book, “Running the Show”
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