Transition/Conversion Drills

Basketball Drills Tom Izzo Transition

By Brian Williams on July 8, 2014

This video is of Tom Izzo going through a conversion/transition build up drill.

The drill starts out 2 on 1, then comes back as 3 on 2 into 4 on 3 into 5 on 4 and completes with 5 on 5.

You can make it competitive by diving into different colored teams and keep score.

To learn more about the entire DVD that this sample came from, click here: All Access Michigan State Basketball Practice.

Anyone who purchases anything from the store receives one of my basketball coaching eBooks as a bonus.

Just email me and let me know which one you would like to receive!

Make sure your sound is on as you click the play arrow for the video.

To learn more about the entire DVD that this sample came from, click here: All Access Michigan State Basketball Practice. Anyone who purchases anything from the store receives one of my basketball coaching eBooks as a bonus. Just email me and let me know which one you would like to receive!

Basketball Drills Quick Strike Transition Drill

By Brian Williams on February 11, 2014

The name of the drill is Quick Strike and its purpose is to work on both transition offense and conversion defense.

The drill is from Arkansas’ Mike Neighbors.

I heard him speak at a clinic and he said that if he were allowed to use only 2 drills, this would be one of them.

The description below the video is a slightly different version of the drill that he used to run.

Like all of our drills, this one has evolved and improved over time.

The video of this rebounding drill is hosted on You Tube.

You will need to be on a network that allows you to access You Tube.

Click the play arrow to view the video.

There is narration with the video, so please make sure that your sound is on.

Quick strike emphasizes both transition offense and defense. It also reinforces shot selection, decision making. and eliminating turnovers.

The drill is about the scoring and teaching opportunities that it presents as you try to teach transition offense and defense.

You must have a score clock (shot clock is best) or a stop watch that counts down.

Divide players into two-colored teams all on one end of the floor. Begin the drill by tossing the ball to the white team putting them into transition attack mode and blue team into transition defense.

The clock starts at 15 seconds since we are emphasizing transition offense and a quick attack.

If blue scores they are awarded points based on how much time has elapsed from the 15 second clock… For example, if they push the ball up quickly and score with 10 seconds left they get 10 points. The action never stops and White now attacks in transition as Blue defends.

No points are scored if the team does not score. You will need to decide how you score points for fouls. One way would be to award all 15 points to the offense if the defense fouls, regardless of how much time remains on the clock.

Again the clock is re-set as they begin their attack. This continues for a set # of possessions, to a certain score, or a set amount of time…

You can imagine the importance this places on communication and decision making.

LOTS of teaching points for your transition.

“Milk the Clock” using the Quick Strike Basketball Transition Drill

You can also use it as a drill to teach and rehearse milking the shot clock if you have a lead. Even if you are a high school coach in a state without a shot clock, you can use this drill to have your players practice running clock at the end of the game without going into an actual stall.

To practice milking the clock, run the same drill, but the team scores for how much time they took off the clock when they score. For example, if you have a 30 second shot clock or want to practice running 30 seconds off before you score without a shot clock.

An example would be: Put 30 seconds on the clock and give one team the basketball. Stop the clock when the ball goes in the basket. If it goes in at 8 seconds left on the clock, they score 22 points. If it goes in at 5 seconds left on the clock, they get 25 points. When there is a change of possession, either on a made basket, a defensive rebound, or a turnover, start the clock again at 30 seconds for the other team.

Basketball Drills Convert to Defense

By Brian Williams on January 21, 2014

Our teams convert to defense after almost every offensive possession-other than dead ball turnovers.

It is also much tougher to score against our set half court defense.

That makes it important that we work at being very good in our conversion defense.

These 3 drills are conversion defense drills from the previous post:

Another aspect of conversion defense that I never practiced enough was converting after we miss (or make) a free throw. It happens a lot in games, but isn’t practiced enough, in my opinion.

“Things Basketball Teams Do a Lot” You Can view that post by clicking here: “Things Basketball Teams Do a Lot”

All of this information came from Coach Mike Neighbors, Arkansas women’s head coach.

Tip Drill

Drill begins with teams divided into two colors… Purple and White for the Huskies.

They are lined up alternating colors in a line stretching toward half court. Allow two players from the defensive team to start near half court to simulate our FULLBACK and HALFBACK transition responsibilities.

On the whistle the ball is tipped onto the glass with tipper going to back of line and next player keeping the tip going. When the ball is in hands of the offense coach blows whistle again (or yells shot). The offense goes in transition as the defense retreats.

We go until we get transition stopped. As the season progresses allow offense to flow into action that you must defend as well. Change what you allow as the season goes to create variation and emphasis.

We make the drill competitive by putting 4:00 on the clock. The clock runs during the time the ball is being tipped off the glass and is in live play. If the defense is successful in their efforts the clock stays on the time when the ball is stopped. For example, after first tipping it might be at 3:38. If the defense however is unsuccessful the clock is re-set to 4:00. This builds toughness.

** Once the team gets the time into the 2:00s you reset to 3:00 rather than 4:00. Once the get into the 1:00s you reset to 2:00 and so on until the clock reads 0:00…

Get Back Drill

Players 1 and 2 are on defense. Players 3 and 4 are defenders. Coach has the ball. Tosses the ball to 3 or 4. 1 turns and SPRINTS back as the FULLBACK. 2 then must SPRINT back to get AHEAD of the BALL and try to slow the attack.

In diagram 2, we have added player 5 on offense and player 6 on defense to simulate 3-on-3 play.

We will slowly begin to add players and manipulate the number of defenders to get the advantage/disadvantage situations in which we drill.

To add to fun of the drill, after the coach passes the ball to the offense we will turn and using a blocking pad try to impede the progress of the last defender.

Progressive Fast Break

Great drill for teaching transition offense and defense simultaneously. Also stresses importance of making FT’s, taking advantage of “numbers” situations.

Divide team into two colors. Try to get even number of guards and forwards if possible but not critical. We score the drill as a normal game with 1s, 2s, and 3s.

White team player a White team player attempts a FT. Two Blue defenders play the make/miss. The white player converts to defense.

Once the possession is complete without stopping the action, two additional white team players come from the baseline to join the original white team player as they attack the two blue team players who are retreating into a 3‐on‐2 advantage/disadvantage situation. Complete
this possession then without stopping add TWO blue team players and they attack in a 4‐on‐3 situation… this continues until you have built it into a 5‐on‐5 situation. At the completion of the 5‐on‐5, start again with BLUE team player attempting a FT.

Basketball Drills Transition Skill Drills

By Brian Williams on November 27, 2013

Today’s post is more drills from a collection put together by Nate Hill, Assistant Boys Coach at Colonel Crawford High School in North Robinson Ohio.

These drills are transition finishing and defending drills.

He has coached for 18 years from 7th grade through Varsity Head Coach.

He has also started a basketball coaching newsletter.

You can see find more information about the Newsletter at this link: Next Level 419 Coaching Newsletter

In case you have any questions or comments for Coach Hill, here is his email address: [email protected]

Diagrams created with FastDraw

21 Skip

1 on 2 start at half court and the drill starts with 2 hand overhand skip pass.

On the skip 1 and 2 attack the defender.

The defender wants to get outside the lane to stop the drive.

Shooter (1) goes to defense and must touch half court.

Defender and passer (2) get rebound and outlet to 3 or 4 quick.

3 and 4 skip pass to next offensive players in line.

x4 and x3 are now on offense.

Get the outlets passes out quick so the defense works hard.

11 Attack

Full court 1 on 1.

Offense starts with sprint and receives pass from coach.

The defense cannot leave until offense touches top of jump circle.

Defense tries to force offense outside the elbows, offense tries to stay inside the elbows.

1 made layup or 2 got rebound and outlets to coach.

2 sprints back on offense. 3 runs to circle and 2 catches ball, runs thru the circle, and attacks the
rim.

1 and 3 are teammates, and 2 and 4 are teammates. 1st to 3 makes wins. Call fouls loosely. Be able to take contact.

21 Attack

1 gets pass and must run through the middle of the circle.

2 cannot leave until he touches 1.

3 cannot leave until 1 gets to circle. 1 finishes with contact.

1 is on defense, and 2 and 3 are on offense.

2 must take it out on a make.

Keep score and switch offense and defenses.

&nsp;

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

Basketball Drills Transition Buildup

By Brian Williams on October 18, 2013

This video is of former BYU’s Men’s Head Basketball Coach Dave Rose

The video is a YouTube video so make sure that you are on a server that allows YouTube access.

If you are not, I have a link to be able to watch the video on the Championship Productions site.

I have also listed some other transition drills that have already been posted on the site below the video.

If you are interested in purchasing this or any other Championship DVD, you can use this link:

Dave Rose Transition Buildup

Make sure your sound is on.