Basketball Workouts

This article was written and submitted by JP Nerbun of Thrive on Challenge

Over the last month, one of the most dominant challenges and topics of conversations I have had with mentees and other coaches has been getting “player buy-in” to an offseason program.

One feeling coaches continue to articulate is this: “I care so much more than my players. They just don’t seem to want it like I do.”

Does this sound familiar to you? Probably. I know, I can empathize.

Standards to Control or Empower

When we are building a program, what is one of the first things we look to do? Set standards! We tend to believe everyone needs more standards and higher standards. We can all work harder, smarter, and more consistently! Right? And we seem to have this belief that if we simply raise standards kids will rise to that standard as if that is all it takes! But the flaw in this approach is that they are often done in a way to “control” behavior instead of empower individuals and build character.

And when we set standards in an effort to control or get compliance, we get relationships built on fear and players who see those standards as obligations instead of opportunities to learn and grow. Controlling standards are often set, communicated, and enforced in such ways that they fail to consider the circumstances and needs of the person.

The reality is that most kids have a lot going on in the off-season, other sports, summer jobs (which are invaluable life experiences), vacations, and just being a kid.

Leisure Athlete versus Performance Athlete

Mark Bennett, the founder of PDS Coaching, spoke about leisure athlete versus performance athlete in the Way of Champions Podcast Episode 31. An absolute must listen!

If you were to categorize your athletes as performance or leisure, many coaches might classify them based upon skill level or ability, but Mark defines the performance athlete as an athlete giving his/her very best outside of “practice” time or the basic required
training your team or club requires. When a coach is not holding them accountable, are they training hard by themselves, eating right, sleeping right?

Now, based on that standard, very few teams have performance athletes. Bennett suggests that we have almost two pathways or systems of support, one for those athletes who choose the performance pathway and one for those who choose the leisure pathway. The leisure athlete can and should be held to a high standard of giving their best in practices and games, but what differentiates the pathways is the support we give in training behaviors and the process outside of our required training time.

We need to be having this conversation with each of our athletes and supporting not shaming them in whatever path they take. Athletes shouldn’t feel ashamed to change their mind on the path they want to take, with both doors always being open.

Regardless of whether we are at youth, high school, or collegiate level, the truth is we don’t need or shouldn’t want a bunch of performance athletes. We need to be supportive of the holistic development of all the people we work with. Performance athletes
will sacrifice and miss out on valuable life experiences: summer internships, trips abroad, mission trips, and other high school and college experiences.

So, the challenge is to have two pathways and let the path be the choice of the athlete. Some coaches are eager to design and implement the most complete off-season program EVER! Great, but don’t expect every kid to be brought in and have 100% commitment, because the reality is that it doesn’t align with their aspirations. Sure, he or she may want to win a championship, be a starter, or make the all-star team, BUT it isn’t the only thing they want in their life and it shouldn’t be.

Regardless of whether they are leisure or performance athletes, below are some ways to get buy-in and raise the standards and behaviors in your program.

1. Individual Meetings: Connect with them and work to understand them as an athlete and person. Ask questions like:
◦ What are your aspirations for the upcoming season?
◦ What other aspirations and goals do you have in life?
◦ What are you willing to commit to doing?
◦ What are some of the challenges in following through on those commitments?

2. Team Meeting: Bring prospective players into the room and instead of handing them the plan for the off-season, start by getting their thoughts and ideas around what it should look like. Ask questions like:
◦ What do we hope to achieve this off-season?
◦ If you were the coach, how would you start to develop an off-season program?
◦ What do we want to do as a team? Team camps, team retreat, strength program, skill workouts, pick-up games, etc.
◦ What opportunities do we want as a team or individually?
◦ What else should we be involved in to have an enjoyable and healthy offseason? Summer jobs, family vacation, other sports, etc.

3. Agree Upon Standards, Schedule, and Consequences
◦ What should the minimum standard for all players be? Are we okay with players not coming to anything in the off-season and then coming out for the team?
◦ What are acceptable excuses for not attending our off-season program?
◦ As best as possible, work to schedule off-season workouts and camps without creating conflicts with other sports, family vacations, and summer jobs.

4. The Path for the Performance Athlete
◦ Meet with players who choose this path to set higher standards and make more commitments.
◦ Offer them additional training, nutritional plans, off-season book, journaling, keys to the gym.

5. Communicate with Parents
◦ Share your final plan moving forward with the parents.
◦ Consider bringing the parents in to discuss and take part in the summer planning as well.
◦ Ask them what they expect from an off-season program? What challenges do they anticipate? What days are they headed on family vacation?

6. Empower them to Plan and Schedule
In one of James Clear’s recent blogs, he discusses a simple tool to double the chances of follow through.

“A study in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that 91% of people who planned their intention to exercise by writing down when and where they would exercise each week ended up following through. Meanwhile, people who read motivational material about exercise but did not plan when and where they would exercise showed no increase compared to the control group.” – James Clear

So, it is great to talk with them about their goals and to encourage them, but one of the best things we can do is to have them not only write out their goals but very specific commitments and when and where they plan on following through on those commitments.

7. Address Incompatible Team Expectations and Individual Aspirations
At certain times we may need to communicate with the athlete and the parents that their individual goals and aspirations (or lack of) are incompatible with the teams. As the coach, you will work to create a culture of high standards in season and sometimes in the off-season.

These standards will depend on the level of your team. At the lower levels, your standards may be focused on development, but the athlete and parents want exposure. At the higher levels, you may have expectations of high commitment and performance, but the athlete and parents may be unwilling to make those commitments.

When this incompatibility arises, it is best to address it sooner than later!

Call to Action
Don’t just focus on player improvement! Create an off-season coach improvement plan for yourself with reading, clinics, and work with a mentor.

Also, don’t forget to enjoy your off-season as well! Start by scheduling time with your family and time away from your sport.

Works Referenced
James Clear Blog
https://jamesclear.com/implementation-intentions

Podcast Way of Champions
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/way-of-champions-podcast/id1223779199

This is from Arkansas Women’s Coach Mike Neighbors.

Skill Development is not a few magical drills or some mystical Yoda-like training session. It’s a constant, consistent relationship between coach and player where the player is taken out of their comfort zone to a place they never knew they could go. It’s a relationship built around trust. It’s a relationship that requires as much of the coach as it does of the player.

Today I hope to give you some thoughts on how to make the map, plan the path, and then execute.

STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A SKILL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

1) Identify and state the end objective for each individual
2) Determine manageable and measurable criteria for determining success
3) Set sequence of steps necessary to reach the objective
4) Determine tactics and situations that will motivate each individual to reach the objective
5) Get to practice

Perimeter Players

The simple version:
1. Play
2. Possession
3. Position
4. Psychology
5. Presentation

This is what everything we do with perimeter play can be traced back to. One of the five things above encompasses everything we expect and everything we do. This is the simplest formula and what we want implanted in every perimeter player.

The are listed in the exact order that we want them to remember them. If they re-member only 1 thing… it’s PLAY. If they remember two things… it’s PLAY and POSSESSION… and so on.

Then we work on them in reverse order as we begin to develop their skills.

Obviously there is a lot more that goes into developing players than having them remember these five things, but as we have mentioned this is the simplest form and enough for them to perform with in practice and games.

#4… we have replaces Psychology (perimeter) with Physicality (for posts)… we still want toughness from our perimeters, we want them to be on the smarter side of things too!!

We have identified 4 things we ask of our perimeter players on offense:

1) Have a transition a game
2) Have an arc game
3) Have a paint game
4) Think the game

We have identified 4 things we ask of our perimeter players on defense:

1) Talk in transition
2) Guard their yard
3) Rebound
4) Think the game

Again, these are the things we want running through their mind. They are simple but we feel they are inclusive of sooooo many other things that we can worrying about preparing them for as coaches.

Post players basically play with or without angles…

The same is true for guards but in that they either play with or without space. So, we try to give them skills to operate under both conditions come game time.

Some random thoughts on Perimeters that pertain to all areas of play:

Paint Game- Dribble it in there or pass it in there
Short violent fakes– stop teaching the big exaggerated fakes the more your players develop
Catch without dribbling- Pivot for poise
Draw 2 and Play 2- if they can draw 2 defenders on offense and can guard 2 players on defense
Be great at something– everyone needs a specialty then good at everything else
Separation moves are different in back court, mid court, and half court– need them all
Think and Talk– two things most of today’s youth struggle to do
Game shots, from Game spots, at Game Speed– all drills have one of these, some have all 3
Like with post players and their one move/counter move plan, we want perimeters to have a move and a counter:
-at the arc
-off a screen
-off a ball screen
-at the rim
-from the FT line (or a move to get there rather)
Like with post peer passing drills, we do the same with guards. In that if they don’t make a proper cut or a proper fake before the attack, they don’t get to shoot…

PERIMETER PLAYER DRILLS: We try to incorporate every emphasis to as many drills as possible…

Post Players

The simple version:

1. Play
2. Possession
3. Position
4. Physicality
5. Presentation

This is what everything we do with post play can be traced back to. One of the five things above encompasses everything we expect and everything we do. This is the simplest formula and what we want implanted in every player occupying a post spot.
The are listed in the exact order that we want them to remember them. If they re-member only 1 thing… it’s PLAY. If they remember two things… it’s PLAY and POSSESSION… and so on.

Then we work on them in reverse order as we begin to develop their skills.

Obviously there is a lot more that goes into developing good post players than having them remember these five things, but as we have mentioned this is the simplest form and enough for them to perform with in practice and games.

PLAY- remember why you are in the game
POSSESSION– you want the ball (rebound, post-up, loose balls, tipped balls)
POSITION– be in the right spots at the right time/ get open and stay open
PHYSICALITY– be punishing and cause dread in those playing against you
PRESENTATION– look the part

A little more detailed description but still not the whole picture. We continue introducing in phases as the players are capable of grasping them. Each player advances at a different rate. Some based on prior experience. Some based on years in our program. Some based on time spent with coaches on development.

PLAY:

This is the easiest of the 5 to remember and sell to the players. When all else breaks down… when you are out of position, when you are scrambling to maintain a grip on the ball, when nothing is going right… MAKE A PLAY!! BE A PLAYER!!
Use the things you were blessed with to the very best of your ability.

What is the most important physical tool for posts?
We have identified 6 things we ask of our post players on offense:

1) Establish Tempo– it’s not guards who make you a running team, it’s the posts
2) Score Easy-we want posts with a small repertoire of undefendable moves
3) Draw Fouls– easy points and puts opponents at disadvantage late in games
4) Rebound– no one has ever been too good at rebounding
5) Be Punishing-we want people sending us graduation cards
6) Screen- part of our attack

We have identified 5 things we ask of our post players on defense:

1) Protect the Post– fight for space and wall up
2) Effect Shots– make players score over us not around us
3) Rebound-every single time
4) Defend screens– technique must be flawless
5) Talk– your voice is important to our Team

In the area of PLAY with Post Players it basically boils down to the fact that you need to give them skills to:

(A) Play with angles
(B) Play without angles

This accounts for everything we ask of our posts on offense/defense and for every way that a team could possibly defend us (which we have no control over btw).

On offense, a post needs a move on the block, a move at the midline, a move at the elbow, a move in the short corner, and a move in trail. We want them to start with one good move in each of those spots. It may be a power drop set for one or a mid-line spin back for another. Regardless, it has to work for them and they have to be able to execute it.

After the have one in each of those spots, let them work on a counter move.

That gives them two. IF and I really mean IF, they need and can develop a third then they are very, very special.
It may take showing them every move in the book to determine the one they can execute in crunch time, but I think it is a mistake to work every move, every day, with every player.

Working with each player to determine their arsenal of moves is an important part of your job as a skill developer. Their input helps you in holding them accountable for how they utilize them come performance time. We have a rule that if you attempt a shot in a game that we don’t work on in practice, that it is a BAD shot for our team. And our players know we define that as being selfish.

When we teach post PLAY we start with no defense, then position defense, then live vs. peer, then live vs. someone bigger/better, then introduce disadvantages.

This is a slow, steady maturation process but helps us have mastery and limits game slippage.

POSSESSION

The easiest way for a post player to gain possession for our team is through rebounding. Due to a perceived advantage of size, most people expect the tallest, strongest person to get the most rebounds. In my 30 years of experience, that is rarely the case… it’s usually the person who goes after the most plain and simple.

Tashia Phillips was a four year starter for us at Xavier University and I can count on one hand the number of times she didn’t crash the boards. As a result she is #6 on the all-time NCAA rebounding chart. Sure she got some because of her size, but she got most of them as a result of a relentless pursuit to possess the ball for her team.

Other ways to possess the ball from the post:

– Catch the passes thrown in their direction
– Use strength to win 50/50 balls
– Don’t allow smaller players to strip ball

One of our favorite sayings… Possession over Position…
A post player who can get the ball valuable to any team playing any style.

POSITION:

This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like.
Being in the right spot at the right time.
This involves the ability to get open and stay open.
This is where they learn to:
Seal up, seal down, seal out
Pin, duck in, spin/spin
Hold for a lob, bury someone deep
Have chin on shoulder on defense
How to pop back on post entry
How to hedge, plug, trap, jam ball screens
How to use a kick-stand around the basket
How to post on a body rather than an area
How to read defender in transition
How to attempt shots on our terms
How to post when the ball can find you
How to use the three pivots (front, inside, drop step)

PHYSICALITY

We want our post players to be punishing. We want them to leave a mark. We want them to be talked about by other teams.

How do they accomplish that:

Run the floor in both directions- 100% based on effort and concentration. We will control their minutes based on whether they run the court. Poor post players HATE to do this… GREAT post players love to do this
Crash the boards every time– be that person the other team is spends time on in walk thru talking about effort
HIT cutters (legally) every chance you get… and if you can get near half without being in the bonus or in foul trouble maybe even once to send a message.

SCREEN offense and defense is a time to make legal contact. Do it every time.

Effect every shot around the basket without fouling– nothing is more frustrating to finesse post players than to be bodied by a physical post player

PRESENTATION

The fifth in order we want them to think about the 5 things, but the first one we work on. In short, PRESENTATION is how we want our post players to “look”.

We stop film at random points and “look” for presentation.

Things we work on:

RUN the court- easy to see on film whether they haven chosen to do this
POST when the ball can find you- if the ball is in position to find us, are we posting for it

When POSTED:
– Do we have maneuverable balance
– Are we “H”ed up
– Can we see the back of our hands
– Are our knees under our shoulders
– Are we using our leverage points
Numbers, triceps, hips
– Do we appear to want the ball

*** In every drill we do with post players, if we don’t have good presentation, we teach our passers not to feed them the ball. It’s amazing how quickly players will do it right if they never get to shoot at the end of long, hard drill. It’s also amazing how hard they will be on each other when it comes to this. To me, when you can get their teammates to do your coaching, that is a sign you have a good culture.

On Defense:
– Do we have chin on shoulder
– Do we hit cutters
– Do we talk on defense
– Do we sprint the floor

Although we listed 5 things we look for in order, when we drill, each of them are critiqued and corrected. We all have said many times in coaching that “you get what you tolerate” so we don’t tolerate any deviation from our expectations in any drill.

PHINISHES

No move moves: Rack Series, Superman Series, Kickstands, Tower of Power, Crash, FT Rebounding, Seal Up/Seal Down/ Seal Out
Mid line moves: Chair Series, Position Post Up, Pivot Posting
Elbow moves: Garnett Shooting, High Low/Duck In, DUBS Shooting
Trail series: PITS attack, Dive series, On-Ball Series

PAWS
Catch, Z rebound, Bad Pass Drill, Crab Dribble, Passing out of Post

PHYSICALITY

Trips, Wall-Up, Closeouts, Pop Backs, Close and Contest
P’s of Post Play

You probably noticed we try to use as many “P” words when talking “Post Play” as possible… Play,

Possession, Position, Physicality, Presentation… Here are a few more:
Press and Peak-replaces Chin/Check
Paws= Hands Ped=Feet
Pause for Poise
Phight
Patience
Pasta for Posts
Let me know if you can think of more

Some thoughts on player development from various coaches.

This week’s eBook bundle contains 3 eBooks:

2011 NCAA Tournament Coaches – Basketball Skill Development
2012 USA Olympic Team Basketball Drills
130 Ways to Improve Your Program’s Attention to Detail

You can find out more information about the bundle at this link:

Skill Development Bundle

 

 

 

  Billy Donovan

• Basketball is an unselfish game that is too often played by selfish people
• Donovan and his staff constantly ask themselves where are our guys mentally?
• Examine body language as they come into practice or workouts
• Building chemistry isn’t all on the coach, your best players have the best chance to
  improve chemistry
• Leaders on the floor/ Leaders in the locker room- often can are two different sets of players
• Bill Belichick met with Florida’s basketball team shortly before the SEC tournament. Showed them a video of the Breeders’ Cup Horse Race. He paused the tape halfway through the race with the
  outcome still up in the air. He asked the team “Who will win? The horse with the most
  experienced jockey? The horse who has won the most money? The horse with the best odds
  prior to the race?” The team was puzzled, “No, it’s the horse that runs the best race from
  here on out.” You can’t focus on prior accomplishments/failures, you must only focus on
  the present and doing your best the next play.

Rick Pitino

• Sits down with all his seniors after the season is over and asks them to tell him what they
  enjoyed and what they hated. Constantly seeks feedback.
• Skill development philosophy: We’re not leaving until you master that move
• 3 or 4 man workouts lasting from 45 minutes or 1 hour
• Offensive player should go body-to-body with defender in all drills not just to beat the individual
  defender
• Players shoot 22% when challenged. (He really emphasizes this fact to the point that during
  one-on-one competition, Louisville players are told to pass it back to a coach rather than
  take a challenged shot)
• 42 Point Game: Group of 3 players stand at 3 point line, managers rebound. Players shoot a corner 3 running to opposite corner after their shot to take a 3 from opposite corner. Players will then run back to original corner for a one dribble pull-up before heading to opposite corner to do the same. Players will then return to original corner for a catch-rip- 1 dribble layup.Players will do this from seven spots (corners, wings, elbows extended, top of key)with the three-pointer counting as 3, pull-up counting as 2, and the layup as 1. Maximumpoint total:42, losers run.
• Footwork drill: players line up on baseline under basket, toss the ball to a coach at the three-point line in the corner. Player sprints out to catch the ball on a jump stop facing the coach. Turns his body ripping the ball through (2 important notes: first thing the defender should see is the offensive player’s elbow coming through before the body. Player should exaggerate how low he is on pivot) Run from seven spots on the floor) pivoting both ways-14 actions.
• Post footwork: Drill begins same as above, but guards now go to block. Before coach passes it into the post, he will hold and make the player move laterally to fight for position against manager. First rep: player turns to the middle, one dribble, point the shoulder into jump hook. Second rep: baseline jumper (DON’T FADE!!!)
• Box Drill: 1 player on each block, one with a ball. The player with the ball (X1) tosses the ball out to a coach standing outside the 3 point line before x-cutting to elbow. As he’s doing this, the player on opposite block (X2) cuts to the opposite elbow. X1 passes to X2 (who is bothered by manager playing dummy defense to force a difficult pass), X1 takes one step away before cutting across the lane to catch a pass back from X2, X1 absorbs contact (coach holding pad underneath hoop) with his inside shoulder and finishing with his outside hand.Switch players and sides.
• 1-on-1 Keep out: 1 player on each block. Player with the ball (Offense) throws the ball outto coach and sprints out to receive hand off. As the defensive player steps up, his goal is tokeep the offensive player out of the paint. If offensive player can get into the paint= pointfor the offense. If the defensive player is able to drive him out= defensive wins.
• The mark of a great on-the-ball defender: ability to keep his shoulders squared on offensiveplayer. Once you open up your shoulders, you’re beat
• Box Tap Drill: One player on each block. The player with the ball (offense) throws the ballout to the coach and sprints to elbow, defensive player trails. Offensive player catches withhis back to the basket at the elbow and waits for the defensive player to touch his back (hiscue to play) Winner stays on offense.
• 3 man shooting: 1 player at the top of the key and each wing (3 total). Player at the top of the key receives first pass from coach underneath the hoop for a catch and shoot three. On the next pass, player dribbles twice to the right into the paint and kicks to right wing whospaces out on point’s penetration (Player shoots and then runs through to opposite wing). Player on the left wing replaces at the top of the key and receives his first pass for a catch and shoot and his 2nd for a drive and kick to the right wing (now held by the person whobegan at the top of the key)
• Coach Pitino Doesn’t allow full court 5-on-5  out of season: “All it does is allow your team to repeat bad habits.”
• Put competition in every drill—players play harder when there’s a winner/loser. Put something on the line.
• Don’t personalize criticism- “We” not “You”
• Working hard is an acquired skill
• The more you build self-esteem when it’s deserved the more likely guys will work to overachieve.
• 1on1: Coach on each wing with ball, one player at top of key (offense) and one player just below FT line (defense). Player can step to either side (elbow extended) to receive pass from coach. Defensive player closes out, offensive player is allowed 2 dribbles. On a miss, defensive player passes ball out to coach only to receive it right back (mid-range area on wing). Players stay on until a score. On a make, offensive player heads out to the top of the key and the drill starts again. ON A FOUL: offensive player ducks in immediately to post up next player in line (players must be ready to jump on and try to get in front). A couple of points: no staredowns (players must work quickly) and do not allow your players to take contested shots (rather than take a contested shot, they can pass the ball out to one of the
  coaches and play again).

Bob Hurley, Sr.

• Keep a separation from your players (“I’m Coach or Mr. Hurley, I am not your buddy”) I never want a player to come back and say I was too nice to them and I should have pushed them harder.
• Have your former players come back and tell you’re guys 2 things: that everything they’re going through is worthwhile and how great college is.
• WIN STAT! Deflections + steals + contested shots + blocks + charges + defensive rebounds + loose balls + throw-aheads + offensive rebounds + 50% FG + 70% FT. Player who collects the most in each game gets to sit out all conditioning in the next practice.
• Make sure that in the first 15 minutes of practice you say something to every player.
• After a bad loss, teach rather than blame
• Pickup rules: Games to 8, 2’s and 3’s. Team that wins must “validate” the win with a free throw. If player misses, teams play again. If his team wins again, another free throw. On a miss, his team loses and is off.
• Drills: 2 teams go against each other for 4/8 minutes. Team that wins must validate the win with a free throw. If he makes it, losing team does the conditioning, but if he misses, his team is now the loser and must run.
• 3 times a week they practice hustle plays. Drill: Player slides to block to take charge of incoming offensive player. Defensive player jumps up and must dive on the floor to retrieve ball thrown on floor by coach. Player throws it back to coach, gets up and sprints in to get ball back from coach for a layup.

This week’s eBook bundle contains 3 eBooks:

2011 NCAA Tournament Coaches – Basketball Skill Development
2012 USA Olympic Team Basketball Drills
130 Ways to Improve Your Program’s Attention to Detail

You can find out more information about the bundle at this link:

Skill Development Bundle

This post has three videos of some workout drills that Damian Lillard used prior to going to the NBA.

I know that you won’t be able to use all of the drills, but hope you can find a few that you can tweak for your program.

Here is a link to another post that I made a few years ago with another drill that he used: The 3 point license

Again, you will need to make some adjustments for your team.

These are YouTube videos, so you must be on a server that allows YouTube access.

 

 

Summer Workout

Ball Handling Drills

Pre-Draft Workout

More than likely, you won’t be able to use much if anything from the first two and a half minutes.

The shooting and finishing with toughness drills start in this one at about the 2:30 mark.