Defending the Drive and Kick

By Brian Williams on March 31, 2023

The game is moving more and more away from the basket to the perimeter. More teams are creating double gaps and utilizing the driving lanes to get players open for shots.

Thus we now more than ever need to teach our players how to close out properly and rotate on drive and kick actions.

In the video clip below NBA assistant coach Sean Sweeney shows how he teaches the game both offensively and defensively in teams of the drive and kick.

Coach Sweeney uses game and practice footage to illustrate key offensive and defensive concepts.

The clip is taken from his full course entitled Game Situations: Breaking Down Parts of the 3 on 3

Pressure Defense

By Brian Williams on March 31, 2023

Tobin Anderson, lead Fairleigh Dickerson to the Sweet 16 utilizing pressure defense.

In the clip below he discusses why he presses on every made basket and dead ball.

He wants his team to be different so opponents must face something different when they play his team.

Here are some of his goals with pressure defense:

Create a +5 TO differential
Make conditioning a factor
Make depth a factor
Get easy baskets
Take shooting out of the equation (to an extent)

This clip was taken from Coach Tobin’s complete clinic on Pressure defense.

In his presentation he covers:

Why To Press
In Which Game Situations To Press
Creating Your Identity As A Press Defense Team
Setting Your Team Goals For Pressure Defense
How Much Of A Factor Is Condition For Press Defense
What Type Of Players To Recruit For Your Defensive Press Identity
Complete Breakdown Of The Press Defense
Breaking Down Each Player’s Assignment In The Press

For information about how to gain access to his full presentation click the following link Tobin Anderson: Pressure Defense

Reel Action in the Princeton Offense

By Brian Williams on March 29, 2023

In the video below Coach Quinn McDowell discusses the options and reads with Reel Action in the Princeton Offense.

Here is what Coach McDowell covers in the video:

Back Cut
Stab Cut
DHO
Flare to 5-0ut
DHO/Slip

This clip is just a small sample from Coach McDowell’s comprehensive video course. To gain access to that course click the following link: 7 Basic Actions of the Princeton Offense

One More Pass Shooting Drills

By Brian Williams on March 29, 2023

In the clip below Nate Oats shares a few shooting drills that he uses to teach the concept of “One More Pass”

The first drill is a simple baseline drive and drift with one more pass to the slot for a shot.

The second drill is a baseline drive with a skip to the slot and one more pass to the corner for a shot.

The third drill is a ball screen with middle penetration and a kick to the slot followed by one more pass to the corner for a shot.

In the final drill Coach Oats shows his 2-on-1 Passing Drill where players will have to make a decision to shoot or make one more pass.

A coach starts with the ball in one slot with a player in the other slot and opposite corner. One defender is splitting the two offensive players. The coach will pass to one of the players and the defender will close to the shooter and the player will have to decide whether to shoot or make one more pass for the shot. Players must make a quick decision and are limited to just one pass.

The next drill in this sequence is a 3-on-2 drill. In this drill, you have offensive players in each slot and one corner. The ball is passed to one of the offensive players and one defender closes to the shooter. The offensive players must then decide to shoot or pass to whichever teammate is open. That player then must make a similar decision as the second defender closes to him/her. The offense is limited to only two passes. While the 3-on-2 Drill is not demonstrated in this video it is, along with many other great drill, available if you purchase full access to Nate Oats – Coaching School – Play Fast

Transition Offense Reads

By Brian Williams on March 29, 2023

In the clip below Gonzaga assistant coach Stephen Gentry (formerly an Illinois assistant) discusses some automatic reads in transition that were utilized when he was at Illinois.

The first scenario occurs when one big is trailing the play and the other has made a rim run. In this scenario, the read is a simple roll-and-replace.

The trailing big sets a ball screen and rolls and the big that made the rim run replaces him at the top of the key. If the rolling big does not receive the ball from the point guard he seals his man and looks to receive a high-low pass from the other big.

The second scenario that may occur in transition is when both bigs are trailing the play. This initiates an automatic double-drag screen. Coach Gentry stresses the need for 4 and 5 to set their screens at least 6-8 feet apart. He wants the defender on the point guard to negotiate two separate screens.

Coach Gentry states that it doesn’t matter which big sets the first screen but he always has the 5 roll and the 4 pop. The 4 should be careful and pop to the middle third of the floor so the defender guarding the corner can’t defend him and the offensive player in the corner.

The third scenario covered by Coach Gentry is the pitch ahead.

If the ball is passed ahead before crossing halfcourt the point guard will cut through to the opposite corner. This will signal the 3 to lift to the wing. The 2 that received the pitch ahead will hit the trailing big. The 3 man will now make a basket cut (Buffalo Action) and fill the opposite corner.

After the 3 cuts through the 1 will lift to the wing. The 4 man passes him the ball and chases into a ball screen. From here they simply flow into their offense.

This clip was taken from a full presentation by Coach Gentry at a TABC Clinic. Click the following link to gain access to the complete presentation: Stephen Gentry – Transition Offense

Wide Pindown and Sprint Away Drill

By Brian Williams on March 28, 2023

In the clip below UConn assistant coach Kimani Young talks about proper development of in-game shot situations and introduces his Wide Pindown Sprint Away drill.

Coach Young does a great job of talking you through the different options in this drill.

It’s a great drill to get a lot of reps and teach key points.

You can teach the player receiving the wide pindown when to curl to the elbow and when to bump and fade.

As Coach Young points out many coaches have the defender on the passer jump to the ball on the pass to help defend the wide pindown.

To counter that action it is important to teach the passer to sprint away after the pass.

In this drill both the player coming off the wide pindown and the passer sprinting away get a shot.

This clip was taken from a full presentation by Coach Young. For more information about how to gain access to that presentation click the following link:

Drills To Maximize Game Shots