At last week’s Elite Basketball Camp, the little guys (4th, 5th, and 6th graders) were tearing it up. There were guys who could flat out shoot the basketball, and some speedy little guards that could handle and pass the ball well. However, there was one glaring weaknesses…knowledge of how to play the game. Concepts like court awareness, spacing, passing, moving without the ball and most definitely defense were lacking. So we set out to fix those issues along with continuing to build upon their already good individual skills.
With beginners, and even more advanced players, it is a good idea to teach these concepts in a three on three setting. Three on three has some major advantages from a teaching stand point. First, having a total of six players on the floor simplifies the game because it opens the floor up and creates more space for beginners to learn the concept of moving without the ball. Start without defense (only 3 guys on the floor) and teach the basics of pass and replace yourself and pass, cut, and replace. Then move forward and teach them how to pass and screen away and pass and screen the ball. Do these as a progression over the course of practice or practices or throughout the weeks of your skills clinics. While running the players through these drills, enforce spacing and catching in the triple threat position. Too many kids today catch the ball and immediately dribble it in place or into a corner or right back towards the players that just passed them the ball. Make them come to triple threat position before they make the next pass or dribble and make sure that they keep their spacing on the floor while they pass and cut. Once you add the defense back, these players will be more inclined to try passing and cutting, or passing an screening because there is more space on the court and these options are more visibly there then they would be in a five on five setting.
The second reason teaching the game in a three on three setting is important is that the players will get more touches. We have all seen it happen in five on five, where the best ball-handler sprints out ahead and scores before anyone even crosses half court. Or where the same guy dribbles throuugh everyone for the layup because he cannot find the open man. This does not happen as often in three on three because players find it easier to get open. As a result, they get more touches and having the ball in your hand more often allows you to work on your skills. Also having the ball in their hand more often gives them a more realistic on court experience (they are not standing around watching one guy dribble). This ultimately creates better players.
Finally, three on three is also a great way to teach man-to-man team defensive concepts. In a three on three there can be no zones so you can teach on the ball defense as well as team defensive concepts of defending your man when he is one and two passes away. Again, the limited number of players on the floor simplifies the drill for beginners but is also great to use for more advanced drills like defending cutters, screeners, and for close out drills as well.
A case can really be made that young players should play only three on three until they have advanced far enough to where they understand the basic concepts mentioned above. This will ensure that the fundamentals of the team game are being learned along with the individual skills that are already being taught. As a result, you will see a more complete basketball player who can not only dribble, pass, and shoot, but who can correctly cut, screen, and play defense as well.
