A few weeks ago in a post entitled “Teach Players How to Play”  the subject of teaching basketball players, particularly at the youth level, how to play basketball and not set plays was discussed.  What prompted the original  exploration of this topic was a conversation with a local youth basketball coach who told me that his practice was primarily based around working on offensive plays.  There was no time for skill development and other aspects of the game that I described as priorities. 

Last week, in somewhat of a follow up to, “Teach Players How to Play,”  the subject of my post, “What I Witnessed was Like Rec Soccer” turned towards teaching players three fundamental components of basketball to go along with their skill development.  First and foremost, the player needs to be able to get open on his own. Then they also need to be able to move effectively without the basketball in order to create space for themselves and their teamates.  Finally, the player, once they catch the basketball, needs to come to triple threat and be able to create space out of a triple threat.  Today’s blog post will focus on the second of the three components, moving effectively without the basketball.

The game of basketball is all about the ability to create space with or without the basketball, and having the ability to move effectively without the basketball can serve this purpose.  It will not only create space for yourself but also for your teamates.  As a matter of preference, I always like to use three on three to teach cutting without the basketball.  Three on three provides more open space on the court and is therefore less intimidating for youth players, or any level player.  Being less intimidating will ultimately allow them to become more comfortable trying new basketball concepts and help build success. 

To start, three offensive players are placed on the perimeter (usually outside the three point line but in the case of the youth level inside the three point line will work) on both wings and at the top of the key.  The simplest way to teach moving without the basketball is in a pass, cut, and replace format.  The player at the top of the key enters the ball to the wing and then can use a shallow cut to cut away from the basketball while the opposite wing replaces them at the top of the key.  The ball is then reversed through the player at the top of the key to the other wing and the cutting process is repeated to the other side. 

Another option is to have the player make a basket cut to from the top of the key while following the ball then replace the opposite wing who has replaced him at the top of the key.  It is important to note that players should not be robotic when working on cutting, moving, replacing, etc. The players should vary the type of cuts they use in order to simulate a more game-like situation.  Point out to the players that they should see the defense and take what the defense is giving them.  For example, if the defense is sagging off, then a shallow cut away may be more appropriate and will ultimately get them more open.  However, if the defense is playing tight on the offensive player then a hard basket cut could serve to loosen the defense up and create more openings for the offense.  Bottom line is, that players need to see the defense and the open spots on the court in order to help them make the correct decisions on where and how to cut.  All the while make sure the players keep their spacing at around 15 to 17 feet between each other. Doing so forces the defense to really have to work to guard the offense and scoring should be easier than if the offense’s spacing was tight.  Once you have taught these two types of cuts, add three defenders and have the offense try to score by specifically using a basket cut or a shallow cut.  You can limit their dribbles to between one and three and really make them focus on moving effectively without the basketball in order to get open.

Aside from cutting, another option for getting open is the screen.  Using the same format with three offensive players have them work on passing and screening away.  For this component, it is important to teach a couple of technical points to the screener and the player being screened for.  With the screener, teach them that in order to set an effective screen, they must be low, wide, and have their back facing the spot that you want the offensive player to receive the basketball.  For the player receiving the screen, it is important for them to set their defender up in away and then run them through the screen.  Not setting the defender up is somewhat lazy and can lead to them not getting open to receive the pass.  As a matter of preference, I always teach the offensive player to come off the screen and step into the ball using an inside pivot technique (planting the foot closest to the basket first).  This is more effecient and can lead to more scoring opportunities for the offensive player.  Once these techniques have been taught and properly mastered add the defense and have the offense try to score using the pass and screen away option. 

Going forward as the players become more familiar with seeing the court and reading the defense allow them to use what ever option they see fit.  However, do not hesitate to stop play to qualify key points based on mistakes that are made.  This is how the players will learn to play effectively and in the long run, it will make whatever offense you run much more successful.

Please let me know what other techniques you are using to teach players how to play and stay tuned for next week’s post where I discuss various options on how to create space out of the triple threat. 

Dedicated to taking your game to the NEXT level,

Rich Stoner

USAW Sports Performance Coach

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Just curious, where do we stick our big kids when they are young?  Under the basket.  What do we tell them when they get a defensive rebound?  Don’t dribble, give it to a guard. 

Honestly, is there any reason we should wonder why our players do not posess all three fundamental skills?

This is just one of a few topics that Stan Van Gundy touches upon in the video which is based on his experience coaching his son and daughter in their youth basketball leagues.  Trust me, you will not want to miss this…it is eye opening.

To view the video, click here : Stan Van Gundy – Expectation to Win

As always, let us all know your thoughts on this topic by posting a comment in the comments section below.  Thanks.

See you on the court.

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

Fast forward two years, to another conversation I had, this time with an eighth grade basketball player.  I was explaining to him that it takes the basketball players that come into the high school 2 1/2 to 3 seasons before they truly understand the man defensive concepts that we are trying to teach.  This player, believing that he was a great defensive player, took my statement as an insult and tried to tell me that there was no way that was possible.  The team he plays for plays a lot of zone and I told him that as a result he and his teammates knew very little about man defense.  His response was, “What’s so difficult about man defense? All you have to do is guard your man.”  At this point, I rested my case.

Is zone defense killing our youth’s ability to learn how to play man defense?  It would appear to me that very few coaches are doing their part in teaching sound man defensive concepts.  Man defense is not simply guarding your man.  Man defense requires each one of the five players to guard the ball and their man.  This main concept is lost on much of today’s youth basketball players and the coaches that coach them.  Zone defense at the youth level is an easy way to get the players to play defense, but easy can also be translated into lazy.  Players are encouraged to guard their “zone” or their “area on the court”.  Very little is said about getting up and guarding the ball when it is in your area or providing help when the ball is not in your area.  This can also be seen at the high school level where when teams play zone, guys no longer guard the ball nor jump to spots, thereby allowing the zone to get carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey. 

Good man to man defense, if done correctly should resemble a zone.  There should be plenty of pressure on the ball.  If you are off the ball, it should be stressed that you “jump to your spots,” but what exactly does that mean?  I tell my guys to imagine that they have a string tied to the man with the ball  and the man that they are guarding.and that they must be in line with that string at all times.  They should also rotate over into a position on the court where they can provide early help on the ball if the defensive man guarding him gets beat off the dribble.  My guys are coached to meet the dribble penetration, not wait for it to come to them.  If done properly, this will allow your team to keep the ball out of the lane and also draw some charges if the ball handler does not stop his penetration.  Finally, when the ball is reversed, all players must jump to their new spots on their string and the new ball defender needs to close out with active hands and active feet.  By doing so, he will prevent dribble penetration, contest the shot and deflect a possible pass. 

All of these principles are sound man principles but should also be applied to zone defense.  Furthermore, players should be taught these principles prior to even considering playing a zone.  Think about some of the great zone defenses that have been played over the years:  Temple’s zone under Chaney, Syracuse’s zone under Boeheim, and finally, the amoeba zone that Tarkanian used to run at UNLV.  All of those zones are active, aggressive, and based on good man to man principles.  So why is it that players today have a hard time understanding man to man defense? 

Simply stated, they are not being taught correctly at the lower levels because they are constantly playing a zone without a true understanding of it.  As a result, today’s younger players actually believe that playing man to man defense means guarding your man.  In fact, it does not; it means guarding the ball and your man.  This idea alone is very zone oriented because it requires you to be more zone-like when your man does not have the ball.  However, it cannot be taught by simply playing zone defense.  Younger players must be taught to get into a position defensively to provide help and recover to your own man when the ball is in your area.  Consequently, guarding your man is not the difficult aspect of man to man defense to understand.  It is all of the “off the ball” aspects that most players have trouble with; the idea of where they should be when their  man does not have the ball.  These “off the ball” concepts, along with defending the ball itself, desperately need to be taught better at the youth levels.  When that happens, everyone will see better defense as a whole, man or zone.

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