This play is from the Champion U20 Victorian side that competed in the 2009 U20 Australian National Championships.

This offense provides a nice transition entry into any motion or continuity offense with ball and player movement and overload action.

For more information on Set Plays check out our Set Play’s Ebook:

Packed with plays from from around the world featuring sets from A.I.S, North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Spain and Australia from the AST tournament out of the following alignments or situations: 3 Out, 4 out, Horns, Quick Hitters, Entry’s into Motion and 1-4 Sets.

Below are some teaching points of emphasis for teaching shooting off the dribble.

- Sight the rim before you start the shot.
- Be quick from the dribble into the shot.
- Bring the ball through the set point, but do not set the ball.
o The shot should be one smooth action from the dribble to the shooting action
- The earlier you get the ball on the “shotline” the better.
- Use 1-2 footwork, with the inside foot striking first
o If going left with the left hand the footwork is right foot, left foot.
o If going right with the right hand the footwork is left foot, right foot.
- Ensure that your shooting foot is slightly in front and that you have “ten toes” pointing to the hoop.
- Do not drift or jump excessively forward on the shot, start and land in the same spot.
- Drop the hips and bend at the knees before the pick-up to transfer the forward momentum to upward momentum needed for the shot.

Coaches constantly need to prioritise what is important to develop and what needs to be put on the back-burner.

When it comes to skill development it is vital that we teach the “why” along with the “how.” This is done by not only drilling skills but by also allowing your players to apply the skills in modified games or drills. This approach is often termed “Game Sense,” “Games Approach” or “TGfU” (Teaching Games for Understanding)

This process involves teaching children a modified or simplified game/drill or adding “guided defence” that is suitable to their stage of development which provides the children opportunities to develop tactical awareness of how to play to gain an advantage over their opponents with the appropriate skills.

David Perkins in his book “Making Learning Whole”; describes understanding as either shallow or deep.

If we only drill skills but do not allow the players to apply those skills in a competitive environment, players can lack the understanding of when to apply those skills on a Friday night.

Mike MacKay from Basketball Canada (who has a must read blog) recently made a comparison of visiting Vancouver and having friends drive him to his destinations.

“Sitting in the passenger’s seat you develop a false confidence about your knowledge of the city. You don’t make any decisions on the route being taken, you just enjoy the ride.
On a recent trip I decided to rent a car… needless to say, sitting in the passenger’s seat on all of those previous trips, did not help my deep understanding of Vancouver streets, where I was now forced to seat in the driver’s seat. I was required to make decisions that I wasn’t prepared to make. It wasn’t until I reached the border to the USA that I realized I needed to stop and ask for direction, acknowledging that I was lost.”

Coach MacKay had developed a shallow understanding of the streets of Vancouver because he was not really involved in the process.

By helping our players develop the understanding “by putting the students in the driver’s seat,” engaging them in the learning experience and providing the knowledge and opportunity of when to apply skills and why, the players are more capable of making appropriate decisions about “what to do” and “how to do it.”

This can lead to more meaningful learning for players as they enter into practice drills to develop technical skills (i.e. crossover dribble), or a strategic maneuvers practiced to gain a tactical advantage (e.g., using a fast break) which can enhance their intrinsic (internal) motivation.

Coach MacKay went on to say that:

“When we do not engage students in their learning experience it is like being the passenger and their understanding will be very shallow.”

Coaches can often unintentionally promote shallow understanding through the “lack of a good introduction and not using guided defence to consolidate the decision making.”

I recently experimented with some of these concepts with a group of 5-7 year olds. I normally run my 45 minute Tuesday session in the following format:

• Warm Up
• Dribbling Skills
• Modified game to practice dribbling skills
• Passing
• Shooting
• Game (often modified to different degrees depending on the age)

What I experimented with was changing the progression of the session up so that we played a modified game of popcorn first. The kids love popcorn (dribble the ball and try to knock other peoples basketballs away) but probably never realized the skills needed to play the game and how these skills actually translate to the real game of basketball.
After letting them play for a while without much instruction other than the rules and playing dimensions I stopped the game and asked the players what tactics or skills they used to play the game. Even with a group made up of mainly 6 & 7 year olds we managed to discover the following:

• When a player tries to steal the ball you can change hands (crossover)
• You can protect the ball by keeping your body between the ball and the defender. (protection dribble)
• You have a better chance of keeping the ball if you are looking around and not down. (dribble with vision)
• You also have a better chance of stealing the ball off players who are ball watching or not facing you.
• It is harder to steal the ball off someone that is dribbling low and fast.

We also had some ideas that were politely turned down after further discussion, but the majority of the answers were on the right track.

We then termed all of the tactics and skills (crossover dribble, protection dribble) and drilled them on the sideline before resuming the game again.

What we achieved was a deeper understanding of why and when we use the above skills and how they apply to the real game of basketball. Now when telling the players to dribble with their eyes up, pound the ball when dribbling and keep the ball low and tight to your body they knew why these teaching points were important.

The players also started to understand why and when to use a crossover or protection dribble.

“There is no question it takes less time just to tell players what to do, (but) it is players who have a deep understanding of the game that will have the ability to drive the car.”

Advancing the Ball in Transition:

• 1 looks to pass across the halfway line to 2 running the lane.
• If this pass is not on, he must cross over and dribble through “Main Street” and get a piece of the center circle in doing so.
• If 3 is denied also then a middle driving lane must be open.
• If 1 does cross sides of Main Street, 4 must also cross to keep floor balance.

Teaching Getting Open:

• If the defenders head is inside the line of the ball (right side of
  diagram) then speed cut to receive the pass.
• If the defenders head is on the line of the ball (left side of the
  diagram) then “L-Cut” by walking your player up the line of the ball.
• “The defender will tell you how to cut”, if he steps back inside the line then speed cut out, if the defender maintains an overplay/denial position then work him up for a back cut or lob.

Pat Hunt the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) Applied Technical Advancement Coach recently presented the following topic to a group of Victorian coaches visiting the AIS on a Basketball Victoria Study Tour.

Pat is a world renowned development coach and the material below was gathered from a wide range of coaches through multiple sports.

Characteristics of High Performing Teams:

• Work in a reality based environment

• Have the courage to engage in open, honest, reality based communication with no collateral damage

• Continually seek advice through questions/feedback

• Seek continual improvement in practice & games

• Develop implicit trust between:

Ø Coaches – players

Ø Players – players

Ø Players – support staff

Ø Players – coaches

Ø Coaches – support staff.

• Have developed a “disposition” to want change > progress;

Ø Physical

Ø Mind set

Ø Challenge

• Enjoy the challenge of being continually tested.

• Use reaction to adversity to define them rather than diminish them.

• Have a consistent “sense of right”;

Ø at practice

Ø in competition

Ø throughout all aspects of preparation

Ø “off court/field/pool/track” support for players & staff

• Thrive on the opportunity to use practice to improve/change

Ø progress

• Drive each other in all aspects

Ø Practice

Ø Strength and conditioning

Ø Nutrition

Ø Recovery

Ø Individuals

Ø Shooting

• Use “experiences” and analysis of these, and “experiential learning” to change quickly > progress/improvement

• Enjoy the challenge of competition, continuous improvement and being around each other.

• Are “internal” not “external”.

• Are solution oriented individually/collectively.

Marty Clarke, who has recently taken up the Head Coaching position of the Adelaide 36ers, was very gracious with his time and gave the coaches the following thoughts:

- Be demanding, nice doesn’t get it done.
- Overload your players.
- Players need boundaries.
- What do you value in the game?
- Basketball is a hard to coach; there is so much to teach.
- You can’t try to teach it all.
- Find out what it is then teach it to your best ability.
- Character is what you do when you are not watched.
- Lead, follow or get out of the way.
- You must have a focus in drill work. The emphasis is what matters, not the drill.
- Players win and lose games, you must teach them how to solve problems.
- Have a plan, no system or plan is wrong as long as you and the players know it, have a plan for:

(Offense and Defence)
- Post Feeds
- Ball Screens
- Transition
- Penetration
- Off Ball Screens

This play is from the South Australian U20 side who won the 2010 U20 Australian National Championships in Gawler, South Australia

This play is a multi-optional set which allows players to read and react to the defence without disrupting the offensive execution.

The set requires to defence to cover shuffle cuts, handoffs, onball screens and stagger screens.

For more information on Set Plays check out our Set Play’s Ebook:

Packed with plays from from around the world featuring sets from A.I.S, North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Spain and Australia from the AST tournament out of the following alignments or situations: 3 Out, 4 out, Horns, Quick Hitters, Entry’s into Motion and 1-4 Sets.

This play is from the Queensland U20 side who competed in the 2009 U20 Australian National Championships.

This play is quick hitting inside look for a post player off a 1 to 4 back screen.

What makes the a good option is that most coaches are reluctant, and rightly so, to switch a 1 to 4 back screen which forces the defence to play honest by helping & recovering which should lead to a shot or close out opportunity for 1 if his/her defender helps on the back screen.

Also adding difficulty for the defence is the 1 coming off a ULCA screen before setting the back screen which will make it hard for 1’s defender to help on the back screen. It is important to 1 looks to score on the UCLA cut so his/her defender does not cheat the screen.

For more information on Set Plays check out our Set Play’s Ebook:

Packed with plays from from around the world featuring sets from A.I.S, North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Spain and Australia from the AST tournament out of the following alignments or situations: 3 Out, 4 out, Horns, Quick Hitters, Entry’s into Motion and 1-4 Sets.

This play is from the 2009 U20 Victorian team that I assisted who won the 2009 U20 Australian National Championships.
We used this as a secondary break to get early screening action for our bigs.

Strong Side Option:

1 pass to 2 and cut behind to the ball side corner.

3 upscreens trailing 4 into the weakside post.

Ball side post sets a cross screen for 4 for a early post look. (In video the ball is thrown into the post before the cross screen can eventuate)

Weak Side Option:

If the ball is reversed through the trailing 4 man, the 4 will dive and the running post (5) will loop for an early wing onball screen.

For more information on Set Plays check out our Set Play’s Ebook:

Packed with plays from from around the world featuring sets from A.I.S, North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Spain and Australia from the AST tournament out of the following alignments or situations: 3 Out, 4 out, Horns, Quick Hitters, Entry’s into Motion and 1-4 Sets.