Pete Newell - Reading the Defense for Perimeter Moves
I have been reading Pete Newell’s Playing Big and thought I would share a excerpt on reading the defence for Perimeter Moves…
Basketball is a game of counters. A team’s offensive and defensive reactions are counters to what the opponent has presented. If a team offense is not designed to use counter strategy against defensive tactics, that offense will be stopped. On the contrary, the team that is trained to read and react quickly will be unstoppable.
Reading and reacting in the one-on-one situation is no different. Players must learn to recognize what the defense is taking away—and thereby read what the defense is giving away so that the offensive player can take quick advantage.
The following moves are all based on read and-react strategy:
Move 1-Front Pivot and Drive Baseline With the offensive player facing the basket, the defender moves in and leaves room on the baseline side for the drive. The player crosses over with the left foot, swings the basketball to the right hip for protection, and takes a long step past the defender and toward the basket (see pic) In most cases, in order to take the straight path to the basket, slight contact between the players
occurs. That is good. The offensive player should brush the opponent, though not too much. The offensive driver must be aggressive. Contact favors the offense.
For more ideas on Post & Perimeter Play, check out Pete Newell’s Playing Big Book & DVD. Coach Newell has a collegiate coaching record of 234-123, including back-to-back appearances in the NCAA championship game (1959 and 1960) with the University of California at Berkeley. He won one NCAA title, an NIT title, and a gold medal with the 1960 U.S. team. Newell’s Cal teams won four consecutive Pacific-8 titles (1957-1960), and Newell was National Coach of the Year in 1960. Considered America’s “basketball guru” for his vast knowledge and teaching skills, Newell was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. He has run his Big Man Camp since 1976 and his Tall Women’s Camp since 2001, developing the skills of serious high school, collegiate, and professional players.
