Percentage Basketball

Someone infamously said "the team who scores the most points will win the game". Basketball, like other sports, is so simple yet can be made so complex. Similarly, it's a very complex game that can be made to be understood in simple terms.

In all the defensive schemes, in-game adjustments, junk defenses and dedication to 'zone' or 'man', one thing remains clear: we want to give our opponent the

Tom Izzo on "Special Situations" in basketball

 Thanks to Bob Starkey for posting this on his great blog:

I'm searching for ways to steal 4 points per game, score one basket every two games on each of these = 4 point a game average. This is the difference between Good to Great and Great to Champions.

• FT Situation: Makes and Misses; Set plays off misses.

• Jump Ball: Win it and score with it, change plays throughout the season.

• BLOB:

3pt Quick Hitter

Here's a set play designed to get you a wide-open 3 point shot with several scoring options: score on the drive, for the crack back 3, behind the double ball screen for a 3, and drive and kick for a 3 or for layup.

Here's a link that will take you to the PDF:

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/82032258?access_key=key-2kruwxx8sno8oo06fmea

The Most Beautiful Offense in Basketball....

The Triangle Offense. Fundamentally sound, difficult to defend and an equal opportunity offense, Tex Winter's triangle has won NBA coach Phil Jackson 11 Championships and has also been a part of collegiate women's basketball programs at Stanford, Tennessee, Connecticut, Hartford and countless others.

What makes the Triangle Offense so good? It's a detailed system that requires all 5 players on

"Toughness" Drill

4 "MUST HAVES" in Your Drill Work

1. Weak Hand Development2. Footwork and balance emphasis3. Playing through contact4. Contesting shots
-Kevin Eastman

9 Important Teaching Points for Your Drills

The following are notes from Morgan Wootten's Basketball Camp around 2005...these were given to Joe Wootten from Kevin Eastman (Boston Celtics Assistant Coach) and passed on to the camp staff:

1) Basketball is a game of inches (John Stockton; slow, but sure)- Attack ankles/Attack hips, etc.

2) Pound dribble for better handle on the basketball

3) Play the game low to high (on screens: cutter's

Sideline OOB Play for 3

Courtesy of FastModel and Maryland's Video Coordinator Mike Bowden (http://www.fastmodelsports.com/playoftheday/?article_id=277)

"Crimson" Zone Offense

As featured by @FastModel...

http://fastmodelsports.com/playoftheday/index.html?article_id=204

Phil Jackson: Triangle Offense Video

One of my FAVORITE videos! Excellent teaching on pieces of the triangle offense but, more importantly, how each athlete plays a roll in developing a cohesive and motion-directed offense.

Quote of the Day:

"In 1948, I began coaching basketball at UCLA. Each hour of practice we worked very hard. Each day we worked very hard. Each week we worked very hard. Each season we worked very hard. Four fourteen years we worked very hard and didn't win a national championship. However, a national championship was won in the fifteenth year. Another in the sixteenth. And eight more in the following ten years." -

Wooden: Principles of Offensive Success Part II

6) Flexibility: Mechanical offenses where players are forced to follow set patterns are easily defended. To encourage players to be resourceful, the offense must be flexible enough to provide a sufficient number of options to counteract all possible defensive maneuvers. Individual innovation must take place within the guidelines of proper spacing, ball movement, etc.



7) Timing: Creating a

Wooden: Principles of Offensive Success Part I

Excerpts from John Wooden's UCLA Offense by John Wooden and Swen Nater:

10 key principles that together provide a structure to facilitate team play yet also create opportunities to maximize the talents of specific individuals on the squad: *parts 6-10 will be posted later*

1) Spacing: On the strong side, players should be spaced approximately 15' apart. This facilitates safe passing distance

Butler Offense

Here's a nice little set that Butler runs with a few great options.

"Corner" BLOB Play

At Rhode Island, we have a misdirection play for a 3pt shot which worked really well for us. I got the idea to do something I've never seen before- a misdirection screen on a baseline out of bounds play.

The basic idea is to bring 2's defender towards the corner, then set a hybrid backscreen/flare screen for the overhead pass to a 3pt shooter. 

2 is usually open, but your inbounder needs to be

Inbounding Philosophy

Inbounding the ball is different than a fast break; in a fast break (think Mike D'Antoni-era Phoenix Suns), the goal is to push the ball up court as quickly as possible and look for a quick score before moving into your secondary break offense. For the Suns, this meant getting a shot off in 7 seconds or less.

The inbounding philosophy that I believe in depends on poise and control and works best