Posts Tagged ‘Offense’
Every basketball team should have a “set play” or “default play” as part of its basketball offense for back-up purposes. In so doing, when a team’s fast break attempt is stopped, for example, it would have a good offensive play to rely on.
A set play must have good floor balance, and a minimum number of plays and options; however, the number of plays and options should not be too simple and so few that they become predictable by the defense.
When options vary from one to four for each play, it becomes virtually impossible for the players to perfect this number of plays.
Good teams must have several series of patterns to operate efficiently. A series of four or five plays, with options, should be sufficient.
Screens should be included in a set play offense. Why? Screens would make it more difficult for the defense to prevent the offensive player from successfully making it to the offensive basket. Therefore, as part of the process of learning the different set attack patterns, players must be taught proper screening techniques.
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To work properly, a set play must consist of a good inside attack and a good outside attack. Some teams operate the inside attack with a screening and driving game. The outside attack becomes successful with screening and good shooting over the screens.
When a team has players that can screen, drive, and shoot, it can keep a defense loose. You must be able to get inside the defense to get the good percentage shot. When you accomplish this attack, many defenses will jam the lanes to such an extent that your driving and screening game is stopped. You then must be able to draw this tight defense out with screens and good shots over the screens.
To outscore your opponent, your offensive moves must create openings for the good shot. Of course, follow-up is necessary to get the good second shot when the first one fails. Proper rebounding and defensive balance become part of this attack. Along with screening, cutting and driving techniques are needed to successfully execute a set play offense.
Such techniques as angle cuts, L cuts, scissor cuts and others may be used successfully. Angle cuts are set up by taking a direction with a sharp angle change up. These angles can vary in degree according to the players’ position on the floor. L cuts are about the same as angle cuts, with the exception that the L cut change up is a direct right angle change.
Scissor cuts consist of using a post man to run the opponent into a screen. A double scissor cut occurs when two players split the post to come off the screen set by the post man. Some coaches refer to these maneuvers as ruboffs, since the defensive player is purposely taken into the screen from his blind side.
A basketball team with a desire to win must obviously have a winning offensive scheme as part of its overall game plan. Incorporated into that offense should be set plays with characteristics as discussed above.
One of the most interesting aspects of participating or even being a fan of basketball is how much variety the game has. It’s true in basketball that there is more than one way to “skin a cat.” Your team can find its identity and pursue success by a collection of vastly different styles and strategies. Depending on your personnel, your youth basketball team can rely on the fast break, half-court execution, pressure defense, a strong perimeter game, dominant post players, or even a stall.
Your basketball team’s style of play will probably be determined by its roster. Is your team small and quick? Do you have a dominant center? Great perimeter shooting? Usually, a good youth basketball coach will adjust his/her personal strategies and game plans around the team’s talent. At higher levels of basketball (college and pro) a coach actually has the benefit of acquiring players that fit into the style of play the coach prefers. Whichever style of play your team employs, the fundamentals of basketball (shooting, passing, rebounding, defense, ball handling) are still vital.
Once your team has established its identity, it still must be prepared for specific moments that occur in the game. Regardless of your style of play, a good team has pre-planned or basketball “set” plays for inbounding the ball, last-second shots, or even when a quick score is needed in a half-court situation. Perhaps a surprise to the average fan, these plays are usually not drawn up on the spot, but instead coaches spend a lot of time reviewing and executing basketball offense and set play drills in practice. You may not get a chance all year to run your last second, full court inbound play in a game, but you better be ready if you do.
Below are some tips for youth basketball offensive strategies and some set play basketball drills for your youth team’s practice. You can also find more free basketball skills & drills videos and tutorials online at websites like Weplay.com
Basketball Offensive Strategy and Set Play Tips
Determine you overall strategy and style of play based on the players on your roster. Be willing to adjust basic styles of play from year to year as your personnel changes. This does not mean, however, that your core philosophies must be compromised. Allow each new team to develop its own identity. Prepare and practice set plays for every possible game situation. Review them often, especially the plays that rarely get used in a game.
Basketball Set Play Drills
Long Shot
This is a fun drill that players love and only has to be done once per season. Too often a player is in a position to take a long shot to end a quarter, half, or game and has little idea of the amount of force the shot takes. Usually, the attempted shot is too strong, not short. It is good once a year to establish which players have the strength to make a decent attempt at a shot from half-court, three-quarter court, and even full-court in case you have to call on someone to do just that. It also is good for the players to learn their capabilities. Simply have each player get a ball and take them to various spots and shoot long shots (long 3, half court, 3/4 court, full court), some off the dribble and some from a set catch position.
The “Stack” Out-of-Bounds Basketball Drill
With your best passer or decision maker taking the ball out of bounds underneath the offensive basket, the 4 other players line up in a row in front of him with the last player standing at the corner of the free throw line. When the inbounder slaps the ball or yells something like “break!”, the first two players quickly split right and left in front of him. They can go in either direction and switch it up next time. The third player slips into the empty space left by the first two straight ahead and might be ready for an open lay up. The fourth player at the free throw line slides to the left as a safety outlet. If the pass goes to the safety outlet, then the inbounding player cuts to the low post area for a quick pass back and potential layup.
Every basketball team should have an organized basketball-offense attack, and a “system” of play with solid back court players. In this way, every player will know what is expected of him. He’ll know where to go. Moreover, a system play will often overcome individual weaknesses of one or more players.
Over the years, basketball coaches have devised many kinds of basketball offenses. In general, they fall into two groups; those designed to defend against the man-for-man defense and those put together to crack the zone.
These basketball offenses have many characteristics. Some are slow and deliberate, involving a series of “set” plays. Others are of the slam-bang variety, sometimes referred to as “race horse” basketball.
Regardless of how the basketball offense is paced, it must be “sound” to be successful. By that we mean that the offense must have certain features; it must give its players short, medium and long shots. It must give the team good rebound strength off the offensive board. It must be able to switch to defense quickly in the event the ball is lost.
Most of all, the basketball offense must include passing “options.” If player A wants to make a pass to player B to start a screen play and suddenly finds B covered, he should have the option of starting a play with another teammate. And without stopping the attack.
What Kind of Offense?
Ideally, any basketball coach would like to have players suited to every position; however, it doesn’t always turn out that way. The type of players you have as a coach will dictate how the offense is to be shaped.
This places the responsibility of selecting an offense on the coach. The coach must be imaginative and sensible when he sits down to plan his basketball offense. He has to carefully analyze his team of players and come up with an offense that will take fullest advantage of the type of players that make up the team.
If a team is small, for example, a “possession” type of offense would be best. The offense should be designed to keep the players moving constantly, to give them plenty of good screens; screens that will lead to medium and short range shots. This team wants to rely, too, on specialty and spot shooting. A possession game and a good shooting percentage will go a long way toward making up for lack of size.
If the team has one or two big players, the basketball offense can be built around a single or double post system (against man-for-man).
Since the principles of the man-for-man defense differ from those of the zone, the principles involved in the attack against each of these defenses differ too.
Attack Against Man-for-Man Defense
In any attack, the objective of the basketball offense is to make the defense move; to get it out of position so that an offensive player can have an opportunity to shoot.
In the man-for-man defense, the guards play the man. To move the guard, you must move the offensive man. In moving the offensive man, however, you must maneuver the defense out of position. The best way to do this is to set up a series of screens,a “pattern.”
What kind of pattern you establish for your offense depends on the kinds of players making up the team. Let’s assume you have three players of average height who are fair outside shooters and better than average drivers. Let’s also assume the remaining two making up the first five are big men that are poor from the outside.
The pattern might take this form. The two big men establish post positions on either side of the foul line. The other three bring up the ball. From this three-out, two-in pattern, you can devise all sorts of screens. It will give you a long, medium and short attack. It will give you rebound strength and defensive strength.
In building up the pattern, remember that the offensive players must keep moving in order to move the defense. To get continuity of movement, the passing pattern must include several options. In order for a basketball team and its players to be successful, it must have a basketball offense that can handle any and all kinds of defense that an opposing team throws at it.
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