That Basketball Life

Off ball screens are a huge part of the game.  There are many offenses that make screening an integral part of their flow and movement.  This is why it is so important that a good defense knows how to fight thru screens in an attempt to disrupt offensive flow. 

The story of Jimmer Fredette.

As we move up the age ladder we like to continue pushing our players both athletically and in terms of basketball.  When the kids hit the 9-10 year old group we continue building on their basketball knowledge. Since we teach a lot more concepts at this age group we will have multiple posts covering our 9-10 year old topics.  Additional topics covered will include the intro to man to man, and more detailed looks into game situations.  In this post we will be covering how we expand our offense and build off of the basics that the kids learned at the 7-8 year old level.  Our goal is to teach the kids proper positioning and as they get older and start to understand this concept, we start taking the leash off of them and let them use their creativity.

In this weeks installment of Player of the week we will be honoring none other than the NBA's all time leading scorer, and the master of the sky hook, Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  From high school to college to the pros Kareem was the true definition of greatness.

To be recognized as a good coach you need to have a great record.  To be a great coach you need to make a difference in the lives of the kids you coach.  I have never met Bob Hurley but based on everything that I've read, seen and heard he gave opportunities to kids in Jersey City, New Jersey to take basketball and make something out of themselves.  He won 28 state championships at St. Anthony's (2 more as an assistant), sent over 150 players to play division 1 basketball, and had 5 NBA first round draft picks.  Wow what a career!

In our third discussion of post movement we are focusing on the high/low set and how the post players will move when we line up in this set.  Remember that this is just a basic template that we like to show our youth players so they can learn our system.  As the season goes on and their familiarity with each other grows, we encourage creativity in their movements.  As the season goes on the only rules that apply will be the following: Never have our 2 bigs line up within 5 feet of each other.  Interior spacing is important.  We like to maintain 10-12 feet of space on the interior. If you're not open then move and let the next man fill in.  We teach the 2 second rule.  If you don't get it in 2 seconds then move and replace. Always try to make yourself available especially if a teammate is in trouble. Now on to high/low interior movement.

In this weeks spotlight installment we are paying tribute to the Chicago Bulls of the 1990's. Enjoy!

When it comes to being a successful coach in the NBA you need to be more than a master of the game of basketball.  You need to know how to manage egos and you need to know how to keep the great ones motivated.  As far as I'm concerned one of the best at doing this was Chuck Daly.  What he did with those Piston teams of the late 80's was awesome.  He had them playing hard, almost dirty but as aggressive as they always seemed to be he always had them focused on the fact that the other team was the enemy.  He did a great job with the Dream Team in the '92 Olympics also where he sensed complacency on the squad and somehow managed to have a squad full of college players beat the Dream Team in a scrimmage just so he can get their attention.  Brilliant mind!

Larry Bird was one great basketball player.  Aside from being a 3 time NBA Champion, he was also a 3 time NBA MVP and a 2 time finals MVP.  He and Magic Johnson are responsible for bringing the NBA into the spotlight.  Their battles were legendary.  His game was not flashy or above the rim and for that reason many people tend to overlook the supreme skill that this guy had.  He was awesome.  Enjoy the videos.

A while back I wrote a post about my general philosophy on coaching kids under the age of 10.  As a coach you shouldn't spend too much time exposing your players to exotic defenses or offenses.  What you should be doing is exposing them to the fundamentals of the game along with various coordination and athletic development drills (covered in another post soon). However, if you are going to expose them to games you do need to prepare them by introducing some basic ideas which will keep them competitive.  In today's post I will discuss some of the basic team offensive concepts you should expose your kids to.  I will break these down into 2 groups: 7-8 year olds 9-10 year olds Today we will be discussing the 7-8 year old group.

In our second discussion of post movement we are focusing on the 1-4 low set and how the post players will move when we line up in this set.  Remember that this is just a basic template that we like to show our youth players so they can learn our system.  As the season goes on and their familiarity with each other grows, we encourage creativity in their movements.  As the season goes on the only rules that apply will be the following: Never have our 2 bigs line up within 5 feet of each other.  Interior spacing is important.  We like to maintain 10-12 feet of space on the interior. If you're not open then move and let the next man fill in.  We teach the 2 second rule.  If you don't get it in 2 seconds then move and replace. Always try to make yourself available especially if a teammate is in trouble. Now on to 1-4 Low interior movement.

This is a nice drill that emphasizes a whole bunch of game like situations.  Here is the list:  Fast Break Secondary Break Offensive sets Transition Defense Transition to standard defense Recognizing and attacking odd man opportunities.

In our first discussion of post movement we are focusing on the 1-4 high set and how the post players will move when we line up in this set.  Remember that this is just a basic template that we like to show our youth players so they can learn our system.  As the season goes on and their familiarity with each other grows, we encourage creativity in their movements.  As the season goes on the only rules that apply will be the following: Never have our 2 bigs line up within 5 feet of each other.  Interior spacing is important.  We like to maintain 10-12 feet of space on the interior. If you're not open then move and let the next man fill in.  We teach the 2 second rule.  If you don't get it in 2 seconds then move and replace. Always try to make yourself available especially if a teammate is in trouble. Now on to 1-4 High interior movement.

The thing that makes college basketball more attractive than the pros is the one an done format of the tournament. All you have to do is get hot at the right time and boom an upset has occurred. Villanova entered the tournament in 1985 as an 8 seed after finishing 19-10 in the regular season and 9-7 in the Big East. With a lineup that consisted of quite a few seniors who all gelled at the same time they took the tournament by storm wrapping up the title by defeating the mighty Hoyas of Georgetown led by Patrick Ewing.

I'd like to spend a bit of time discussing different post rotations.  Post rotations are how the post players will be lining up and moving during an offensive set.  Most of the offenses I like to run consist of 2 post players and I generally like to have the 2 players occupy the high post and the low post at any point in time.  I also like to have the high post be a safety valve when the perimeter players require it or to be that 4th player on the perimeter when the team is facing an odd man zone (ie. 1-2-2/3-2/1-3-1) and the offense needs to line up on the gaps accordingly. 

In this weeks installment of coach of the week, we go to the pro ranks and there is no better coach to start the discussion than Red Auerbach.  With his keen sense for spotting talent and a win at all cost attitude, Auerbach is the main reason why the Celtics are the most decorated team in NBA history.

In this weeks installment of player of the week we honor the great Pete Maravich.  Pete Maravich was a great player.  Arguably the best player to ever play college basketball his pro career was hampered with knee injuries. 

In this installment we are covering what our players should look for when the ball is entered on the low block.  Knowing their options before they even step on the floor will help slow things down in players mind.

When running your offense it is always a good idea for your players to know exactly where their options are going to be when they catch the ball in certain spots on the floor.  Today we cover what our offense should be doing when we get the ball in the high post.

A few days ago we covered middle of the lane penetration .  In this post we cover what the offense should of when we drive baseline.

Bobby Hurley had a great high school and college basketball career.  He was the one that ran the ship on those great Duke teams of the early 90's.  Misfortune got in the way of us ever finding out how good he could have been as a pro but one thing is certain, he showed everyone that even though basketball is usually a game for the tall there is always room for a hard nosed point guard.

A good offense is about trying to put your players in a position to get good shots from areas on the floor where they can take advantage of their strengths.  A defense is most compromised when there is penetration either thru a screen or a simple blow by.  Once the penetration has occurred, your players need to know where they should go in order to take advantage of the defense scrambling to recover.  There are 2 types of basic penetrations, one is middle lane and the other is baseline.  These names describe the area on the floor where the ball enters the lane from.  Any drive that comes from an area outside the baseline is considered a middle lane.  We will be cover the baseline penetration in another post.  Here will be focusing on middle lane drives and the proper rotations an offense should take to get good shots while not exposing the backcourt and keeping the floor balanced.

When it comes to innovators and trend setters, people who weren't afraid to try something new or to stand up for what is right, few can pass the accomplishments of Dean Smith.  Not only was Dean Smith a great college basketball coach, he was an innovator, he was a man with principles and convictions who had the guts to stand up for what he believed in.  To his players he was not only a coach but a father figure.  He made sure his players graduated and cared for all of them until his dying day.  He is what all college coaches should strive to be and what all human beings should look to as an example. 

In this weeks installment of Player of the Week we will be covering the best defensive big man that ever played the game.  Very few people could affect the game on the defensive end of the court like Bill Russell could.  From the time he joined the Celtics in 1956 until his retirement in 1969, Boston won 11 NBA championships.  This makes Bill Russell the most decorated player in NBA history.  Enjoy!

I saw this sideline out of bounds play run by the Utah Jazz.  It's simple and it can work pretty well against a man to man.