That Basketball Life

 After spending most of the last 30 years studying the game of basketball, I've discovered some nuances of the game of basketball that should not be ignored.  The one that I've garnered the most respect for is putting pressure on the opposition.  Many coaches interpret this as applying full court pressure and speeding up the game.  To me that is just one of the ways to put pressure on the opposition.  The best way to put pressure on the other team is when you have the ball.  To do this your team should be prepared to push the ball up the floor and put pressure on the other team from the time your team gins possession.  Many coaches look at offense as starting in the half court set once you cross half court.  In reality your offensive possession starts from the time your team gains possession of the ball through a rebound or an inbounds situation.  This is why we always have our kids run lanes after we gain possession and push the ball up the floor.  We do this to apply pressure

In this drill we are practicing the secondary break.  It is full court 5 v 5 drill which is perfect to get your whole team involved.  Aside from helping with learning the secondary break this is also a good conditioning drill as well as a drill that hits on multiple fundamentals.  It is another one of the drill that is perfect when you are pressed for time and want to use a drill that helps with multiple facets.

Some of the drills I like to run the most in practice are fast break drills.  These drills help emphasize everything you want as a coach.  They stress fundamentals, fitness, and force the players to make quick decisions.  Add to it the fact that my teams love running these drills and you have a match made in heaven.  Below is the first of many fast break drills that I like to run.  This is a 3 on 2, 2 on 1 drill.