Coach Rick
Forum Replies Created
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Everyone on offense and defense is required to say what they are doing every time the ball moves or if they move (on offense) or if the player they are defending moves.
“A quiet gym is a losing gym.”
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I suspect that your team is playing too close to the 3 pt line (Read Line). Move your spots 4-5 feet (or 1.5 meters) outside of the 3 point line and drill your Read Line and Dribble-At drills.
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Rob,
The drill is called Battlefield. Starting on the perimeter, defense is on the SIDE of the offense giving pressure with an armbar. Offense leans into the defense and they drive to the goal together. Defense is training the offense, so give only enough pressure that the offense can handle. Offense should stick the landing in the lane on two feet and then shoot. Pressure can slowly be increased as the offensive player gets used to the pressure. -
They are typically moving the ball too fast on the perimeter – not even looking at their cutters. Require them to move the ball from one shoulder, over their head, to the other shoulder (haircut) and then “sweep” the ball below their knees.
Everyone who catches a pass must “haircut & sweep” in either order before moving the ball.
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No.
The difference between Read & React and Motion offenses is where we allow players WITHOUT THE BALL to make decisions. In traditional Motion, players who pass can screen away, screen on the ball, go get the ball on the outside, stand still and wait to see what the ball-handler does, etc. Guess which one most players default to? They stand and watch the ball-handler with the excuse “I was reading the ball-handler -waiting to see what he/she will do.” I want them to cut to score so that every time we move the ball, someone is putting lay-up pressure on the defense.
Also, it turns passing into a scoring opportunity for the passer. A screen away is primarily an opportunity for the player being screened. It’s easier to recruit the energy and enthusiasm of a player when the action is a scoring opportunity for them, rather than for a teammate.
In Read & React the ball-handler is the decision-maker. Those without the ball, read the ball-handler’s action and react according to our rules. The player who passed the ball has given up the chance to make decisions. The passer MUST cut to the basket. When the passer’s feet get in the lane, the R&R gives those decisions back – like posting up, screening anyone on the perimeter, screening anyone in the post, and setting Pin Screens.
If you keep Perimeter Passing as a rule instead of a decision, your team will become more decisive and aggressive.
The Question that comes to my mind is: “Why would you want to screen away?”
I can wait for your answer, but while I’m waiting, there are two possible reasons that come to my mind (I’ve answered this question a few times in the last 10 years 🙂
1. Your experience has been that “pass & screen away” works. It may have, but I propose that it may have worked on poor defensive teams. Good defensive teams simply switch the screen or there’s no one to screen because the defender is already in the gap – in a helping position. You will score more on poor defensive teams by passing and cutting than you will passing and screening away.
2. Perhaps you want to tell certain players to always screen away because they are low skilled and cannot score if they cut and catch the ball on the move. Perhaps you simply want to hide them and keep them out of the scoring action. If so, this is even a better reason to cut to the basket. Cut hard and create an empty spot for the player you were going to screen. There are 4 scoring opportunities for the player FILLING THE EMPTY SPOT (see Layer 1 section B) and he/she would be the player you would have screened-away for.
If the passer CUTS HARD to the basket, the receiver of the pass can DRAFT DRIVE or use an OOPS SCREEN from the cutter (see Layer 1 section C). You should give the cutter an assist for creating the scoring opportunities for both the filler and the receiver.
NOTE 1: When we feed the post, we cut to the basket (see Layer 2). But once that habit has been acquired, Layer 9 shows you that it’s OK to give another option to the player who feeds the post. They can screen-away and then cut to the basket (We call it an X-Cut, but it’s just a screen away).
NOTE 2: If players on the perimeter were given only 2 choices like: (1) either cut to the rim or (2) screen away and THEN cut to the rim if you teammate did not cut to the rim, the integrity of the Read & React would be preserved. But the difficulty I have found with Screen-Aways is the player using the screen simply fills to the empty spot looking for an outside shot and the player who set the screen simply replaces them and no one winds up cutting to the rim. Or vice-versa, they both cut to the rim after the screen-away. These are the “bugs” I went through when I created the system. My conclusion was that you get more done by keeping it simple – if you pass, you must cut to the rim to score.
Hope this helps!
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You said it: The difference is your FOCUS – whether it’s 90/10 Off/Def or 10/90 Off/Def.
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I agree. There’s no way around working on these players’ skills. I would start with “one-player-motion” each day and teach them how to protect their space by being in a powerful stance, establish and maintain 3 point contact with the ball, change levels, and pivot.
Then put a partner on them to pressure them, slap and dig at the ball – with the goal of getting the ballhandler used to pressure – confront your fear and don’t back down.
Then I would add a third player – someone to pass to after performing a little “one-player-motion”. The passer follows his/her pass and becomes defender on the ballhandler.
Eventually move this to a double-team on the ballhandler. If you can keep your composure and control your fear with two players pressuring you, then one player becomes easier.
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Ron – that’s the idea behind Fusion! I’m glad to hear you ask the question and I’m anxious to see what coaches say. At some point, I plan on going back through each step and talk about the defense required to defend each step. It should expose your Levels of defense.
The whole idea is to allow you to do something like that without teaching a new format or drill. Just choose the rehearsal and turn all of your attention to defense.
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I think it’s best to stick to the rules and let the players work out the bugs. After one more movement of the ball, whoever set the Pin and rolled to the Flank will be back out on the perimeter.
Could you change and adapt some new rules with a Permanent Flank? Of course. We’re dealing with the lane, our Decision Box, so you could have your players do whatever you want when they’re in the lane. The question then becomes: “What CAN I get my players to do – consistently – without thinking too much and making things too complex?”
Here’s an example of a modification that I could live with: The ball is on the left wing with someone in the Nail and the Permanent Flank on the ballside (Left). A Cross-Key Pin & Skip is set by the Right Wing. The skip is thrown and the Pin Screener rolls to the basket and ultimately to the Right Flank. The Left Wing follows their pass to the Right Nail. At the point of the skip pass, the player who was in the Left Nail pops to the Top of the Key. So far, nothing new. Here’s where I might try a new tweak: The Permanent Flank who is in the Left Flank cannot flash to the Right Flank because it is already filled. So let’s require the Permanent Flank to immediately flash up and set another Cross-Key Pin Screen on the top weakside defender.
This would give you an occasional back-to-back Pin & Skip – two in a row – and put everything back in place.
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2 minutes: Team A vs Team B
2 minutes: Team A vs Team C
2 minutes: Team B vs Team CKeep a running total score for each team to determine the ultimate winner.
(I made up the times. Scrimmage as long as you want or need.)
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Hey Bob! That’s good insight! There are a lot teams that stick to the 5 spots regardless of formation. Their claim is that it’s simpler and there are very few drawbacks. Many of them say that there are advantages to some overloads you’ll occasionally get.
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Excellent – Thanks!
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Regardless of the formation, you need a receiver in the middle of the floor. With Read & React, (and regardless of YOUR formation), pass & cut to the middle of the zone – stop and look for the ball. While the passer is cutting, a teammate should be filling their open spot. I find that traps and presses cannot defend both of those actions at the same time.
On the next ball movement, the middle player fills out to an empty spot and the next cutter is filling the middle. This is just Layer 1, but it occurs anywhere on the floor – wherever the trap is being sprung.
There’s no rule that says you cannot FLASH a player to the middle when the ballhandler is trapped or just before they are trapped. But if the middle is not open, and a pass is made, the passer should cut to the middle as the middle player fills out. Filling out, Cutting to the middle, and filling the empty spot is a combination of movement that traps and presses cannot handle.
With a little practice, this is so effective that I cannot believe that presses and traps still work.
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There’s no problem with that. Move your corner spots to the short corners. But here’s an additional thought: “You can PLAY in the corners, but don’t STAY in the corners.” This will allow players (like your good shooters) to still slide there during Circle Movement or a Baseline Drive (it is the highest % 3pt shot), but if they don’t receive the pass, they immediately move to the Short Corner (or wing if it’s open). PLAY there, but don’t STAY there.
By the way, this is a good configuration of Spots when it comes to your Zone Attack.
Also, I think the Short Corners keep the lane relatively open for everything else.
Regarding your main thought about PACK-LINE Defense. Consider that your offensive goal is to shoot as close to the basket as possible – a lay-up would be best; You must create holes and gaps that your players can drive or pass the ball into. How? Make the defense CLOSE-OUT and teach your players to “show shot” and drive the close-out. How do you create CLOSE-OUTS?
1. Move the ball and move players and act like you can shoot it – “show shot” but don’t shoot – drive instead. (Except for your two shooters)
2. Pin & Skip: Go to Layer 5 and watch the entire thing. Pick the Pin & Skips or Pin & Swings that your team can do. Pack-Line Defense is like Zone Defense; it is set up for you to Pin & Skip – especially BABY PIN & SKIPS that even 6th graders can perform. These create switches and close-outs and leave someone inside to pass to as well (whoever sets the Pin Screen). -
Hey Daryl!
Absolutely! You just described how the Laker Cut (Layer 2) came about organically. We passed to the cutter, but the cutter got stopped for some reason. The players asked what they should do. I said, “The receiver is in trouble and needs passing opportunities inside and outside. So, whoever passes must cut around this “post player” and everyone else must fill the empty spots along the perimeter. This was such a good action, that we decided to make it intentional – it’s what we do when anyone posts up intentionally.