The following are notes from the Basketball Immersion Podcast by Chris Oliver, incredibly thought provoking conversation that makes you think about the game in a different way. Please enjoy the resources, including clinics and playbook at the bottom of the page.
History of the Game
Start of season, put my team in a class room. Do a trivia about basketball.
Knowing the past can lead you to a better future
Following the footprints of others can lead you to a better place.
The game is changing so fast, why not learn to become better now?
Pick & Roll Basketball
Great teams play pick and roll with 5 players.
Basketball = Chess. Offensive action, then defensive reaction.
If defence does a good job in pick and roll they can cover 1,2 or 3 but if we play properly we will find the open 4th or 5th man.
Spacing is the MOST IMPORTANT THING.
The corners are corners, not two steps out of the corner.
Structure of Practice
Typical = warm up, fast break, defence, offensive breakdowns then 5v5.
This is Jurassic.
Develop one topic per practice, where everything is related.
Example: pick and roll passing. All warm ups, shooting drills, 5v5 all emphasise the skills and reads of pick and roll passing.
Coach your players against the best defence in the world.
Provide a menu for practice for the players.
Give team targets and individual targets, that fit to that practice.
“A good shot is a good shot even if you miss.”
Pick and Roll Teaching
Guard must take two dribbles off the pick and roll.
Guards must wait, jump stop on screens are critical.
The guard makes the contact into the screen.
When the ball passes your shoulders, big must open to the ball as quickly as possible.
Challenge your players to reject the screen.
Coverage Dependent
- Early slips on hedges when the guard is being aggressive.
Flat or passive coverage must hold good screens.
Always 2 dribbles off pick and roll, except on hard show. Get rid of the ball as quickly as possible, don’t try and beat the help.
Short roll is great vs hedge/trap.
Spain Pick & Roll
Zeljko Obradovic in 2009 is where it originated.
Big cannot let guard go under, re- screen is slow and requires adjustment of spacing.
Back towards the corner or the baseline, allows guard to catch speed if defender goes under.
Prepare your teams for the reads, every time will try and drop with big and switch guard to guard.
Counter: as soon as you see guard over your outside shoulder, disappear and run from the opposite guard. Therefore there is nobody to switch onto.
Counter 2: Big after setting the first ball screen sets another screen on the switching guard.
If you know what the defence is doing, they will always be late. Action then reaction.
Teaching
The only thing we cannot do as coaches is buy time.
I used to overload my players with details.
GSW are playing the right way, playing together yet not choking their creativity.
When you over load your players, it becomes like an old computer very slow.
We want to allow them to play with instinct.
Call a play where it’s easier for your players to see the right read.
Control Freaks
Italy, we are culturally creative.
If you’re too flexible and change all the time your team will be insecure.
If you’re too stubborn you will lose.
You are a tailor, you must fit the suit to what fits your team.
Nobody is above the team needs, be creative within the team needs.
Practice
Coach is a chef: sometimes you need some lemon, chilli you hae to mix it all together for what your team needs.
Competitive practice use competitive tools = 5v5, special situations, time and score.
“In life, it’s facing adversity and finding solutions. Basketball is the same.”
Successful Coaches
Culture
Passion & Love for the game
Honestly with players
Creativity
Self Ironic
Humble
Great Players
“Fortnite is the biggest enemy of a young player, players must watch the game.”
How can you be better if you don’t see the best?
Spanoulis, could predict exactly what the coach will do and what the players will do next.
There will be bad days, there will be minus days. Reduce the amount of minuses, and you have a chance to be better.
Team Film Sessions
No more than 15 minutes, 7–8 minutes of film.
Use NBA film for individual to help teach players.
Always put something positive, you have to build confidence and trust.
Play Calling
You cannot just call plays in loud gyms.
Use Positions: 1,2,3,4,5
Use Actions: Fist, Down, Twist, Flash, etc
Play calls must be organic and logical. Example: 5 Down Flash
When you call a timeout, you always call 2 plays.
Offensive Rebounding
How can I generate more 3pt shots without losing control? Like the Houston Rockets in the playoffs.
3pt shots after an offensive rebounding is unstoppable.
Corner crashes are very hard to box out.
Bigs must spin off the first obstacle.
Phases of the Game
1. Philosophy — what we are doing, how we want to do it. On and off the court. This is how we play when we are in unstructured moments, we want to take open shots.
2. Strategy — your style of play, how you want to win and how you think the game should be played.
3. Tactics — specific in game adjustments.
Resources
Want to Connect?
If you would like to continue the basketball conversation, provide your thoughts or ideas please message me on Twitter @jackfleming1 or e-mail me at flemingjack1995@gmail.com.