By Russ Willemsen
There are so many things that impact winning in the game of basketball. The sum of all the little things can equate to more overall wins. This can be found in deliberate and planned drills in practice. These ten things should be incorporated in every practice. By no means am I saying these are the only things involved in a daily practice. Half-court offense/defense, press offense/defense, and zone offense/defense are also areas that your team should work on, but I believe these ten things should be a focal point (in no particular order).
- 1-on-1
Playing 1-on-1 everyday can help improve your team in many ways. Offensively, it teaches your players to score with limited dribbles, which can be effective late in the shot clock. Having a player than can go get a bucket is such an asset to any program. Defensively, it forces you to guard your man and not rely on help-side defense. We all talk in scouting reports about GYY (Guard Your Yard). This is a great way to improve that on a daily basis. Now personally I would play 1-on-1 every day in practice leading up to the first game. Once games start, to prevent injuries, I would limit this to 1-2 times per week.
2. Transition Defense
Transition defense is one of the most important areas of emphasis in basketball. If you can limit a team’s fast break points and force them to play 5-on-5 in the half court, it will decrease their scoring. There are several ways to work on transition defense: 2-on-1s, 3-on-2s, 4-on-3s, 5-on-4s. Any disadvantage fast break drill will put an emphasis on your transition defense.
3. Transition Offense
Opposite of transition defense, any time you can create a fast break where offensively your team has the numbers advantage, scoring goes up. Working on this consistently in practice will improve decision making in these numbered breaks.
4. Ball Screen D
The game has evolved and every team in the country incorporates ball screens. There are several different ball screen actions, which make it even harder to defend. You have empty side ball screens, side ball screen with a shake, spread with a shake, spread with a double fill behind, flat, middle ball screen pop, middle ball screen roll/replace, outside ball screen, horns, stagger ball screen, and many more. This must be a staple and constant for your defense.
5. Special Situations
So many games come down to the final 2:00. Practicing one special situation a day will help prepare your team for when it happens in a game. It will also help you as a coach, because it forces you to have a plan. It also gives you a chance to experiment with last second plays during practice and see which best fits your team.
6. Post Feeds
All coaches talk about feeding the post, but do you actually work on it? So much goes into a post feed. The passer must get the correct angle (whether that’s on the catch or by utilizing the dribble), while the post player must get the correct position. There are two people involved in a post feed and both must be on the same page.
7. Toughness Drill
I always like ending practice with a toughness drill. Similar to playing 1-on-1, I would limit the physicality of this once games begin. Toughness drills could be taking a charge, getting a certain number of defensive stops in a row, running, rebounding, etc. This helps build a collective toughness for your team.
8. Skill (Passing/Catching)
This may seem basic, but so much of the game is passing and catching at full speed with a defender. This must be emphasized every day. A catch is defined as 2 hands, 2 feet and 2 eyes. This ensures the receiver secures the ball. Being a great passing team also improves your shooting. Players learn to deliver the ball on time and on target.
9. 100 Shots Up For Each Player
This can involve shooting drills that mimic your offensive sets or grabbing a few players before or after practice.
10. Form Shooting
This should be at the beginning of every practice. It does not take more than 4-5 minutes but instills so much confidence in players. It also helps improve shooting form, which will increase shooting percentages.