37620VOL
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Humor me and let this ol' dummy play coaching consultant.
On offense:
Step 1 - Define a good shot. This team cannot shoot. There's not much you can do to drastically change a shooter's form mid-year. You've watched them all summer and fall, in practice and scrimmages - data should be available. Anyone that shoots under 30% from 3 no longer gets to shoot 3's unless it's to beat the clock. Per my observation, Brown and Davis have the green light to shoot away. Horston, Rennie, Green, and Burrell would need to show me in practice that they can hit 30% (I would think Horston and Rennie can based on watching their form). I would also talk to them all individually about what a good shot for them looks like. Define it for them so, in the game, they don't have to think about it. They shouldn't have to worry about whether coach thinks something is a good shot.
Step 2 - We need to get more quality opportunities in transition. Our set offense stinks, mainly because we do not have the shooters to stretch the defense and create space. For this reason, we need to emphasize our defense and transition game. Our fast break looks good when we have the advantage of 2on1 or 3on2. I've thought for many years that we have failed to incorporate a structured secondary break. What I'm talking about is even though you do not have the numbers on the fast break you can still take advantage of defensive confusion in transition if you consistently run your secondary break appropriately. Examples: Fast Break Basketball Offense - Carolina Secondary Break
Step 3 - Make sure our best offensive players get more quality looks. In our set offense, I would run less motion and design more set plays to get Davis and Horston open looks. Have these two attack until doubled, then find the open person and rotate the ball.
On defense:
Step 1 - Active hands that create fear. We do not threaten the ball with our hands. You don't have to get a steal every time, but if we can get "touches" on the ball, it creates fear in the opponent --- because getting your pocket picked is the ultimate humiliation.
Step 2 - Eye discipline. I sound like Pruitt now but our players tend to watch the ball or even worse look the other player in the eyes while defending. Easy fix, you have to watch the ball handlers midsection at all times. Otherwise, a head-fake or a ball-fake and you're burnt.
Step 3 - Hand discipline - aka how to not get called for a foul. Yes, the 25 handcheck fouls last game were ridiculous, but we just kept putting those hands out there. You can't put your forearm out at the top of the key; you can't handcheck 2 feet out from your body. Defenders have to keep hands in close to the body to hold, hook or push wide; learn what the ref will let you get away within the first 5 minutes and adjust your game accordingly. Bill Belichick spends an hour of player meetings and who knows how much staff time doing a rundown of the officials... breaking down what each one calls and what you can get away with. If we don't already do it, we need to be scouting the officials.
Step 4 - Create friction - do the little things to throw off the other offense. Bump, grind, lean, hold away from the ball where the refs are not looking as much. Jam the cutters, make them run wide of their intended path - don't just react to their motion, disrupt it.
Thoughts?
On offense:
Step 1 - Define a good shot. This team cannot shoot. There's not much you can do to drastically change a shooter's form mid-year. You've watched them all summer and fall, in practice and scrimmages - data should be available. Anyone that shoots under 30% from 3 no longer gets to shoot 3's unless it's to beat the clock. Per my observation, Brown and Davis have the green light to shoot away. Horston, Rennie, Green, and Burrell would need to show me in practice that they can hit 30% (I would think Horston and Rennie can based on watching their form). I would also talk to them all individually about what a good shot for them looks like. Define it for them so, in the game, they don't have to think about it. They shouldn't have to worry about whether coach thinks something is a good shot.
Step 2 - We need to get more quality opportunities in transition. Our set offense stinks, mainly because we do not have the shooters to stretch the defense and create space. For this reason, we need to emphasize our defense and transition game. Our fast break looks good when we have the advantage of 2on1 or 3on2. I've thought for many years that we have failed to incorporate a structured secondary break. What I'm talking about is even though you do not have the numbers on the fast break you can still take advantage of defensive confusion in transition if you consistently run your secondary break appropriately. Examples: Fast Break Basketball Offense - Carolina Secondary Break
Step 3 - Make sure our best offensive players get more quality looks. In our set offense, I would run less motion and design more set plays to get Davis and Horston open looks. Have these two attack until doubled, then find the open person and rotate the ball.
On defense:
Step 1 - Active hands that create fear. We do not threaten the ball with our hands. You don't have to get a steal every time, but if we can get "touches" on the ball, it creates fear in the opponent --- because getting your pocket picked is the ultimate humiliation.
Step 2 - Eye discipline. I sound like Pruitt now but our players tend to watch the ball or even worse look the other player in the eyes while defending. Easy fix, you have to watch the ball handlers midsection at all times. Otherwise, a head-fake or a ball-fake and you're burnt.
Step 3 - Hand discipline - aka how to not get called for a foul. Yes, the 25 handcheck fouls last game were ridiculous, but we just kept putting those hands out there. You can't put your forearm out at the top of the key; you can't handcheck 2 feet out from your body. Defenders have to keep hands in close to the body to hold, hook or push wide; learn what the ref will let you get away within the first 5 minutes and adjust your game accordingly. Bill Belichick spends an hour of player meetings and who knows how much staff time doing a rundown of the officials... breaking down what each one calls and what you can get away with. If we don't already do it, we need to be scouting the officials.
Step 4 - Create friction - do the little things to throw off the other offense. Bump, grind, lean, hold away from the ball where the refs are not looking as much. Jam the cutters, make them run wide of their intended path - don't just react to their motion, disrupt it.
Thoughts?
