Steve Nash Coaches - Just for You Print E-mail

Each issue of “The Coaches Clipboard” will include drills and ideas to give you a greater arsenal for teaching young players how to play and enjoy the game.  As the Steve Nash Youth Leagues start up around the province this issue of the Coaches Clipboard focuses on several drills and concepts that should be done and taught regularly to young players. 

If you have questions or have suggestions for topics or drills to be covered in this section please contact Mike McNeill at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

1 on 1 Play

 

Image1 on 1 Full-court:

For teams to be successful players must have the ability to drive by their defender.  This driving ability begins with the skill of going by somebody in the open court.   To build kids’ ability to drive by a defender in the open court “1 on 1 Full-court” should be a staple drill of every youth practice.  While the ability to use the dribble effectively is critical, there is also a crucial conceptual understanding of 1 on 1 play that must be grasped by players.  Players must understand, and practice, going tight by the defender and, not taking the “path of least resistance”.  Two phrases that can help players to understand this critical concept are for the players to “drive North-South”, and/or to go by the defender “shoulder to hip”, this means the driver’s shoulder should get to the hip of the defender.

As shown in the diagram below when the ball-handler takes the “path of least resistance” he/she allows the defender an angle to recover and cut him/her off further down the floor. 

 

When the dribbler goes tight by the hip of the defender he/she takes away the angle of recovery.


Image1 on 1 Full-court allows players to work on many skills:
• Ball-handling
• Driving
• Defensive footwork
• Conditioning
• Finishing
• Recognizing angles of attack and recovery

Though “1 on 1 Full-court” can be played many ways, it usually has the offensive player restricted to one half of the floor.  Here are a number of other rules which can be applied to “1 on 1 Full-court”:
1) Defender assumes a proper defensive stance and hands the ball to the offensive player to start the drill.
2) Defender starts at the foul line extended, passes the ball to the offensive player, and closes out.
3) If the offensive player goes by the defender before the half-court line then the defender is allowed to recover and play resumes.
4) To work on defensive footwork, do not allow the defender to use their hands.  This can be done by having the defender hold the front of their jersey with both hands, or hold their hands behind their back.
5) As players become more skilled the area can be reduced from sideline to the edge of the lane.

 

Cutting/Moving Without the Ball

 

ImageFill the Open Space:

Youth players generally have a tendency to stand and call for the ball.  To help remedy this habit early in their basketball development players must be encouraged to move in relation to the position of the ball and their teammates, while keeping 15 foot spacing with teammates.  In most situations, this movement requires the positions on either side of the ball should be filled, particularly when the ball is out top.  By filling the positions on either side of the ball floor balance is maintained, i.e. there is not too many players on one side of the floor, and players are in position to reverse the ball.  In both diagrams, the one guard front and the two guard front, alignments are shown in which players are positioned on either side of the ball. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


ImageIn either alignment when ball movement occurs players must move according to their teammates and in relation to the ball.  As an example, in the one guard front, if O1 passes and cuts to the ball-side corner then O4 could cut to the top of the key.  This movement will ensure the floor is balanced, O4 is in position to reverse the ball and, O1 could enter the ball to low post if he/she received a pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ImageThis concept of recognizing open space, filling into the space and keeping proper spacing can be taught using a variety of simple drills. 

Fill the Spot is a simple drill that removes the distractions of the basket, and attempting to score.  Set up a grid on the floor, with 15 foot spacing between the cones.  Four players are used in the drill and each starts behind a cone.  The player with the ball, (O2 in the diagram), will pass to a teammate on either side, (O4 in the diagram), and then cut to the middle of the grid.  O1 fills the position vacated by O2, O3 will fill the position vacated by O1 and O2 continues his/her cut and fills the open spot left by O3. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ImageThe drill continues with O4 passing to O1.  O4 cuts to the middle, O2 replaces O4, O3 replaces O2, and O4 fills the position vacated by O3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


ImageIt is important to remember that drills do not teach they simply put players in a position to repeat skills and concepts.  Besides explaining the drill, coaches, more importantly, must always explain the purpose of the drill – “this is what we are trying to accomplish by doing this drill.”  In “Fill the Spot” players must be taught the following concepts and skills:

  • Pass and cut immediately,
  • Fill to an open spot,
  • Ensure positions on either side of the ball are filled,
  • Assume triple threat stance on every catch,
  • Timing: the ball and player should arrive at the cone at the same time.
  
  

 

 

 

 

 

ImageRead the Defence:

Coaches should introduce the concept of reading defenders early in player’s development.  For players to be successful they must be aware of how they are being played when they are away from the ball.  Is the defender in a denial position?  Is the defender sagging?  Did the defender jump to the ball?  These are all situations players must be aware of or “read”.

To begin the process of reading defenders start in a 1 on 1 situation with a guided defender (usually the coach to begin with).  The player will pass the ball to an open player at the wing and then read the defender.  The guided defender can a) jump to the ball, b) not move or c) jump back to the basket.  

If the guided defender jumps to the ball then the cutter will take one step towards the ball and back-cut directly behind the defender.  The passer delivers the ball to the cutter for a lay-up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ImageIf the guided defender does not move on the pass to the wing, the cutter will face-cut directly in front of the defender. 

 

If the defender jumps back to the basket the cutter should start away from the ball to influence the defender away from the ball.  The cutter then will attempt to face-cut in front of the defender. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ImageWhen first introducing the drill the guided defender should be very deliberate in the read they give, i.e. jump quickly to the ball and create a clear path to back-cut. 

As the players become quicker at reading the defender encourage them read as they pass the ball.  This will give the defender less time to react. 

The difficulty of this drill can be enhanced by allowing the defender freedom to do any of three defensive reads randomly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Movement Skills

 

Lateral Change of Direction:

The ability to change direction quickly is crucial to basketball success, and like shooting, passing, or dribbling it is a skill that must be taught.  The key to changing direction quickly is quick deceleration.  Proper deceleration technique will put the athlete in a position to not only stop quickly, without risk of injury, but also allow them to re-accelerate in another direction.

To laterally decelerate quickly, Brian Grasso, the Founder of the International Youth Conditioning Association, recommends teaching kids these four points:
1. “Foot outside the box” – this means the athlete must plant their foot outside an imaginary line from the shoulder to the ground;
2. “Drop your hips, bend your knees” – to be in a position to stop efficiently, re-accelerate in another direction and avoid injury the athlete must drop their hips back behind their heels and bend their knees;
3. “Flat foot” – being on the whole foot, as opposed to the toe or ball of the foot, gives the athlete more surface area to push into the floor and apply force in the opposite direction;
4. “Braking foot pointing in” – though not pigeon-toed, the toes of the plant foot should be close to perpendicular to the direction of movement. 

 

 

Grasso, Brian. Speed and Movement Technique – The Untold Truth. (2006). www.developingathletics.com


Basketball BC
About the author: