Basketball coaches must acquire the valuable and fundamental coaching skill of phasing drill progressions. Practice planning is a skill, and like any other skill it must be practiced before there is proficiency. Expert level skills from players, such as shooting and passing, are not hard to spot. Just as players with the expert level skill in those…
![March 8, 2016 - Minneapolis, MN, U.S. - North head coach Larry McKenzie read an inspirational quote to his players before the start of practice Tuesday afternoon. ] JEFF WHEELER • Minneapolis North Polars, a program synonymous with basketball excellence, is back in the state tournament for the first time since 2003. They practiced after school Tuesday afternoon, March 8, 2016 ahead of their tournament game on Thursday. (Credit Image: � Jeff Wheeler/Minneapolis Star Tribune via ZUMA Wire)](http://team.fastmodelsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/20160308_zaf_m42_0041-195x130.jpg)
Elite Defenders – How They Tick
Elite defenders have the following traits in common: length, athleticism, effort, awareness, and intelligence. That’s pretty obvious. In this article, we’ll go beyond those few characteristics and learn from one of the NBA’s best defenders, Tony Allen, and we’ll see the traits that make great defenders. Elite defenders guard the best offensive player on their team…
Plays YOU Can Use: Ball Screen Sets
The ball screen is one of the most popular and most effective actions in basketball. From Stockton to Malone to the Spread Ball Screen Offense, screening for the ball-handler has been a staple of every coach’s playbook. This week, our Plays YOU Can Use series features 10 ball screen sets and counters that every coach should…
Off-Season Conditioning: Squats
Teaching correct movement is extremely important, especially with squats. If we train without focus on the correct muscle activation players will still get stronger, but they will be strengthening their misalignments and imbalances. How many kids are taught proper form from their first squat on? I’m talking just a simple body weight squat. It should…
The Influence of Soccer and Football on Basketball Coaches
How the main national sporting influences – football and soccer – may impact basketball coaching styles in America and abroad. In the United States, the NFL owns Sundays and college football owns the rest of the weekend. While American basketball coaches likely list basketball as their first love, they are knowingly or unknowingly impacted by American…
Man-to-Man Defense – Team Post Defense
Team Post Defense is part 3 of a 5 part series on drills that can help any man-to-man defensive system. Read part 1, Man-to-Man Defense – 2 Essential Questions here and part 2 Man-to-Man Defense – Drills for On and Off Ball Defense here. In this post we will look at two great drills that can be used…
Starting 5: Houston Rockets
This season the Houston Rockets have completely revamped their offense in the their first season under head coach Mike D’Antoni. While the speed and pace with which the Rockets play is having a major impact on their offensive output, that’s only the start of their new attack. D’Antoni runs a lot of great sets and…
Plays YOU Can Use: Elbow Series
When building your playbook for next season, some things to consider: Do your sets have anything that make them easy to scout? Do they all start from different formations? Is it difficult to flow from the base offense into the sets? Do they all use the same action? Do the sets lack versatility? These are…
Spread Ball Screen – Basics
The basics of the Spread Ball Screen alignment – a good starting point for the introduction of ball screen offense. Getting into ball screen offense can be done in multiple ways. A common alignment for the introduction of ball screen concepts is the Spread Ball Screen alignment. It is popular worldwide and at all levels of…
Starting 5: San Antonio Spurs
Coach Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs entered the 2017 playoffs with the 2nd best record in the league and are considered serious contenders for the NBA Championship. Coach Popovich has always run great X’s & O’s and this might be one of his best coaching jobs of his hall of fame career. Here are…