Hello Everyone,
I have been very fortunate this semester to have the opportunity to be an assistant varsity basketball coach at Valley High School. While I grew up playing basketball, I am a baseball player at heart and do not know the ins and outs of basketball as well as I do baseball. Thus I thought that this 20% project could be an awesome opportunity to create the ultimate basketball playbook.
The team that I am currently working with does not have many plays and only runs a hand full of drills. I want to create a playbook that outlines at least five strong offensive and defensive plays as well as a plan for practices that includes specific drills. I hope to develop my skills as a basketball coach while being able to offer my players a more well rounded experience that will help them improve their skills on and off the court.
I believe a successful outcome would be if the team could learn 3-5 plays which can be used in a game.
I will start gathering information and resources through Pinterest.
Questions I have:
- What are the most basic plays?
- How many different types of plays exist.?
- What are the best plays for beginner players?
- How many plays should a high school team have?
- What types of drills should a team run?
- How often should a team practice and for how long?
- What is the best way to motivate players?
- What types of rules should the team have?
- How many 3 point shots should a team be taking a game?
- Do famous coaches have playbooks out there?
- Man defenses or zone?
These are several of the many questions I have when it comes to coaching basketball. I will have the opportunity to work with a team while developing my project and may find that some plays and drills are great while others are horrible so there would definitely be a possibility for failure. Please give me feedback and let me know what you all think!!!
I have been very fortunate this semester to have the opportunity to be an assistant varsity basketball coach at Valley High School. While I grew up playing basketball, I am a baseball player at heart and do not know the ins and outs of basketball as well as I do baseball. Thus I thought that this 20% project could be an awesome opportunity to create the ultimate basketball playbook.
The team that I am currently working with does not have many plays and only runs a hand full of drills. I want to create a playbook that outlines at least five strong offensive and defensive plays as well as a plan for practices that includes specific drills. I hope to develop my skills as a basketball coach while being able to offer my players a more well rounded experience that will help them improve their skills on and off the court.
I believe a successful outcome would be if the team could learn 3-5 plays which can be used in a game.
I will start gathering information and resources through Pinterest.
Questions I have:
- What are the most basic plays?
- How many different types of plays exist.?
- What are the best plays for beginner players?
- How many plays should a high school team have?
- What types of drills should a team run?
- How often should a team practice and for how long?
- What is the best way to motivate players?
- What types of rules should the team have?
- How many 3 point shots should a team be taking a game?
- Do famous coaches have playbooks out there?
- Man defenses or zone?
These are several of the many questions I have when it comes to coaching basketball. I will have the opportunity to work with a team while developing my project and may find that some plays and drills are great while others are horrible so there would definitely be a possibility for failure. Please give me feedback and let me know what you all think!!!
20% Project Week Two Update!
Hello everyone, Mr. H here! I am posting my first update for my 20% project. I have created a Pinterest account and am now saving research for my ultimate playbook on a "board" on the site. Please visit my board on Pinterest by clicking the button below. Please follow me on Pinterest to see the progression of this project!
I currently have 10 pins on my Pinterest account which include plays and drills that I believe will be great to use with my team at Valley High. Over the next few days I will be going through these plays to see which would be the best to use with my team. Check them out and let me know what you think!
Hello everyone, Mr. H here! I am posting my first update for my 20% project. I have created a Pinterest account and am now saving research for my ultimate playbook on a "board" on the site. Please visit my board on Pinterest by clicking the button below. Please follow me on Pinterest to see the progression of this project!
I currently have 10 pins on my Pinterest account which include plays and drills that I believe will be great to use with my team at Valley High. Over the next few days I will be going through these plays to see which would be the best to use with my team. Check them out and let me know what you think!
20% Project Week Three Update!
Hello Everyone! Our basketball team at Valley High is really coming along. I have been working hard to find the best 3-5 plays for our team to use on both offense and defense. The other coaches and I have decided that it will be best for our team to run a "Man" offense and defense as opposed to "Zone". Through my research on Pinterest, I found the website www.breakthroughbasketball.com which has amazing plays, drills, and tips. We will be adapting several offensive and defensive plays from this website to help increase our team's performance on the court.
Play #1 - "Low"
Personnel:
1 - Your best playmaker that can handle the ball, drive, score, and pass.
2 & 3 - Good shooter than can be a threat from the outside.
4 & 5 - Someone that can rebound and make shots inside.
Instructions:
Put your players in a 1-4 alignment along the baseline (low). Your best player should get the ball above top of key. You want your shooters in the corners to stretch the defense. Then your best player would just create.
Hello Everyone! Our basketball team at Valley High is really coming along. I have been working hard to find the best 3-5 plays for our team to use on both offense and defense. The other coaches and I have decided that it will be best for our team to run a "Man" offense and defense as opposed to "Zone". Through my research on Pinterest, I found the website www.breakthroughbasketball.com which has amazing plays, drills, and tips. We will be adapting several offensive and defensive plays from this website to help increase our team's performance on the court.
Play #1 - "Low"
Personnel:
1 - Your best playmaker that can handle the ball, drive, score, and pass.
2 & 3 - Good shooter than can be a threat from the outside.
4 & 5 - Someone that can rebound and make shots inside.
Instructions:
Put your players in a 1-4 alignment along the baseline (low). Your best player should get the ball above top of key. You want your shooters in the corners to stretch the defense. Then your best player would just create.
- With the floor spread, Player 1 should be able to create and drive past their defender. From there, he/she just makes a good decision (shoot or pass to the open player for the shot).
- Many times Player 1 will drive to the basket, get almost there, and the help defense steps in. From there the point guard reads the defense and then kicks to a player in the corner for a wide open three. But sometimes your best player will get all the way to the basket for a layup or make a short dish to a post player for a layup. It doesn't get any simpler and we always get good shots from this play. The key is for Player 1 to make good decisions and kick it to the open player when the defense helps.
- It's also worth noting that if the defender stays low and helps, the wing should cut to the wing. If the defender comes up high to stop the ball, the wing should stay in the corner.
Play #2 - Basic 1-4 High Offensive Set
1 - point guard
2 & 3 -wing players, good shooters
4 & 5 - Post players, might step out or post up
Entry - 1 passes to 2
Scoring option - 2 is isolated on the wing. Can shoot or drive.
4 Steps up and backscreens for 1.
Scoring opportunity - 2 passes to 1 off the backscreen.
Play #3 - 3 Out 2 In Motion Offense
The 3 out 2 in motion offense plays 3 players on the perimeter and 2 players in the post. This set works best when at least one of the post players can shoot a bit.
In the 3 2 motion, perimeter players space outside the lane (green area) while the inside is reserved for the 2 post players (blue area).
The post players can move in a high low post fashion or can work as a double low post. The two post players work together, screening for one another, trying to create offensive opportunities off one another. As they screen, they read the defense and react. For example, when screening, if the post cuts off the screen to a high flash, the screener roles low. If the cutter flashes low, then the screener cuts high.
The posts also fill gaps in the offenses spacing. For example, if there is no perimeter player on top, a post player can fill the spot. Post players can also screen for perimeter players. The 2 post players are very effective setting down-screens, UCLA screens, flex screens, flare screens, etc. Perimeter players can cut through the middle and off post screens but should leave the lane immediately. They can also pass and screen for each other. The presence of a second post player presents great opportunities for stagger screens for perimeter players.
In the 3 2 motion, perimeter players space outside the lane (green area) while the inside is reserved for the 2 post players (blue area).
The post players can move in a high low post fashion or can work as a double low post. The two post players work together, screening for one another, trying to create offensive opportunities off one another. As they screen, they read the defense and react. For example, when screening, if the post cuts off the screen to a high flash, the screener roles low. If the cutter flashes low, then the screener cuts high.
The posts also fill gaps in the offenses spacing. For example, if there is no perimeter player on top, a post player can fill the spot. Post players can also screen for perimeter players. The 2 post players are very effective setting down-screens, UCLA screens, flex screens, flare screens, etc. Perimeter players can cut through the middle and off post screens but should leave the lane immediately. They can also pass and screen for each other. The presence of a second post player presents great opportunities for stagger screens for perimeter players.
Our Three Offensive Plays.
The three plays above will be our main offensive plays. I have been able to start practicing these with our team and the boys are having great success with them. These plays push our players to pass more and to play as a team. The players are excited to finally have a set of plays. Our point guard which is our team captain has embraced these plays and has worked hard to get to know them and encourage his teammates to do so as well. I believe these plays will help us to be more successful on the court and to make the playoffs.
The three plays above will be our main offensive plays. I have been able to start practicing these with our team and the boys are having great success with them. These plays push our players to pass more and to play as a team. The players are excited to finally have a set of plays. Our point guard which is our team captain has embraced these plays and has worked hard to get to know them and encourage his teammates to do so as well. I believe these plays will help us to be more successful on the court and to make the playoffs.
20% Project Week Four Update!
Defense
"Why Teaching Zone Defense Can Handicap Your Youth Players' Future and Why Man to Man Defense Is The Best Defense For Youth Players
1. Develop Athleticism - Something I rarely hear coaches talk about in the man to man versus zone defense debate for youth players is athleticism.
Now who is going to develop into a better athlete? Somebody who has to move all over the floor using many different movement patterns or a defender in a zone whom only has to guard in a 7x7 feet box. Also, in a zone defense, defenders are typically stuck in the post area or perimeter area. So they don"t learn post and perimeter defense.
Now, you might argue that you don"t use a lazy zone or that you have a trapping zone and that your players run all over the place.
Well, as a person that studies athletic development both as a hobby and as a basketball coach, I can tell you that even aggressive zone defenses do NOT develop athleticism the way man to man defense does. Let's take your centers and/or forwards that you have towards the back of the zone as an example. (And by the way, these "big" players probably need to work on foot coordination and athleticism more than anyone). Just look at their feet as they play in the back of the zone. They rarely have to move quickly, get down in low stance, or transition from shuffle to cross over defensive movements. This changing from run, to shuffle, to cross over, is incredible for athletic development. This is one of the best things you can do. Their legs get stronger, faster, more coordinated, and more athletic.
And let's pretend that you even rotate your big guys to the front of the zone trapping to develop their athleticism, you still won't develop the same athleticism as playing man to man defense. With straight up man to man defense, you have to play 1v1 on-ball defense. There is nobody to trap or bail you out, except for help defense. So you have to move faster, work harder and smarter, and react quicker to keep the ball in front of you or out of the middle of the court.
Not to mention, the zone at the youth level usually forms bad habits. You"ll find that players in trapping and pressing defenses will form bad habits, because they can get away with things defensively such as lunging out of position, constantly going for steals, and reaching all of the time. It"s very hard to break these habits and in some cases, it doesn"t happen. So in my opinion, this can wreck a player"s basketball career if not approached properly."
https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/defense/age.html
I believe that man defense is really the best way to go with our team. Defense is really our strong point. The players are used to playing man defense so this is something we will develop more.
Defensive Drills
Diamond Drill
Defense
"Why Teaching Zone Defense Can Handicap Your Youth Players' Future and Why Man to Man Defense Is The Best Defense For Youth Players
1. Develop Athleticism - Something I rarely hear coaches talk about in the man to man versus zone defense debate for youth players is athleticism.
Now who is going to develop into a better athlete? Somebody who has to move all over the floor using many different movement patterns or a defender in a zone whom only has to guard in a 7x7 feet box. Also, in a zone defense, defenders are typically stuck in the post area or perimeter area. So they don"t learn post and perimeter defense.
Now, you might argue that you don"t use a lazy zone or that you have a trapping zone and that your players run all over the place.
Well, as a person that studies athletic development both as a hobby and as a basketball coach, I can tell you that even aggressive zone defenses do NOT develop athleticism the way man to man defense does. Let's take your centers and/or forwards that you have towards the back of the zone as an example. (And by the way, these "big" players probably need to work on foot coordination and athleticism more than anyone). Just look at their feet as they play in the back of the zone. They rarely have to move quickly, get down in low stance, or transition from shuffle to cross over defensive movements. This changing from run, to shuffle, to cross over, is incredible for athletic development. This is one of the best things you can do. Their legs get stronger, faster, more coordinated, and more athletic.
And let's pretend that you even rotate your big guys to the front of the zone trapping to develop their athleticism, you still won't develop the same athleticism as playing man to man defense. With straight up man to man defense, you have to play 1v1 on-ball defense. There is nobody to trap or bail you out, except for help defense. So you have to move faster, work harder and smarter, and react quicker to keep the ball in front of you or out of the middle of the court.
Not to mention, the zone at the youth level usually forms bad habits. You"ll find that players in trapping and pressing defenses will form bad habits, because they can get away with things defensively such as lunging out of position, constantly going for steals, and reaching all of the time. It"s very hard to break these habits and in some cases, it doesn"t happen. So in my opinion, this can wreck a player"s basketball career if not approached properly."
https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/defense/age.html
I believe that man defense is really the best way to go with our team. Defense is really our strong point. The players are used to playing man defense so this is something we will develop more.
Defensive Drills
Diamond Drill
Offensive Drills
Competitive One on One Fast Break Drills - 1v1 Attack:
"It is unfortunate that the game players play the most is also the least relevant to the game of basketball; "One-On-One."
Go past any schoolyard and you'll see two players playing one-on-one. Take the ball out on the top of the key, take 10-12 dribbles to back the opponent down to the basket and then try to shoot over him. That is the way 99% of all one-on-one games go. It builds bad habits, limits understanding of the game and erodes needed skills.
Below are some different one-on-one basketball drills that might do a better job of improving players' skills and help them reach playing objectives. These are also great drills to simulate fast break situations."
https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/drills/CompetitiveOneonOne.html
Half Court 1v1 Attack
These are several drills that I will begin to implement with our Valley High team. I believe drills such as these will prepare our team for the playoffs.
20% Project Week Five Update
It has been such a pleasure and an honor working with the Valley High varsity basketball team this semester. Our players all progressed dramatically. The team has been using the plays and drills that I cam up with for the past several weeks and are playing more like a team every day. When we began our season there were several "ball hogs" and the players would argue with one another. Now they are very selfless, and pass the ball and act like a team. Our players have discovered their roles on the team and now understand what it is like to play together. We finished our season in 3rd place out of 7 teams in our league. Our record was 4-3. Unfortunately we lost in the first round of the playoffs on our home court. However, our boys would not go down without a fight. We lost by one free throw in triple overtime!
At the end of the game our team was deflated. But after i gave the team a pep talk, they realized how far they had come and held their heads high. The last time we played the team who beat us in the playoffs, they beat us by 27 points. So for our team to hold the game so close was remarkable. The players were all very proud of how far the team came and are now gearing up for next season.
We are only losing one payer who is a senior so the majority of the team will be back to win the league next season. Normally the team does not practice during the off season. However after talking to the head coach and principal, I have been able to keep practices going 1-2 times a week to keep our momentum going.
I have been able to build a strong rapport with our players and have truly won their respect. The players often thank me for working with the team and for keeping practices going. This has helped two players in particular to stay out of trouble and to have something to look forward to. It is possible that I may get a position at this school and could possibly take over as head coach! This would be an absolute dream come true for me. Either way, this has been an experience that I would not trade for the world.
I encourage you all to follow our team on our school website as well as on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCletlQgfWIQJ8XCGvOZsexA. Below is a highlight reel that one of our star players put together. In the video you can see our team running our 3-2 and 1-4 offensive plays.
Go Grizzlies!
Competitive One on One Fast Break Drills - 1v1 Attack:
"It is unfortunate that the game players play the most is also the least relevant to the game of basketball; "One-On-One."
Go past any schoolyard and you'll see two players playing one-on-one. Take the ball out on the top of the key, take 10-12 dribbles to back the opponent down to the basket and then try to shoot over him. That is the way 99% of all one-on-one games go. It builds bad habits, limits understanding of the game and erodes needed skills.
Below are some different one-on-one basketball drills that might do a better job of improving players' skills and help them reach playing objectives. These are also great drills to simulate fast break situations."
https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/drills/CompetitiveOneonOne.html
Half Court 1v1 Attack
- Place 2 chairs just short of mid-court on the right side of the court.
- Players start on the baseline, opposite the chairs.
- The player on the outside has the ball.
- On "Go," both players take off at full speed. The player with the ball goes on the dribble, the player without the ball goes on the sprint.
- Both players go around the right side of the chair and head back toward the basket.
- Once headed back toward the basket, the player with the ball becomes offense and the player without the ball becomes the defense.
- Add a dribble limitation, such as 2 dribbles after turning on the chairs, to add effectiveness.
These are several drills that I will begin to implement with our Valley High team. I believe drills such as these will prepare our team for the playoffs.
20% Project Week Five Update
It has been such a pleasure and an honor working with the Valley High varsity basketball team this semester. Our players all progressed dramatically. The team has been using the plays and drills that I cam up with for the past several weeks and are playing more like a team every day. When we began our season there were several "ball hogs" and the players would argue with one another. Now they are very selfless, and pass the ball and act like a team. Our players have discovered their roles on the team and now understand what it is like to play together. We finished our season in 3rd place out of 7 teams in our league. Our record was 4-3. Unfortunately we lost in the first round of the playoffs on our home court. However, our boys would not go down without a fight. We lost by one free throw in triple overtime!
At the end of the game our team was deflated. But after i gave the team a pep talk, they realized how far they had come and held their heads high. The last time we played the team who beat us in the playoffs, they beat us by 27 points. So for our team to hold the game so close was remarkable. The players were all very proud of how far the team came and are now gearing up for next season.
We are only losing one payer who is a senior so the majority of the team will be back to win the league next season. Normally the team does not practice during the off season. However after talking to the head coach and principal, I have been able to keep practices going 1-2 times a week to keep our momentum going.
I have been able to build a strong rapport with our players and have truly won their respect. The players often thank me for working with the team and for keeping practices going. This has helped two players in particular to stay out of trouble and to have something to look forward to. It is possible that I may get a position at this school and could possibly take over as head coach! This would be an absolute dream come true for me. Either way, this has been an experience that I would not trade for the world.
I encourage you all to follow our team on our school website as well as on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCletlQgfWIQJ8XCGvOZsexA. Below is a highlight reel that one of our star players put together. In the video you can see our team running our 3-2 and 1-4 offensive plays.
Go Grizzlies!
20% Project Reflection!
What an amazing experience it has been working with the Valley High varsity basketball team. It was truly an honor to work with such amazing young gentlemen. Our team went from a group of guys playing essentially street ball to one with developed plays. When I joined the team many players would argue and fight over the ball but now they have become selfless players who push each other toward success. They have truly embraced the definition of a "team".
When I began working with the team I had ten very specific questions I wanted to answer through my research. I have gained new valuable knowledge of basketball and coaching. Below I will answer these questions.
Question #1 How many different types of plays exist?
There are hundreds of plays. However a team only really needs a handful to be successful.
Question #2 What are the best plays for beginner players?
You do not need complicated plays to win. Keeping it simple can lead to greatness! Our "Low" play is a great example of this.
Question #3 How many plays should a high school team have?
This depends on the skill level of the team. Our team worked extremely well with 3-4 offensive plays and 2-3 defensive.
Question #4 What types of drills should a team run?
This depends on the skill level of the team and what particularly needs to be worked on. Our team highly benefited from agility drills such as the "Diamond Drill" above.
Question #5 How often should a team practice and for how long?
I believe a team should practice at least three times a week, Mon, Wed, Fri. Our team ran practices for 1.5 - 2 hours which seemed to work great.
Question #6 What is the best way to motivate players?
Believing in players no matter what and giving them chances to fail and not getting down when they do fail but telling them that they will succeed next time and will always have another opportunity.
Question #7 What types of rules should the team have?
There should be a set of basic rules to follow for a team. Our number one rule was to be respectful and to never bring down a fellow player.
Question #8 How many 3 point shots should a team be taking a game?
This depends on the skill level of the team. Our team does not have a lot of size, so we took more three pointers than most. We have 3 very talented 3 point shooters who make about 30-40 percent of their shots! We took about 7-10 3 point shots per game.
Question #9 Do famous coaches have playbooks out there?
Yes! It is actually overwhelming how many are out there.
Question #10 Man defenses or zone?
We ran man offense which worked great.
This project has truly helped me to become a better basketball coach. Before this season I had never coached basketball. I played growing up but baseball was always my number one sport. However I am confident I can now take my knowledge to any team to help them to be successful. There is a chance I will stay at Valley and can continue to work with this amazing team. That would be a dream come true! Go Grizzlies!