Percentage Basketball

Someone infamously said "the team who scores the most points will win the game". Basketball, like other sports, is so simple yet can be made so complex. Similarly, it's a very complex game that can be made to be understood in simple terms.

In all the defensive schemes, in-game adjustments, junk defenses and dedication to 'zone' or 'man', one thing remains clear: we want to give our opponent the LOWEST chance of scoring the basket.

Having said that, over the past few weeks I've put a lot of thought into that concept and coined the term "Percentage Basketball".

I believe the "Percentage Basketball" philosophy can be applied to every team, in any situation, and in all defenses. The picture below shows the theory of Percentage Basketball translated into numbers (average 2pt field goal makes in men's college basketball is 44% and average 3pt field goal makes is 35%).

I believe that any time you let the offense into the "red zone" (the paint)- you are giving them a VERY high percentage scoring opportunity either by allowing an easy lay-up, a dish out to the open person, or on a rebound and put-back/foul situation.


It makes sense that the chance of someone making a basket decreases the further they are from the hoop.

 This is not earth shattering news...it's common knowledge, really. But how can emphasizing this philosophy make a difference?

-Closing out on 3pt shooters; allow your defense to have a "soft close-out". In other words, prevent the drive FIRST and worry about the shot SECOND (wouldn't you rather the defense fire up a 3 as opposed to shot-faking and going right by the defense and getting into the paint?)

-Play a sagging man-to-man; who cares how many times the offense passes the ball around the perimeter? Intentionally clog the inside of the key and keep the ball OUTSIDE the 3pt line. Will you give up some 3's? Absolutely. Will you close down the inside and see fewer drives to the hoop? You bet.

-Better ball pressure; the defender on the ball should feel comfortable putting TIGHT ball pressure on the offense because their 4 teammates are sagging off into the passing lanes and will be available to help on the drive. If the person pressuring the ball is beat on the drive and another defender steps in to help, that helper would angle their closeout back to their own man in a manner that prevents the drive but will probably give up a long jumper.

-Sag off of all screens; do not allow the ball to enter the paint! For example, on ball screens, the screeners defender should hug and the person guarding the ball should go under- prevent the drive FIRST! On all screening situatons...prevent the drive FIRST and keep the ball as far away from the hoop as possible.

-Switch on all screens; this may be hard with personnel on some teams. However, switching on all screens will definitely help you shut down the inside. If a post and guard switch there may be a quick second where the post can scramble and switch back with another guard. Many times the offense does not see the mismatch or the pressure is put on the offense to exploit the mismatch and this can disrupt their offensive flow (meanwhile you'll probably get the chance to switch back).

-Front the low post and bring help/congestion from weak side; put the pressure on the offense to make the entry pass over the top. At all costs, prevent the ball from being entered into the block (this is a high percentage area!)

-Make boxing out an EMPHASIS!; regardless of your defensive effort, an offensive rebound can really take the steam out of your team. I don't know the facts but I bet that getting an offensive rebound increases your chance to score on that possession due to the defense getting tired.

In men's college basketball, Northern Colorado leads the way in made 3pt field goals by shooting 45%. Arizona has the best 3pt defense by allowing opponents only 27%. On average, teams tend to shoot around 35% from 3pt range.

In 2pt field goals, Creighton ranks first by making 51% of their shots inside the arc and Kentucky's defense allows their opponent to make only 37% of their baskets. This averages to about a 44% field goal percentage for teams.

If we emphasize Percentage Basketball and cut back on the inside scores but, in turn, give up more outside scores, here's what a game could look like:

65 possessions - 12 turnovers = 53 possessions
2/3 from 3pt: 35 shots and only make 37% = 13 made 3's (total of 39pts)
1/3 from 2pt: 18 shots and only make 44% = 8 made 2's (total of 16pts)
**55 points allowed**

Holding an opponent to under 60pts will definitely win you ball games.

I also believe that this system will really cut down on fouls by keeping the ball out of the red zone on drives and rebounds.

My philosophy in Percentage Basketball is simple: shut down the inside and make your opponent beat you from the outside.

Tom Izzo on "Special Situations" in basketball

 Thanks to Bob Starkey for posting this on his great blog:

I'm searching for ways to steal 4 points per game, score one basket every two games on each of these = 4 point a game average. This is the difference between Good to Great and Great to Champions.

• FT Situation: Makes and Misses; Set plays off misses.

• Jump Ball: Win it and score with it, change plays throughout the season.

• BLOB: Sell it where we need to score one more basket than our opponents every two games.

• SLOB: Same as UOB

All these situations are during dead balls and a great way to attack the other team when they are resting.

3pt Quick Hitter

Here's a set play designed to get you a wide-open 3 point shot with several scoring options: score on the drive, for the crack back 3, behind the double ball screen for a 3, and drive and kick for a 3 or for layup.

Here's a link that will take you to the PDF:

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/82032258?access_key=key-2kruwxx8sno8oo06fmea

The Most Beautiful Offense in Basketball....

The Triangle Offense. Fundamentally sound, difficult to defend and an equal opportunity offense, Tex Winter's triangle has won NBA coach Phil Jackson 11 Championships and has also been a part of collegiate women's basketball programs at Stanford, Tennessee, Connecticut, Hartford and countless others.

What makes the Triangle Offense so good? It's a detailed system that requires all 5 players on the court to know each position in the offense so that when the defense takes something away (for example, high pressure on the perimeter or sagging onto your posts) there is an automatic counter to expose what the defense is giving up.

I've spent a lot of time reading and watching the Triangle (sometimes called the Triple-Post offense or Sideline triangle) and also seeing elements of it in most offenses.

Below are a series of videos to give you an overview of this great system. I have 2 pages of detailed notes on these videos as well as diagrams, principles and vocabulary. If you would like me to pass them on to you please send me an email at ChrisPassmore@uri.edu

I think you'll enjoy!

"Toughness" Drill

4 "MUST HAVES" in Your Drill Work

1. Weak Hand Development

2. Footwork and balance emphasis

3. Playing through contact

4. Contesting shots

-Kevin Eastman

9 Important Teaching Points for Your Drills

The following are notes from Morgan Wootten's Basketball Camp around 2005...these were given to Joe Wootten from Kevin Eastman (Boston Celtics Assistant Coach) and passed on to the camp staff:

1) Basketball is a game of inches (John Stockton; slow, but sure)- Attack ankles/Attack hips, etc.

2) Pound dribble for better handle on the basketball

3) Play the game low to high (on screens: cutter's shoulders should be at screener's hips. Quite a bit happens away from the ball so shooters, be ready on the catch to go up into your shot without hesitation)

4) It's a shoulders game (Posting up and defense)

5) Shoulder- Hip through contact

6) Feet first, ball second (go by- not around)

7) Find your feet on shots (if you have to look down to find yourself on the floor, don't shoot it!)

8) Use your eyes more: when setting screens, see back of defense's head, "eye" the game in setting yourself up in a scoring position)

9) Be ready for the next play

Sideline OOB Play for 3

Courtesy of FastModel and Maryland's Video Coordinator Mike Bowden (http://www.fastmodelsports.com/playoftheday/?article_id=277)

"Crimson" Zone Offense

As featured by @FastModel...

http://fastmodelsports.com/playoftheday/index.html?article_id=204

Phil Jackson: Triangle Offense Video

One of my FAVORITE videos! Excellent teaching on pieces of the triangle offense but, more importantly, how each athlete plays a roll in developing a cohesive and motion-directed offense.

Quote of the Day:

"In 1948, I began coaching basketball at UCLA. Each hour of practice we worked very hard. Each day we worked very hard. Each week we worked very hard. Each season we worked very hard. Four fourteen years we worked very hard and didn't win a national championship. However, a national championship was won in the fifteenth year. Another in the sixteenth. And eight more in the following ten years." -John Wooden

Wooden: Principles of Offensive Success Part II

6) Flexibility: Mechanical offenses where players are forced to follow set patterns are easily defended. To encourage players to be resourceful, the offense must be flexible enough to provide a sufficient number of options to counteract all possible defensive maneuvers. Individual innovation must take place within the guidelines of proper spacing, ball movement, etc.



7) Timing: Creating a smooth-working unit is an ultimate goal of any offense. For any play to work effectively, ball movement and player positioning must be coordinated and timed to near perfection. A late or early pass or cut will likely result in missing a scoring opportunity and stagnate the offense.



8) Equal opportunity: Every player on the court must be a contributing member of the offensive attack, even if a player's contribution is mostly by passing, cutting, and screening to allow the main scorers to get good shot opportunities. As a result, unlike team members who view themselves as simply supporting actors for star players, they are fully engaged in the effort to help their team score every chance they get.



9) Rebounding balance: Offense does not end until the other team gains possession; rebounding balance consists of 3 players forming a rebounding triangle in the paint, one long rebounder at the free-throw line area and one protector going back towards half-court (if the shot is taken from the outside, the shooter will always become the rebounder).



10) Defensive balance: If the opponent obtains the rebound, the rebounding balance alignment also serves as defensive balance. The long rebounder is in position to defend a player who receives the first pass (outlet) because they know they have help from the protector. The protector defends any long pass or will serve as basket protector until the posts arrive.

It is the cumulative effective of doing alot of little things correctly that eventually makes a big difference in competition.

Without the ability of all players to quickly an properly execute the fundamentals of basketball at high speed and without conscious thought, following the principles of effective offense won't make much difference. All of these principles are dependent on fundamentals: quick, timely and accurate passing; aggressive receiving; sharp cutting; proper pivoting; skilled dribbling; and quick shooting.


The attention to details- such as faking without the ball, developing perfect timing on the backdoor pass, making sure all players handle the ball and have scoring opportunities, insisting the outside shooter goes to the free throw line area to become the long rebounder, and teaching definitive penetrating cuts- can be the difference between a season of success and one of failure.

Wooden: Principles of Offensive Success Part I

Excerpts from John Wooden's UCLA Offense by John Wooden and Swen Nater:

10 key principles that together provide a structure to facilitate team play yet also create opportunities to maximize the talents of specific individuals on the squad: *parts 6-10 will be posted later*

1) Spacing: On the strong side, players should be spaced approximately 15' apart. This facilitates safe passing distance and provides operating room for the player with the ball while also limiting additional defensive help. A pass more than 15' is in the air too long and subject to interception; a pass less than 15' may be difficult for the receiver to handle.

2) Triangles: Adding a third receiver produces more and better passing angles and scoring opportunities than a simple two-man game.

3) Penetration: The heart of any successful offense is unselfishness, confidence, and constant penetrating movements from spread and balanced areas of the floor. Cuts and screens (think UCLA screen) must be perfectly set-up by faking away from the desired destination, setting yourself up at a 90 degree angle to the direction you wish to go, and then changing pace when you change direction.

4) Passing: Ball movement keeps the defense reacting. Dribbling keeps defenders in good defensive position. But the mere act of passing accomplishes little; when the defense stops one option, the ball must be quickly and strategically moved to the weak-side for immediate attack.

5) Strong/weak side balance: Balance makes things work as they should. To balance an offense, it must have good weak-side action for two reasons: to help make strong-side action work and to create an immediate weak-side attack, should the ball be reversed.

Video clip from John Wooden's UCLA Offense DVD.

Butler Offense

Here's a nice little set that Butler runs with a few great options.

"Corner" BLOB Play

At Rhode Island, we have a misdirection play for a 3pt shot which worked really well for us. I got the idea to do something I've never seen before- a misdirection screen on a baseline out of bounds play.

The basic idea is to bring 2's defender towards the corner, then set a hybrid backscreen/flare screen for the overhead pass to a 3pt shooter. 

2 is usually open, but your inbounder needs to be an excellent passer in order to throw a crisp, clean and quick overhead pass to 2's shooting pocket.

**4 is almost on 2's tail coming off of those screens...timing is critical!

Inbounding Philosophy

Inbounding the ball is different than a fast break; in a fast break (think Mike D'Antoni-era Phoenix Suns), the goal is to push the ball up court as quickly as possible and look for a quick score before moving into your secondary break offense. For the Suns, this meant getting a shot off in 7 seconds or less.

The inbounding philosophy that I believe in depends on poise and control and works best for teams who don't have the depth or speed needed to play a running game. We want to get the ball inbounds quickly and survey the court for scoring opportunities, but we don't want to get too deep into the half-court then waste time pulling the ball back out and setting up the offense.