At HHS, we also have 10 basic rules on offense. As with defense, they are rules that we look at often, redefine, and hopefully make better. Below are the 10 items, I think that are important to be a good individual offensive player as well as a good offensive team. As in defense, we want our players to communicate, communicate, communicate. It never amazes me that kids who want to talk during school all day, want to enter the gym where we want them talking and won't.
1. Off the catch, triple threat: When we catch the pass, we want to go immediately into the triple threat position. That way you are prepared to be a threat offensively. It doesn't necessarily mean shooting, but driving and drawing two defenders and passing to the open man. Now sometimes we want to catch and rip immediately if the defense overplays the pass because the defense is at a disadvantage and scrambling.
1. Off the catch, triple threat: When we catch the pass, we want to go immediately into the triple threat position. That way you are prepared to be a threat offensively. It doesn't necessarily mean shooting, but driving and drawing two defenders and passing to the open man. Now sometimes we want to catch and rip immediately if the defense overplays the pass because the defense is at a disadvantage and scrambling.
2. Off the bounce, chin it: When picking up the basketball from the dribble, we want our players to chin the basketball. The defense through the years has been allowed to get away with more pushing, shoving, and slapping, fouling in general, and we want our guys to be strong with the ball. When working on this, I will tell them often to "check the air pressure" so that they think to be strong.
3. Without the ball, always put pressure on the defense: As an offensive player, we do not want to allow our defensive player be able to relax or take their mind off us. We want our players ready to make a cut, a backdoor cut, or a seal in the post if their defensive player falls asleep. Even if we run a set, I want the other guys not involved ready to be offensive. I will often say during practice "don't let the set keep us from scoring" because someone hasn't taken advantage of their defensive players lack of awareness.
4. Use your arms and body to get open: We try to teach our guys to be physical on both ends of the floor, but on the offensive end of the floor, if they will take advantage of a little arm bar push or dragging their man into a screen they can be more successful. But not only can they be physical with their defensive player, but I also want them to use their teammates. I want them to push and shove the screener in places to help bump their defensive player.
5. When the shot goes up, rebound. *Shooting % increases with each additional shot*: Never concede that a shot is going in, never, never, never. Also, pay attention to the coaches and live action to see where rebounds come off during action. Offensive rebounds can be a back breaker to other teams.
6. Minimize turnovers: The fewer TO's you have the more opportunities you have to shoot which increases your chance of scoring.
7. Take good shots: This is an individual thing. What is a good shot for one player, may not be a good shot for another player. However, if you have a good shot for you, our players must feel comfortable to shoot at any time....again, if it is a good shot for them. This is something that some people don't understand because one player may have the green light to shoot an off balance shot with 2 players on them, and another may not because it's a good shot for one player and not another.
8. Pass up a good shot to get a great shot: This is one of the hardest things for kids to understand. But it is something that can increase shooting %. This usually happens on a ball reversal or a drive and kick where someone passes up a good shot to get a wide open shot. Wide open shots for guys that can hit it are great shots.
9. Be unselfish, and it will come back to you: Kind of a Zen way of thinking, but most scorers from jr. high want to shoot, or pass it and get it right back. We try to teach our guys that the best way to get open for a great shot is to pass it and get away from the ball. By doing so, they create space and gives their defensive player a better chance of making a mistake. The game is full of hundreds of passes that lead to nothing other than maybe getting you or a teammate open in the future.
10. Throw the ball inside. Open 3's on reversals and inside out: Even if your post players aren't that great at scoring, you have to throw it inside so they can pass it back out. It is almost always going to happen, but some perimeter defensive player will help leaving somebody open, weakside will come to the help side even more leaving the opposite elbow open, or a pass out could lead to another pass to a wide open shot (see #9). Also, any perimeter who can hit a 3 point shot, if the ball is reversed quickly and they are open, have the green light to shoot.
If your posts can score, it makes your perimeter players even more dangerously open.
