Basketball Offensive Skills

Teaching Basketball Offensive Fundamentals

Play smart! Understand and know what the coach is looking for.

Play unselfishly. Always pass to the open man and don't force shots.

Protect the basketball. Handle the ball with sureness. Avoid turnovers.

Make the safe and easy pass. Don't force passes. Every pass does not have to lead to a score.

Pass away from the defense. Always know where the defense is, and pass away from it. Use two-handed grip as a passer.

Play under control. Don't have your mind made up about what you want to do. Read the numbers and take what the defense gives you in an organized and controlled matter.

Be patient. Don't play fast! A good rule to remember is to hurry, but don't rush. It's not how fast you go, it's what you do.

Don't force shots! Pass the ball when you are well defended.

Dribble the basketball with your head up and see the court.

Dribble the basketball north and south. Offensive basketball players should look to attack the gaps in the defense. No wasted dribbles.

Always know the time and score.

Maintain proper spacing of 15 to 18 feet. Spacing is offense and offense is spacing. Keep the basketball offense high and wide. Perimeter offensive players should stay above the NBA three point line, except of course when executing cuts or screening opportunities.

Make passes. As a general rule, we want our offensive basketball team on the court to make three passes before attempting a shot, other than a lay-up opportunity.

Catch-and-face. In our half-court basketball offense sets, we want our players to catch and face the basket in a triple threat position. This basketball offense stance allows our players to see the whole court and read the defense.

Always look to go inside first, before shooting outside shots! Our first objective every time down the floor is to go inside. We like for our post to touch the ball before any shots are taken.

Use a jump-stop in the post area. Keep the ball under chin, with elbows out.

Always look to dribble penetrate (slash) to the elbows. We love to play off the elbows offensively (jump shot, draw-and-kick, or kick-out).

Look to draw-and-kick. Anytime a weak-side defender rotates to stop ball, we look to pass to our open teammate. Use a bounce pass in the paint to hit the open teammate.

Get fouled! To win the big games, you must get to the free throw line, and then you must make them... Great players get to the foul line 7 to 8 times a game.

Communicate on all screens. Raise your weak hand to let the cutter know you're coming to screen for him. As you set the screen, call out your teammate's name.

Set tough, hard screens. Set your screen on the defender's numbers (headhunt). The screener should remain in a stationary position for a two count.

Always receive the screen late - Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait for the screener to jump stop and say your name before you begin your v-cut to get open.

Read the defense. Think before you move. Try to take advantage of what the defense gives you. Our cutter and screener must concentrate on their defender and not watch the ball. Cutters should always make their cuts away from their defender and "move with a purpose."

Move to be a great receiver! As a pass receiver, you must always step to the ball, show a hand-target, and call for the ball.

Backdoor cut when overplayed. When your defender has a foot and hand in the passing lane to deny you from catching the ball, change direction and cut behind the defender toward the basket with your lead hand up.

Fake a pass, to make a pass, and look to use a shot fake before you dribble.

Acknowledge (credit) the unselfish pass that leads to score. "Point to him," the assist guy. Let the fans know who made the play.

Crash the offensive boards. Players #3, #4, and #5 must crash the boards on every shot while players #1 and #2 sprint back to stop the fast break.

Rebound the offense. We want our shooter to always follow his shot with his hands up. Our other players (#3, #4, and #5) are responsible for weak-side rebounds. Most rebounds (75%) are grabbed on the weak-side of the basket. Players #1 and #2 hustle back to mid-court to stop our opponents fastbreak... No easy baskets!

Point Guard Cheat Sheet

OFFENSE / TRANSITION

Be a Leader

Be feisty – Play with an attitude – Play Hard

Read the defense as you bring the ball up

Call out the offense as you bring the ball up

Insure players are in the correct position

Start the play as soon as you cross half court

Dribble with a purpose. Don’t over-dribble. Keep your eyes on the rim and not on the ball as you’re dribbling it. You need to see the entire floor when you have the ball. This means you’ll need to improve your dribbling and ball protection.

Look for your shooters. They should be getting there shots

Balance the floor by backing out the ball

Pass first shoot second

Swing the ball quickly against the zone

Look to penetrate gaps and dish if the defense collapses

Throw ball fakes

Don’t telegraph your passes

Don’t favor one side over the other – distribute ball evenly

Pass the ball into the High Post but don’t force it between defenders

Try to avoid bouncing the ball to the HP – keep ball high

Insure your HP man has his hands high to receive ball

Always show a target when at the top of the key as you swing the ball along the perimeter

Remind wings to skip the ball in a zone

Pass the ball on-time to shooters for rhythm shooting

Be an extension of the coach on the floor

Always play in control – never look rushed

Control the tempo of the game – Know when to slow it down and know when to push the ball in transition

Recognize quickly when our opponents setup a press

In a full court press, v-cut hard to get the ball

Look to pass against a full court press

Avoid getting trapped in corners

Stay calm against a full court press

Develop great ball control (Passing, Dribbling, and Shooting)

Pass the ball on-time to shooters for rhythm shooting

DEFENSE (Communication)

See the entire floor and direct (Talk)

Insure that EVERYONE is talking on defense. If they are not, then tell them to.

Insure they are calling out picks

Insure they’re denying baseline, posts, & paint

Insure that they are bumping cutters

Insure that help-side players have 1 foot in the paint and seeing both ball and man

Insure they “Close the Door” when the LP gets the ball. After closing the door, the man guarding passer should deny the ball back out. The other 2 players will go into a tandem by dropping under the rim and below the FT line

Insure they have there hands up

Insure that they match up at tip-off, time-outs and substitutions

Be feisty – Play with an attitude – Play Hard

Insure that every player is hustling back on defense – not jogging

Go to the ball when you see a player may be stuck in the corner with the ball or has lost his dribble.

Insure that players are closing out quickly when their man receives the ball

Great defense will keep us in the game when we are struggling on offense