It's about making shots

[ClayK]

http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/stor...ts-shot-quality-shot-making-winning-games-nba

Further analysis of Pat Riley's "It's a make-or-miss league," which also applies to all levels of basketball. Some nights you get open looks and miss them; other nights a couple kids make shots they shouldn't. After the former, people think you played badly; after the latter, it's time to celebrate.

Shooting is like the weather -- it comes and goes. Nobody says to themself "I think I'll miss a bunch of shots tonight." If SMS makes its usual percentage of open threes, they don't lose to Pinewood. If Bentley makes open shots, the Phoenix look like a good offensive team; if they don't, they struggle to score 30 and losses follow.

All a coach and the players can do is create situations that generate quality shots. Whether they go in depends on luck and the ability of the shooters.

 

[Norcal_Fan]

I think that shooting is a lost art. Coaches can't teach it even though they think they can. You watch Pinewood and EVERY kid on that team has a fundamental shot: good footwork, follow through, release, etc. All of the players shoot the same. From what I've heard (I've never seen), they spend a lot of time on the mechanics/fundamentals of shooting every day whereas a team like SMS shoots 300 3's in 2 minutes (saw an interview one time). Quantity vs. Quality.

There is a big difference between being a good scorer and a good shooter. I think we have more good scorers these days. A system that gets players open shots also has a lot to do with shooting percentage (shooting open vs. contested).

 

[RespectBBGame]

What about the lose art in basketball the mid-range shot. Mid-range shoots make keep defenses honest. Teams that only shoot 3's you can play 1-3-1 stretch defense will run them off the line. Teams dribble drive you can 2-3 and box it in. The mid-range opens down lowith play and creates space to shoot 3's. Man to man is the same against 3's point teams play up on them tight force them to dribble drive and the opposite for dribble driveso play off and force them to shoot but don't get close enough for them to create space the want to by you.

 

[ClayK]

The analytics say the percentages on mid-range jumpers are the same as on three-pointers -- so why not take the shot worth more points?

But there are some subtleties involved, as you mention. If you can't make the midrange jumper at all, or a floater or runner, then defenses can congregate at the hoop and at the arc and frustrate you, to some extent. Still, going hard to the basket will get you free throws most of the time, so that adds to the percentages in favor of shooting threes, going to the rim and working on the mid-range game last.

What I want a player to be able to do, in order:

1) Make right and left handed layups
2) Make right and left handed follow shots near the rim
3) Make open threes
4) Make free throws
5) Develop a move to the right and a move to the left from the arc
6) Pump fake and go both ways from the arc
7) Mid-range shot (preferably a runner or teardrop as opposed to the mid-range)

I'm not against learning the mid-range, but there are other things I would want first, and there's only so much time.

 

[Bearlurker]

Good stuff here and great post Clay. I'm amazed at how poorly these skills are taught by local coaches.

 

[ClayK]

It's so much easier to install a press, or put in Dribble Drive Motion, or design inbounds plays, than it is to teach fundamentals. The kids like it better too, but kids would like ice cream sundaes for breakfast every day, but that doesn't mean it's what should be done. I know my players were sick of ballhandling, defensive slides, layups and rebounding drills, and would have much rather spent time putting in cool little plays that would have worked only against bad teams, but this is teaching, not the WNBA.

 

[Norcal_Fan]

Its funny that you mention teaching and not the NBA. I was talking to someone about national teams (basketball and soccer) and they were saying that there's a lot of teaching that goes on at these levels. I had to disagree (although I've never been to either). If a player is playing at a national level (youth or WNT), I would assume that there is more emphasis on tactical development vs. technical. Not to say they don't work on shooting, dribbling, etc, but players on that level should already have a solid foundation of technical and tactical skills.

The HS season is very short (in the grand scheme of thing) preseason. Practice starts november and scrimmages are usually 2-3 weeks after that, followed by games in November and there's not enough time in the season to do everything. I can imagine a coach has to pick and choose what's important to them: Technical vs. Tactical.

 

[ClayK]

Good point about technical vs. tactical ...

I always felt it didn't matter what you did tactically if you couldn't make shots -- or handle the ball or make accurate passes, for that matter. You can run a great play but if the girl misses the bunny, then what was the point of running the play?

A line I've often used: I don't want kids who can run plays; I want kids who can make plays.

 

[Paytc]

Its funny that you mention teaching and not the NBA. I was talking to someone about national teams (basketball and soccer) and they were saying that there's a lot of teaching that goes on at these levels. I had to disagree (although I've never been to either). If a player is playing at a national level (youth or WNT), I would assume that there is more emphasis on tactical development vs. technical. Not to say they don't work on shooting, dribbling, etc, but players on that level should already have a solid foundation of technical and tactical skills.

The HS season is very short (in the grand scheme of thing) preseason. Practice starts november and scrimmages are usually 2-3 weeks after that, followed by games in November and there's not enough time in the season to do everything. I can imagine a coach has to pick and choose what's important to them: Technical vs. Tactical.

Many, many good points by Clay,respectBBGame, and Norcal_Fan

Just a quick point on the Pinewood vs SMS game. If SMS gets out of the zone and matches it's superior athletes with Pinewood very few 3 pointers will even get attempted let alone made.

Shooter vs Scorer.......

Some players are great spot up shooters and others are more of a rhythm shooter (AKA scorer). (Curry and Durant are both) So even technique and reps won't be able to change much of that.

Ultimately you need to understand where your talent for the game resides. Once you figure out it might be best if you take the defender off the dribble to create problems you put yourself in your lane. If you are a better spot up shooter you must learn how to find the empty space in the defense to get your shot off. That would be your lane.

Sure every player should work at improving their weak areas (put the reps in) but you'll probably never be able to turn a dog into a cat. Do you ! At the highest level you can.

That may be the best advice you'll ever get.


Paytc

 

[ClayK]

Great point, PayTC ... there is such a thing as talent, and some people are better at some things than others. We all find it easy to learn some things that others find difficult, and vice versa.

 

[Paytc]

Great point, PayTC ... there is such a thing as talent, and some people are better at some things than others. We all find it easy to learn some things that others find difficult, and vice versa.

Clay,


That is so true. We were all created uniquely because our creator knew if we were all the same we would soon die of boredom. We will continue to be unique unless or until some hateful, mad, or experimental being decides to clone humans, which may be happening as we speak. But the mere fact that we all have a unique experience, even clones will be slightly different.

 

[mkbgdns]

on an "elite" team, I think that technically, kids learn as much from their teammates as they do from the coach.

 

[Paytc]

on an "elite" team, I think that technically, kids learn as much from their teammates as they do from the coach.

mkbgdns,

Many times that is very true. Because demonstration is far more convincing and impactful than articulation. But it depends on the way the player learns best. Or what and who motivates them most.