Beginning, Middle, and End
By: Dan Barto, Director of Player Development, PTC and The Basketball Academy
Each player in our Academy is has a different body type. Players have movement patterns that are individualized. Kids visualize their scoring moves in an opposing light to what the coaches see. Knowing this we spent an hour each day breaking down the variety of moves and movements that are required to get shots of both in the rack zone and in the drop zone.
We want players to improve on creating angles, initiating/taking contact, make team enhancing scoring decisions, and use a variety of finishes in both zones.
We have rules on when putting the ball on the floor in half court offense.
1.) Go middle.
No matter how much of and angle the defense give our players in one on one all the way to five on five, we want our player to probe to get the defender in a position that opens the middle drive.
2.) If you go baseline you have two choices.
A.) Dunk or finish over hand off of one leg
B.) Pitch to the opposite corner
Against high level competition this is crucial. Baseline drive lead to a high percentage of turnovers, deflections and low percentage shots. Those three things lead to 3-4 players being below the block at the time this occurs. In turn the offensive transition is at a greater numbers advantage.
Below are the things we worked on both mentally and skill wise.
October 22, 2007
Theme: Offensive skill work with move progressions
Station 1 Combos to create space off the catch “Beginning of the move”
Jab
Shot fakes
Stutter jab
Step off
Emphasize getting to the middle of the floor
Attacking the top foot
Hip power on drive
Creating contact
Station 2 Changes of speed off the dribble “Middle of the move”
Footfire
Stepback
Snap back
Hang and drop
Pull back
Let player go both ways with foot work
Power and control
Create space to get angles to use speed or power
Inside shoulder give up
Station 3 Footwork finishes “End of the move”
Spin
Fake spin
Up and under
Outside in
Over hand finishes
Protect the ball from the defender
Use the contact to determine the read
Keep the defender in jail for last second seperation