So i've started playing basketball again. Joined a u/25s competition with an old school mate. The competition is well within our range to win. Feel free read my spoiler rant too. Are there any coach's on this board? Any tips for a player coach? Any effective offensives that a gold fish could learn and remember? Our strongest positions are SG and C. Might help to know our forwards can't pass or catch or box out. What's a good way to help the muppets remember plays? Finally, the best defensive strategy for a team that constantly has holes in a 2:3 zone? Even if you're not the coach, input will be appreciated. Spoiler Apart from my friend, the other players on my team are absolutely pathetic. Can't defend, pass, shoot rebound, did i mention they can't defend. Basically, we lost to the defending champs tonight, a good team but no real individual talent. We've beaten them before, played them in finals as the favorites and got steam rolled. I don't get it, the players on my team just crumble under pressure, we train for hours repeating our motion offense(this is their level) and a number of other plays. When it comes show-time, the team is stunned and forgets everything and start running into each other. I rebound and block more shots then the rest of the squad combined, drawn more offensive fouls than the entire team has all season and I'm the freaking center. (season is three games old, me 6-0). Honestly, i've been a calm mentor to these guys, but at the end of the day I want to win and come big games, they frustrate the hell out of me with their no heart muppet approach. I'm starting to loose my cool. I mean, for example if i was to set a high screen for a my friend SG and then roll to the basket, there's 100% chance a team mate will be clogging the lane with his defender (space the ****ING Floor!!).
I'd suggest not to play a zone, saw the same with my old team. Guys don't rotate properly and always leave one guy open for easy baskets. Try man vs. man defense, zone is too complex for beginners. I'm not a coach but I'd suggest plenty backdoor cuts that confuse your opponent, people at that level most of the times can't defend it.
Run whatever offense Kobe + Shaq or Tmac + Yao did. Two great players stuck with a pile of ****ty players. Defensively... I'd go with a 1-3-1.
Playing man defense was my solution too, but as soon as i get dragged from the basket the opposing offenses are smart enough to penetrate.
Is there a specific offense? or is it just set plays? I-3-1 seems interesting, however I'm adamant our 4's wont rotate in time for a corner pass. What's more important to a 1-3-1, the 5 or the 4?
they way we've approached it so far has been the C5 plays an anchor roll. Its been our only defense so far.
I think he's talking about the endless pick&rolls that set your SG up for good shots or get you the ball downlow when rolling to the basket. To the 1-3-1 question: 4 helps in the post and has to cover the corners as well, your 4 msut be above average on D. You as 5 only cover the opposing Center. Wouldn't suggest a zone if your guys are not good at 2-3, they will get killed. This site shows how 1-3-1 works: http://www.coachesclipboard.net/131zonedefense.html I'd really suggest you to read the site, it provides tons of tactics for teams. http://www.coachesclipboard.net/
We do try this, it would be have to be our most effective play. But as i mentioned in my rant, too many times a wondering team mate will be standing in the direction I'm rolling towards or the direction the SG it penetrating too.
The 4's are the most raw on this squad. Would it work if I the 5 play the 4 position? I'm naturally a 3 playing out of position. I just think having our weakest defenders locking down the middle playing the 5 is a problem. However with that said, i do want to try this.
Running a 1-3-1 is a mistake. If these guys can't play a 2-3, there is no way they will be successful at running a 1-3-1 which requires players to cover more area in the zone and to sprint further distances in rotations due to the larger holes. If you can't run a 2-3 zone you're pretty much screwed in my opinion when it comes to zone defense. In my opinion, it is the easiest one to teach and learn. I almost recommended a box and 1 to you, but to really run that properly requires some rotations that some of the guys on your team will obviously fail to make and all zone require hard and decisive rotations when the ball is in the air. Some players tend to wait until the ball gets to its destination before they rotate which is a recipe for disaster. Now here is the rub, if you can't play zone properly, you can't play man to man properly either. Many people think man to man is like streetball man to man, but it has many zone properties. This holds true on the high school, college and NBA level. I teach my team man to man by running shell drills in which they basically zone an area and where they are to go depends on whether they are 1 or 2 passes away. Long story short, if your team won't rotate, you are screwed defensively and streetball man to man may be the only thing you guys can run. Everybody check a guy and stay with him. Where he goes, you go.
Just play man-to-man and concentrate on offense. Sounds to me your teammates have really bad off-ball movements. Whenever my team get's stagnant, the play maker (not me) always tell them to move around. Have you tried having the offense running through you? Hit you up to the post and then you can facilitate the offense from the middle, passing out to the open man and such. In practice tell the guys to collapse whenever someone drives and let them beat you from the distance. At least that worked for me.
I would say go man but I get the feeling your teammates can't defend for some reason. With that being said, I would run a 2-3. It's as simple as it gets. Offensively you guys should run a short corner.
Yes, but after a few plays i usually get doubled, also they run out of ways to get it into the post. Nice tip thanks.
Stick to the basics, PnR - and read and react on back cuts...and you will be fine. Agree on the man to man over zone thing. DD
You probably shouldn't coach if you approach it in the manner you approached it above. Calling your own players names and saying everyone is pathetic except only you and your friend will only help YOU feel better about yourself, but won't help your team much. Please change your attitude and be a little more mature about playing in a TEAM, sir. Good luck this season, though! p.s. - and, it's "strategy" and also "coaches."
Oh, and if the other players suck, get better players......or live with the results of them sucking. If they are friends, don't be so serious, and realize that most people can't play the game very well......and remain friends, those games are not serious anyway. DD
I only knew one of them when i joined the team. I would put them in the team mate category, not friends. Glad you helped though.