HS players that work on their game, have a good HS career, and then move on with their lives without playing in college don’t get enough credit.
Play Bc you love the game, develop work ethic, life skills, etc. then translate it to the rest of their lives!!
Catch the Ball on the Move
We worry so much about creating separation with dribble moves, we forget that Players have more opportunities to create separation on the catch.
BallHandling Warmup
Strength and Posture Focus
Emphasis on Change of Height, Change of Pace
3 Layers: Walking, Walking to Dribble Moves, Walking to Dribble Move to Stops
Not everything we do needs to be full speed 😉
Player Movement is great!!
Player Movement without urgency or a purpose is not great.
Here is how I explain what to do without the ball, when you don’t know what to do!
*Most players just run towards the ball, stand still, or run to the other side of the floor
2 Foot Finish
We break down the HOW and WHY for players to understand the How and Why.
It also helps to get on the same page with Terminology so we can quickly communicate during live reps
When I was a High School Senior my Dad made me go watch a D1,D2,D3,JUCO game live. Then asked me if I thought I could play in the game.
Seems like a good exercise all these kids should try!
THE ANSWER TO ADAM SILVER..
Basketball is a simple game… the teams that dominate SIMPLE, have the most success. What Europe does extremely well for their players, is give them a SOLID FOUNDATION of understanding team basketball, give them freedom to build their Individual
🏀 Situational Reps
✅ 1 on 1 w defender on hip
✅ Secondary defender on opposite block
💯 Two points of emphasis this summer for our guys is being comfortable with contact from primary defender and finishing over length in paint. This covers both
If I'm a college coach, i'm sending this to every HS and AAU Coach of the player i'm recruiting and asking them to answer and sign it.
Furthermore, I would ask them to do it with the player. It will spark meaningful conversation of growth for the player and coach.
My son was shooting on his hoop in his room.
My wife walked in and said ITS BED TIME.
He said NO, ITS SHOOT TIME and shot the ball.
She swatted it in to the wall and said, no, ITS BED TIME.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
There is only 1 reason to TRAVEL for a youth(5th-8th) basketball tournament-> to give the kids a fun, out of town experience.
Any other reason is bs and can be accomplished in a less expensive and more efficient way
Trainers would be well served to take a year and coach a team. Doesn’t matter the level.
It will give them perspective on how difficult it is to manage players, parents, situations and how much outside noise can impact a team.
They’ll realize that anyone outside of the
Everyone should be playing 3x3 No Dribble
The benefits of 3x3 No Dribble are endless. Offensively it’s Turning n Facing on the catch, being strong with the ball, getting open, finding cuts, etc. Defensively it’s digging in and being aggressive, getting in the passing lanes,
Balance Shooting
Focusing on covering distance with our last 2 steps, and finding a solid base to quickly lift in to our shot.
* Progression is to add pass, then add a defender chasing
🏀 3 Shot Combo
✅ Flash
✅ Drift n Rip Floater
✅ Pop/Fade
💯 Changing the shot each time and distance breaks the rhythm of the shooter so it is more game like. I like to emphasize the 3 shots our players take most💪
Power through your Elbow
So many players miss short because they don’t have a straight path with their elbow and don’t finish high.
I like using this concept of pushing their elbow on the lift so they can feel it.
Side Note: Elbow and ball lift before body
Live 1 v 1 Finishing
✅ Catch ball with momentum and get downhill
✅ Read defender for 1 foot, 2 feet, Pivot Game
✅ initiate contact for separation + finish or find balance and play
Same player on O for 1 minute
Scholarship offers fall in to 2 categories….
Recruiting Offer: “We like you and are going to really track and recruit you”
The Firm Offer: “We love you and if you say yes the scholarship is yours”
Huge difference between the 2, and sometimes it’s best to clarify
Rapid Fire w/ Rips
Rapid Fire shooting from top of key.
Miss 2 in a row, rip thru for a finish and back to top of key for shooting.
Part of our shooting mentality is coming back with a make when we miss a shot!!
A HUGE ISSUE in todays game is players inability to KEEP PLAYING when one action doesn’t yield results. Typically they default to iso when in reality, most defenses can’t guard multiple actions!
Below is how we emphasize and teach it in our 3x3
KEEP PLAYING
Stop reacting to every little thing that doesn’t go your way and just focus on making the next play.
Seems simple, a lot of coaches preach this, players understand, but it is REALLY HARD TO EXECUTE on a consistent basis.
CAN YOU SPARE 2 MINUTES??
Most players will say they want to be better shooters, but they’ll scroll by this simple shooting progression.
We find a lot of success with our players by helping them understand and feel their ‘Load Position’
Then we segment it by moving, finding it
Layered Post Drill
Dunker Spot 1 v 1 to Low Post 1 v 1
Dunker focused on closing the gate, post focusing on driving defender to middle and keeping it simple!!
We should be using FIBA rules in College and HS.
It would create smarter players, tougher players, and we wouldn't be playing 3 separate games (HS is different than College which is different than NBA)
Being a coach is hard. You live with the decisions and learn from them.
That said, you have to guard the inbounder and actually play defense on everyone else in that scenario. I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life.
LEARN TO HANDLE WITH RHYTHM‼️
👉Ball Handling Flows DAY 1 of 3
Flow: Skips n Pounds, drop to 2 Inside Outs
Add: Skips n Pounds, Drop to Inside Out, Cross, Thru
Drill 1: Sideline to Sideline repeating the flow
Drill 2: Flow in to Mid Paint or Mid Range Shot
To get the most
Struggling with Turnovers
Our ability as ballhandlers to stop and see the floor is what helps us relieve pressure. Coming to a stop controls our body, scanning the floor is what helps us decide what action to take next … Pass/Drive/Shot. Here is one of my favorite drills that
Playing off the Ball
Do something for someone else!!
We’ll define these three things (Cut Hard, Screen, Space Away) as we progress… but hammering the concept in players heads as early as possible leads to better understanding of what to do when off the ball
STOP REFFING
Players need to continuously work on handling No-Calls. The ability to move on from a No-Call (Or bad call) and use it to lock in even more is something players can’t learn early enough!!
🛑 STOP SHOOTING THE BALL FLAT
You have to get under the basketball to shoot it up. Helping players simplify their start point and lift path can help them feel how easy it can be to get under the ball.
It should yield more optimal arc, and ultimately more made shots.
💯 We work with so many players and their defensive schemes can differ.
💯 But the biggest thing we hammer in defensively is NO STRAIGHT LINE DRIVES.
💯 Defense is 90% energy and effort. No excuse not to give it your all!!
Pivot Game
✅Balance
✅Patience
✅Footwork
✅Finish
Great clip for Bigs and Guards to see what 2 Foot Pivot Game looks like!
@gusbus2023
makes it look easy!!
*D needs to be more physical and disciplined
3x3 Development - Screener Options
Players can easily get 3-5 extra ppg by being great cutters/screeners.
When we emphasize and develop it in players they start to understand movement, spacing, timing better as well.
Driving Reads
A necessity at all levels is a players ability to drive downhill with contact.
Stopping is possibly the most underrated skill in BallHandling.
Full Speed Drive w/ Contact = Stop, stay balanced, make a decision
1v1 Dunker Spot
D in paint at First Hash Mark
O in Dunker spot
Live when ball leaves passers hands
Space 🔑 - Close space for rim finish or keep space for float game
🏀 3 Man Passing Youth
✅ Passing at diff angles
✅ Passing With either Hand
✅ Passing around defenders
💯 I know everyone drools over European Passing, but players will do what Coaches emphasize, no matter what continent you live on. So emphasize passing‼️‼️
Opening from my Coaches Clinic Speech ‘Building Competitive Player Development Sessions’
I feel like this is the biggest change I’ve made in my training over the last 13 years.
Put players in Competitive and Adverse Situations so they can build their resiliency
PRACTICE TO GAME RATIO
This is one of the things that is backwards in our country. Yes, you need to play. Yes, you can learn while playing…. But how many High School/College games do you see where players don’t know how to Space, Screen, Execute, Pass, Finish with Both
📢 “Your ability to make quick decisions and be productive is way more important than your ability to make tough shots”
I feel like every player and trainer in 🇺🇸 needs to hear this
In our 🇺🇸 basketball culture we underestimate how much pressure and sacrifice there is when you are playing to WIN on a nightly basis.
Mike Brown breaks it down perfectly
3v3 Advantage drill
This is a progression from our 1v1 and 1v2 finishing. BH must be able to read 2nd and 3rd help defenders and make pass.
Then we are playing the advantage.
Speed Stop allows you to quickly stop in paint, step thru allows you to take space that is available and find a finishing solution
P.S. for all the Twitter weirdos… it’s not a travel and yes I understand refs at your level or area may call it a travel
Teaching Shooting on the Move
When players realize what their stance/base/load position (w.e you want to call it) is, then shooting on the move simply becomes the transition from movement to that load position while keeping your balance and control
CONDITIONING SHOOTING
✅Sprint corner to half court and back
✅2 in a row makes
✅Sprint to other corner for a ‘game winner’
25 seconds to complete. Go until player beats it 5 times
Drift 1v1
Been replacing 1 on 0 reps with 1 on 1 reps
Builds on Decision Making, Contact, helps players find solutions.
Biggest Challenge: Players being scared to fail
Also, I learn way more about development training 6th graders than I do training College/Pros.
So many players (NBA/College/HS) have no idea how good they could be if they just went ALL IN and really committed to ….
FOCUSED and INTENTIONAL off-season work.
Triangle BallHandling 1v1
This drill is part of our LIVE CONDITIONING SERIES. We want our ball handling to be live against defenders. This drill forces players to see where the open space is (1 of the 2 available cones) and then take that space.
It is also a great drill for
3. Skill Revolution
The so called Skill Revolution has individualized the game. While players may be more skilled than ever, the Understanding of HOW TO PLAY THE GAME is at an all time low. We put more emphasis on individual skill than Team Play, Competing, Accountability
think its bad now?
Europe: Young studs playing against adult pros, held accountable by coaches, prioritize team IQ
US: Young players reclass to play against younger players, lack of accountability, prioritize individual work.
What do you think this looks like in 20 years?
Jokic, Giannis, Embiid, Luka. Almost like the US has to catch back up to the foreign players. Would love to hear your thoughts on how/when this happened?
Best way to work on BallHandling?
Live 1v1
Must come to a stop and re-attack.
Add slides for Pace.
Ball is live for O or D to score it.
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Part 2 of 1v1 Shooting
Defense flies out on shooter. Shooter has 2 options. Shoot the Catch or Drive the Catch.
If they drive it’s 2 on 1 with help defender.
Score for yourself, or kick for a 3.
Building reads in this drill.
1. SHOOT OR DRIVE
2. SCORE OR KICK
DRIVING ANGLE
Use the ‘Driving Line’ as a guide for advantages.
Offense needs to be able to be able to keep D on Hip and get over the Driving Line.
Good defenders, even if they end up on the offensive players hip, can grind the offense out and off of their line
Steph Curry did not ruin basketball!!
When you watch Steph, what do you see?? Most peoplesee the deep 3’s, tough shots, sick dribble moves. That’s great and entertaining, but what makes Steph unbelievable is his ability to do those things AND HIS WINNING ATTRIBUTES.
His
Big PnR work
1v1 off Short Roll
1v1 in Post if PG hits Lift
Situational work with progressions, allow players to keep an active mind and KEEP PLAYING
A lot to clean up in this clip detail wise, but a lot of good takeaways for players, especially on Day 1 in a Camp Setting
Live Shooting Reps
Most of our days are Live… When we go shooting we’ll add in a read. Sometimes we’ll add in a 2nd unscripted action.
In this clip: Spot Corner 3’s … D Short Close Out or Fly By.
We added in DHO if passer dribbles at: D under or over.
11 Makes
If we really want to change kids lives and impact them...
We would pay Davion Mitchell anything he wants to go to the Shoe Company AAU Events and just play 1 on 1 against the kids that think they are D1 and High Major Studs
😂🤐
Characterizing workouts for 11 year olds as ‘Training’ seems absurd.
We try to reinforce that they are just ‘Playing Basketball’ - No pressure, be free to make mistakes, push the limits, get mad, and have fun!!
If I asked 6'4" to 6'7" HS wing shooters what most coaches tell them they need to improve, it would definitely be 'BALLHANDLING' ... In reality they need to learn to fly around without the ball, find space, use their shot to get downhill. S/O Duncan Robinson for figuring it out!
PnR Drill with only 1 big
1st Guard uses screen and plays 1v1 vs Big in Drop Coverage
Next possession big sets screen, rolls, plays 1v1 vs help D (Coach or Guard
Keep Alternating
Simplify your thinking when you don’t have the basketball.
1. Cut with a purpose
2. Screen for someone else
3. Space the floor for drivers
Seems simple but 75% of players struggle with this
Shooting Tweaks
Shooting is about power and accuracy. Tweaking a players shot is done when one or both of those are off. I like to Isolate,Segment, Rep - seems to give the player clarity and allows them to feel how simple it is to generate power and be accurate
There is no skill in basketball more important than competitiveness.
One of my NBA clients once told me... you can’t survive in the NBA if you’re not competitive.
🎯
Being Competitive is the
#1
Skill that needs to be developed in players.
We need to teach what it means and what it looks like. It needs to be emphasized and developed while holding players accountable.
To me, this is where player development starts.
Half Court Pace w/ Contact
Great for players that need to…
✅ Get Downhill vs. Pressure
✅ Dribble Stop on Balance
✅ Finish thru contact
This is what of my favorite BallHandling/Finishing drills. Can turn to live 1v1 after Dribble Stop
2 Foot Jumping Angles
2 foot finishes give players more control.
They can be DYNAMIC by jumping quickly and changing the angle in which you jump.
Extension Finish shown in this video
🔬HOW WE JUDGE OUR PLAYERS IN WORKOUTS…
Most players think if they make shots, they have a good training session or practice. To me that’s not even in the top 3. If Players come in and do these 3 things, we’ll have a really productive session..
1. Pace - Have a high work
College Basketball = 2 foot finishes
You can still be dynamic and crafty off 2 feet by changing jumping angles
It just gives you more control and options
#1
way for players to learn how to play off the ball.. teach them how to set and slip.
They’ll innately find spacing, see front cuts, attack close outs, etc.
We’ve been doing this with our HS/College guys for years, it takes a while, but the pay off is great!
American Basketball Development has swung too far in to Individual Skill Development. When it balances out with opportunities for players to build competitiveness, resiliency, and IQ.... we will be in a great place.
We’ll get there!!
BallHandling Flow to start your workouts off right!!
All segments are right hand to half court and left hand back to baseline.
We’re working on changing height and pace here. You are up high on Skips n pounds, low on dribble moves.
1. Skips n Pounds
2. 2- Skips n Pounds in to
We need to equip these kids with the ability to handle the adversity, stress, and emotion of college basketball.
The first time they get held accountable, told their not good enough or that they had a horrible day, or get subbed for not playing hard CANNOT BE IN COLLEGE
One of my favorites
📝‘Figure it Out’ drill
🔑Quickly learn if players can
1. Play off of each other
2. Communicate their movements
3. Understand spacing and movements
✅ 2 Players
✅ Score 21 by 2’s and 3’s
💯Seems like a simple drill, it’s not and can get embarrassing
YOU’RE A GREAT SCORER…
Love it!! What else do you do??
What separates you from other players that can score the ball? How do you impact scoring beyond putting the ball in the basket. 1 dimensional scorers are rarely the best player on a good team. They can be the best player
1v1 Shooting
Defense has to fly at shooter.
Shooter quickly needs to find space, get feet set, and get their shot off.
We go through a couple in drill adjustments to make it more effective.
Part 2 tomorrow
Driving Keys
We can get conditioned to pick the ball up early. Our progression for driving the basketball…
See Space ➡️ Take Space
Help comes ➡️ Kick
No help comes ➡️ Finish, Keep, Post
🏀 Live 1 on 1 Drill
✅ Boundary 1v1
✅ Transition 1 on 1 against second defender
💯 This drill is great to handle the ball in tight spaces (defender has to work to keep player in front. Then O needs to get a good shot while tires against transition D
What is more important for Passing Skill Development?
✅ A players ability to mechanically throw a pass ‘correctly’
Or
✅ A players ability to get the ball from point A to point B with on time on target
Wish all HS athletes picking a college would understand (especially in today when so many college students struggle with happiness)that winning and playing time contribute to your happiness more than the level you are playing at!