One of the ways to lead a basketball team to victory is to work on offensive and defensive drills and plays; these will help the players to improve during training camp and during the season. Drills should be short and dynamic. It is best not to dwell on any one drill for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Once the players have the drills down pat, running successful plays will be a breeze.
2-on-1 Defensive Drill
In a 2-on-1 defensive drill, one defensive player will try to stop two offensive teammates from scoring. The offensive twosome must complete three passes before attempting a shot. The defensive player has to register a steal, get a rebound or force a turnover. In order for the defensive player to be successful, he must register at least three stops for every 10 offensive possessions. If he doesn't, the offense is considered the winner.
Fast Break Drill
In a fast break drill, the rebounder starts the fast break by catching the ball and firing an overhead pass to one of the guards waiting near half court. The guard then advances the ball and either passes it for a layup or takes it to the hoop to score. This drill can be timed from the time the rebounder gets the ball until the team scores a basket. Great teams can do this in under five seconds.
Shooting Drill
The most basic drills for shooting are often the most effective. A basic drill starts out on the right baseline. Each player takes five shots at the basket. Players then move to the right elbow for five more shots, and to the top of the key (beyond the free throw line) for five more. After that, they go to the left elbow and left baseline for five more shots each for a total of 25. The amount of shots made is tallied and tracked as the season progresses. Players should concentrate on their form at the beginning of the season, and add in speeding the drill as the season progresses.
Ball-Handling Drills
Coaches can help their point guard improve their dribbling dexterity by having them dribble two balls at the same time. The guard will dribble the ball in his dominant hand, and as soon as he hears that ball hit the floor, he'll dribble the second ball. Players start off at the end line and trot to the midcourt line while handling both balls. When the player gets to midcourt, he has to run while dribbling both balls.
Pick and Pop
Pick and pop is one of the most popular plays among college and professional teams. On this play, the point guard will drive to the right or left side of the court. As he approaches the elbow, the forward will set a solid pick on the defender so the guard gets a step or two of freedom. If the player setting the pick loses his defender, he can roll to the basket and is open to catch a pass and score a layup. However, if his path is blocked, he can roll off the defender he picked and go to an open spot on the floor for a short jump shot.
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