Coaches are constantly looking for ways to make practice time more productive. One of the best ways to do that is to put the players in competitive conditions that they will face in games. These can be offensive situations, defensive situations or out-of-bounds plays. The idea is to make players more familiar with what they will see in games so they can be more productive in tough situations.
3-on-3 Offensive Drill
In this drill, the point guard will dribble the ball past midcourt and attempt to set up a shot for one of his teammates. The point guard is joined by a forward and a center. When the point guard crosses midcourt, the forward sets a pick on the point guard's defender. At that point, the point guard is open. He can send a pass to the forward who has started rolling to the basket after the pick has been set or to the center for a shot from the post. The point guard can also continue to drive toward the basket if nobody has picked him up. The key to this drill is to always get the ball to the open man no matter how many or how few passes it takes to get an open shot.
Fastbreak Drill
A fastbreak opportunity that comes after a rebound or a steal is one of the best opportunities to score. Your team will either have a 2-on-1, 3-on-2 or 3-on-1 advantage. Teams should find a way to score in almost all of these situations, but it takes skill to make sure that the last player to touch the ball is open in the shooting position under the basket. In this drill, the player who creates the steal must keep the ball or pass it to a player who is open in front of him. The ball must always go ahead in order to press the numerical advantage. This drill must be done at full speed with hard passes so players get used to handling the ball in fast-paced situations.
2-on-1 Defensive Drill
Playing tough defense is demanded of every player on the court. In this drill, one defender tries to stop two offensive players. The point guard dribbles the ball across midcourt and has to set up a shot. The defender must come up with a stop by stealing the ball, coming up with a rebound, blocking a shot or forcing a turnover. The offensive players must pass the ball at least three times prior to shooting. This is based on hustle, conditioning and the ability to anticipate the play. A good defender should find a way to be successful on 3-of-10 sets.
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