Basketball is a game of skill, and within that game, you have to react quickly to perform well. Reaction drills can be a key part of practice after dribbling, shooting and passing have been developed to a reasonable level. Players will have to show they know how to react quickly and make plays.
Quick Shot Drill
When you face an opponent who closes out quickly, the key is to get a good look at the basket, go up quickly and take your shot before it is impeded. In this drill, the point guard has the ball, and when he gets to the top of the key, he finds an open teammate on the baseline. The instant before that player is in shooting position, the point guard passes him the ball. He catches the ball, gathers himself for a jump and lets go of a shot within a second of the catch. The key is that the teammate has practiced this shot so that when he goes up quickly, he can get it off without getting blocked. Have each player take five shots during this drill.
Big Man Drill
In this drill, place two of your big power forwards or a power forward and a center on the low blocks. On your whistle, both players take a drop step toward the rim as quickly as possible so they can rebound the basketball. Have another player take a shot and have both players go after the rebound. This will help players develop their rebounding skills under pressure.
Beat the Double Team
In this drill, the point guard learns to deal with the double-team on defense. This happens regularly when the opponent wants to come up with a steal by trapping the point guard and forcing a turnover. The key to beating the trap is to step through the double team and fire a pass to your open teammate. In this drill, the point guard dribbles with pressure from a defender. As soon as the point guard crosses midcourt, a second defender runs at him and tries to create a steal. The point guard must keep his dribble going and step through the two defenders and pass the ball. If he stops dribbling, the two defenders surround him and create the turnover. Give each point guard three attempts to defeat this drill.
Sprint-and-Shoot Drill
This drill improves reactions, speed and endurance. One player has the ball in the right corner. On the coach's whistle, his teammate on the left sideline sprints from the left sideline to the right elbow of the free-throw line. His teammate passes the ball to him just as he reaches the elbow. After catching the ball, he gathers himself and goes up for a jump shot, then sprints back to the starting point at the left sideline and then back to the right elbow, where a teammate passes him the ball for another shot. He continues to sprint in this manner until he has taken five shots from each spot.
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