Player development
Functional Solutions in 1-on-1 Player Development
1-on-1 can be one of the simplest, but most effective ways, to improve functional solutions in driving, shooting and finishing.
Alex Sarama
Aug 5, 20243 min read
Blog
Articles
Explore practical ideas to design better practices, develop adaptable players, and help your team play better basketball.
Team defense
The Medieval Siege and Transition Defense: A Youth Basketball Defense
As John Kessel and Mike MacKay have frequently said, we don’t coach basketball. Rather, we coach people who happen to play basketball. This is where coaching deliver should be aligned with how people learn best.
Alex Sarama
Jul 29, 20244 min read
Team offense
The Problem with the Read and React Offense in Youth Basketball
Evaluating the Read and React Offense in Youth Basketball The Read & React Offense is undoubtedly a much better alternative than a lot of the other extremely rigid motion offences or continuities that are used in youth basketball.
Alex Sarama
Jul 22, 20246 min read
Practice design
Are Line and Box Drills Effective in Basketball Practice?
Every year ‘Line and Box Drills’ do the rounds on Basketball X. These are viewed as fundamental drills which should supposedly be a staple of every youth basketball practice.
Alex Sarama
Jul 15, 20245 min read
Player development
How to Use Guided Defense in Player Development
Guided defense is when the defense is constrained in how they can defend an offensive player(s) within a particular sequence or possession.
Alex Sarama
Jul 8, 20245 min read
Player development
How to Use Jungle Shooting to Improve Your Team's Shooting
How to Use Jungle Shooting https://twitter. com/AlexJSarama/status/1487809933978611718? s=20&t=8FTc5UmvTXpgf3adLXOnhQ Are you searching for a representative small-sided game to improve your team’s shooting?
Alex Sarama
Jul 1, 20244 min read
Coaching & leadership
How to Give Better Coaching Feedback & Informational Constraints
One of the biggest misconceptions of the CLA is that coaches cannot use feedback. Feedback is vitally important, but critically, through the CLA feedback is viewed as one form of task constraint.
Alex Sarama
Jun 24, 20244 min read
Team offense
Why Players Should Not Always "Run the Play!"
Many coaching styles develop overtly passive offensive players, who focus on merely regurgitating patterns versus acting upon natural affordances which create an offensive advantage.
Alex Sarama
Jun 17, 20244 min read
Player development
How to Apply the Theory of Differential Learning in Basketball Shooting
A question we receive frequently at Transforming Basketball is how we develop adaptive shooters. This is where differential learning (DL) forms a key part of our player development framework, existing as a highly useful tool for complementing CLA practice tasks.
Alex Sarama
Jun 10, 20243 min read
Skill acquisition
Deception in Basketball: How to Teach It Ecologically
What Is Deception in Basketball? Let’s start by considering what deception in basketball is. A 2022 paper by Ramsey et al. , forms the basis of this blog article.
Alex Sarama
Jun 3, 20246 min read
Skill acquisition
NBA Combine Testing: Why It Fails to Evaluate Talent
Why NBA Combine Testing Uses the Wrong Framework How is it possible that current NBA combine testing methods may bias, rather than effectively inform, front office decision-makers?
Alex Sarama
May 15, 20248 min read
Team offense
Why Pass and Cut Motion Offense Is Harming Youth Basketball
How Pass and Cut Motion Offense is Harming Youth Basketball? A post on the Transforming Basketball Instagram page went viral a few months’ ago speaking about the ineffectiveness of pass and cut motion offense.
Alex Sarama
May 1, 202411 min read
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