Transforming Basketball Blog

A while ago I had a really good conversation with another coach here in Germany. I re-posted a particularly ‘shifty’ dribble move on Instagram, and he wanted to know how I would ‘teach’ that using the CLA.

To achieve this seamlessly, have a small 'menu' of triggers for your players to choose from. This may be player and opponent specific. The ideas is to avoid having too many that your players don't execute any of them well.

How do you introduce the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) to an entire coaching staff? Discover practical strategies for building trust, providing the right resources, running effective workshops, and using Staff Development Plans to help your coaches confidently embrace the CLA framework.

This is a bit of a ‘catch 22’ scenario! While we make use of BRADs extensively at Transforming (original credit to Sefu Bernard), we don’t believe in having a list of external cues that are uniformal to every player. The reason is this implies that there is an optimal way for each player to shoot.

Defense often gets sidelined in player development, but it's crucial for overall growth. Coaches must prioritize defensive concepts alongside offense to prepare players for senior basketball. Activities like tag games and 1-on-1 drills can develop defensive skills, including footwork, ball pressure, help defense, close-outs, post defense, and verbal communication.

We integrate time pressure into our practices using a random clock during small-sided games, fostering decisive actions on offense and defense. This approach promotes adaptability and intentionality in game-like scenarios, complemented by stable clock periods for variation.

The Swedish Basketball Federation is among the first in the world to formally adopt an ecological approach in basketball coaching and player development. Drawing on insights from Mark O'Sullivan and Swedish coach educators, this article unpacks what that shift looks like in practice. If you're a coach or federation looking to move beyond traditional methods, this is essential reading.

"Advance the Ball" is a versatile activity for large groups with limited court space, inspired by Spanish coach Jose Daniel Gonzalo. Players engage in 3-on-3, 2-on-2, and 3-on-3 formats using two balls and designated grids. The aim is to score only in assigned baskets, fostering adaptability and responsiveness while enhancing scanning abilities.

We are delighted to announce that Transforming Basketball's founder, Alex Sarama, will be joining Kenny Atkinson's staff in Cleveland as Director of Player Development.

In basketball, effective learning requires finding new, functional solutions rather than repeating the same outcomes over and over again. For instance every pick and roll situation is unique, yet many practices rely on predetermined drills that don't reflect the complexity of the game. Read this blog to learn about what it means for coaches to properly create an effective learning environment in practice.