How to Introduce and Run Triggers in Your Basketball Conceptual Offense

Firstly, if your unsure of what a conceptual offense is, I recommend starting with the video below...

Then for a deeper dive, this clinic is a great resource.

Give Your Triggers Simple Names

The easiest way to run triggers is by using one syllable words for your triggers. For instance, "get", "rub" (middle PNR), "side", "wide" (screen away). This makes it easy for your handler to connect with an off-ball teammate by saying the trigger. The best constraint is 3 seconds to run a trigger when neutral in the HC. This can be done in any practice activity as well as 5-on-5 scrimmages. If players don't run a trigger by then, it's a turnover. This is the best way for getting your players communicating and initiating a trigger when neutral. Early on you will need the words, but as a team gets good at running conceptual offense, over time the verbals will become less important.

Download Our Video on Gets and Dho Triggers

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. Choose a few specific triggers, and go really deep into the coverage solutions out of each trigger. This is a better approach as the effectiveness of the conceptual offense is all predicated on advantage creation. If your team can't consistently creative advantages out of triggers, then it makes no sense to have lots within your team's playbook.

For more complex trigger sequences, these are useful to use on dead balls or moments you really want to emphasise offensive execution. Something such as a scripted wide (off-ball screen) flowing immediately into a get or pick may help break down a defense at certain times. In such instances, see if you can stack the calls. E.g. "wide get" or "wide side". This means you can explore quick combinations without your players having to remember completely different calls. Because all the triggers occur out of the same arrival spacing, it makes it really easy for all your players to know what is coming when they understand what each trigger is. This means you can also do some fairly advanced offense when players have a shared terminology (e.g. ram, stack, flip or double ghost).

I would even recommend starting the season with one trigger. Force them to do it really well for two/ three weeks, and then, add more. Once they really show they can create advantages against any coverage consistently, that is a good indicator that they are ready for the next trigger. Just be ready to revisit the other ones periodically throughout the year!