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Decision Making

Developing perception, anticipation and in-game decision quality.

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Basketball decision-making involves recognizing opportunities to shoot, drive or pass while the game is changing. A teammate moves, a defender helps, a passing lane opens and closes. Practice needs to keep those relationships connected to the player's actions.

Telling a player to “play faster” does not explain what they missed. Start with the basketball problem: did they hold the ball through an open closeout, drive into help, or pass after a teammate's opening disappeared?

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Articles

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Player development

Better 1-on-1 Players: Move Away from “Check-Ball” and Embrace “Advantage-Starts”

Walk into almost any open gym, driveway, or team practice around the world, and you will inevitably witness the same sequence: a player stands at the top of the key, bounces the ball to their defender, receives it back, and systematically squares up to attack.

5 min read

Skill acquisition

Late-Game Basketball Strategy: When to Hold or Attack

Late Game Basketball Strategy: The Brutal Truth and 4 Ways to Improve Late game basketball strategy is often where coaches feel the most pressure to exert control, but the brutal reality is that over-coaching the finish is exactly what leads to stagnation and turnovers.

5 min read

Skill acquisition

How to Coach Basketball Shot Selection

What Is Basketball Shot Selection and Why Does It Matter? Basketball shot selection is one of the most important skills a player can develop.

1 min read

Skill acquisition

What Is the Concept of “Playing with Advantage” in Basketball?

How your team consistently creates advantages depends on your player’s unique strengths and weaknesses, as well as what may be most effective based on the tendencies of other teams in your league.

3 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.

6 min read