Boomers Clinic – Kerry Williams on Defensive Transition

Kerry Williams is a member of the Australian Boomers coaching panel and recently presented a clinic on defensive transition as part of the Basketball Australia Festival of the Boom and FIBA window in Melbourne.

A former NBL player with the Cairns Taipans, Williams is now an assistant with the Taipans, as well as heading up the Cairns Marlins NBL1 team. The former floor general and current Boomers assistant coach shared his thoughts on defensive transition to the 230-plus coaches in attendance at the clinic.

Thanks to Australian Gems coach David Herbert for sharing his notes from the clinic. Full video of the three clinics from the Australian Boomers assistant coaches will be available on this site in the coming weeks.

What are roles for rebounding

• 4’s and 5’s to glass
• Don’t want to reduce effectiveness of a Mitch McCarron who is an amazing Offensive Rebounder so need to look at personnel

On a Miss

• Dog and Plug
• Press
• Miss – you have 0.5 seconds to make a decision

Shot goes up

• 5 players back
• Build a wall
• Ball pick up – pick up points
• Protect the rim
• Shot – want to sprint back
• Build a wall – 5 players below the ball

Pick Up Points

• 4 point line – Chris Goulding type player who has that range – 40% 3 point shooting
• 3 point line – athlete 30% and below
• Keyway pick up – low % 3 point shooter

 Drill 1 – 1 v 1 full court

• Coach commences with ball
• Offensive player on block
• Defensive player on elbow
• Coach passes to offensive player commence 1 V 1 down court

Key Points

• Offence allowed 3 to 4 dribbles
• Defence sprint to pick up point
• Pick up Point 3 point line
• Do not pick ball up in middle third of court

Drill 2 – 1 v 2 full court

• Coach commences with ball
• 1 Offensive players on block
• 2 x Defensive players on either side of the elbow
• Coach passes to offensive player commence 1 V 1 down court

Key Points

• Offence allowed 3 to 4 dribbles
• One defender to declare the ball
• Other defender to declare the basket
• Defence sprint to pick up point
• Pick up Point 3 point line
• Do not pick ball up in middle third of court

Drill 3 – 2 v 3 full court

• Coach commences with ball
• 2 x Offensive players either side of the block
• 3 x Defensive players one either side of the elbow and one on the elbow
• Coach passes to offensive player commence 1 V 1 down court

Key Points

• Offence allowed 3 to 4 dribbles
• One defender to declare the ball
• One defender to declare as the captain
• One defender to the bail
• Defence sprint to pick up point
• Pick up Point 3 point line
• Do not pick ball up in middle third of court

Do we have a weak side shooter? If so, we must find where they are:

1. Declare Ball
2. Play weakside shooter
3. Declare captain
4. Find the most dangerous first

Frequency

• Limit transition points
• Limit transition

Personnel based:

• Aaron Fearne developed tagging up due to having a significant rebounding disparity against the elite teams
• Aggressive
• Takes time to teach tagging up, often time we don’t have

Drill 4: Chaser Drill

• Start 5 on 5
• 5 offensive players on the baseline evenly spaced out
• 5 defenders matching up with the offensive players across the foul line
• Coach starts with the ball, makes pass to one offensive player. The defender in front of this player sprints to touch the baseline while all other players sprint back to build a wall.

Key Points:

• Declare Ball
• Declare Captain
• Declare Plug
• Declare Shooter
• Filter and Find with extra defender back in play

Photo credits Dylan Burns