Decision Making Clinic

Linking skill development with decision making is an important drill relationship for players at all levels and is a key element of the games approach to practice.

At a recent clinic hosted by Wangaratta Basketball in regional Victoria, Basketball Australia Director of High Performance Coach Development Peter Lonergan covered a series of 1 v 1, 2 v 2, 3 v 3 and numerical advantage drills to provide some ideas for coaches to impact decision making.

Some points from the clinic –

Developing 1 v 1 skills –

• The most difficult thing in the game to guard is a skilled player
• Our job as coaches is to teach fundamentals that can be used in the game – applied skill
• Concept of “teach it, drill it, play it”
• Individual offence a combination of body positioning, footwork, the eyes, movement pattern and decision making – need to teach and define all five
• Teach, encourage and acknowledge creativity
• 1 v 1 development includes defensive fundamental development – two-way teach
• Play 1 v 1 often – players not playing in the informal setting, need to include in all practice plans

Decision making –

• Starts with basic decision making on the catch
  • I’m open – shoot it (within range)
  • I’m not open – pass it
  • I’m pressured – drive it
• Close-out reads – shot, pass, drive decisions
• Constantly coach the eyes – “what did you see there?”
• “Don’t buy a dog and bark for it” – let them explore and make decisions in the learning
• Teach decision making both sides of the ball – elite defenders make elite decisions
• In developing decision making, coaches need to be “comfortable with the mess”

Thanks to Coach Jacqui Henry and Wangaratta Basketball Association for sharing the clinic video.