Bounce and Chase Drill

Here is a good drill that emphasizes transition defense.  I love transition defensive transition drills and I think it is one area of the game that is under taught and under emphasized.

Bounce and Chase Drill

Detroit Pistons Training Camp Practice Notes

If you are curious to see what an NBA practice is like, you should take a look at these notes that were taken from a Detroit Pistons training camp.  I am not sure what year these are reflective of, but they are very detailed and gives a great perspective of an NBA practice.

Detroit Pistons Training Camp Practice Notes

Roy Williams: UNC Transition Game

UNC is well known for thier transition game.  Not only do they have great athletes, but they also have a great system in play as well.  Here is an in-depth look at their transition game.

Roy Williams UNC Transition Game

My Favorite Drills #8: Full Court Passing

This drill is a very simple drill, but it is great for teaching a wide variety of topics and can be a great drill to start off practice with.  I got the drill from Don Meyer.  It is flexible enough where you can modify it to fit your own coaching philosophy.  It is because of fundamental drills like this, is one of the reasons that Coach Meyer is one of the greatest basketball minds out there.

Don Meyer - Full Court Passing 

My Favorite Drill #7: 5-on-5 Catch-Up

Another drill that many of us have seen before or at least some variation of it is 5-on-5 Catch-Up.  This version of the drill uses 10 players.  I have used it with in a 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 setting as well.  I like drills like this because in allows you teach multiple aspects of the game, it is competitive, it is intense and the kids like it.  Being we are a team that likes to push the action offensively, it is a great way for us to simulate a game like fast break situation.

5-on-5 Catch Up

Ettore Messina: My Favorite Drills

Here is a great collection of notes and drills from Ettore Messina who is one the the best International basketball minds.  I think there will be something in these notes that you will find useful.

Ettore Messina: My Favorite Drills

My Favorite Drills #4: Progressive Fastbreak

One of the next drills we work on to teach transition offense and defense is a Progressive Fastbreak.  I got this drill from Mike Neighbors who is a great assistant coach for the University of Washington's Womens basketball team. 

The Progressive Fastbreak is a team drill that is very competitive and allows you to teach multiple aspects of the game, including time and score situations.  I hope it is something that will help you and your team.

Progressive Fastbreak

My Favorite Drills #3: Sideline Break 3 Man Warm-up

The next drill that we use to teach our sideline break is another drill that I got from Tom Izzo.  We call it the Sideline Break 3 Man Warm-up.  It is an extension to our Sideline Outlet Progression.

Sideline Break 3 Man Warm Up

May Favorite Drills #2: Sideline Outlet Progression

I have talked before about how my approach to transition offense has changed over the years, largely due to my conversations with Wayne Walters (SWARM Enterprises).  Since then, I have become a big component of a sideline break.  The sideline break has improved our overall transition game these past few years.  At practice, we have even used a stop watch to time how long it takes us to get the ball advanced up the floor, and we have found that we advance the ball up the floor 1.5-2 seconds faster (from the inbound pass to the first scoring action) when using the sideline break approach rather than a dribble break.  When we get the ball advanced up the sideline, it forces our bigs to run the floor faster.  They have to in order to beat or stay level with the advancement of the ball.  Last year in a game, we were in a free throw situation.  Our opponent made the free throw and they started running back to get set up in their defensive set.  However, we had already advanced the ball up the sideline and had a lay-up before they even turned around to locate the ball. 

One of the first drills that we use to teach this is very simplistic in nature, but probably the most critical as well.  We call it the Sideline Outlet Progression.  I wish I could say that I came up with the drill myself.  However, I actually modified it slightly from a drill that Tom Izzo uses to teach his number break.  We simply modified to be more a sideline approach.  Next week, I will post some other drills that we use to teach the sideline break as well. 

Sideline Outlet Progression

Vance Walberg Drills

Here are some intense pratice drills that Vance Walberg uses daily in his practices.  Each of these drills teach transition offensive and defensive concepts.  Even if you don't run a DDA/DDM style offense, you can adapt them to fit your style of play.

Scramble Drill
Texas 22
Texas 111
Cardinal