St. John’s HSB Basketball - OFFENSE

General Offensive Principles - All players should know and understand these principles

  • SPACE is the overriding key to successful offense - it spreads the defense and makes them work harder

  • PASSING over dribbling - passing moves the ball faster than dribbling

    • Use the DRIBBLE wisely: to separate from defense, and to change the pivot foot

    • Mis-using the dribble: kills time and allows the defense to recover and match up

  • Fast-break up-court pressure denies the defense a chance to get set and matched up.

  • Scoring Priorities: Our scoring priorities are as follows:

    • LAYUPS are:

      • the highest probability shots

      • most likely to draw defensive fouls

      • forces defenses to play tight inside, which opens up outside shooting

    • Free Throws: the highest percentage shot in basketball. There is one caveat - you only get to shoot the free throw if you are fouled

    • 3 Point Shooting: for good shooters, the lower probability is overcome by the extra point, resulting in a higher PPP (points per possession)

    • 2 Point Shooting: with percentages only marginally better than 3 point shooting, PPP is the lowest of all shots

Half Court Patience Offense

Everyone needs to understand the role of patience in basketball. No matter what offense we are running, we want to keep cool and work hard until we identify good quality scoring opportunities.

Remember, we achieve a high PPP (points per possession) with high probability shots. What does this mean to you in practical terms? Don’t rush, do what you do best, and help your teammates do what they do best. PPP is a team statistic.

Here are some examples to consider:

  • If you’re not a good shooter, a pass is a better decision than a shot

  • If you don’t have good finishing skills, don’t attack the basket into traffic

  • An assist increases team PPP; a poor shot reduces PPP

PATIENCE OFFENSE: When our fast break transition offense does not result in a basket, we become patient.

YES: Move the ball with confidence and control until a good scoring opportunity is available.

NO: Hurried and frantic shots, penetrations in to multiple defenders, and forced passes

WHAT a patient offense accomplishes for the team:

  1. Probing the defense for weak spots: communicate with your teammates

  2. Spreading the defense out: big gaps for passes and dribble penetration

  3. Tiring the defense out: make them run!

  4. Frustrating the defense: push them into risky, bad decisions

MENTAL CHALLENGE: Being patient with offense is not implying a low-energy, or slow-moving offense. The challenge is to stay mentally focused and move with physical intensity, while being able to make good decisions about scoring opportunities.

The longer you and your teammates can maintain focus and intensity while cycling through many different scoring options, the more worn down the defense will become, and the more successful you will be as a team.