Move To Create Passing Lanes

Congratulations goes out to the Lakers. They were chosen by many at the beginning of the season and they were up to the task. Could they do it again???

Have you ever heard the saying "Don't get caught being a spectator". Well this basically means don't stand around and watch your teammates create while you do nothing.

Part of making penetration so dangerous is when the ball handler has options. Great defensive teams are able to control the ball handler and not allow easy passing off penetration. Great offensive teams force the defense to help on the ball handler and when they do- find the open man.

Let me share with you a great drill for your offense to practice.

Penetrate and Slide:

Have the guard start at the top middle of the court. He or she will penetrate down the right side of the lane roughly just inside the right elbow and perform a jump stop. The wing player must slide toward the corner with the feet squared up preparing to catch and shoot.

Perform this drill several times with no defenders. The goal is to get the wing player to move as the ball handler is driving into the lane. The wing players man will be the first line of help side defense- so when he or she helps the ball gets kicked out to the open wing (the problem with most players is the stand still and watch the ball handler and don't create a passing lane).

One you have practiced this several times with no defense start by adding a defender on the wing player. Then add a defender on the ball handler as well. Adding a defender will make the offense be more protective of the ball and learn how to find the open lanes- practicing the drill without the defense allows the offense to time up the movement.

Now I want you to take this same drill and move it all around the court. In other words, have the ball handler penetrate from the wing toward the middle (not baseline) and kick it to either a top of the key player or wing player. You want to teach the different options the off ball offensive players have to get open. Many times the player should slide to the open spot going in the same direction as the ball handler. But sometimes that is not where the passing lane will be open- so the off the ball player must slide back and not go with the offensive player. This makes a more difficult pass for the ball handler due to having to pass back against the grain- but you have to work on this option.

The goals of the drill are to teach your offensive players move to create passing lanes and to teach teammates to work together and create trust in each player that they will be where they should be.

Let me know how this works out and if you have any additional drills to help create passing lanes. I am sure the readers would love to learn more.

Play Hard,

Lee

PS: I know it is summer and your team may not be together at the time but why not hold open gym and work with any players that show up. Success is contagious and once you start getting a little success with some players the rest will want to join in