Drive at the High Post
What is the proper reaction for a post player in the high post on a drive directly at him? I’ve seen this question a couple of times now and thought it would be a good time to clarify it completely. By the way, for those of you with the Read & React, you can find […]
What if the Safety Valve is Covered?
The Safety Valve is the final available option on dribble penetration – if the rim is covered, if the Natural Pitch is covered, if the Baseline Cut is covered, if Post Slides are covered, you’re left with only one option (that’s why it’s called the Safety Valve). And, there’s a lot of security in that […]
Using Colors to Initiate Combo Attacks
As you get deeper into the playoffs, you’ll certainly find yourself coming up against better defensive teams. They’ve studied your footage, drawn up a defensive game plan to stop that crazy offense you run, and are ready to play. You need to be ready too. Here are some thoughts to tweak your Read and React […]
5 Steps to Introduce Post Screening Action (even if you don’t have post players)
We often hear (from coaches that don’t know the offense very well) that the Read & React doesn’t promote screening. And, that couldn’t be further from the truth – you just have to emphasize it. Here are 4 steps that will train your players to spot some of the screening opportunities within the flow of […]
Going Deeper into Post Cuts
In a previous post, we took the Pass & Cut layer and added some depth to the options. That gave us the Puppy Dog Front Cut and the Draft Drive. Now, in Layer 2, we’ll look at going deeper into the Post Cuts – notice that I’ve used the Laker Cut in the examples, but […]
Going Deeper into Pass & Cut
In our previous post, we talked about the option of going deeper into certain layers of the Read & React rather than constantly pushing to add more layers. At the same time, a team who has established themselves in the R&R can continue to build nuances into their offense to make it more dynamic (and […]
Going Deeper into Layers
Recently, I was in Connecticut watching a 13U girl’s team coached by Ulysses Garcia along with the 12U and 11U teams in his South Windsor Girls Travel organization. (You’ll hear more from Ulysses very soon.) Up to that point, his teams had only been through a couple of practices and were just now getting comfortable […]
Send Your Players Through the Gauntlet
This is a drill that we picked up on our last visit with Point Guard College. It can certainly be used as a stand alone drill to add toughness to your finishers, but as I’m sure you’ve already guessed, I prefer it attached to the end of a Read & React Drill – a drill […]
Ball Handler is your orchestrator
The Read & React is based around the premise that the ball handler has the freedom to do anything he wants (almost) and the other four players on the court have one and only one reaction based on his choice. So, in effect, this makes the ball handler the orchestrator of the offense. His choice […]
5 Steps to Teach the Read & React
How should I teach the Read & React? That question finds its way to me a lot. And, my frustrated answer is this: You have to run the Read & React in order to improve at the Read & React. Period. You can’t get good at something that you’re not willing to […]