A player looks for the entry pass
In lower level basketball a dominant post player can lead a team to success almost on their own. Many teams have taller players, but combine that height with a talent for playing the position (strength, footwork, finishing) and that player can dominate an entire league. Two of the teams I’ve recently worked with have had such a player, and yet we only posted average results for the season.
When we looked at the box scores, our big guys were getting baskets so it wasn’t immediately obvious that this was where our problems were coming from. However, during our games I started to observe that most of their scores were coming from second chance opportunities and from fast breaks (they both excelled at running as part of a break). The problem became clear, we just couldn’t get them the ball in the half-court. They were getting in good position to receive the ball, but our guards didn’t make the pass, or made a poor entry pass.
When you can’t get the ball to the post in the half-court it means you’re actually taking away a lot of other opportunities to be successful and win the game. These include:
- Three Point Shooting: If you are able to establish a dominant presence in the post it forces your opponents to direct extra attention to that area of the court, double or even triple teaming your post player. This frees up your perimeter shooters on the outside to take open shots. Without drawing perimeter defenders into the post, you allow shooters to be matched up with 1-to-1, reducing their opportunities to do damage.
- Foul Trouble: By getting a lot of looks around the basket you increase the chances of getting to the line and getting opposing big men in foul trouble. Of course this enables you to get easy points from the stripe but also helps your team down the line as intimidating defensive players can be taken out of the game, allowing your guards to flourish and penetrate without the threat of being blocked.
- Psychological Boost: Getting your big guy early touches of the ball can boost their confidence and allow them to settle into the game. This can obviously benefit you later in the game when you need your dominant players to step up (Dwight Howard suffers a lot when he can’t get into the game early and it affects his overall performance). It also allows you to set out your offensive strategy and observe the way your opponent is going to defend it, allowing you to tweak elements to your advantage later on.
Shaquille O'Neal receives the ball in the post
Not getting the ball into the post hurts us in a variety of ways, not only taking away the opportunity of our post players to score, but indirectly limiting the effectiveness of our slashers and shooters. For this reason, I think entry-passing is one of the most overlooked, important skills in the game. Great positioning in the post is worth nothing if we aren’t able to get the ball to our big guys. Often I find that post players are the best at making entry passes, because they know what is required from the pass!
Let’s look at the anatomy of an entry pass:
- Create the Opportunity: If a post player has established good position by sealing his defender, it’s important to create the opportunity for a pass by developing the correct angle. The perfect line for the pass should run straight between the guard, post player and the basket. This is essential as it stops the defender from reaching and stealing the pass. However it also needs to be done quickly so the post player doesn’t lose his position on the low block.
- Recognise the Opportunity: The first key to making the entry pass is to correctly read the opportunity in front of you. I’m watching the Lakers vs Portland game as I write this post and have just watched Lamar Odom establish position with a mismatch on the low block and Shannon Brown overlook him to take (and miss) a contested three-point shot. A poor decision by Brown and one that can be eliminated by teaching players to recognise the opportunity and ensuring they always look to feed the post where that opportunity exists.
- Hit the Hand: This is the most important element as it determines the effectiveness of the player catching the ball. Once the post player has established position, the passer needs to make an accurate pass just outside the reach of the receiving player’s open hand. Too close the body and the opponent gets an opportunity to reach in for the steal, too far out and the player can’t move to the ball quickly enough. Too many guards identify the open post player, but deliver a poor pass causing a turnover. If the pass is in perfect position, it allows the post player to be effective off the catch, giving them the opportunity for a quick post-up move or a face up towards basket. A poor pass will either cause a turnover, or significantly decrease the potential effectiveness of the post player as they give up effort and, crucially, positioning in order to control the ball.
- Be Available for the Escape: Once the ball has been delivered into the post, the perimeter player needs to be aware of the situation that is developing (double team, spacing) and react accordingly. Either diving towards the corner (or pulling high) to force the defensive player to choose between doubling down low or guarding the three. Or cutting through and taking the defender away from the play to allow the big guy to work.
Entry passing is a key skill for any player, particularly those playing on the perimeter, as it can open up varied offensive opportunities and put pressure on the opposition defense, surely two of the things that all coaches strive for.
Also posted on CoachesFraternity.com
