Mexico Vs Canada

Just watched what is supposed to be a weak National Men's team play Mexico at a FIBA Qualifier. Canada 95- MExico 40

All I really learned was that once again good shooting can cure a variety of issues. Canada shot 60% from the three point line and were basically indefensible as whoever you left open drilled shots.

Mexico on the other hand spaced Canada's defense well early but was unable to make shots. As a result the more Canada scored and the poorer Mexico shot the tougher Canada's interior defense became. As the game went on Canada loaded up on the paint and blocked more and more shots as weakside defenders creeped closer and closer to the ball side. Mexico on the other hand had a tougher time defending as their defense stretched further and further to cover shooters.

The announcers were very complimentary about Canada's ball movement (30 assists) but its easy for offense to look good when you make shots and defense has to chase everyone. Mike Mckay has a great article on how 3 pt shooting changes the way teams have to defend.

http://www.basketball.ca/en/hm/blog/?sid=210

Finishes

How do you score inside?

You find way to put the ball in the basket inside the paint.

Now look at the average basketball game vs comparable levels of defensive & offensive skill and athleticism. How many baskets vs. defense come off a traditional layup? Not many. Now larger players can get away with simple 1/2 hooks or power lay ups because they have the strength and explosiveness to finish those ways. Most hoops though are of a more unconventional manner. If I learned one thing this summer coaching against national level competition the idea that shooters are protected is a notion that is reserved for kids games, not games officiated at a high level. PLayers going into traffic and too the rim at top levels are generally left of their own and so long as defense stays off the shooters arms, shoulders and head any other contact seems ok.

The person I heard best describe this was Dave Smart (coach of the 5 time CIS champion Carleton Ravens) who talked about 6 foot shooters vs 2 foot shooters. The examples he used where Phoenix Suns Leonardo Barbosa and Steve Nash (both NBA players and former national team players for their respective countries) Barbosa is a two foot shooter. He explodes up to the rim and all his releases are within the two foot space between his shoulders. Dunks, power lay ups and half hooks. Vs. most national and international competition he is all but unstoppable on the way to the basket. But vs the USA and in the NBA he is blocked much more often then the 7 inch smaller and much less athletic Steve Nash. This is because Steve Nash is a six foot shooter. On the interior he is almost impossible to block because he can release the ball from any space in the length of his arms vertically or horizontally so anywhere is a 6ft square block the ball can be released.

Once we get the development of athletes past the basic ability to finish (most of which should be on their own time training basic skills) we need to ask ourselves which is more effective. Training athletes and teams to get the basic shots they have trained out of our offense or do we spend time training athletes to make a wider variety of shots so less elaborate offense is needed to generate the type of shot they can make.

Types of finishes inside kids can train:

Power Layups

1/2 Hooks

1 Foot Layup Overhand (Inside and Outside Hands)

1 Foot Layup (Inside and Outside Hands)

Reverse Layups (1 Foot and 2 Foot inside and Outside Hands)

Floater

Finger Roll

Sky Hook

Wide Hook

Freeze/Pull Back

Short/Quick Release

2 Hand Dunk

1 Hand

Reverse Dunk

Tip In

Footwork that changes the angle of the inside finish:

1 2 step

Power step

Jump Stop

Pro Hop

Pivot-Pivot

Spin

Rocker Step

Slide By

Straight to Wide/Wide to Straight (Ginobli)