Pattern Offense Again? Really?

The pattern offense showed up again. We'll call them Jefferson.

So Jefferson ran their pattern offense exclusively from the beginning of the game to the end. It NEVER varied, be it against a zone or man it was the same thing the entire game. Again, I know you've heard this before but since I'm seeing so much of this garbage it seems that I need to drive this point home even harder.

First, you must teach your kids the skills to create and make shots out of your pattern. Here's what I saw: pt. guard making 3 foot entry passes that were terribly hard to handle. Lots of dribbling too high, lots of holding the ball above the head, And when they did make a move to the basket, it was always while standing straight up. And these are just the basics. That's not even addressing dribble skills, shot making skills, and all that.

Second, the pattern they ran was ridiculously bad. It essentially came down to a 3 man game at the elbow and both blocks. Here's a hint that you will find in my book (How to Coach Youth Basketball), Any pass that is shorter than 4 feet is incredibly hard to handle. The best players in the world have trouble with this pass- you will note that when they do throw them it is usually an underhand pass or a bounce pass.

Now, I'm not against the pattern offense. I've said this before. I'm against the pattern offense before you have taught the skills to make and create shots from it. Okay, I'll admit that I would never run a pattern offense again. I have in the past, but I've learned from my error. Are you willing to do the same?