This is a lesson that applies to any level of basketball - young kids to professionals. We were playing a 6th grade girls game last week. Our team consists of a couple of 6th grade girls, a couple 5th graders, and a 4th grade girl. The team we were playing was big, probably the tallest we have faced this year.
So through much of the first half, we really struggled defensively. The other team was running a simple pattern - enter the ball to the wing then look for a big post camped out in the lane who would then shoot over us. We tried and tried to stop this simple pattern but they were just too tall. They would simply shoot over us, miss, get the rebound, and shoot layups.
However, in the second half, we played against the pattern, NOT the player. It was easy from there. If we didn't get the steal on the wing pass, we would force the wing to put the ball on the floor and steal it off the dribble. The ball went into their big post maybe 3 times.
That's the trouble with pattern offenses. If your team can learn the pattern, then the team you're playing against can as well. And the simply defend the pattern, not the players.
More tomorrow on why you should avoid patterns.
So through much of the first half, we really struggled defensively. The other team was running a simple pattern - enter the ball to the wing then look for a big post camped out in the lane who would then shoot over us. We tried and tried to stop this simple pattern but they were just too tall. They would simply shoot over us, miss, get the rebound, and shoot layups.
However, in the second half, we played against the pattern, NOT the player. It was easy from there. If we didn't get the steal on the wing pass, we would force the wing to put the ball on the floor and steal it off the dribble. The ball went into their big post maybe 3 times.
That's the trouble with pattern offenses. If your team can learn the pattern, then the team you're playing against can as well. And the simply defend the pattern, not the players.
More tomorrow on why you should avoid patterns.
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