BASKETBALL PASSING

Pass the basketball more and dribble the basketball less. 

Let’s imagine a game situation where the offense is running a half-court play.  The end result of this play is for the center to receive a pass from the point guard, turn to the outside while taking one step back toward the basket, and shoot an uncontested lay-up.  A simple enough plan.  The first thing that needs to happen is for the center to get his defender positioned on his inside shoulder, or the shoulder closest to the free-throw line.  If by chance the defender is already there, the point guard simply tosses a bounce pass to the center’s outside hand.  As the center is receiving the pass he starts his turn to the baseline and steps back towards the basket, his outside hand is completely undefended for an uncontested lay-up.  If the defender is not where the offense needs him to be, the point guard tosses a regular pass to the center’s inside hand, the center feigns to the inside, the defender moves to defend the inside and ends up on the center’s inside shoulder.  The center pops the ball back out and the point guard immediately slips him a bounce pass back to his open outside hand.  The point I’m making here is the point guard is using the bounce pass as the “clue” for the center to know that no one is defending the hand the point guard is passing to.  If a defender was in position to guard the outside hand, the point guard would not give the center a bounce pass, he would deliver a chest pass.  Automatically the center knows if he gets a bounce pass to either hand, that side is open for him to turn and shoot. A play like this makes a 'simple' bounce pass a very powerful communication tool between two offensive players, and the defense is completely unable to read the eyes or body language of the offense.

The bounce pass in basketball is so easy to see and catch, is usually beyond the reach of defenders, and it can come right off the dribble momentarily catching the defense off guard.  As a pass receiver, almost all of the time, you want to step out and go get the pass, make yourself open, as opposed to letting the pass come to you.  By letting the pass come to you, you allow the defense as much time to get to the basketball as you have.  When the offense fails to keep a step ahead of the defense, the defense will become the offense.

The passing game, rather than dribbling the basketball, is a faster way to develop basketball plays and move the basketball around the court.  So what?  Defenders cannot keep up with 3 or 4 or 5 quick consecutive passes.  That extra pass is so important.  In Southern California, the Marines at Camp Pendleton Marine Base play basketball on the beach in the sand.  They're unable to dribble the basketball in the sand so basketball passing game is their only option.  Now, when these Marines play a basketball game on a regular basketball court it's extremely difficult to keep up with their basketball passing skills. 

Work on your basketball passing game.  When you run a basketball passing drill, like a pick and roll, over and over again with different players on your team, you'll find basketball passing skills take your game to another level.  Assists are not only the the realm of the point guard.  Basketball honors all that work on their passing skills and develop a great basketball passing game with assists.  A great pass leading to a basket is frequently more exciting than the shot and can often kick a team's momentum into gear, sometimes turning a game around.  A beautiful bounce pass in basketball is a lethal weapon that is largely undefendable, practice it and use it as often as possible.

Learn to take responsibility for your actions and your education.  Others can guide you, but only you can be you.  Basketball players are made, they are not born; great basketball players are self made, not only by working on their basketball skills level but by studying the game, learning the game, and remembering “Occam's Razor.”  Always look to simplify; “Occam's Razor,’ one should not increase, beyond what is [absolutely] necessary, the number of entities [or movements] required to explain [or do] anything.”