Exploring basketball's best ideas, strategies, and coaches around the world

Happy Sunday and welcome to all the new subscribers from around the world! We're excited to have you as part of the community 🙏

ICYMI: Last week, we highlighted "Going Away" traps off of an inbounding 5 or 4-Man, and why it can be a low-risk gamble with high-upside. View the breakdown HERE. (🔒 SG Plus}

Today at a Glance:

📺 SGTV: Alba Berlin - Shot Contest Closeouts {🔒}

🎤 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Jerrod Calhoun {Youngstown State}

🥇Best of the Week: FT Run Outs & Pistol Variations​

Let's dive in...

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Alba Berlin - Contesting without Fouling

For those who listen to the podcast, first... thank you! And second, you know Pat has a deep affinity for closeouts. Any small, seemingly insignificant suggestion of a closeout during a podcast conversation is a siren song that's hard to resist...

We gave into temptation this week and took a close look at Alba Berlin and their strategy and discipline in closing out on perimeter shooters.

With the continued prevalence of the 3-point shot and the officials emphasis on protecting airborne shooters, shooting fouls have become more common and, at times, harder to avoid in today's game. Add in the three-point line recently being moved back in the college game, along with the increasing skill of shooters to knock down shots farther beyond that arc, the average closeout to a perimeter player can be a step or two longer than in the past.

However, coaches' frustrations still remain as players commit fouls on the slimmest hopes of blocking or contesting a shot.

Consider Alba Berlin's (along with several other clubs across Europe), closeout discipline on shooters, and the high priority they place on avoiding fouling a shooter in the act. They skillfully navigate the fine line between being a presence on the contest while adhering to the rules protecting shooters.

Zooming In: Notice the ability of the closeout to encroach on a shooter's space while avoiding any potential incidental contact on the landing.

In studying Alba's closeouts, three main points of emphasis stand out when contesting a shot:

1. High Hands
2. Controlled Contests
3. Having a Wide Stance

High Hands

Nothing too out of the ordinary here to start, and a strategy we discussed recently in our "Crunch Time" session with Tobin Anderson🔒, but Alba Berlin encourages two high hands on every catch as the initial deterrent...

In an overall effort to be a presence and appear larger, Alba Berlin throws both hands up. At times this is enough to force a shooter off the line or deflect a pass. Additionally, it does make it harder for the closeout defender to jump and launch themselves forward when both hands are high. This, as we will discuss next, fits into their overall strategy of avoiding fouls.

Controlled Contests

Once the defender's hands are high, they begin to break down their feet in order to stop themselves at the base of the shooter. This is an aspect we appreciate most about their closeout discipline: their ability to be a presence and infringe on the shooter's space without fouling. Breaking down their feet ensures they can control when and where they stop on the closeout...

Zooming In: Shown in the clip above and every other clip today, on each closeout the defender is chopping their feet in order to arrive at a controlled stop directly at the feet of the shooter (more on this to come).

Rather than launch themselves in the air to contest a shooter already in their release, Alba Berlin prioritizes being a nuisance underneath them and, perhaps, getting the shooter thinking more about their landing than their shot. The risk-reward ratio of jumping to contest a shooter already rising up in their motion is not normally in the defenses' favor...

Zooming In: It's worth noting that Alba can also chase shooters completely off the line to take away the shot and force a dribble, but that is often when the closeout defender is a step closer and the shooter isn't quite into their upward motion. They can also "fly by" if they're late and at an angle that isn't square with the shooter's shoulders, so there's less risk of fouling. This decision is a conversation we had on this week's podcast with Youngstown State Head Coach, Jerrod Calhoun, about teaching "reads" within a defense just like on offense. In this case, reading when to break down and contest in this wide stance vs. when to potentially run through a closeout.

Wide Stance Stops

With the priority put on running directly at the shooter, careful consideration must be given in providing the shooter with a landing area, otherwise, as mentioned above, Zaza Pachulia-esque fouls occur...

Zooming In: In today's game, if the defender is going to run at a player referees are attentive to ensure the shooter is allowed to safely land and complete their shot.

Which is why Alba affords the shooter every chance to safely land by spreading their feet wide on the stop…

Zooming In: It's worth noting that this closeout stance also aids the officials in their decision to potentially call an offensive foul on the shooter if they try and kick their legs out or draw a foul by making contact with the defender. With Alba's closeout stance so wide, there is less chance the shooter will land on the defender's legs unless they initiate the contact themselves. The only thing Alba has to worry about is floating too far into the shooter's landing space with their chest.

For much more film work on Alba Berlin's closeout strategy and discipline, including how Alba uses the "cross-step sprint" after the closeout, view this week's newest breakdown on SGTV for SG Plus members...

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Together with Hudl

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Slappin' Glass Podcast

We were joined on the podcast this week by Youngstown State MBB Head Coach, Jerrod Calhoun!

• Defensive Fixes: Coach Calhoun discusses all the varies ways he thinks about solving disadvantage situations defensively, including mismatches, cross matches in transition, blow bys, and much more. He also gives examples of some of his favorite drills to teach the reads for his defense when it comes to help situations.
• The Art of a Great ATO: During "Start, Sub, or Sit?!" we dive into Coach Calhoun's ideas on what makes for a great BLOB/SLOB ATO. We explore spacing, screening, and deception concepts.
• Player-Led Film Sessions: Also during "Start, Sub, or Sit?!", Coach Calhoun details his thoughts on film sessions and how to make them come alive for players and staff. Tons of great thoughts on building culture, teaching, and player buy-in.

Please enjoy the entire great conversation with Coach Calhoun here...

Listen Now!

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Tactical

📺 CSKA Moscow - FT Run Outs​

"A clever way to take advantage of the transitioning defense, pressing up on the guards after a made free throw. Running the man "boxing out" the FT shooter down court, resulting in easy run out lay ups."

✚ Pair With: Spanish Club Granada RIP screening the big down the court off the Made FT.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Xavi Pascual's Off Ball Screening technique with Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg.

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📺 Alba Berlin - Pistol • Gut Screen​

"ALBA Berlin using the Pistol to mask a gut screen for the weakside corner."

✚ Pair With: Tenerife and the Utah Jazz using the pistol for various variations.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Alba Berlin's Offensive Concepts and their Next/Last PNR Coverage.

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Interesting Reads

📚 3 Questions to Get Unstuck and Start Making Progress​

"And here's the thing: Sometimes the things that make us unhappy on a daily basis aren't huge issues, but little things that pile up."

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📚 7 Myths and Facts About Mental Toughness​

"Mental toughness is often described as a psychological edge that helps people endure challenges, overcome adversity, and achieve more success. There are many common myths about mental toughness that can influence your beliefs about where it comes from and your willingness to work at getting more of it."

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📚 24 Leadership Principles From The Greatest Business, Military, Political and Sports Leaders​

"The job of a leader, George Washington similarly said, is to look at all events, all opportunities, all people through the “calm light of mild philosophy.” As leaders, we will have good days and bad, moments of heartbreak and bad luck, as well as strokes of good fortune and good timing. What matters is how we respond to these swings of fate."

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Join the conversation, gain insights from others, and help your fellow peers! As we use this community of SG plus coaches to make ourselves and our teams better, get caught up on some of the latest conversations in the Coaches Corner.

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📺SG Plus Roundtable Replay!​

ICYMI Last Week's Coaches Roundtable is now available on SGTV. View the replay, where we dove into:

• High Slot Spacing
• Using Non-Shooters in Offensive Flow
• Best Ways to Teach New Concepts

And much more.

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Quote of the Week

Thank you for reading and have a great week coaching,

Dan and Pat

info@slappinglass.com

We're proud to partner with the leading Sports Travel company in the basketball world, Beyond Sports! Follow the link above to learn more about why more than 600 universities have trusted Beyond Sports for their team's foreign trips. Let them know Slappin' Glass sent you!

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