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

Happy Sunday and welcome to all the new subscribers from around the world!

ICYMI: Last week, we explored the offensive concept "Drive the Wake" as a strategy to counter the PNR Switch. Read the newsletter HERE.

This Week at a Glance:

🔒 SG Plus Content: Modern Game Truths - Reactive Pickups​

🎤 Slappin' Glass Podcast: Mike D'Antoni ​

🥇Best of the Week: Pop Corner Pin & Jumbo 2-Man Game​

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Reactive Pickups

Starting a training session with stationary handles, form shooting, and a linear progression may be a time-tested method, but it’s not the only way a coach can think about building key traits of a player's game. Players can often replicate these drills on their own, so why not maximize the value of your time together with drills that offer a bit more game-like movement and feel? In our latest "Modern Game Truths" series with the Pro Lane, we highlight an alternative warm up structure through a "Reactive Pickup Series." With Reactive Pickups the focus is on giving players what they can’t get alone: dynamic, context-rich drills that simulate game situations. This approach ensures every minute is packed with intention, engagement, and opportunities for growth.

Modern Game Truths Series - About the Project

A quick recap, in our collaborative "Modern Game Truths" series with Drew Dunlop and Jake Grossman of The Pro Lane, the objective is to stimulate thought and foster ideas on practical training methods that bridge the gap between the controlled training environment and the dynamic game environment, highlighting the skills, movements, and decisions that occur most frequently in a game and help stitch skills and systems together.

This series explores ways to prepare athletes for the unpredictable and chaotic nature of basketball, creating environments that reflect the challenges presented in the game itself.

What is a Reactive Pickup?

The idea was born out of a challenge to find a way to combine handles, form shooting, playing against pressure, agility, and perception into the start of a session. This is a simple 1v1 setup that can be used from any distance or location on the court. Depending on the focus, the offensive player either begins with the ball (triple threat or live dribble) or receives a pass to play on the catch.

Zooming In: In our "1v1 Reactive Pickups - Change of Pace Trigger" drill, the offensive player begins with controlled tempo dribbles before executing a quick, one-dribble change of pace pickup to trigger a defensive closeout.

The defensive player can begin from behind, at the side, or in front of the offensive player.

From there, a coach can shape the setup in a variety of ways to emphasize different aspects (shot profile, scoring areas, etc).

A Framework with Infinite Possibilities

The strength of Reactive Pickups is its ability to adapt to any coaching philosophy, principles of play, or skill priorities. Here are some key variables to consider:

• Offensive or Defensive Focus: Decide whether the drill begins with an offensive action (e.g., attacking off the catch) or a defensive trigger (e.g., closing out or contesting a shot).
• Action Context: Work off a live dribble, the catch, or a designated movement pattern.

Zooming In: In our "1v1 Reactive Pickups - Dribble Release Trigger" drill, the offensive player begins with a live dribble while the defender is positioned at their side. The drill becomes live when the offensive player throws the ball out laterally and transitions into a Dribble Release (Action Trigger), with their hand coming off the ball.

• Shot Selection: Target specific areas—at the rim, mid-range, or beyond the arc.

This framework acts as a blank canvas, guiding your players’ attention and intentions toward your "Principles of Play."

Reinforce Your Principles of Play

Think of "Principles of Play" as the global characteristics that define how you want your team to play. They serve as the guardrails that orient each player’s intentions and attention within the game. Consider the following:

• Pace: Are you an uptempo team or focused on half-court sets?
• Spacing Template: How do you structure the floor for optimal spacing?
• Shot Priorities: Which shots are high-value, and which are low-priority?
• Drive Relocation Principles: How do you balance the floor when driving?
• Defensive Emphasis: What does your defensive system prioritize?
• Closeouts: How should players closeout?

Whatever your answers to these questions, you can use them to shape the drill and reinforce these principles to your players. At the same time, allow autonomy so players can explore, develop solutions and become better decision-makers within your framework.

Count the Decisions

Reactive Pickups inherently maximize decision-making opportunities. Each repetition forces players to pickup information from an unscripted defender and make choices:

• Should I shoot, drive, or pass?
• When is the right time to cut or counter?
• Where is the open space, and how can I exploit it?

Zooming In: In our "1v1 Reactive Pickups - Acceleration Trigger" drill, the offensive player initiates live action with a change-of-pace acceleration dribble along the 3-point line. While the offense is initially constrained to take a 3-point shot, the option to pass is included to discourage forced, low-percentage attempts and promote reading the defender and seeking open space. This passing option unlocks the paint, enabling the offensive player to rim cut for a finish.

Encouraging decision-making creates players who can adapt to any game scenarios. To compound these benefits, try dividing players into three-person groups:

1. Offense: Focus on attacking and decision-making.
2. Defense: Emphasize contesting and recovery.
3. Pass Option: Facilitate ball movement and spacing.

Position multiple groups at each hoop to constrain space, increasing the complexity and realism of the drill. Rotating groups after each repetition ensures all players experience different roles and perspectives. Over time, this approach builds players who are adaptable, intuitive, and confident.

Adding Pressure and Accountability

To elevate the competitive stakes, implement validation tasks to finalize a win:

• Free-Throw Validation: Players must hit a free throw to seal their points.
• Multiple Makes: Require consecutive successful attempts, e.g., two or three in a row.
• Precision Shooting: Add a requirement for swishes or specific shot types.

Failure to complete the validation task nullifies the win, keeping the game going and increasing focus under pressure. This added layer sharpens mental resilience, accountability, and attention to detail.

Reactive pickups transform the way you can open training sessions. By prioritizing engagement, decision-making, and competitive intensity, you create an environment where players grow both individually and collectively. Whether your focus is offense, defense, or overall team development, this adaptable framework allows you to align training with your principles of play, start differently and let your players take ownership of their growth from the very first rep.

In today's newest series you'll see a variety of ways these concepts are used in live training sessions, along with a voiceover guide of what is being done in each drill. S​G+ Members can now view the entirety of our "Modern Game Truths" series on SGTV...

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Slappin' Glass Podcast

We sat down in this episode with legendary NBA Head Coach, Mike D'Antoni! During this "December Rewind" episode we dive into the history and evolution of "Pace and Space" offense and discuss challenging great players, impossible tags, and much more during the always fun "Start, Sub, or Sit?!"

Listen to the entire conversation here...

Together with Hudl

We're proud to partner with one of the best tech companies in the world of sports, Hudl! Every play, every stat, every breakdown. On their own, they’re essential. But all together, they’re undeniable. Hudl recently introduced their newest product, Hudl Instat – a new advanced data platform that integrates with Sportscode and every Hudl product you rely on to create an all-in-one data powerhouse. Hudl Instat’s advanced tagging and next-level stat reports help you develop your team – and its global film library helps you find the missing piece to get the most out of every second of film. Visit ​hudl.com/slappinglass​ to learn more.

Tactical

📺 Pop • Corner Pin - 5 Out & Zone Offense​

"Throwing back to the popping big to set up a Corner Pin Screen."

✚ Pair With: The Toronto Raptors 45 cutting a shooter into a corner pin exit screen.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Our breakdown on the "A​rt of the Pop" with Coach Ben McCollum.

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📺 Jay Wright - Jumbo 2-Man Game​

"Coach Jay Wright plays his jumbo lineup, with his two bigs screening for each other in the paint."

✚ Pair With: Gabriel Deck's post vision and passing with his partner big in the paint.

🔒 SG Plus Content: Oded Kattash's Transition Offensive with Multiple Bigs and Mark Pope's 5 Out Delay with Multiple Bigs.

Interesting Reads

📚 Childhoods of Exceptional People​

"Learning through apprenticeship is one of the most powerful ways of growing skilled—but if the skills are cognitive, you have to find ways to make the thoughts visible so the apprentice can imitate them."

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📚 What the Humans Like is Responsiveness​

"I would argue that responsiveness is a core human need/desire. It is, perhaps, required for happiness. People are happy enough rich, and people are happy enough poor. But it’s hard to imagine anyone happy without a feeling that their actions have some impact, however small."

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📚 ‘I Sleep Badly and Don’t Digest Food Well’ - Pep Guardiola Reveals Physical Toll of Man City’s Crisis​

“If Manchester City sends me home? If so, I go home,” Guardiola stated. "What can you do in life? Life doesn’t always go the way one wants.”

Quote of the Week

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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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