3 Basketball Drills to Master Common Half-Court Offense Actions

Shots, shots, and more shots! For many teams this time of year, the difference in winning and losing comes down to the ability to make shots. Game shots at game speed are great, but if the shooter doesn’t feel any pressure from a defender, are they really training for game-like shooting? Here are three drills great for recreating some of the most common actions in half court offenses.

Grenade Shooting

I heard a coach recently say that one of the hardest actions for the defense to guard is an uphill dribble handoff. Made popular by the Golden State Warriors, the grenade action between Draymond Green and Steph Curry creates multiple scoring opportunities, typically ending with a Curry 3 in the corner.

Drill Breakdown:

• The Dish passes out to a player in the baseline, while an offensive player is guarded by a defender on the wing.
• The ballhandler dribbles into a handoff around the wing with his teammate.
• The defender fights over the screen as the offensive player steps into a pull-up jumper.

Down the ball Screen

The rise of ball screens across all levels of basketball is well-documented. As defenses adjust, many have gone to “downing” or “icing” ball screens, preventing the offense from using the typical high ball screen. Instead of succumbing to the defense, offenses themselves have adjusted to create open looks for the ball handler.

Drill Breakdown:

• The Dish passes out to a player on the elbow, while an offensive player is guarded by a defender in the extended slot.
• The ball handler passes to his teammate then sprints to a screen.
• The defender will jump the screen and “ice” or “down” the ball screen.
• The screen repositions to “jam” the defender.
• The ball handler snakes the screen then takes a dribble pull-up jumper.

3 v 2 shooting

Especially against zone defenses, moving the ball quickly and making the right read are often the differences in getting open looks or contested shots. A great way to train all these skills (passing, decision making, and shooting) is with this 3-on-2 shooting drill.

Drill Breakdown:

• 2 defenders stand on the elbows while 3 offensive players stand on the perimeter (top of the key and wings).
• When the ball is passed out to the player at the top of the key, defenders communicate to determine who guards the ball while the other defender attempts to contest the first pass.
• The player who receives the pass takes shot.

For more small-sided games that bring game-like reps to your practices, checkout the Dr. Dish Coaches Corner.