3 Reasons Moving Without the Ball is Important
How often are you watching a game and you hear someone yell ‘MOVE’? It’s funny when it happens because at once all the offensive players look sort of like fish in water and start floating around the court somewhere. They even can look confused but they feel like if they are moving then the coach won’t yell at them anymore. Let’s cover 3 reasons why moving without the ball important and how it helps you as a player.
1. Easy to guard a stationary figure. It is so easy to guard someone who is just standing there isn’t it. The defense doesn’t have to adjust to anything. They just stand in front of you or they go help someone else while you just stand there. Make it tough on the defense by moving in relation to the offense. That leads into #2.
2. Each player must know what the others role is in the offense. It is a critical element to moving without the ball. Players often will move for the sake of moving but each offense has some set spots where players should go and when they should go. In a motion offense where so much is predicated on spacing and cutting players need to know when to cut to the basket. There is nothing worse than having an open lane to the basket and then having an offensive player drag his defender to where the opening is. When moving without the ball understand the situation and know when and where to cut.
3. Forces help defense which leads to open shots. Teams that move well without the ball often force defenses to gamble or double team or make risky choices. When that happens usually open shots follow shortly after. When players are active the defense doesn’t want to chase them the entire time so they take risks which lead to layups.
For a great example of a pro player who does this is Richard Hamilton. He is constantly running from baseline to baseline running off screens and doing anything he can to get an open look or force a defensive error.
