In the Final Four being able to win the last four minute segment of the game is often the difference between being named National Champions and being disappointed for life.

To win this segment of “crunch time” and ultimately the game it is always extremely helpful to have at  least one timeout remaining at your disposal.

Because of this fact, there are several situations during the course of a game when players should NOT call a timeout – even if their mom is screaming for them to call one from the stands.

Players should not call a timeout in the first 90% of a game  -

1. When they are tired
2. When they are being trapped
3. To “steal” or prevent a possible jump ball situation
4. To prevent a 5 second violation
5. As they are trying to save a ball from going out of bounds

Several times I have seen teams call a timeout in the first minute of a game to prevent a jump ball being called only to find themselves a timeout short in crunch time.

Granted, every possession is important but at the end of the game there is usually more pressure and more emotion involved and so having a minute to get everyone back on the same page is often invaluable.

Timeouts need to be called for a specific reason and to make specific adjustments. Instead of using one of your irreplaceable timeouts to protect a possession early in the game, get the ball back by playing great defense.

Essentially this will allow you to “save” the possession while still saving an all important timeout.

The three point shot is one of the most exciting things to watch in basketball. There is no denying the fact that it’s a very powerful weapon for a team to possess. Like anything though, too much of even a good thing can sometimes result in negative outcomes. A good basketball coach knows the right balance and uses the shot to their advantage as opposed to their detriment.

How the Game of Basketball Has Changed

Since the 3-point shot was introduced it has provided more parity in the game of basketball. It has helped good shooting teams win games they may not have in previous years and has assisted in a lot of late game heroics. It can be a good weapon, but at what point is it a detriment to your team. Every basketball coach should analyze their teams and determine if the 3-point shot is helping or hurting their team.

Here is a simple formula to help you find how the 3-point shot is affecting you team.

Adjusted Percentage Formula

1.) Divide 2-point makes by 2-point attempts to get your 2-point shooting percentage and do the same to get your 3-point percentage.

2.) Take points made by 3-point shots and divide by 2 to get the 2-point value of your made 3-point shots. Take the number of made 2-point FGs and add the 2-point value of your made 3s.

3.) Divide that number by the total number of FG attempts to get your teams Adjusted Percentage

4.) Compare your 2-point shooting percentage to your Adjusted Percentage. If the Adjusted Percentage is better than your 2-point percentage then the 3-point shot is helping your team. If the Adjusted Percentage is lower than the 3-point shot then it is hurting your team.

The Following is an Example of Where the 3-point Shot Has Hurt a Team

1.) 2-point makes/attempts – 20/45 = 44%
3-point makes/attempts – 4/15 = 27%
Total makes/total attempts = 24/60 = 40%

2.) 4 made 3-point FGS = 12 points 12/4 = 3 (2-point value)
20 (total made 2-point FGs) + 3 (2-point value) = 23

3.) 23 /60 (total FG attempts) = 38% (Adjusted Percentage)

4.) 38% (Adjusted Percentage) – 44% (2-point percentage) = – 6%

Interpreting the Data

The Adjusted Percentage should be used as a tool to determine the effectiveness of your 3-point shooting rather than the sole criteria that decides if you are an efficient 3-point shooting team. The stats need to be measured throughout the season to make an accurate measurement of whether there is a pattern that can help you determine if your team is shooting too many 3-point shots.

Situations may be different for each game depending on the opponent’s defense, the type of FG attempts, and who is taking the shots. In order to get more precise data, eliminate any FG attempts that may come toward the end of a quarter or shots that the shooter is fouled. If possible, the Adjusted Percentage should be calculated for each player. It will provide you with solid evidence that proves to players that they need to be shooting less 3-point shots and be more aggressive.

Also, you may want to get even more precise and calculate your team’s Adjusted Percentage against zones and recalculate it against man-man defenses to find a pattern in how defenses affect your shot selection. You need to decide what percentage difference from Adjusted Percentage and 2-point percentage you are willing to live with to determine whether you should encourage your team to attack the rim more. For some teams, you may be alright with being a few percentage points below your 2-point percentage.

Also, statistics may be misleading if you have a high 2-point percentage or if you get a lot of 2-point opportunities because the defense is on the perimeter guarding against the 3-point shot. In that case, the 3-point shot has been effective because it has allowed you to get more quality 2-point shots. The purpose of the Adjusted Percentage is to provide a tool for you to use to make a decision on 3-point shots for your team as well as individual players.

Summary

One of the worst things a basketball coach can do is direct their team by “gut feelings” as opposed to what the unbiased statistics show evidence of. Take control of your team’s future by calculating whether or not you need to be creating more 3-point shots for your team or if you need to work the ball inside more and look for easy buckets.

Coaches have been using team and individual shot charts for years for various reasons but players should use them as well, especially with spring and summer workouts just right around the corner.

Players, try charting each one of your misses as you work your way through your shooting workouts and specifically note if you are missing left, right, short, or long.

If the vast majority of your misses are either left or right, then you know there is probably a flaw in your shooting alignment that needs to be fixed.

If you are missing short or long, then the problem undoubtedly lies within your release and follow through.

Once you can narrow in on the causes behind your missed shots, it will be much easier to correct any potential problems and increase your shooting efficiency.

Lately I have been reading Daniel Coyle’s “The Little Book of Talent” and I am sure that it is going to inspire several blog posts over the next several weeks.

The book is divided into 52 short but direct pieces of advice that can be utilized to learn and/or improve just about any skill.

The first two tips (Stare At Who You Want To Become & Spend 15 Minutes a Day Engraving The Skill On Your Brain) are very closely related.

Basically, Coyle is saying that you should use posters, pictures, books, videos, and live performances to completely immerse yourself in the skill you are looking to improve. The deeper the engraving, the quicker the improvement.

For example, if you want to be a great 3 point shooter then you might want to hang Ray Allen’s poster up in your room, watch some of his videos on YouTube, and definitely watch the Heat whenever they are on television.

You might want to watch other great shooters in person whenever you have a chance and read books like “Becoming a Lights Out Shooter,” that is available here on the Hoop Skills web site.

Be creative and find other ways to stare and engrave (there’s a big difference between engrave and expose) the skill you are trying to improve so that your brain knows exactly what the skill is supposed to look like in its perfected state.

Fortunately, with March Madness just right around the corner there will be planty of opportunities to watch and study some of the best players in college basketball. Don’t just watch these games and players for fun - watch them in hopes of learning something and improving your skills.

Last week I heard that Riley Graham, a senior guard at Scio High School in Scio, Oregon went 18-19 from the free throw line in a single game and I became curious to know if she had a shooting secret.

I contacted Riley through her coach Justin Duke and was so impressed at what I heard that I had to write about it.

Riley told me that she used to have trouble shooting free throws until she realized that her thinking and mind set influenced her success at the line.

Instead of thinking about how hard she was fouled, or if this was a “big” free throw or not, or what defense they were going into, or what the crowd was yelling, Riley started focusing completely on the process of making the shot.

After being handed the ball by the official, Riley simply concentrates on her own mental checklist as she shoots: Deep breath, Elbow in, Up and over the rim.

Since it’s physically impossible to have two thoughts at the exact same time, focusing on the process allows her to shut out everything else and only concentrate on the task at hand.

Some of you might be saying. “That’s it? That’s the secret?” Yes it is. Simple yet effective. (Would you feel better if she had said the secret was to stand on one leg and twirl around three times before shooting?)

I’m glad I talked to Riley Graham last week. Now if only Dwight Howard would give her a call. . .

Notre Dame’s Muffett McGraw has already won one National Championship and currently has her team ranked #2 in the latest NCAA Div. 1 poll.

Much of the success that the Fighting Irish have enjoyed can be linked to Coach McGraw’s philosophy on shot selection:

How are you going to determine who shoots the ball the most? We have simple rules. If you shoot 50% you can shoot from wherever you want. Players establish their roles by showing me what they can do. I once had a player we wouldn’t let shoot outside of 5 feet from the basket.

She shot less than 50% from the free throw line but wanted to shoot outside jumpers with someone in her face. If you want to be a shooter, shoot an extra 100 shots every day and then tell me how many you made. If you don’t want to put in the extra time to get better then it’s probably not that important to you.

Coaches – you should NEVER allow a shot in practice that you wouldn’t allow in a game. Players – if you want the “green light” to shoot in the games then earn it by putting in enough extra time to raise your shooting percentage.

Here is an excerpt of Coach DeVenzio’s Rule #3 for Winning Basketball adapted by Winning Hoops magazine:

This is another rule that invokes laughter from clinic audiences but yet makes complete sense. Everyone knows it’s good to take easy, high percentage shots.

But the problem is that in games coaches do not require it and teams do not adhere to it. We all watch enough games to know that way too many players take difficult and bad shots.

I couldn’t agree more with Coach DeVenzio but would like to add two more thoughts.

One, players should not be allowed to take shots in practice that you don’t want them taking in a game. If a coach allows a certain shot in practice then he has no one to blame but himself if that shot is taken during a game!

Second, what is a good shot for one player is not necessarily a good shot for another and everyone on the team must realize this.

For example, today in practice our best shooter (47% from the 3 point line) passed up an uncontested 3 on the wing to pass it to our post player (0-0 from the 3 point line this year) who was standing in the deep corner. Wide open? Yes. A good shot opportunity? Absolutely not!

For me, I want wide open shots taken by players who have practiced that same shot thousands of times and who can make it a high percentage of the time.

A few years ago, Winning Hoops magazine ran an article that was adapted from a book called “There’s Only One Way to Win – Modern Success Principles of an Old Fashioned Coach.”

The book was written by Dick DeVenzio about his father, Chuck DeVenzio and his unique coaching style. The article was called DeVenzio’s 4 Rules for Winning Basketball. Here is an excerpt from Rule #2:

Whenever Coach D offered this rule at a coaching clinic, the response from attending coaches was always laughter. However, throwing the ball to your own team was indeed one of his four rules and it was not said for amusement.

“Yeah, you may laugh,” he would say. “But the problem is, I’ve seen your teams play. You have all those fancy offenses and special plays but then your team gets in a real game and your guys panic and throw the ball tot he wrong team. That’s how you lose games!”

Sure it’s a simple rule, but if it’s not followed then the negative results snowball downhill. Not only does your team lose a chance to score but throwing the ball away results in a scoring opportunity for the other team before your defense can recover and set up.

It really is a simple game!

While Christmas shopping the other day I saw a Christmas card that I thought was really funny.

The card said, “The Four Stages of Santa.

Stage 1: You believe in Santa

Stage 2: You don’t believe in Santa

Stage 3: You are Santa

Then on the inside it said -

Stage 4: You look like Santa

Even though it’s not exactly alike, the card reminded me of the four stages of coaching:

Stage 1: You are excited about your team and really believe that you are going to have a great season.

Stage 2: You no longer believe that you or your team has what it takes to be competitive.

Stage 3: You are working your team hard every day but aren’t making any progress and you feel like you are stuck in a rut. You want to achieve so much more for your players and for yourself, but you just don’t know how to do it.

Stage 4: You discover a secret, a formula, a philosophy and/or a mentor that points you in the right direction and improves not only this season but ultimately changes your career.

The challenge is to get to stage four as quickly as possible where you not only believe in your team, but have all the tools necessary to run a highly successful program.

For many coaches Stage 4 is so close that they can see it, smell it, and almost touch it – but it’s just out of their reach – and they are frustrated.

Give yourself (or someone on your staff) an awesome Christmas present and enroll in Basketball Classroom and get to Stage 4 quicker than you ever thought possible!

Here is an extremely simple, two hour practice template that can be used when coaching youth or middle school teams:

1. Active warm up – layups, 3 man weave, 3 on 2 break, etc (8 mins.)
2. Fundamental skill work – shooting , passing, ball handling. (30 mins.)
3. Free throws (2 mins.)
4. Defense – individual and team (30 mins.)
5. Free throw (2 mins.)
6. Offense – break down drills and 5 on 5 (30 mins.)
7. Free throws (2 mins.)
8. Scrimmage (16 mins.)

When coaching these age groups it’s important to remember that developing complete players should always be a priority. Completly neglecting one or more areas may help you win a few more games in the short term but is not going to help your players in the long term.