Playing Point: Lesson 3
Passing as an elite point guard is more than just getting the ball to another player without it getting stolen. Great passers get their teammates the ball in positions and situations where they can easily score. Watch Steve Nash’s flashiest assists.
Notice how many of Nash’s best dimes lead to easy lay-ups and dunks. And while the stat book will only officially record an assist if the other player scores, I can tell you coaches, and especially other players, will notice if you are able to get your teammates the ball for easy, open looks.
So how can you do this? As the point, you are likely going to be the primary ball-handler, meaning you will likely have the ball in your hand more than any other player on your team. In this role, your decisions on when and where to pass can greatly influence the game.
Now, we know (or should know) that gone are the days of the “pass-first” point guard. If you are only a threat to pass the ball, then why would defenders guard you? They will sag off and double-team the player you are passing to. And, if you haven’t noticed, offensive efficiency is the most important stat when it comes to scoring. Thus, as the point, you need to direct the offense into taking the most efficient shot possible.
For that reason, we are going to continually drill in practice dribbling with your head up and with your offhand every single skill session, so that dribbling becomes second nature, and you can dribble effortlessly through the defense, while keeping your head up, eyes on the defense, and brain thinking about how to beat the defense, not thinking about your next dribble move, or even how to beat your man off the dribble. Some of the greatest point guards have an incredible ability to beat their man, draw the health, Defense, and make an incredible pass to a wide-open, teenager for an easy shot or dunk, which is the highest efficiency basket in all of the sport.
No one is going to consider you the offensive point person unless you pass the ball. Yes, that’s not all the point player does, but initiating the offense doesn’t mean immediately taking a shot. Remember your goal is to create the best offensive possession for your team by finding or taking a high-quality shot. Usually, these open looks or easy baskets come as the result of a skillful pass, and very often an open layup is the result of multiple quick passes moving and rotating defenders until a mistake is made and someone is left open. Therefore, you must be one of those skilled, if not the most skilled, passer on your team.
As learned in the last lesson, you will not get much playing time if you consistently turn the ball over passing to the other team or out of bounds. The biggest mistake I see in youth basketball and likely the cause of most turnovers that result in easy fast break layups is…the chest or lob pass.
Even worse, the rainbow pass, is perhaps the worst mistake a player can make.
Just ask Isaiah Thomas and the Pistons who lost in the playoffs on a bad pass.
Allow me to introduce the bounce pass.
For whatever reason, the human brain has difficulty predicting the trajectory of an object that bounces off a surface. Don’t believe me? Try playing Pong or air hockey. You know that the puck or ball is much more likely to get past you off a richochet than a straight shot.
Unless you’re playing against Kwahi Leonard.
So take advantage of this, by using bounce passes to get the ball to your teammate. Unless you’re playing against … it’s not like a defense will dive on the floor to intercept your bounce pass.
How and when to bounce pass.
The best way to complete any pass without turning the ball over is with a two-handed pass. This allows you to stop your pass if you see the defender jumping your passing lane. Unless you can easily palm the ball, it is very hard to pull back a one-handed pass. That being said, when you pass the ball it is also important to avoid turnovers, and a two-handed pass can take a fraction of a second longer than a one-handed pass when passing immediately from a dribble.
As a general rule, it’s best to pass with two hands for inbounds and off of the catch, before you dribble. One-hand passes should be reserved for quick bounce passes off the dribble. You will see many great assists that come from one-handed passes, but those highlight-reel passes come from extremely skilled players and have a higher risk for a turnover.
In order to make these passes off the dribble you will need to be able to pass and dribble well with your off-hand. Thus, practicing these quick passes must be done with a focus on that weak hand. There are times that a pass needs to go a further distance or get to a player slightly faster than a bounce pass can accomplish, and at such times you should always use a two-handed pass. Cross-court or skip passes are an example, and you need to be able to stop the pass if you see a defender jumping the passing lane.
