As your team continues through the second half of the season, each possession becomes magnified. In any highly contested game there are two or three key plays or possessions that can greatly influence the outcome. Ultimately, winning and losing comes down to maximizing more possessions than your opponent.
In-season player development is a great way to give your team an extra edge and win a few more possesions. Evaluate a specific situation or skill that a player is struggling with. Maybe your point guard is having trouble handling traps or one of your post players is having trouble catching passes off dribble penetration. Once you’ve identified the skill or situation, develop/use one or two key drills to help the player in this target area, and work with the player 5 – 10 minutes before or after each practice. Depending on the size of the coaching staff, you may be able to assign coaches to specific players or positions. This is also a great time to continue building relationships between coaches and players.
If you’re a player, evaluate your own game and pick a specific situation to work on or take the initiative to ask your coach for suggestions. Commit to taking 5-10 minutes before or after practice to work on the skill, even if the rest of your teammates are wasting time jacking up half court shots or trying to dunk.
This extra work may lead to one more assist, one less turnover, and one more basket that can be the difference against the best teams on your schedule.