2-on-1 Continuous Transition Drill
This is a great full-court drill that emphasizes transition offense and defense, conditioning, passing and catching on the move, 2-on-1 offense and 1-on-2 defense.
We divide the team into two teams, one on each sideline. We start by giving the ball to one team (blue), which starts with two players just inside half-court and one opposing defender (yellow) in the paint. The offensive players will pass back and forth quickly until they reach the 3-point arc and then the player with the ball will attack the defender, with his teammate coming at a 45 degree angle on the opposite side. The offense must read the defender and either attack for a lay-up or the foul, or if the defender comes up, pass to the teammate cutting to the hoop. We have a second defender start on the sideline. Once the ball is beyond half-court he/she sprints out, touches the middle of the court, and sprints back to help the lone defender. The offense must attack quickly before that defender evens the odds at 2-on-2. The lone defender must try to delay or stop the offense.
If the offense scores or gets fouled, they get one point. After a made basket, or if the offense turns the ball over, or misses the shot and the defenders get the rebound, the defenders are now on offense and speed-dribble and pass back and forth up the floor and attack the defender on the opposite end. And so it goes, back and forth up the court, non-stop. Each team keeps track of their score. We usually play to 10 or 12. Losers run.
Michigan State Progressive Transition Drill
This full-court drill from Tom Izzo (Michigan State University) emphasizes transition offense and defense, conditioning, and passing and catching on the move.
Divide into two teams (yellow and white). Keep score with losers running or doing push-ups. If the offense scores or gets fouled, they get one point.
For 1-on-2 defense, there is a standard rule: “get as low as the lowest offensive player.” This means that if there is an offensive player under the basket, the defender must be down low. We will give the opponent the outside jumper. It is a lower percentage shot than the lay-up, you avoid getting a foul, and you may get the rebound, or delay the offense long enough for your teammate to arrive on defense.
Sometimes the defender makes the mistake of coming up away from the basket and challenging the ball, only to get beaten by an easy pass to another player under the basket for a lay-up. The defender must stay back and “gap” the offensive players, hedge, and try to straddle and cut off the passing lanes to the easy lay-up.
In transition offense, in the 2-on-1 situation, we want the player attacking with the ball to be aggressive and to think first of attacking the hoop for a lay-up or foul, with the pass as the second option. An “in-and-out” dribble move (show video) is often effective here. We don’t want to settle for an outside jump shot.
In the 3-on-2 situation, we do not want the ball-handler at the top penetrating beyond the free throw line. He should engage the top defender and look for the open pass to either side, and stays at the top as a reverse pass may be necessary. In 4-on-3 and 5-on-4, run the lanes, the sidelines and maintain good spacing. Dribble-drive and dish, or a kick-out pass, are often good things.