Learning Our Entries

I don’t like calling “Plays” because plays usually create a specific shot for a specific player. I call them “Entries” because they are designed to get the offense into a possession and the defense out of position. From there we just play basketball (score or find the open man).  Plays teach players how to run from Place A to Place B to Place C. Entries teach players how to read the defense and attack. 

One goal is obviously to learn the specific actions within the entry. Once you master the movement, DON’T STOP THERE!  After learning the proper movements for each entry and position, you must learn how it creates gaps in the defense. And you must search for ways that your specific skills can take advantage of those openings.  

If we “become robots” and always look for the same shot in an entry, it becomes a play. It becomes easier to stop because teams will quickly learn how it works and defend it. If we run entries looking for openings to attack, then we can run the same entry five times with five different endings.  Running plays becomes boring and predictable. Running entries will create multiple openings for multiple players, making our whole team difficult to guard. 

Please keep that in mind as you read through the diagrams of our entries. We don’t run a play for one scripted ending, it is your job to read the defense and be ready to attack when the time is right. It may sound difficult at first but the movements are not complicated. Learning how to make the right decisions is the harder part. But having the freedom to make those decisions is a beautiful thing, and it is the most fun and most effective way to play offense. Learn the entries and look for your ways to shine within them!