LEVEL 1Situationalall
Twos, Threes, and Ones
Every made basket is worth two points — unless the shooter's feet were behind the big curved line when they let it go, which makes it three. That curved line is the three-point line (or 'the arc'), and it's the single most important line in modern basketball. The third way to score is the free throw: when a player gets fouled — hit, grabbed, shoved — while shooting, the game stops and they get to shoot alone, undefended, from the free-throw line. Each free throw is worth one point. That's the whole menu: twos inside the arc, threes behind it, ones from the line after a foul. Simple as it sounds, this menu quietly runs the entire sport. Three is fifty percent more than two, so a team that makes threes at even a modest rate can keep up with a team making lots of twos. And free points from the line add up fast, which is why you'll see players drive hard into crowds on purpose — they're shopping for a foul.
READ THIS
On every shot, check the shooter's feet against the arc — that instant tells you whether two or three points are at stake.
DO THIS
Next game you watch, keep a rough tally: rim shots, threes, and long twos. The team taking fewer long twos is usually the smarter offense.
COACHING LINEAGE
Brad Stevens
Analytical precision: the right shot in the right spot beats a contested hero shot every time.