LEVEL 1Situationalall
What the Lines Mean
The court looks covered in mysterious markings, but you only need four of them. The painted rectangle under each basket is the paint (also called the key or the lane) — the most valuable real estate on the floor, because shots from inside it are the easiest in the game. The line across the top of the paint is the free-throw line, where fouled shooters take their free shots. The big arc wrapping around everything is the three-point line: shots from behind it are worth three instead of two. And the line across the middle of the court is half court — once the offense crosses it, they're not allowed to go back with the ball. Everything else — the little half-circles, the hash marks, the corners — is detail you can pick up later. Watch one game while keeping your eyes on just the paint and the arc, and you'll notice the entire sport is a tug-of-war over exactly those two areas: teams fight to get inside the paint, and fight to get open behind the arc.
READ THIS
Watch the space, not the ball: is the defense crowded into the paint, or stretched out to the arc? That's their entire philosophy in one glance.
DO THIS
Pick one possession and watch only the corners. Notice who's standing there, and how the defense stays connected to them even while the ball is far away.
COACHING LINEAGE
Larry Brown
Play the right way: fundamental execution over flash, every possession.