Offensive Philosophy – The Motion Principle (Part 2)

I’m back to talk about the Team Hurricane Motion Offense.  My system is constantly evolving, and there’s so much that I’d like to share.  I will try to keep it simple in presenting my ideas about good motion offense.  Obviously, the ideas shared are not solely my own.  As coaches know, we borrow extensively from each other.  So I will share with you those notes and ideas that inspire me and my motion offense system.

Seven Characteristics of Good Offense:

The following seven characteristics of good offense come from Lawrence Frank and his video “Early Offense & Zone Offense.”  

Lawrence Frank

Ask yourself the following questions about your system:

1)    Can your offense flow 94 feet?

a.)   Is there a constant flow?

b.)   You want an offense that does not have stops and starts.

2.)   Do you have good spacing?

        a.) 15 – 18 feet

 3.)   Do you have good ball movement

a.)   Does the ball get reversed from side, top, side.

4.)   Do you have player movement?

a.)   Are you putting players in position to score?

b.)   Are you moving bodies?

5.)   Do you have multiple passing outlets to pass the ball to?

a.)   Are you married to one pass?  If the pass is not there and they take it away, is  your offense is dead?

b.)   Is everyone an eligible receiver and will it trigger specific actions?

6.)   Do you have opportunities to drive?

        a.) Can you attack the paint off the dribble?

7.)   Do you have offensive rebounding opportunities?

     a.) Are you putting your players in position to get offensive rebounds or are putting our best rebounders outside the 3-point line?

I value all 7 of these keys, but the two that I place a premium on is #1 and #5.  I want our offense to have a constant flow, continuous movement and fluidity.  I believe that a fluid offense is possible when you have multiple passing outlets.  For me, that means having an offense that is symmetrical…it can start on the left or right side.  We’re not married to one pass.  It means that our offense doesn’t get bogged down if the defense takes away a particular side with our initial entry pass.  It also means, those good defense teams that can lock you into a side, we have multiple actions there that we can go to.

In order to achieve these objectives Team Hurricane employs a 3 out 2 in motion offense system.

Key Concepts of the Hurricane Motion Offense

Here are some key concepts to our motion offense.  I will cite those concepts attributed to Gordon Chisea, a former assistant coach for the Utah Jazz, from his awesome streaming video from Coaching U Live, A Detailed Look At the Utah Jazz Offensive System.

  1.) Every screen should be an opportunity to score.  Don’t come off screen lazy.  Don’t  set lazy screens. (Chisea)

       2.) Screens should give teammate daylight. (Chisea)

   3.) Go set the screen when the ball is in flight. (Chisea)

       4.) Don’t bring screen to cutter, cutter brings himself to the screen. (Chisea)

       5.) Run offense on both sides of the floor. (Chisea)

      6.) Power Triangle – try to run initial offense from a Power Triangle that includes: Point Guard – best ball handler, Wing – best perimeter player, and Post  - best interior player.

       7.) Embrace the open shot opportunity you have been given. Don’t pass up open/in rhythm shots to dribble into a poor, highly contested and defended shot, or turnover.

       8.) Any of our 3 perimeter players can initiate the offense.  #1, #2 and #3 are interchangeable.

       9.) Offense is primarily a series of 3-man games/partnerships, and 2-man games/partnerships.  

    10.) 3-man games/partnerships are a variety of actions (LA, Zipper, Down Screen, Shallow Cuts, Jersey Cut - our cut to corner). 

     11.) 2-man games/partnerships are not strictly pick & roll, but involves the 2-men “dancing” with one another (down screens, shallow cuts) to free each other up and to engage the defense.  

    12.) Sometimes partnerships switch and a player from 3-man side exchange places with player from 2-man partnership and vice-versa.

    We'll stop right here and in my next post, I'll try to give you some diagrams and/or videos to give you an idea of what it looks like.  Please feel free to comment and share any ideas you may have on motion offense.

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