Johnny Jones: Transition Drills and Early Offense

Playing fast paced on offense has become a popular philosophy for many basketball programs across the country. It's an exciting brand of basketball that players like to play and fans like to watch!

In order to play fast, you have to practice fast. Johnny Jones presents a package of fundamental drills aimed at developing the skills, conditioning, and mindset needed to play up-tempo. Jones' philosophy focuses on creating turnovers and getting easy scoring opportunities while increasing playing time for more players.

Teaching Players to Get the Ball Up the Court

Using the 80 layups in two minutes drill and the 3-man weave wide drill, Coach Jones shows you how to get your players to:

• Push the ball up the court to get easy scoring opportunities.
• Know the importance of spacing on the court in a fast break situation.
• Stay alert and reactive while playing in an up tempo style.

Offensive and Defensive Breakdown Drills

Increasing tempo relies on bringing energy and aggression on both ends of the floor. Coach Jones uses on-court demonstration to display five drills aimed at increasing level of conditioning for players as well as instilling an attacking, up-and-down style of play. Each drill focuses on a specific trait that lends itself to an up-tempo mindset. Drills include:

• Zig Zag Drill - Players work on creating pressure on the basketball while working on ball handling against pressure. Coach Jones also shows you how you can make the zig zag drill more competitive
• Triangle Trap Drill - Teach your players to pass under pressure to help create easy scoring chances. This drill also helps players learn how to trap on defense and read a trap to make an easy steal, which can lead to an easy scoring opportunity.
• 3-on-2, 2-on-1 Drill - Help players learn how to score when they have an advantage on offense. Defenders also learn to get back in transition defense to stop easy scoring opportunities.

Running a Primary and Secondary Break

With his Touch and Go Drill, Coach Jones shows you how he gets his team to run the five different lanes in a fast break. You'll see how he teaches his players to look for the ball in transition, which helps lead to easy scoring opportunities.

Coach Jones shows you how to run an effective secondary break once the primary break is no longer an option. You'll learn his pressure release offense (PRO) that will help your team continue to score quickly and efficiently before the defense can get set up. The tutorial initially consists of a 5-on-0 "dummy" set before transitioning into a brief half-court 5-on-5 segment, showing various options within the secondary break that can be executed against a live defense. Options to score within the secondary set consist of:

• A weak-side stagger-screen
• A weak-side pin down screen
• A high-post flash
• Post `X'-cuts ending with a side pick & roll

Coach Jones gives you the tools and techniques to effectively implement and run an up tempo style of basketball.

Produced at the Spring 2014 Tunica (MS) Clinic.

51 minutes. 2016.