Open Practice: Offensive and Defensive Skill Development

with Larry Brown,
University of Memphis Assistant Coach/Special Adviser from 2021 to 2022;
2021 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award;
Distinguished member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2002);
the only coach in basketball history to win both an NCAA National Championship (Kansas in 1988) and an NBA title (Detroit in 2004) ;
SMU Head Coach from 2012 to 2016;
2015 AAC Tournament & Regular Season Champions;
NBA Head Coach from 1988 through 2010 (San Antonio, LA Clippers, Indiana, Philadelphia, Detroit, NY Knicks, Charlotte);
2004 NBA Champions;
NBA Coach of the Year award in 2001;
3x ABA Coach of the Year;
University of Kansas Head Coach from 1983 through 1988;
1988 NCAA National Champions;
Naismith College Coach of the Year (1988);
College Basketball Hall of Fame (2006);
New Jersey Nets (NBA) Head Coach from 1981 to 1983;
UCLA Head Coach from 1979 to 1981;
Denver Nuggets (ABA/NBA) Head Coach from 1974 to 1979;
Carolina Cougars (ABA) Head Coach from 1972 to 1974;
3x ABA Coach of the Year;
played college basketball for Frank McGuire and Dean Smith at UNC and then played 5 years of professional basketball in the ABA and NBA;
as a player, was a 1963 First-team All-ACC point guard and was a 3x ABA All-Star, ABA assists leader and won an ABA Championship in 1969 with the Washington Caps

Legendary Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown has been one of the most successful coaches for the past 50 years. That success has been based on his ability to develop his players.

Take a court-side seat and learn from Coach Brown as he takes his former SMU squad through three live summer practices. Brown uses three 40-minute "tutorial" sessions to improve fundamentals, develop skill and explosiveness, and build awareness and execution within the SMU offensive and defensive framework.

Skill Development Principles

Coach Brown (and staff) discuss the goal of summer activities, strength and conditioning and skill development guidelines as they pertain to off-season vs in-season workouts. You'll discover

• the most important component of skill development
• how to develop confidence in players
• what to concentrate on in your workouts
• what's most important for improving strength and conditioning

Practice 1: Offense Skill Work

Help your players develop the skill set required to be successful in your offense. Coach Brown's drills focus on footwork and shooting from close range out of different aspects of his offense. Players work on catch and rip, hard drives down the middle, baseline drives, drive and kicks, and floaters. Footwork is heavily stressed on every curl, fade, and zipper cut.

Various two-player drills are run off the pick and roll, pin down screens, and flare screens. The session then moves to three- and five-player drills.

Practice 2: Defense Skill Work

Develop shut-down habits on the defensive end using the shell drill, game situations, and 4-on-3 disadvantage drill. The shell drill prepares your team for the most common offensive actions to be used against it.

Players work on jumping to the ball, defending flare screens, and rotating out of a double team to force turnovers. The shell drill also allows the players on offense to learn the correct reads based upon what the defense gives them.

Practice 3: Breakdown Drills for Offense

Coach Brown reinforces actions developed throughout the first two practice sessions. You'll see breakdown drills for Horns actions with a double screen and reaction to penetration from the wing. New to the practice is the Thumbs Up Drill, a 2v0 dummy offensive breakdown drill that forces a post player into a play making position.

Regarded as one of the best talent-developers in the profession - and with an unparalleled amount of success rebuilding teams to championship levels at both the collegiate and NBA levels - Coach Brown delivers a great skill development video that not only provides valuable drills but gives you coaching insights, as well.

120 minutes. 2015.