Simple Basketball Plays

How To Keep Plays Simple in Basketball

The key to running successful basketball plays is to keep them simple.  If plays become too convoluted and complicated, players may have a harder time executing them come game time, especially in high pressure situations.  By tailoring your plays to make them easy to remember and adaptable to many different defensive situations and strategies, your players will have greater success in executing them, which in turn will help them sink more baskets and win more games.  Feel free to use one of the following simple basketball plays for your team’s playbook.

Play #1- Straight-up offensive play, with variations  

These simple basketball plays for the 1-3-1 offensive formation.  For the first play, the point guard stands with the ball at the top of the circle, with the wings on either side of the center, one post standing on the other side of the circle just to the right of the center and the other post standing to the left of the net.  

The point guard passes to the right wing and cuts to the basket.  The right post player creates a screen for the point guard.  Meanwhile, the left wing has assumed the position at the top of the key where the point guard began the play.  Now, the player with the ball attempts to pass to the point guard.  If such a pass is impossible, the point guard darts away from the net and replaces the left wing at the side of the key.  

In this case, the left post cuts to the net and takes a high post position, ready to receive the pass.  With this variation, the other post moves from the high post position to the low post on the right side of the net.  Now, the wing may pass to either post has a better shooting position.  The best aspect of this play is its adaptability to outwit many defensive strategies.  

Play #2- Misleading Set-up, with variations 

The next of the simple basketball plays is set up to trick the defensive into thinking the offensive is planning one thing whereas in reality the play executed is quite different.  To begin, all players are in the same positions as the above play except that the left wing is closer to the corner, which will lead the defense to believe the offensive is attempting a 3-point shot.  

As the play starts, the point guard passes to the right wing while the left post creates a screen for the left wing.  The left wing darts around the left post’s screen and cuts to the hoop.  In the meantime, the right wing passes quickly to the right post who in turn passes the ball to the left wing who is waiting at the basket.  After passing the ball, the right wing advances for the rebound.    

If the right post is unable to complete the pass to the left post, they may be able to take a 3-point shot.  If this offensive strategy fails because the defense is covering the left wing then the left post can cut to the basket to receive the pass from either the right wing or post.  Remember that communication between players in crucial when executing any offensive play that has a multitude of options, such as these two plays.