The Complete Basketball Coach with GB Coach, Ian MacLeod

Learn to dribble to move with the ball at speeds, using hand placement and techniques to attack the defense and help the team move up the court, creating shooting opportunities.

Master the three dribbles: control, magic, and speed, to move around the court, protect the ball under pressure, and create opportunities with eyes up and purposeful play.

Master the crossover variants—front, behind the back, and through the legs—to beat defenders, keep head up, and dribble with purpose, applying the double dribble rule and carries.

The lesson teaches the crossover and related dribbles to move with control, decide when to dribble or pass, protect the ball, and create scoring chances in 3v3 play.

Master dribble tempo to create space and move quickly, employing speed and control dribbles; use high tempo when crowded, then finish with jump stop or stride stop.

Learn to execute on-ball screens and the pick and roll by impeding the defender, pivoting, and rolling to the basket for a layup.

Learn punch, stampede, and freeze dribbles to create and sustain advantages. Punch passes to the wing, stampede drives downhill, and freeze freezes a defender to force a decision.

Master punch and stampede dribbles to create positional advantages, using freeze dribble reads and handoffs, back cuts, and 2v2/3v3/4v4 game play to attack off defense.

Learn the variety of basketball shooting techniques, from layups and mid-range shots to free throws and threes, and understand how strong shooting underpins scoring and success.

Master the beef shooting technique by aligning balance, elbow angle, and eyes on target, then snap the follow-through with a wrist flick for accurate shots.

Master layups by shooting near the basket after a dribble, using the left hand from the left side, and jumping off the opposite foot to maximize balance and accuracy.

Master the triple threat position to power balanced jump shots and convincing fakes that create space from defenders, featuring pull-up and mid-range options.

Learn to create space by faking the defense and using stride stop, triple threat, and drills like dribble freeze and basket bingo to master jump shots.

Master mid-range shooting through catch-and-shoot techniques, precise footwork, and deceleration for balance, then use corner lifts to create space and execute straight stop or jump stop shots.

Learn how to execute runners and floaters in basketball, with one-foot running jump shots and two-foot floaters, covering short-to-mid-range shots, and note common faults to avoid.

Learn mid-range and short-range scoring with runners and floaters, creating space before defenders through close-out, running jump, and floater drills. Score rewards inside key (3), mid-range (2), and three (1).

Explore how passion fuels basketball passing, keep passes on time and on target, and move the ball quickly—even without dribbling—to outpace the defense.

learn to throw and receive passes by mastering bounce, chest, and overhead passes, stepping forward to gain momentum and accuracy, snapping wrists with palms out, and communicating for open receiving.

Receive on the move using a lead hand to guide passes toward space, with the target hand guiding the pass. Avoid leading passes too far to keep them on target.

Develop receiving on the move and signaling, learn pass types, and sharpen decision making through drills like floor is lava, V3 box, 1v1 half, and 3v3 scoring by dribble count.

Master fast breaks by converting defense to offense within 4–6 seconds using quick two-handed or lead passes, minimal dribbles, and wide court spacing to finish with a layup.

Master positional play with wing and post options, including post-ups near the block and signaling for ball away from defenders, and dribble handoffs using the outside hand that meet halfway.

Master push and hook passes off the dribble with quick, one-handed accuracy to teammates on the three-point line, keeping passes flat and fast to avoid interceptions.

Develop a team offense by coordinating dribbling, passing, shooting, cutting, and screening toward a common goal to win the game while integrating on-ball and off-ball screens.

Master cutting to the basket and the v-cut to find space, receive passes, and create open looks for high-percentage shots. Emphasize timing, ball movement, and selling opposite to beat defenders.

Create space by keeping players spaced to stretch the defense. Use quick dribbles and timely passes for open shots at the three-point line or basket.

master off-ball screening techniques, including down and cross screens, to free teammates by legally blocking defenders and arriving stationary to avoid fouls.

Learn how teammates use off-ball screening to free players and create passing and shooting opportunities, from 2v1 down screens to 2v2 cross screens with an assisted passer.

Learn the drive and kick sequence to attack a collapsing defense, then space the perimeter with a quick hook pass or a jump-stop overhead pass.

Link actions seamlessly by chaining a down screen into a dribble handoff, keeping the defense guessing and creating breakdown opportunities for scoring via screening, dribble techniques, and pick and roll.

Master team defense by coordinating off-ball support, helping when the ball handler is beat, and scrambling back to disrupt opponents with guarding distance, hands, and footwork.

Guarding distance emphasizes a defensive stance, staying arm's length from the ball handler, big, bigger, big lateral movement and a 45-degree drop step to stay in front.

Master on-ball and off-ball defense by coordinating stance, movement, and hands to provide timely help, recover outside the charge arc, and challenge drives or block shots.

Master team defense by practicing on-ball, help, and denying defense, with three point shadow dribbling, 2v2 and 3v3 drills, plus checking the ball to start possessions.

Pressure the ball handler across court areas, influence dribbles toward the corner, and close out with a low stance and high hands to force difficult shots within 24 seconds.

Engage offense with full court pressure, pressing high up the court, and use the one up, one down switch to engage the ball and prevent easy scores around the basket.

Deny opponents by preventing catches with footwork and positioning to disrupt passes and force turnovers; box out after shots by pivoting, contacting back and hips, keeping hands free for rebounds.

Learn to deny the ball and box out to secure rebounds, with 1v1 post-up defense and 3v3 drills that test staying in front, limiting passes, and denying a top opponent.

Explore how gameplay develops basketball players by blending individual skills, strategies, and game situations, with reviews and feedback on offensive and transition skills, half-court offense, half-court defense, and defensive transition.

Small sided games develop key skills like dribbling, passing, shooting, getting open, and screening, while preparing players to handle a backcourt violation and an eight-second rule to exit the half.

Explore full-court games and link the four phases—half-court defense, transition offense, half-court offense, and transition defense—through quick transitions and advancing the ball by dribble or pass.

Advance players from 1v1 to full trips and 5v5 by expanding space, angles, and one ball reversal per possession, with 3v3 constraints and feedback-driven practice.

Players design self-led strategies, choose fast break, post, or full-court pressure based on strengths, rehearse styles of play and warm-ups, and use regular reviews to magnify strengths and refine weaknesses.