The Problem: Players in the older divisions have different turnover issues than younger players, and these issues are generally more attributable to game sense, not ability.

• Players over dribbling:  dribbling into traffic or trying to go 1-on-1 so much that they take low percentage shots
• Picking up their dribble before knowing where to go with the ball (often from “panicking” under defensive pressure)
• Lack of moving without the ball, making it easy for the defense to steal passes
• Poor passing: passing the ball in a way that makes it hard for the receiver to catch it, or “telegraphing” passes (when the passer stares at the receiver and makes it obvious he is going to pass to that teammate)
• Not maintaining good floor spacing, which brings their defender towards the ball and often results in a double team/trap

Strategies: Emphasize team play and “motion” concepts that make it easier to move the ball and get higher percentage shots.

• Make passing easier by: using pass fakes in triple threat (“fake a pass to make a pass”), and dribble/drives to create space to pass
• Input rules on offense: No standing still for more than 2 seconds if you’re defended, must move after passing (cut to the hoop, go set a screen, etc.), don’t dribble for no reason, don’t pull up dribble until you “have a plan”
• Reward unselfish players who do the little things that aren’t in the scorebook but make the offense function better:  screening on AND off the ball, cutting without the ball, foregoing an OK shot and instead passing to a player that has a high percentage shot, making a “hockey assist” (the pass before the assist), etc.

Something to Try: 25 Passes is a high intensity game that helps players develop techniques needed to move the ball under a lot of defensive pressure (pivoting, pass fakes, off-ball screens, signaling, etc.).  One Man Down is a great drill for promoting team play and finding the open man, as it gives the offense a small window where they have 1 more player than the defense, and teaches them to quickly find and take the high percentage shot.  3 Screen Progression encourages players to use lots of screens (both on-ball and off-ball screening) to create more opportunities for both their teammates AND themselves.