Basketball Basics: Taking the Last Shot

As a former Basketball Coach, I have always been intrigued by last minute chances to win the game. There are countless situations and strategies to be considered as the end of a close game approaches. This article deals with some thoughts and one final idea that I found successful in my 32 years of coaching Basketball.

The final shot by a team is dictated by five factors. These factors are the time left on the clock, the foul situation, the offensive players in the game, the placement of the ball,and most important of all, the defense. Let's talk about each one.

Time on the Clock; This dictates how much time you have to set up a well executed play. The less time you have, the quicker the shot must come. All players must know the time that is left. If you call a timeout, be sure each player understands the time left and their responsibility. Their responsibility is two fold. (a) do what they are suppose to do and (b) shoot the ball if they have to. Sometimes a player may be forced to shoot it even if the play isn't designed for him to do so. They should not have a conscience if this happens. Just take the best shot that comes to them.

Foul Situation: Each player as well as the coach must know the foul situation. Who on the other team has four fouls and who on the other team wants to try and block shots. A person with four fouls will be reluctant to try and steal or block a shot attempt. A player that loves to try and block a shot at the end of a game is susceptible to making a foul. An offensive player should never try to alter their own balanced shot at the end of a game. Sometimes a foul being drawn is just as good, especially if it puts you on the free throw line. It also stops the clock which can be beneficial to the trailing team.