PRACTICE PLANS SKILLS CHECKLIST

MVP Practice Plans

At the MVP Level, players will begin competing more frequently in order to apply and refine the skills they have developed. Players will also begin to specialize and fit into more specific roles and positions. Team tactics and game strategy will also be further implemented in the MVP Level.

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MVP Practice Plan 2

Cultivating Values & Developing Wellness

5%
5%

Responsibility 2

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  • What are some of the responsibilities players must fulfill?
    To teammates and coaches, responsibilities include commitment to being on time and prepared for practices and games, giving 100% all the time – from the floor to the bench to the locker-room to the bus ride home – and showing respecting for rules, opponents, officials, spectators and venue hosts. Beyond those immediate basketball surroundings, players are responsible for representing the team well in public, never embarrassing their teammates, using their status as athletes to lead in the broader community and when using social media to do so positively and constructively. Coaches and players alike are responsible for seeing to these facets of proper behavior, preventing lapses and quickly correcting any that may occur.

Warm Up

5%
5%

Dynamic Warm-Up Part 10

(1 x each)
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  • 1 High Knee
  • Angle Balance
  • 4 Point Slow & Low
  • In Out Turn
  • Toes & Chest
  • Heels & Shoulders

Building Skills

30%
30%

Ball Handling

Catch a Second Ball Series

(4 minutes)
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  • Have the players partner up and get two balls per pair.
  • One player will dribble one ball in one hand.
  • The other player will toss the other ball to the dribblers other hand.
  • The dribbler will control the catch and toss it back.
  • Repeat this action with both hands and both players.
  • Keep the drill fresh and challenging for the players by mixing in a tennis ball or having the players make a dribble move before catching the ball.

Key Points

Make sure the players control the 2nd ball with soft hands and don’t simply smack the ball back to the partner.

Rhythm Dribbling

(3 minutes)
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  • All the players should have a ball and find some space on the court.
  • For the allotted time, the players will work on rhythm dribbling.
  • To work on their rhythm, they can emphasize standing up and relaxing and then dropping down to make a move, Changing speeds, or taking multiple steps in one dribble, or having fun and dancing as they dribble.

Key Points

Rhythm is an important part of an offensive players game and should be worked on.

Passing

Hook Pass Drill

(1 x 5 each hand)
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  • Have the players get a ball and start in a line on the wing.
  • If needed utilize multiple baskets.
  • Set up a cone or a chair to act as a ball screen on the wing.
  • The coach will stand on the wing closer to the corner than the screen.
  • The players will dribble off the ball screen and throw a hook pass to the coach.
  • After the hook pass, the player will flash back towards the ball for a catch and finish.
  • The player will get their own rebound and go to the back of the line.
  • The next player will complete the same process.

Slip Pass Drill

(3 x each side)
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  • Place a passing line at the top of the key, a screening line on the wing, and a shooting line on the same baseline.
  • The coach will defend the screeners from the screening line.
  • As the screener goes to set the screen, the coach will either drop back and defend the screen below the play, or step up and jump out on the shooter coming off the screen.
  • The passer and screener must read how the coach defends the screen; if the coach drops back, the passer will pass to the shooter coming off the screen. If the coach steps up the screener will slip and the passer will pass the ball to the screener as they slip to the basket.
  • The passing line will rotate to the screening line, the screening line will move to the shooting line, and the shooting line will move to the passing line.
  • Utilize both sides of the court and multiple baskets to maximize reps.
  • If there aren’t enough coaches, have a player execute the coach’s role.

Shooting

Floater Series

(2 sets)
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  • Have the players divide into small groups and find a basket and 1 ball per group.
  • Each of the players in the group will shoot 3 reps of 4 types of floaters.
  • The first set of 3 shots for each player will be a floater with the right hand off the left leg.
  • After the players have rotated through taking 3 each, they will change to using the left hand off the right foot.
  • Next the players will take floaters off of two feet using their right hand for 3 reps each, then their left hand for three reps.

Pick & Pop Shooting

(20 makes each way timed)
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  • Have all the players get a ball and have the post players start on the block and the guards start above the opposite wing.
  • The first post player will pass the coach the ball and then go set a ball screen for the guard.
  • The guard will come off the screen and pass to the pop.
  • The post player will catch and take the shot designated by coach and get their rebound and go to the back of the post line.
  • The guard will then relocate to a spot dictated by coach and catch a pass from coach and take a shot dictated by coach.
  • The guard will get their rebound and go to the back of the guard line.

jrnba_mvp_pp2_pickandpopshooting_diagram1of4 jrnba_mvp_pp2_pickandpopshooting_diagram2of4 jrnba_mvp_pp2_pickandpopshooting_diagram3of4 jrnba_mvp_pp2_pickandpopshooting_diagram4of4

Rebounding

Rebound & Score

(1 x each)
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  • Have 3 players start in the paint and a line on the baseline.
  • Coach will shoot the ball and all 3 players will try for the rebound.
  • Once a player has the rebound they have to try to score.
  • All shots have to be in the paint and limited fouls are called.
  • The other 2 players are playing defense and trying to prevent the player with the ball from scoring.
  • A player must score 3 times to come out of the game and the next player in line jumps into the game immediately.
  • There are no pauses and the ball is always live, even as it just passes through the net.
  • This is a tough rebounding and finishing drill that will force the players to battle and work hard to rebound and score in the paint.

Team Concepts

30%
30%

Fundamentals of Stunt & Recover

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  • Stunt and recover is a defensive concept for a player who is not guarding the ball, but is 1 pass away from the ball. The defensive player is in a good stance and can see both the player they’re guarding, and the player with the ball. If the player with the ball begins to drive towards the mentioned defensive player, the defensive player will “stunt and recover.” This means, the player will fake at the offensive player with their hand and foot or “stunt” and then as the offensive player passes the ball out, the defensive player will “recover,” by closing out to the player they were already guarding who now has the ball.

1 on 1 – Stunt & Recover

(1 x 5 stops)
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  • The coach will start with the ball on the wing and there will be a line of players at the top of the key.
  • The first player will step on as defense and the next will be offense.
  • As coach drives the ball towards the middle of the floor, the defender will stunt at the drive.
  • The coach will then kick the ball out to the other offensive player and the defender will close out to the player with the ball.
  • After the close out, the players will play 1 on 1 for one possessions with just 3 dribbles.
  • After the possession the offense will rotate to defense and the defense will rotate off.
  • Utilize more lines to get more reps if needed.

jrnba_mvp_pp2_1on1stuntandrecover_diagram1of3 jrnba_mvp_pp2_1on1stuntandrecover_diagram2of3 jrnba_mvp_pp2_1on1stuntandrecover_diagram3of3

4 on 4 Shell to Rebound

(1 x 5 rebounds)
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  • Divide the players into groups of 4 and start with 1 team on defense and one team on offense.
  • The offense should only have players on the perimeter and no post players.
  • The offense is only allowed to pass and cut (no screens).
  • After 5 passes, the ball will become live and the offensive team can try to score but are still not allowed to screen.
  • The possession ends after the defensive team gets a rebound.
  • Switch teams by having the defense step off and the offense go to defense after every possession.
  • The first team to get 5 defensive rebounds will win.

Line Up Transition Defense Drill

(1 x 4 stops)
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  • Divide the players into teams and have 5 players line up across the baseline and 5 players line up on the free throw line extended across from them.
  • The coach will have a ball and pass it to a player on the baseline and that player and that team will go to the other basket to try to score.
  • The player that is standing free throw line extended in front of the player who caught the ball will have to sprint to the baseline in front of them and turn and sprint back into the play which is now ahead of them.
  • The defensive team will need to stop the ball and match up as they are at a 5 on 4 disadvantage until the player hustles back into the play.
  • After the possession, have the teams switch (baseline to free throw line extended and vice versa) and continue the drill.
  • Coach the players through the proper method of stopping the ball and matching up.
  • The team with the set number of defensive stops first wins.

jrnba_mvp_pp10_lineuptransition_diagram1of2 jrnba_mvp_pp10_lineuptransition_diagram2of2

Free Throw Golf

(1 game)
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  • Utilize as many baskets as possible and have 1 player shooting at a time.
  • The player will shoot 2 free throws at a time and rotate until each player has shot 10 total free throws.
  • After every player has taken 10 free throws, the player with the lowest score wins.
  • The scoring is as follows: If a player makes a shot nothing but net, they receive minus 2 points (-2).
  • If a player makes a shot in any way other than nothing but net, they receive minus 1 points (-1).
  • If a player misses a shot, they receive plus 1 point (+1).

Competing

30%
30%

3 Trips & Flip

(games to 5 makes)
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  • Divide the players into two or more teams and have one be offense and one be defense at a basket.
  • The team on offense will play a possession of offense starting in the half court.
  • If the offensive team gets the rebound, they can continue to try to score, if they score or the defense gets a rebound or a steal, they will play live for a possession going the other way.
  • After that possession, the game is still live and the team that started with the ball will bring it back down to the basket they started at.
  • After this possession the 3 trips are over and the teams will switch so that the other team starts with the ball in the half court.
  • Play the game to the allotted number of baskets.

Key Points

As the coach, you can dictate a play or a particular action you want the players to execute as they compete in the half court or 2 full court possessions.

5 on 5

(games to 7)
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  • Divide the players into teams (have substitutes if needed).
  • Play 5 on 5 until a team makes 3 shots.
  • Encourage the players to cut, move the ball and work on all the basketball concepts they have learned.

Compliment Session

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Gather the players together. Players group with 1-2 players next to them and share answers to the prompted questions.

  • Ask players to share something they did well, what enjoyed about today’s practice or something positive about another player’s actions.
  • Have players switch groups and ask some players to share their groups answers. Coach can build onto the player responses.

Key Points

All compliments should be natural. Not every player has to give or receive a compliment.

Skills Checklist

PDF Skills Checklist: Preview/Download
PDF Full Skills Checklist

At the conclusion of the MVP Level, Jr. NBA players should be proficient at each of the following skills. Judging proficiency at this level is the responsibility of the coach.

Ball Handling

    Passing

      Shooting

        Rebounding

          Offense

            Defense