PRACTICE PLANS SKILLS CHECKLIST

Starter Practice Plans

Welcome to the Starter Level practice plans. At the Starter Level, the fundamental skills will be honed and expanded upon while the players develop an understanding of what it means to be a part of a team.

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Starter Practice Plan 10

Cultivating Values & Developing Wellness

5%
5%

Positivity

+ −
  • It is important for basketball players to stay positive. There are so many opportunities in games and practices for things to go wrong – from missed shots (even the well-chosen ones with perfect form!) to mental mistakes and miscommunication on defense – that teammates must support each other and help each other past mistakes.
  • Even if you are not the best athlete or basketball player, you can contribute to team success more than you ever imagined just with vocal encouragement, smiles, head nods and daps. It is not easy to stay positive with yourself and your teammates when times are tough, but the more you do, the quicker those tough times pass and the stronger your team will be when you come through on the other side.

Warm Up

5%
5%

Line Hops

(2 x 20 seconds)
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1. Balance on one leg while dribbling. Hop in as may different directions as possible for 20 seconds, then switch legs.

2. The same activity as #1 but on both feet.

3. Players pair up. One partner calls out a letter while the other tries to spell it out by hopping on one leg!

4. In pairs, players stand on one leg while dribbling and try to push their partner off balance!

Building Skills

60%
60%

Ball Handling

Stunt Drivers

(3 minutes)
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  • Using a halfcourt space, divide your players into two teams and line each team up along the sideline. All players have a basketball.
  • Teams should line up on the sideline directly across from each other. When the coach says “Go” both teams dribble across the court towards each other.
  • Just before colliding, each player will perform a “stunt dribble” or a creative dribble such as a crossover, in and out, or behind the back move, to change directions and avoid running into each other.
  • Once all players have reached the opposite side, players continue to dribble back and forth. Encourage players to use different dribble moves each time.

Dribble Knockout

(5 minutes)
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  • All players need a basketball and should start inside of half court or the 3-point line, depending on the number of players.
  • The players must dribble the ball without picking it up, double dribbling or going out of bounds. All players should try to knock the other player’s ball away while dribbling.
  • The goal is to be the last player still dribbling.
  • As the number of players still in gets lower, change the out of bounds area to a smaller area such as inside the 3-point line or lane or the circle at 1/2 court.

COMPETITIVE LOAD 

  • To minimize player down-time after getting eliminated, create a second game in another area of the court that will run simultaneously, or have players practicing dribbling moves on the sideline until the game ends.

Key Points

Work on ball-handling in a fun game setting. Instruct players to keep their heads up while dribbling.

Passing

Wing Open & Decide

(5 minutes each wing)
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  • This activity will start with four offensive players and one defensive player. Start with one offensive player with a ball in the slot, one offensive player starting at the opposite elbow, one offensive player in the ball side corner and the last offensive player on the ball side wing.
  • The defensive player will start inside the 3-point line between the offensive player on the wing and corner.
  • The activity starts when the player at the elbow sets a ball screen for the player at the slot. The screener will roll so that their back is facing the players in the corner and wing. The ball-handler will make a pocket/bounce pass to the roller.
  • The roller will catch the pass in the lane and pivot and read the defender that starts between the two offensive players on the wing and corner (the defender can move to play defense as desired), and pass to the open player.
  • Once the pass is made to either the player on the wing or corner, those two players will play two on one trying to score against the defender. The players can shoot or attack the basket two on one.
  • The players will rotate to a new spot. The ball-handler becomes the screener. The screener becomes the defender. The defender becomes the corner offensive player. The corner offensive player becomes the wing offensive player. The wing offensive player becomes the ball-handler.
  • As the players gain comfort, allow the wing and/or corner player to cut to the basket when the roller catches the ball.

COMPETITIVE LOAD

  • Reward points for defensive stops and play to a specific score.

TECHNICAL LOAD

  • After the initial ball-handler, do not allow dribbling.

Shooting

2-Bounce Shooting Game

(games to 5)
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  • Have 4 players at a basket each with a ball.
  • The players will start outside the 3 point line and take 1 dribble toward the basket and take a shot.
  • After the shot, the shooter must get to the rebound before the ball bounces 2 times.
  • If the ball bounces 2 times then the make does not count.
  • Once the player has the rebound, they will take the ball back out to the perimeter where they will repeat the process until somebody has made 5 shots to win.

Key Points

Make sure the players are hustling for their rebounds.

Power Burst

(2-3 games)
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  • Use a full or half-court. All players have a ball and dribble at a walking pace around the court.
  • The coach or a designated player is the tagger. They can jog and try to tag as many players as possible. If a player is tagged, they get a “Power Burst” and can start running. Once a player is tagged while walking and then tagged again while running, they are out.
  • Players that are out practice dribbling on the side of the playing space.
  • Periodically, the coach can blow this whistle—when this happens all players must jump stop. When the coach says go, they can resume dribbling.

Team Concepts

15%
15%

On the Block 1 on 1 Game

(games to 3)
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  • Have 2 lines on the baseline with two players standing on the blocks.
  • The coach will have the ball at the free throw line and pass the ball to one of the 2 players.
  • That player will have a maximum of 1 dribble to take a shot and must not move backwards.
  • The player who did not receive the pass will become defense and try to stop the player with the ball.
  • The offense and defense must keep playing until the defense secures the ball or the offense scores.
diagram

Key Points

Work on finishing with a live pass and defense.

Elbows 1 on 1 Game

(games to 3)
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  • Have 2 lines on the baseline with two players standing on the elbows.
  • The coach will have the ball at the top of the key and pass the ball to one of the 2 players.
  • That player will have a maximum of 2 dribble to take a shot in the paint.
  • The player who did not receive the pass will become defense and try to stop the player with the ball.
  • The offense and defense must keep playing until the defense secures the ball or the offense scores.

Competing

15%
15%

2-on-1 Fast Break Game

(3 minutes)
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  • Start with 2 lines at half court and one line with a ball.
  • Have a defender starting at the top of the key.
  • Have the 2 offensive players attack to try to score in a 2 on 1 fast break setting.
  • The player who takes the shot or turns the ball over will then become the defensive player at the top of the key.
  • The other players will go to the back of the lines at half court

Key Points

Work on good fast break decision making while also working on good 2 on 1 defense.

Tracing the Ball 2 on 2 Game

(4 minutes)
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  • Using as many hoops as possible, start this activity with two offensive players about 12-15 feet from the basket, spread out about 5-6 feet from each other. Two defensive players with basketballs start under the basket.
  • The defense passes the ball out to the offense, closes out, and begins tracing the ball.
  • One of the offensive players (it doesn’t matter which one) passes their ball to a coach who is standing near the game. Once that pass happens, the drill becomes live 2 on 2.
  • The player that passed the ball can immediately cut to get open and the defense must react. The other offensive player with the ball can dribble and attack or shoot.
  • The offense has 5 seconds to try to score.
  • Switch defense to offense and bring in two new defenders to keep
    the game going.

2 on 2 Closeout

(games to 5)
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  • Have a player on the wing and the top of the key and 2 lines on the baseline lined up across from them.
  • When the coach passes the ball to one of the players on the perimeter, the first two players on the baseline will closeout to the ball or help defense, and then begin playing 2 on 2.
  • Each team gets 1 shot.
  • The offensive team will go off and the defensive team will become offense as the next team on the baseline will execute the next closeout.

jrnba_starter_pp10_2on2closeout_diagram1of2 jrnba_starter_pp10_2on2closeout_diagram2on2

Key Points

Make sure the players work on good closeouts and playing good defense.

Skills Checklist

PDF Skills Checklist: Preview/Download
PDF Full Skills Checklist

At the conclusion of the Starter 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

        Footwork & Conditioning

          Rebounding

            Offense

              Defense

                Other