Execute More Effectively Late in the Game
As coaches, we all understand that every play and possession in a game is important. While all possessions impact the outcome, executing in the last two minutes is especially critical. With the District, Region, and State Tournaments approaching, the significance of late-game execution has heightened. If your team isn’t prepared for these situations, it could mean the end of your season. On the other hand, as for the spectators for are in favor of their specific teams/players that they trust to make the clutch plays, they can try betting on them on sites like https://www.wsmcasino.com/.
Here are a few key points to consider as you prepare for postseason play:
Time and Score
How many players, in the heat of the moment, are fully aware of the score and how much time remains? This knowledge can be the difference between winning and losing in the final minutes or seconds. The good news is you can drill various scenarios in practice to familiarize your players with the complexities of late-game situations.
At Morningside College, we practice late-game scenarios by putting either one or two minutes on the clock. I may start with both teams tied or one team leading by 3-8 points. Both teams begin in the 1-and-1 situation with a specified number of timeouts remaining; each team’s point guard acts as the coach. Not having a coach on the sidelines forces players to focus more on the TIME remaining and the SCORE.
When I asked Ryan Montgomery, Head Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Bemidji State University, how they prepare for late-game situations, he remarked, “We take 15-20 minutes to drill late-game scenarios, then we put one minute on the clock and allow our athletes to go live, simulating the decisions and pressures of the final moments of the game. We take time to discuss every foul, timeout, and possession within that minute. This helps our athletes’ decision-making process become quicker under pressure.”
It seems to be paying off for the Beavers, who have received votes to be nationally ranked in NCAA Division II and currently stand at 19-7 this season. Check out their game-winning 3-point shot at the buzzer from last weekend’s game against Southwest Minnesota State University:
Set Plays/Baseline Out-of-Bounds/Sideline Out-of-Bounds/Full Court Plays
You never know the exact situation you will face at the end of a game, so you need to be prepared for all possibilities. This preparation begins in practice. How many coaches have a full-court play ready with 3 seconds on the clock, similar to the situation Bemidji State faced? What about a go-to sideline out-of-bounds play that can secure either a two or three-pointer? These plays can be the difference between getting a quality look late in the game or not getting a shot at all. It is nearly impossible for players to execute a play they have never practiced. If you haven’t already, set aside 20 minutes in practice to implement these plays so your players feel comfortable executing them late in a game. If you already have them in place, ensure you review them every two weeks. At the college level, we often review these sets during game-day shootarounds. Be prepared; it could be the difference between attending the state tournament with your team or as a spectator.
Learn from Experience, Be a Student of the Game
As with most things in life, the more exposure you have to certain situations, the better you will become at handling them. Go back and analyze the coaching decisions you made during close games. Do you like your strategy? What would you change? How can you improve your execution as a staff? One invaluable learning tool for late-game situations is to observe what other teams do. NBA games are particularly beneficial for studying sideline out-of-bounds plays. Each timeout in the last two minutes allows the respective team to take the ball out of bounds past the mid-court line on their offensive side of the court. In any close NBA game, you can bet you’ll see multiple sideline out-of-bounds plays, each with various options. Have your DVR ready!
Let Players Make Plays
Prepare your team as much as possible, but ultimately, put your players in situations where they can make plays. Teach them about time and score, have reliable go-to plays for tight situations, and be over-prepared as a staff. When the moment arrives, your players will perform.
Late-game situations are not an exact science; even with the perfect play called, success isn’t guaranteed. When I posed this idea to Coach Montgomery, he stated, “I don’t believe there is a right answer or specific outline to follow for late-game situations. As a coach, you need to have a good feel for the tempo and momentum of your team.”
It also never hurts to be a little lucky…
Brad Schmit
Midwest Elite Basketball
Co-Owner/Co-Founder