Maximize Every Minute of Practice: Drills to Build Intensity and Effort

with Fran Fraschilla,
ESPN Basketball Analyst (since 2003 - Big 12, NBA Draft, International Basketball);
former head coach at Manhattan College, St. John's and New Mexico;
1995 MAAC Coach of the Year; 2x MAAC regular season champions;
2000 NABC Literacy Pioneer Award;
Chairman of the NABC Committee on Academics ('94-'02);
Basketball Oldtimers of America Hall of Fame (2019)

ESPN basketball guru Fran Fraschilla draws from his extensive history as a coach and from studying the game of basketball to share 11 practice drills that will improve the performance of any team, regardless of playing style. In addition to an excellent collection of drills, Fraschilla also provides numerous ideas to enhance your coaching through better practice organization, offensive and defensive concepts, and more.

Defensive Drills

Six drills will sharpen your defense with greater intensity and excellent communication. Fraschilla uses the overload principle to make these drills more challenging than your players will ever see in games. The Change Drill implements random signals to scramble up defenders and provide the offense a temporary advantage. The 4-on-4 No Hands drill will force your defenders to play with their feet and constantly adjust their positioning as the offense moves to avoid getting beat on cuts.

The 4-on-3 Contest drill demands your players communicate and hustle to challenge the shot. It also serves a dual purpose by encouraging athletes to move the ball in search of the open jumper on the offensive end. The Hustle Drill is a perfect way to bring an end to your practices while instilling a tough mindset to win every battle for loose balls.

Fraschilla also shows how to introduce defensive switching concepts with the 4-on-4 Screen Down drill that will help your players to recognize switch opportunities and execute proper technique on the switch. You will also see how to improve upon a classic layer to the Shell Drill that will motivate your defenders to fly around with maximum intensity.

Offensive Drills

Prepare for the double teams around the rim with the Post Trap drill, which will teach your big men to use the pullback dribble and handle pressure. The drill also features an additional benefit of teaching your post players to relocate on dribble penetration. The Five Plus One drill is perfect for learning how to handle full court pressure and attacking with an advantage once you've beaten the front line of the press defense.

Fraschilla also explains two more drills that will improve your team's effectiveness in the full court: the 4-on-2 Plus 2 drill and the Lay it Out Front drill. These transition drills will help your players score in advantage situations and improve technique when quickly executing an outlet to ignite a fast break. Lastly, the Three Spots to Seven drill is a fantastic drill that will get your entire team competing while shooting a high volume of jump shots in practice.

These drills from Fran Fraschilla will be valuable additions to any team's practice regimen. Get this video and implement them with your own team immediately!

86 minutes. 2020.