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The NBA has undergone a seismic shift in how the way the game is played over the last decade. Sharpshooters like Steph Curry have made basketball a more three-point-centric sport than it ever has been before. 

Yet, it isn’t just the NBA that has evolved due to Curry. Every level of the modern game, from youth basketball, AAU, high school, and even college requires much different offensive tactics than they did ten or twenty years ago. 

As you know elite coaches learn how to modernize their coaching. And luckily, Mike Weinar is more than willing to teach you. 

Mike Weinar is an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers. Before his time with the Pacers under Rick Carlisle, Coach Weinar was a member of the 2011 championship team coaching staff with the Dallas Mavericks. 

Weinar has a front-row seat (literally) to how basketball is evolving. We have compiled some of the best insights from his ‘Guide to Modern NBA Offense’ clinic, providing you the insights you need to modernize your coaching style to fit the times. 

Expert in Room

Expert in Room

“You’re never going to be an expert in everything.” 

In ‘Expert in Room’, Coach Weiner discusses how, within each coaching staff, each coach should be assigned a specific task or set of tasks. 

Regardless of what your task may be, it’s your duty to master it and execute that task as effectively as possible to help your team win. This is what he means by saying, “Be the expert in the room”. 

Generate Efficient Shots

Modern NBA Offense - Generate Efficient Shots

One aspect that Coach Weinar believes is paramount to the modern NBA offense is getting players to produce countless repetitions of shots they’ll be taking in games, during practice.

There’s only so much practice time, so players must be getting reps at the shots they will actually be taking; the ones which will best help the team win. 

Coach Weinar also has another quote, “Don’t steal their reps”. When he says this, what he means is that coaches can’t be on players all game or practice. They need to allow players to make (and fix) any mistakes that they make themselves at times. 

Another important aspect of modern NBA offense is being unpredictable. According to Coach Weinar, this means not drawing up a play and instead allowing his players to improvise the play themselves. 

Early Offense 3 Player Interaction 

Early Offense 3 Player Interaction 

Coach Weinar shares the benefits of running a 3 player-interaction scheme on offense. This basically means that three players on offense will be running some variations of the same play, while the other two players are waiting on the wings, ready to take a shot in case the ball is kicked out to them.

This is an effective offensive set at all levels of basketball because it emphasizes ball movement and moving off of the ball. 

Taking Coach Weinar’s insights and making them a part of your own offense should help modernize your team, and get them playing more like the NBA stars they’re surely already trying to mimic. 

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