Coach ,

Just because the 2024 NBA Finals have concluded doesn’t mean there isn’t basketball still being played. 

Not only is the WNBA in full swing right now, but the 2024 Paris Olympics is also on the horizon. And one of the most intriguing sports in this year’s Olympic games is 3 on 3 basketball. 

Watching 3 on 3 basketball provides lessons that coaches can take to their 5 on 5 teams.  

Coach Kara Lawson is a major advocate of this. Coach Lawson is Duke University's Head Women's Basketball Coach, and before that was an assistant coach with the 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics. 

Coach Lawson’s ‘Maximizing Development Through 3 on 3’ course is a masterclass on how you can utilize this more barebones version of basketball to help your players improve. 

One fascinating concept about 3 on 3 basketball during the Olympics that Coach Lawson noted was that there’s no in-game coaching. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t be coaching your players if you use 3 on 3 in practice. 

Yet, remaining quiet while 3 on 3 games are underway is also something for you to consider, because of how doing so will force your players to communicate with one another. 

Because 3 on 3 basketball only encompasses the half-court, the game is completely dependent on defensive concepts and cohesion among the players. 

The reliance on playcalling and adaptability — both of which are contingent on communication — is of paramount importance. Your players will have no choice but to communicate about everything that occurs. 

How to Structure 3 on 3 in Practice

How to Structure 3 on 3 in Practice

Coach notes that coaches should give themselves the freedom to be creative when structuring 3 on 3 segments in practice. 

Every coach will be looking to get something different out of these 3 on 3 segments. Therefore, coaches should test out multiple different structures with different players to find out what works best for them.

Not to mention that 3 on 3 basketball is going to be a new and exciting experience for your players. This is another great example of why implementing 3 on 3 into normal basketball practice is a fantastic idea: it enables your players to compete, which will get them interested and engaged in practice. 

How 3 on 3 Can Help Your Team

How 3 on 3 Can Help A Team

One undeniable aspect of the 3 on 3 game is that it plays much faster than typical basketball does. Therefore, Coach Taylor notes that players have less time to:

• React to change of possession
• Think about a play call and execute it
• Have to bounce back from a poor start or rough stretch
• Make adjustments during and in between games

3 on 3 basketball gets players out of their heads and makes them play the game with more fluidity and instinct. 

Every player knows that they’re at their best when they’re “in the zone”, which is another way of operating off instinct. 

And because players have no choice but to operate off that instinct during 3 on 3, this will give players crucial repetitions in playing instinctually — which leads to playing better basketball overall. 

Special Thanks to Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association and Coach Lawson for sharing.

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