Dribbling is a problem

[SoonerNorm]

Dribbling has been a problem for a few years. A "problem" meaning too much of it. It isn't getting better. It seems to be getting worse. It isn't just one player, it's several. Unless you are using the dribble to penetrate or in some way to put pressure on the defense, you are wasting valuable time on the shot clock. When DRob used the dribble, she often ended with a layup or a 15 ft jump shot. I'm not sure what this group uses it for. But, whatever it is, it is having very limited success. Some try to use it to go through a crowd. That seldom works. Some use it but then pick up their dribble when they encounter defenders. That is the worst time to pick up a dribble.

I don't know if Sherri runs drills to move the ball without dribbling but, if not, she needs to. Dribbling is a problem that is hurting the team.

 

[Mac]

We have been running a motionless "motion offensive" for the past few seasons...

 

[MsProudSooner]

Dribbling is a symptom of a problem and the actual problem is lack of motion. If no one else is moving, the person with the ball is left hanging. They can either pass it to someone else who isn't moving or dribble.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Dribbling is a symptom of a problem and the actual problem is lack of motion. If no one else is moving, the person with the ball is left hanging. They can either pass it to someone else who isn't moving or dribble.

Assuming you are correct...if you were a player, how many times would you have to be benched before you could consistently remember that your job was to move without the ball?

 

[35TangoTango]

I was going to post essentially the same thing as Ms Proud. This is one thing I've learned listening to Coach this year. So excessive dribbling really is often a result of the other players standing around. And dribbling into traffic is also a symptom of the same problem. Need to keep the defense working by keeping the offense working.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Assuming you are correct...if you were a player, how many times would you have to be benched before you could consistently remember that your job was to move without the ball?

They know because they've done it well at time this year - generally better than last year, specifically. We played 10 people yesterday. You can't bench all of them at once. Several times when Sharane tried to move through the lane, she ended up on her butt on the floor because it was so crowded in there. Hit some outside shots and the lane isn't so crowded and you can move better. It was obvious in the second half that they'd been told to make sure they got the ball inside. But even when they did that, when KK passed it back out we either passed up on open shots or missed a shot. Part of it was a good job by Texas on defense. Part of it was poor execution on our part.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Assuming you are correct...if you were a player, how many times would you have to be benched before you could consistently remember that your job was to move without the ball?

Perhaps a better question would be, "How many laps would you have to run before you could consistently remember that your job was to move without the ball?"

 

[keysersose]

Perhaps a better question would be, "How many laps would you have to run before you could consistently remember that your job was to move without the ball?"

Coach said in the paper that the strategy was to drive the post to obtain fouls on their bigs and that it "just didn't work." So I suppose that the players were doing as they were told. It is certainly true that when a team is fully committed to the motion offense, as for example Princeton, Indiana under Bobby Knight, or the Spurs in the NBA, the players are in continuous motion. We haven't seen much of that since before Courtney Paris came to OU, as it would appear to me.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Coach said in the paper that the strategy was to drive the post to obtain fouls on their bigs and that it "just didn't work." So I suppose that the players were doing as they were told. It is certainly true that when a team is fully committed to the motion offense, as for example Princeton, Indiana under Bobby Knight, or the Spurs in the NBA, the players are in continuous motion. We haven't seen much of that since before Courtney Paris came to OU, as it would appear to me.

I agree with you. I think our players are doing exactly what they are told to do and what they have practiced. Sherri's motion offense is completely different from the ones you mentioned.

 

[soonerstar]

When the players are not in motion, it sure makes our point guards look bad. I have had people mention to me today about all the dribbling Gabbi has been doing in some of the last few games. She was not doing that earlier in the conference season. Same with Morgan Hook last year. Many on here blamed Hook when I thought she did not have any other option when the other players are not moving. Coale needs to get tjhose out of the game and get others in that want to run it right. JMO

 

[Sooners4Life0101]

Your right there...

I find that some are absolutely coached into dribbling too much. A lot is made of points, if you score you played for Sherri this year and I think there was some selfishness that developed. The players were only trying to get minutes but, and as a result there were a lot of bad shots, bad turnovers and bad pocessions. I hope experience helps us through that in the future...

 

[SoonerNorm]

On the occassions when someone does move without the ball, there isn't a sense of urgency to get somewhere. It isn't difficult for the defender to stay in contact with the offensive player and prevent a pass to the moving offensive player. Movement has to be quick to create space between the offensive and defensive player. It can't be a stroll in the park.

 

[Sooner Cal]

They were in motion against Baylor, not much since that game.

 

[Stringmusic]

Endless dribbling is a sign of indecision. Indecision is caused by a lack of good targets to pass it to. Lack of good targets is caused by other players standing there watching the dribbler. I do not know what those watchers think will magically happen. If a player is standing watching she will always be guarded, easily. One against 5 will not win a basketball game. I always enjoyed watching Whitney play because she was always moving.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Endless dribbling is a sign of indecision. Indecision is caused by a lack of good targets to pass it to. Lack of good targets is caused by other players standing there watching the dribbler. I do not know what those watchers think will magically happen. If a player is standing watching she will always be guarded, easily. One against 5 will not win a basketball game. I always enjoyed watching Whitney play because she was always moving.

Why there is no movement is a question for Sherri. I don't understand it either but this has gone on for years so it has to be the way Sherri wants them to run the offense. I've never heard her say she took so and so out because of a lack of movement. She will take them out for fouls, turnovers, defense, and not rebounding but not for standing around. If a coach didn't like for a player to stay in place, he/she would grab a reserve, tell them to go in for so and so and make dang sure you stay in motion. Our reserves don't move either which tells me they are running what Sherri expects. These girls are smart. They don't forget how they practiced for an opponent. If Sherri wanted to correct something she could do that at a timeout. Movement does not change after timeouts.

 

[SoonerNorm]

But, as I said recently, moving does not help if players are doing it in a manner that causes separation from the defender and gets open.

 

[35TangoTango]

But, as I said recently, moving does not help if players are doing it in a manner that causes separation from the defender and gets open.

Did you misword this? It looks the opposite of what I would think you meant to say.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Did you misword this? It looks the opposite of what I would think you meant to say.

Yep, sure did. I meant to say: But, as I said recently, moving does not help if players are NOT doing it in a manner that causes separation from the defender and gets open.

 

[keysersose]

Yep, sure did. I meant to say: But, as I said recently, moving does not help if players are NOT doing it in a manner that causes separation from the defender and gets open.

Does anyone collect statistics on the number of screens per possession? That would tell you how much motion there is.

 

[OKUman]

We have been running a motionless "motion offensive" for the past few seasons...

Right on Mac, I said to our group that Sherri was probably way ahead of other schools in running the "no motion offense". One of the points of it is for a player to receive a pass and stand in that spot bent over at the hips while holding the ball loosely in front of their knees until the defense knocks the ball lose.