Framework for Basketball Players and Coaches

The Framework’s Framework

We are providing a framework for growth and improvement.  We believe that a strong foundation in fundamentals will lead to success. The more we coach players, watch players be coached, and observe the game in general, the more we learn. The Read & React offense provided the inspiration to start the blog 8 years ago, but there is so much more to consider.  Culture, defense, transition, and individual skills are only a few of the topics we will address. We will cover other offensive systems too. Ask us questions and we will provide some ideas on how you might want to answer them but we don’t know your situation as well as you do. We want to provide a resource that will help coaches and players no matter what their system or philosophy. It’s about more than just Read and React. We want to improve the game. It’s about teaching and playing the game of basketball better.

Blog Beginnings

Since this blog started years ago as a discussion of the Read and React, we will start there. However, I promise we won’t stop there.  This is just a framework to start the conversation. We define the Read and React offense as a layered collection of offensive basketball concepts that give players with the ball the freedom and players without the ball the structure necessary to generate scoring opportunities in an unpredictable yet organized and coordinated manner.

Framework Basics

The layers that make up the Read and React offense provide the opportunity for coaches to implement a variety of different offensive strategies, while continuing to keep everyone on the same page. The first few layers are basic in some way to most any offensive system. The mastery of these basic layers, no matter the philosophy, will provide numerous scoring opportunities for teams at all levels. At the same time, as defenses become more advanced, advanced layers provide the complexity necessary to score against the best defensive schemes.

We want to allow players to utilize their strengths and hide their weaknesses while at the same time providing a cohesive framework for the team to function. However, simplicity does not imply that players will be able to execute it immediately. Offensive execution still requires breakdown and consistent practice. Players can learn to improve every day in team practices or individual workouts. Repetition can occur during offensive or defensive segments.

Whole practices can be designed for any type of player for any type of game plan or philosophy using this framework. When executed properly, fundamental offense will expose poor defensive habits in your team as well as your opponent. Execution of fundamental offense concepts will also expose individual and team weaknesses as well as provide a tool for improving both offensive and defensive skills. It is up to each coach to determine how they spend their time. However, we want to help you answer those questions in a ways that work for you.

Using Fundamentals as a Framework

Many coaches try to tailor their offensive playbook to their team’s strengths. Teaching players to play fundamental offense takes advantages of those strengths and improves those weaknesses. Now coaches can focus more time on devising defensive strategies for their teams.

The breakdown of these defensive strategies fits in with the design of the offense in such a way that allows each layer of offense and defense to be taught in an order and progression that builds a team’s whole system logically. Coaches can be more organized and efficient with limited practice time.

If we teach OFFENSE, as opposed to AN OFFENSE, players can use these fundamental habits in pick-up games anywhere they are. Teams and individuals can always practice team offense even if coaches aren’t around. It gives players structure for pick up games that still lets them “just play”. Also, the concepts are easily transferable from one player to another. Coaches may have to hammer the little details, but at least the players can have a general idea of how to play from each other. Knowing how to play offense is very simple. Executing it takes time and repetition.