FIBA EUROPE

COACHES - OFFENSE

HOW TO START
by Dusan Ivkovic

THE GAME
Dusan Ivkovic started his coaching career
in 1978 with Partizan Belgrade. He then
coached Radnicki Belgrade, Sibenka
Sibenik, Vojvodina Novi Sad (Yugoslavia),
Aris Thessaloniki, PAOK Thessaloniki,
Panionios Athens, Olympiacos Athens and
AEK Athens (Greece) and CSKA Moscow.
He is currently the head coach of Dynamo
Moscow. During his career he won one
Yugoslavian National Championship, two
Greek National Championships, and three
Russian National Championships; one
Yugoslavian National Cup, three Greek
National Cups, and one Russian National
Cup; one Euroleague, two Saporta Cups,
and one Korac Cup. He also coached the
Yugoslavian National Team, winning three
gold medals at the 1989, 1991 and 1995 FIBA
European Championship, a gold medal at
the 1990 FIBA World Championship, and
two silver medals at the 1988 and 1996
Olympic Games.

What is the best way to approach a decisi-

ve game, a game that puts coach and
players under great psychological and com-
petitive pressure? Many of these games
decide the ultimate destiny of a coach.
Preparing for an important game that has to
be won is extremely difficult. How do you
gain the advantage over an opponent when
the game is played on their home court?
How do you beat a team that has players,
who are equally talented to your own, who
match up in size and speed? Here are some
of my thoughts on what can be done, star-
ting right at the beginning of the game.
Although it's hard to resist, I've never looked
forward to a quick and easy lead of ten or
more points at the beginning of the game. As
a rule, there is a drop in concentration of
your players and it's only a matter of time
before the opponent starts to score baskets
and ties the game. I never use a newly desi-
gned offense or defense at the beginning of
the game. That's because I know that my
opposing coach will read my strategy and
quickly make changes in his offense or
defense. The easily achieved points from
the new offenses or defenses are ones that
I want to save for key game moments, when
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FIBA EUROPE
COACHES - OFFENSE

D.1

D.2

the game has slowed down, for example. In this 2) A well organized defense transition that, at
way I have a new solution when a basket is least until the foul bonus, will limit the oppo-
desperately needed. One should patiently wait nent's fastbreak points.
until the second half, giving the opponents little
time to adapt to your changes. Key mismatch This is the offense set that I most often use to
situations should be exploited at this time. start the game. The initial set has to be the one
The introduction of the 8-second and 24-second that players use while in a fastbreak (diagr. 1).
rules into the FIBA competitions has been a The playmaker, 1, is at the elbow position, 5, a
positive move, making the game more aggressi- dominant center, is in the low post, with 2, the
ve, increasing the number of stolen balls. shooting guard, at the same side, placed in the
D.3 Offensive output has increased (12.5 points per triangle with 1 and 5. 4, the power forward, is at
game in women's competitions and 14 points the high post and he has to receive the ball after
per game in men's competitions), and shooting an aggressive cut within four or five seconds of
percent has not fallen. We now have fewer starting the offense. 3, the other forward on the
games with low scores. In the past, many obser- help side, should be active and ready if the
vers considered low-scoring games the conse- defense tries to deny the first pass to 4 and work
quence of good defense. However, what turned with him. After the pass by 1 to 4, 2 running at full
out to be the case was that there were too few speed, uses the screens of 5 and 3 and changes
opportunities for well-executed offensive plays! his position from one to the other side.
The 8-second and 24-second rule hasn't affec- In this introductory offensive setting, a coach
ted my coaching philosophy a great deal. should not look for solutions at the left offensive
Aggressive defense from baseline to baseline side if the opposing team aggressively contests
D.4
has always been my desire. My offensive stra- there and doesn't let a pass go to 3 in the low-
tegies have remained the same. My objective post position (diagr. 2) or if ball is passed to 2 in
has always been to score more than 50 percent the corner (diagr. 3 and 4). If the ball is not pas-
of our points from the fastbreak and secondary sed to the left side, and 4 has the ball, then there
offense. This will bring us the highest shooting is a down screen for 1 and a pass to 5, while 4
percentage as well. That said, choosing the immediately attacks the basket with a backdoor
right offense is a decisive factor for game con- cut, using the back screen of 3. In the meantime,
trol and a successful score. 1 goes in the corner to create more space (diagr.
The half-court offense should be balanced. I will 5). When 1 sets the second screen for 4 to recei-
tell my players, jokingly, that at least at the ve the ball in the low-post area, 5 passes to 4, 3
beginning of the game they all have the possibi- screens 2, and immediately after the pass, 5
D.5 lity to touch the ball. Cutting without ball should screens for 2 (diagr. 6). I believe that this deser-
be executed by all players in order to provide ves further analysis. In modern basketball,
continuity and passing flow. My initial setting where vertical cutting towards the basket and
must impose its own style of playing: screens dominate, we have three horizontal
1) On offense, have a "post up" game with a screens. 4 has the option to shoot from the cor-
strong rebounding triangle and good balan- ner; he may pass to 2, so he can shoot; or he can
ce, which will lead to make a "U" cut around the screener or 1, after
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D.6

D.7

D.8

the screen is made for 4, makes a back screen tall) or talented shot blockers, then the post 4
for 5 and 5 receives the ball under the basket and 5 should exchange their positions. If you
(diagr. 7). have a good shooter in the 5 position, someone
D.9 In early 1990s, when coaching PAOK like Victor Alexander, then he could go in the
Thessaloniki (Greece), I had a player at the 4 corner, which would force the shot blocker to
position, who was excellent at reading the follow him to the corner as well, taking his
offensive situations. After the shot from the defensive presence out of the three-second
corner by 5, Fassoulas, the famous Greek cen- lane. This creates space under the basket and
ter, often used the back screen of 1, Korfas, the opportunities to score inside.
playmaker, and went aggressively to the
basket to rebound. He was a master at reading ANOTHER OFFENSIVE SET
the defense and he knew that after a fake pass 1 is positioned at the left elbow; the power
towards 2, Prelevic, the guard, would receive a forward 4 is on the low post on the left; the
back screen from Korfas to play one-on-one, shooting guard 2 is on the left side; 5, the cen-
with the possibility of an easy dunk on the other ter, is in the middle post, on the right side; and
D.10 side of basket. 2 and 3, along with 4 and 5, must the forward 3 is at the high post on the right
be always aggressive rebounders, while 1, side. 3 makes a screen for 5, who receives the
with 2 or 3, should be ready to run back on ball at the high post. 3 opens up at a 45-degree
defense and prevent the fast break. It is often angle. 2, 4, and 1 run into "flex" movement on
possible in this set offense to change some, the left side of the court (diagr. 8). 5 passes the
sometimes even all, playing positions. If the ball to 4 at the high post, and 4 then passes to 1
opponent has extremely tall players (over 7 feet at the left side of the court. In the continuation

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FIBA EUROPE
COACHES - OFFENSE

D.11

D.12

D.13

D.14

D.15

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of the offense, 2 makes a back screen for 3 diagr. 16. Another option: After the clear out of 3,
(diagr. 9). If 3 has not gone under the basket, who goes to the opposite corner, and the pene-
then 1 and 4 play pick-and-pop. 2 sets the back tration of 1, kick off pass can be made to 2 or 3
screen for 5 and 3 sets a back screen for 4 (diagram 17 and 18). While finishing up this arti-
(diagr. 10). cle on a Sunday in January, I have the statistics
In this situation 1, the player with the ball, has from yesterday’s game in front of me. In this
the possibility to shoot from a pick-and-roll. He year’s Russian Super League, my team
also has four pass options. If none of these (Dynamo Moscow) had a bad start and after the D.16
options work, the ball is passed to the post side first part of the season (13 rounds) we had lost 4
(diagr. 11). If the ball goes to 3 and the defenders times. If we had lost a fifth game, we would cer-
switch (after the back screen), there is a 1-on-1 tainly not have any chance for achieving a good
possibility (diagr. 12). Please note that I prefer position in the play-offs, and this means in the
that pick-and-roll plays not be the chosen offen- first four places. We have lost the game versus
se at the beginning of the match. Khimki in the first part of the championship with
The early offense is flowing on the offensive 5 points of difference. We should win the game
position directly from the primary break: after away, beating the team that in a game of the
the pass to 5 in the low post, 3 cuts around 5 FIBA Euroleague beat Juventud Badalona with
with the possibility of a hand-off pass and an 24 points of difference. We won the game 87 to
easy shot under the basket. 1 replaces 3, and 71 and our defense functioned perfectly. In all
D.17
the second big player 4 makes a screen for the categories of the shoot we achieved better per-
guard 2 (diagr. 13). If, when 5 receives the ball in centage, we controlled defense, and in the
the low-post position and plays 1-on-1, he then offense details we had almost 100% of success.
drives hard to the middle of the three-second Most points we scored from the fast break, 37
lane. The players move as shown in diagr. 14. points, and in the early fast break 13 points, so in
However, if 5 drives hard to the baseline, the total 50 points, ie. 57% of all points scored.
cuts and moves of the rest of his teammates are
shown in diagr. 15. When the 5 is guarded in These are just a few of my thoughts. Remember
front and he cannot receive the ball from 1, or that the game is a live creature and things chan-
when the power forward 4 is aggressively con- ge quickly on the court, often in the blink of an
tested at the top of the key, we teach 4 to make eye. The role of the coach is to set the structure
a backdoor cut or a quick exchange of position of the game right at the beginning, leaving the D.18
with 2. He will receive the ball, as shown in many options to the great players on the court.
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