Nba Coaches Playbook. Techniques, Tactics, and Teaching Points

About the Product

The Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash shines in running the break, but how do his teammates know where to go to get open to receive his passes? Orlando’s Dwight Howard is a tremendous talent in the post, but how has he improved and added new dimensions to his game? And how is it that Utah’s Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer run the screen-and-roll as smoothly as Jazz legends John Stockton and Karl Malone did years before?

Coaching. Yes, even in a league loaded with superior athletic talent, the teaching, tactical maneuvers, and strategies provided by NBA coaches are second to none. And as younger, sometimes less mature and less experienced players from all over the world have entered the league, those coaching skills are more diverse and better honed than ever before.

Now NBA Coaches Playbook takes you into the practice sessions and sideline huddles with detailed Xs and Os and more from the game’s best at maximizing performance on the court. Let the likes of Phil Jackson, Mike D’Antoni, Avery Johnson, Stan Van Gundy, George Karl, Eddie Jordan, Mike Dunleavy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and many other head and assistant coaches provide you with new insights to benefit your own team and individual players.

About the Editor

Founded in 1976, the National Basketball Coaches Association membership is a who’s who in coaching: Every coach in the league is a member. Through the Celtics-Lakers rivalry in the 1980s, the 1992 Team USA Dream Team, and the unparalleled skill and marketing power of Michael Jordan through the 1990s, the National Basketball Association has become the world's most famous sports league over the past 25 years. Its coaches represent the top instructors and game technicians in the sport. They have mastered not only how to coach the world's top athletes but how to strategize and scheme against other world-class athletes and coaches as well.

Giorgio Gandolfi is editor in chief of FIBA Assist magazine, the primary magazine of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Gandolfi has served as a European consultant for the NBCA and has been a member of the Italian Basketball Federation Coaches Association since 1974. He has authored one book with the NBCA (NBA Coaches Handbook) and two editions of the book with the National Basketball Players Association (Hoops: The Official National Basketball Players Association Guide to Playing Basketball).

Table of Contents

Part I: Individual Offense

Chapter 1. Shooting Techniques - Hal Wissel
Chapter 2. Perimeter Moves - Stan Van Gundy
Chapter 3. Post Moves - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Chapter 4. Screens and Screen Plays - Phil Johnson

Part II: Team Offense

Chapter 5. Attacking Offense - Avery Johnson
Chapter 6. Triangle Offense - Phil Jackson and Tex Winter
Chapter 7. Princeton Offense - Eddie Jordan and Pete Carril
Chapter 8. Flex Offense - Ruben Magnano

Part III: Fast Break

Chapter 9. Fast-Break Principles - George Karl and Doug Moe
Chapter 10. Primary and Secondary Breaks - Mike D’Antoni, Alvin Gentry, and Marc Iavaroni

Part IV: Special Plays

Chapter 11. High-Percentage Plays - Lionel Hollins
Chapter 12. Out-of-Bounds Plays - Brendan Malone
Chapter 13. Last-Second Scoring Plays - Dave Wohl

Part V: Individual and Team Defense

Chapter 14. On-the-Ball Pressure - Mike Fratello
Chapter 15. Full-Court Pressure - Jim O’Brien
Chapter 16. Defensive Strategies - Del Harris

Part VI: Coaching Essentials

Chapter 17. Productive Practices - Lawrence Frank
Chapter 18. Game Preparation - Mike Dunleavy and Jim Eyen
Chapter 19. Player Development - Kevin Eastman
Chapter 20. Player and Coach Motivation - Scott Skiles and John Bach
Chapter 21. Modern Conditioning Methods - Rich Dalatri

Words of Praise

"NBA Coaches Playbook is exceptional! It covers every facet of basketball, from individual and team drills to strategy and coaching philosophy. I recommend it to basketball coaches at all levels."

Steve Smith - Head Basketball Coach, Oak Hill Academy

"The basketball knowledge and experience available in this book are outstanding! You'll use this fundamental basketball information throughout the season, year after year."

Van Chancellor - Women's Basketball Head Coach, Louisiana State University

"Technical instruction, practice tips, drills, offensive attacks, special plays, and defensive tactics, all from great basketball minds that know what does and doesn't work. NBA Coaches' Playbook is a must-have in any serious coach's library."

Rick Pitino - Men's Basketball Head Coach, University of Louisville