It goes without saying that basketball players who can score are always highly valued by coaches.
However, players who can create scoring opportunities for their teammates are arguably just as important as basket makers.
Jason Kidd.
Steve Nash.
John Stockton.
They all made the players around them better because they were able to distribute the ball to their teammates in prime scoring opportunities.
Their ability to score has meant that their teams have been able to score and win a lot over the years.
This article will discuss what assists are in basketball, why they are so important to your team’s success, and how you can help your team get more of them.
What is a helper in basketball?
A goal is a pass from a player to a teammate that leads directly into the field.
It is called an assist because a player “helps” another player to make a basket.
What is assistance?
Support is difficult to track because there are certain requirements and judgments associated with these statistics.
1. Dribbles
A goal can occur if a player receives a pass and dribbles “short” before scoring.
While there is no definitive rule on how many dribbles are allowed to count as an assist, the consensus seems to be that if a pass results in 2 or fewer points per dribble, it is considered an assist.
2. Only 1 transfer
Only a pass that leads directly to the basket counts as an assist.
In some sports, such as ice hockey, it is possible for more than one player to record an assist in a game if more than one assist results in a point.
However, in basketball, only the last pass leading down the court is actually recorded as a player’s assist.
3. Free throws
In general, passes only count if the pass leads to the field.
Thus, if a pass is made to a player and that player is fouled during the shot but does not make the shot, no pass can be made, even if the player hits both. free throws.
There is an exception in FIBA where an assist can be counted without a field goal foul as long as the player makes at least one free throw.
Why are aids important?
Scoring is important in basketball because it means the team shares the basketball.
The more players create and score goals for your team, the harder it is to stop your team’s attack.
Your team doesn’t have to have a certain percentage of field goals on target, as it depends a lot on the offense you run.
However, if your team assists more than 60% of the goals, chances are you have a pretty good attacking team.
Ideas for increasing support in your team.
Like most offensive skills, assists won’t just grow naturally for your team unless you do something to boost them during practice.
Here are some ideas to increase the number of assists you see per game:
1. Praise the Great Passage
The #1 thing coaches can do to help their teams realize the importance of passing to open teammates is to praise the pass as much as the pass.
From an early age, players place more importance on scoring goals than anything else that happens on the court.
You can have a big impact on changing that mindset if you make sure to congratulate players who make good passes to their teammates for good shots, even if the shot doesn’t go in.
2. Ball exercises
It may sound overly simplistic, but a player must be able to see the floor in order to pass to a cutting teammate for a basket.
That won’t happen if they’re looking at the ball while dribbling.
Players must be able to handle the ball adequately with both hands so that they can see scoring opportunities when they happen and not too late.
There are many, many ways players become comfortable handling the ball with both hands exercises with the ball.
Practicing a variety of 1 or 2 ball dribbling drills, both stationary and moving in the air or against the defense, are ways to force your players to control the ball while keeping their heads up and setting up their teammates for scoring opportunities.
3. A variety of transition exercises
A goal requires a pass that leads to a point, so obviously the passing part of it is important.
First, help your players understand the importance of being able to pass on time and on target.
Shooters like to throw the ball in their pockets when they square up, so being ready to throw passes when and where they need to be thrown is a must.
They also need to be able to do this while applying pressure, so including the defender to make them happen passing exercises more like a game is a necessary challenge that includes whenever possible.
3. Finishing drills
There is nothing more frustrating as a receiver than making a perfect pass to a teammate only to have them miss the point. arrangement.
These are the kinds of results that can cause players to stop passing altogether, or at least some teammates.
So make sure all of your players have to work on tackling defenders and communicating around the rim, especially simulating action in your attack.
This way, they are more likely to finish the play after receiving a pass from a teammate, which will keep your team from passing.
Conclusion
Assists are a difficult statistic because it requires two different players;
The host must find a teammate with a scoring opportunity, and that player must finish the game with a made basket.
But an assist is also one of the most important stats in basketball because it means your team is finding the open player and creating good scoring opportunities for each other.
That’s why your players need to work on dribbling, passing and finishing in order to get a lot of assists per game.
Because, as a general rule, the more assists your team can accumulate in their prepared baskets, the more powerful the attacking team will be.
