Coaches’ Corner- 10 Questions About the Shot Clock Coaches Must Answer

In Illinois, high school basketball will be adding the shot clock next season. Every coach has watched colleges and the pros play with the shot clock so I am sure most coaches have a few strategies in mind as they prepare for the season. Here are 8 questions that each coach must answer in regards to the shot clock…

1- On offense, what will be your “shot clock warning” system to make the players aware the clock is winding down? 

You need to decide if you want the players on the floor watching the clock or if you want the players on the bench to send a warning. You need to decide if the players on the bench are going to start counting down the clock or if you want them yelling some code to the players. 

2- On offense, when do you want to send a warning about the shot clock?

Do you want the offense on the floor to hear a warning at 12 seconds, 10 seconds, 8 seconds, or what? 

3- On offense, what do you want to run at the end of the shot clock? 

Do you want to have 1-2 set plays that are called at 10 seconds? If a guard has the ball do you want someone to come ball screen? If a post has the ball, do you want to run a dribble handoff?

4- On defense, do you want to send a warning to your team at the end of the shot clock?

Do you want your bench doing exactly the same as they would if you were on offense? Do you want to switch everything when the shot clock gets down to a certain level? Do you want to switch your defense when the clock gets down to a certain level- go from zone to man, or go from man to zone?

5- On defense, is your goal to get shot clock violation? 

Do you want to implement defenses and presses to slow the other team down- 2-2-1 3/4 press or 1-2-2 3/4 court press, play zone instead of man in half court? Do you want to keep a stat of how many shot clock violation you are creating?

While all of these things seem to add a new wrinkle to high school basketball, you have to ask if you want your defense to slow the tempo of the game. If your style is to play slow that may be something you want to do. If your style is to create tempo, it really doesn’t make sense to now try to slow the game defensively. 

6- On offense, how and when will you delay?

What situations will you want to delay- up 7 with 3 minutes to go, up 3 with one minute to go? Will you have your players practice winding the clock down to 10 seconds before they shoot or will you decide just run your regular offense and shoot earlier? 

If you get the ball at the end of a quarter with 34 seconds, will you always go for one shot?

7- Will you work on 2 for 1 at the end of quarters? 

If you get the ball with 50 seconds to go in a period, will you try to go 2 for 1? How will time and score impact what you want to do?

8- Do you have late shot clock plays for under ob’s, side ob’s, and full court ob’s? 

9- How will you define a “grenade” and what rules will you have?

A grenade is when one offensive player passes the ball to a teammate so late in the shot clock that the receiver just has to throw the ball at the basket. Will you have a rule that when the shot clock gets to a certain time that a player is expected to shoot and cannot pass? What is the time frame? Will you chart a start of how many grenades a given player throws?

10- What is too much time and what is not enough time when it comes to practicing shot clock situations?

Is it possible that you will over react to the implementation of the shot clock, and lose focus on what has been important for your teams in the past?