Cross-Training idea

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

In thinking about a guy like Ant, who is a pretty poor off-ball cutter, I started wondering whether there is any merit in NBA players cross-training with an NFL wide receivers coach (or even some of the players themselves during their offseason). If you think about some of the best wide receivers, a HUGE part of their success is running good patterns and creating separation in tight spaces. And they obviously don't have the ball when doing this.

I think it'd be kind of fun to see guys like Okogie, Culver, and Ant spend some time in offseason workouts with the likes of Jefferson and Thielen and a WR coach. We already know our beloved Wolves will be free and clear of any playoff duties come May!

[Coolbreeze44]

We actually get the football out during some practices and have the kids practice shagging their defenders and receiving the ball. Not only does it teach ways to free yourself, it also aids in developing hand-eye coordination. Plus they love doing it on the basketball court.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

We actually get the football out during some practices and have the kids practice shagging their defenders and receiving the ball. Not only does it teach ways to free yourself, it also aids in developing hand-eye coordination. Plus they love doing it on the basketball court.

Interesting, so I'm not crazy to think this then. Now imagine actually having a professional WR coach along with Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson running organized drills like this with Wolves players!

[FNG]

I would be in favor of this, but only if they also hired Dan Bailey to help Culver and Vando with free throw accuracy ;-) .

An interesting idea, Q, but I think a better solution is coaching. We get frustrated as fans when we see players standing around on offense. And many of us play(ed) the game, and remember how annoying and tiring it is to guard a guy who is constantly moving without the ball. Ryan needs to hold players accountable for this. He needs to tell Ant that playing time is dependent on a number of factors, and moving without the ball is one of them. Ant needs to know he's liable to get benched if he stands around. We have some excellent passers in Rubio, D-Lo, KAT et al, and they will find a cutter if he is working hard enough. There are a lot of deficiencies in Jake Layman's game, but the coaches need to point him out as a role model for moving without the ball...the guy is in constant motion on offense.

[Coolbreeze44]

Playing off the ball is something I specialize in as a coach. I know how it's done and what type of offense facilitates it. Here's the problem with the Wolves approach. Most of their sets are predicated on spacing the floor. There is nothing wrong with that except the Wolves don't allow any real movement except for basket cuts. Occasionally you will see a player replace himself to get the ball, but other than that individual player movement is really restricted off-ball. Now (in my best Hubie Brown voice), the Wolves aren't the only team that plays this way. But the Wolves offense is designed for a team that can shoot lights out from behind the arc. If we ever assemble the required stable of shooters, combined with good ball movement, our offense can work. Especially with KAT drawing attention in the painted area. But the main point is, there isn't supposed to be a lot of player movement off the ball in this offense.