It is no secret that scoring is an integral part in the game of Basketball. After all, the main objective of the sport is to shoot the ball in a basket. For this exact reason, teams formulate countless offensive strategies to score points on the court, one of which is transition offense.
Transition in basketball is when a change of possession occurs because of a defensive stop, which gives the team on defense a sudden scoring opportunity. The goal of this offense is to make a basket as fast as possible. Still, it entails more than just darting across the court to score. So, here are a couple of ways that will help you and your team pull it off.
Transition Offense: Running a Quick, Efficient Scoring Charge
- Breakaway finish
The easiest scoring option in the transition basketball selection is the breakaway finish. It is simply a wide open, straight line drive towards the rim. Now while it may sound simple, creating an opportunity for such an easy basket is where the hard part comes into play.
The breakaway finish starts on defense when a team pressures the opposing ball handler before coming up with a steal, block or pass interception. After making a defensive stop, the player who takes possession of the loose ball will have to leave the opposition in the dust with a quick drive towards the basket.
The breakaway finish is also the play that often leads to highlight reel moves in high level leagues or competitions. Since it is basically a free trip to the basket, athletic players use it as a chance to showcase their dunking prowess.
- Numbered break
If the breakaway finish is about outrunning the defense, the numbered break revolves around using strength in numbers and finding the open man for a quick basket. Much like the previous transition offense, this one also relies on a team forcing a defensive stop on the opposition. Once a change in possession occurs, not everyone gets to sprint back to the other end since the transition happens in an instant. Now this is where you play the numbers game.
If you see a number advantage when it comes to players involved in transition, the first thing to do is pass the ball around while running down the floor. Since the opponents are shorthanded, they will have a hard time deciding who to cover, causing defensive lapses that the offensive team can exploit to find the open man near the basket.
In high level competitions, a numbered break can also lead to a wide open triple, which is hard to come by due to the hard-nosed defensive approach towards shooters. So, this gives a team several scoring options to choose from. Just make sure that the team knows where to position the shooters in a fast break to avoid confusion. All in all, unselfish basketball is the name of the game for this transition offense.
Instant Offense
Transition offense is all about making lightning quick decisions for instant results. So, if you and the team you are playing for gets to master it, easy baskets will surely come your way!