With (50) Camps completed in 2019, it is time to reflect on what I observed this summer. I had the EXCELLENT experience of coaching (4) summer league games with teams that had me install the R&J Press. THAT WAS AWESOME and the results were MAGNIFICENT.
In one game against a very good opponent, we held that team to (17 points) in (40 minutes) forcing (35 turnovers). In another game, we were outsized greatly. The contest went to double overtime. ALL (4 games) the CHAOS WAS INTENSE, our opponents were fatigued, and they were NEVER allowed to run their offense. THEY WERE IN TOTAL SURVIVAL MODE! In each game, we ran the Run and Jump Press for the entire (40 minutes). We NEVER took it off, even in the Half Court. And YES- our teams were not only tired, they were EXCITED! They saw the POTENTIAL and the POWER of the Run and Jump Press. In every game, we probably ran the R&J at 20% effective. CAN YOU IMAGINE when the press gets to 50% or higher?
- The Run and Jump Press FEEDS ITSELF!
- The Run and Jump Press BUILDS ITSELF!
- The Run and Jump Press KEEPS GROWING!
- The Run and Jump Press CREATES EXCITEMENT!
I received a ton of emails and texts this summer, from coaches that had a blast implementing the Run and Jump Press and the stress and effect it had on their opponents. When I was coaching the teams, I could even hear some parents and fans yelling in the stands, some of the same key words I was yelling. PRESSURE -PRESSURE…RUN- RUN…ROTATE- ROTATE… – So, they were enjoying themselves as well. This is the EFFECT the Run and Jump Press can have on your program!
Below are some things I continued to see this summer and some statements and ideas you can use with yourself and your team:
RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN- DON’T REACH! -Every time the player reaches, their feet stop moving and very likely will get called for a foul (even when they don’t touch them). If they have the opponent running, they are SO in control- DON’T LOSE THAT CONTROL! Executing the R&J, I witnessed every game, a boat load of passes thrown STRAIGHT out of bounds- double dribbles- travels- missed and bad shots. TRUST ME- that is enough to GET IT DONE!! YOU DON’T NEED TO THINK STEAL!
NEVER GET BOGGED DOWN WITH THE DETAILS! As coaches, we preach and teach and correct and agonize and sweat over the little things. That is our nature. STOP! The more you do this the MORE THE PLAYERS THINK! The more they think, the slower they become. That proves to be counterproductive. GO MORE! THINK LESS! YES! Success us in the details, but it is HOW YOU GET THERE that is quite critical! HOW YOU TEACH THE R&J IS REALLY IMPORTANT!
PRESSING OFF MISSES IS REALLY IMPORTANT! This is not that difficult if you work on positioning and IMMEDIATE ball pressure. If you miss (6/10 shots) 40% FG, and do not press, you are allowing your opponent to walk the ball up with NO STRESS. This certainly reduces the EFFECTIVENESS of the Run and Jump Press! KEEP THE PRESSURE ON! RELENTLESS!
TRAP CORNERS – TRAP CORNERS – TRAP CORNERS! Whether you press into the half court or not (it IS higher RISK), you absolutely MUST teach Corner Trapping with proper rotation. We want our opponent to be scared to throw the ball into the corner. IT IS SUCH A GREAT DEFENSIVE WEAPON!
CONTINUE TO PREACH and TEACH THE ANGLES! So often, when we get in trouble, players take BAD ANGLES and therefore, get out of position. It is a process and they will get it. IT JUST TAKES TIME and REPETITION and CONVERSATION! With good angles of pursuit, you can really cause all the chaos you need and limit the risk. WORK – WORK – WORK ON THOSE ROTATIONS!
GOOD R&J PRESS CREATES GOOD SCORING OPPORTUNITIES! It seems that more and more programs are now suffering from players that don’t spend a lot of time, honing their offensive skills. THUS, THEY CAN’T SCORE VERY WELL! The Run and Jump Press gives your team the more opportunities to score. MORE POSSESSIONS and MORE LAYUPS EQUALS MORE SCORING!
PRESSING IS DEFINITELY A MINDSET AND CONTAGIOUS! First a mindset by the coaches that bleeds into the team. R&J PRESSING IS A PASSION TO BE DIFFERENT! To create a team and culture that NO ONE wants to play. But it MUST make sense to coaches and players alike. It must help create SUCCESS! Even if you lose a game, SUCCESS can still be achieved by how you played and dictated the game. When the players learn to love the Run and Jump Press because they can feel SUCCESS, it will spread like a wildfire! As coaches, we understand our job is to put the players in the best possible positions for SUCCESS! We should always be looking for short term situations and long term solutions. ALL COACHES AND PROGRAMS PRESS! The decision is HOW MUCH and WHAT KIND!
COACH EDDIE ANDRIST 