Using Space to Teach Positionless Basketball

Let's take a moment and flush out some terminology related to the topic of positionless basketball.

What is Positionless Basketball?

Positionless Basketball is the term used to describe the style of play that includes all five (5) players on the court not having a particular position. You can go back to old school offensive systems like the Flex Offense, where all of your players are interchangeable, or the Wisconsin Swing, where all players are interchangeable. the CMU Wheel Offense where all players are interchangeable, and the Shuffle Offense, again, where all players are interchangeable.

Positionless Basketball is a little bit different in the fact that positionless basketball is focused on teaching all of the players the same skills. For example, guard typically run the offense, handle the ball, attack the paint and distribute to others. The forwards and posts would have much different tasks and play specific positions on the floor. In a Positionless Basketball style, all 5 players would handle the ball, attack the paint, shoot the 3, and set up shop in the paint.

Positionless Basketball in the NBA

For almost a decade now, we have watched the NBA game transform to an uptempo game with the traditional post players moving to a "Stretch 4" position, where they set the high ball screen and flare to a 3, or dribble hand-off on the perimeter. We have guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Love, Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Davis, and Kristaps Porzingas to name a few. These players, in traditional offensive sets would set up in the post, with their back to the basket and be asked to produce high-percentage shots. However, in today's game, they're stepping out hitting the 3, putting the ball on the ground and attacking the rim.

If we use Kevin Durant as an example, he's the epitome of an athlete playing in a positionless style game. In the 90s, Kevin Durant would have been a back to the basket player simply because of his height and length.

Don't get me wrong, the back to the basket player still have their place in the game, however, at the highest level, the game is moving away from the traditional back to the basket player.

Rick Carlisle, former coach of the Dallas Mavericks regarding the question why 7'3 Kristaps Porzingas isn't in the post using his height. Carlisle states, "The Postups not a good play anymore. it's not a good play for a 7'3 guy. It's a low value situation. Our numbers are substantially better when we space him beyond the 3-point line. When any of our guys go in there, our effectiveness is diminished exponentially. It's counter intuitive, I understand that, but it's a fact. I think there are certain situations when we could get him on a roll into the paint going toward the rim, it's a good situation. We have to realize this game has changed, and we're trying to keep our offense efficient."

Positionless Basketball in the NCAA

The NCAA also has smaller mid-major teams find great success in moving to the positionless basketball style of play. If we look at NCAA Men's Basketball team statistics, we don't see Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan State or Kansas at the top of any major statistics. They flat out have the best players in the nation that make plays. For teams without athletes that can make plays, there are systems that are really difficult to defend.

Some of the teams that see a great deal of success in the NCAA without a dominant post include Fruman, Davidson, South Dakota State, Colgate, VMI and Dayton.

All of these teams have moved to an unconventional 5-out style of play. They move their bigger athletes out to the free throw line for high-post dribble-hand off plays, back door cuts to the perimeter players, and attacking the gaps. All of these are happening within constant motion of the players along the perimeter.

Gonzaga uses a 5-out ball screen continuity offense, that incorporates a lot of ball screens between their big man and the point guard, as well as dribble hand-off action between the big and the guard. All of this is creating switching situations, and eventually has a 6'1 guard defending a 6'11 player for a flash to the basket or a duck-in action. The offense is designed to create as many mismatches a possible within a shotclock.

Postionless Basketball in High School

There are a lot of teams that we could write about, but we'll write about a team that we know of in the northern Wisconsin area. The 2003 State Champions, the Ladysmith Lumberjacks ran a 5-out read-and-react offense that was built on constant motion, back cuts, cut and fill action, as well as attacking gaps. Their biggest athlete was 6'2 and score the most points out of this style of play. When he cut through from the top, he filled the corner, his defender was typically a post player and rim protector. While the rim protector set in place to defend the drive or basket cuts, our 6'2 athlete was a very good shooter and would get boatloads of 3s from the corners. This offense was the driving force behind making them extremely hard to defend, as well as highly efficient by grinding down teams until they had a good shot.

If you get a chance to get down to the Wisconsin State Championship, you'll see a lot of schools running a 5-out positionless style of play. Neenah, DI state champion and Pewaukee, D2 state champion, both run a 5-out style of play. These schools typically run an open-post style of play to combat the teams with dominant posts that block shots and control the game in the paint.

The Benefits of Positionless Basketball

There are many pros to the positionless style of play. We'll go through them in a brief list to help you understand why a team should run a positionless style of play, vs a position-based style of play.

Open the Paint: One of the primary reasons is to open the paint. There are many ways to score out of an empty-post offense. You can attack the gaps, or create double gaps through your constant motion, and away screens. This opens up the paint, and locks up the backside help. They have to abandon their defensive principles to defend the post, and create close-out and scramble situations constantly throughout the entire game. This is very difficult for teams to defend for 4 quarters or 40 minutes of 20 minute halves.
Creates Mismatches: Another benefit of running a positionless style of play, is by utilizing constant motion, teams will start switching so the paint-dominant players can stick closer to the paint, protect the basket and alter shots. This creates mismatches when a 5'8 shooter makes a backcut, and the 6'4 slow and lumbering post player switches off and swing the ball to the 5'8 athlete, you now have a 6'4 lumbering player trying to defend a quick sharpshooting 5'8 guard on the perimeter. Vice versa is also true, a 6'4 athlete makes a cut, and a 5'8 guard switches onto them, you can have the 6'4 athlete create a seal and lob situation. While this could be considered a "post up" it's a 5-out action turned into a mismatch situation.
Teaches Players How to Play: This type of system allows players to learn how to play the game, read defenders, read their teammates, and make plays based on space, versus a particular position. If the athlete's are 5'7 or 6'7, they're all learning how to handle the ball, make the pass, break the press, attack the rim, and spot up to take the open shot. This becomes increasingly difficult for teams to defend when you have 5 players on the court that can pass, dribble, and shoot with a high level of efficiency.
Makes Substitutions and Game Management Easier: It's now easier to develop 5 to 7 athletes with one practice plan, than it is to break out the players into posts, and guards to teach them how the guards should operate in a system, and how posts will operate in a system. Where this tends to become an issue is when your post players get into foul trouble, you may need to run 4 guards or 5 guards instead of the double-post system. Your guards may not be able to operate in the double-post system or single post system. Instead, the focus is developing athletes to "operate" in any spot on the floor, this includes breaking the press, on the perimeter, making a cut, attacking the rim, catching a back cut, creating a seal, or catching a kick out. All of these are essential aspects of a free flowing style of play, but requires athletes to "operate" in these various spots on the floor. Additionally, managing injuries, ineligible players, or the flu bug is easier to manage when every player can pass, dribble, shoot and defend at any position on the floor.

The Negatives of Positionless Basketball

There are multiple negatives of positionless basketball that do become a detriment to today's game. We'll cover the most important aspects that deem negative to today's game.

Poor Rebounding Position: If all of your players are in a 5-out alignment, a shot that goes up, all 5 players are at a disadvantage to crashing the offensive glass.
Low Skill Level: I see this all the time in a team that wants to run Dribble Drive Offense. It is in the name, "Dribble-Drive." What may look great on paper and sound great in theory, you still need the proper skill level to execute the Dribble-Drive Offense. You need players that can "Dribble", and you need players that can use the dribble to "Drive." While you created great double gaps, opened the paint, and created mismatches you still players to execute. The same goes for a 5-out offense focused on basket cuts, backdoor cuts, and shuffle cuts. You need players that can execute and are willing to make the pass to the cutter without turning the ball over. If you succeed in getting multiple paint touches on each possession, do you have players that can knock down the 3 to keep defenses honest and extended? Skill development is paramount when attempting to run a positionless style of offense.
Falling in Love with the 3: A lot of high school programs seem to fall in love with the 3. There are an estimated 70 possessions per game, up to 100 per game with higher tempo offenses. Nearly 50% of the FG attempts are from the 3-point line. The 2006 Meadow Heights Boys Basketball team in Iowa took 75 3-point shots, and made 36 on February 10th, 2006. They would go on to have mulitple 30+ 3PM games throughout the season, and go on to win the Missouri State Championship. That's an outlier, but teams' in today's game are attempting more and more 3 point shots while in the 5-out or positionless style of play. it's the easiest available shot, but not always the best shot. There are more progressions that take place in an positionless system that include attacking the gap and getting to the rim. While the 3 must be attempted to keep defense honest, falling in love with the 3 is detrimental to a lot of offensive systems.

How to Implement the Positionless Basketball System

There are a couple of really simple ways to implement the positionless basketball system.

Pick an Offensive System

1. Read and React: The easiest to teach, and easiest to learn is the Read and React Offense. This is a base 5-out system that has two actions.

(1) Pass & Basket Cut: The initial pass starts the offensive motion, immediately followed by a basket cut.
(2) Fill and Flow: The next player fills the spot the cutter just vacated, with a hard flash to the ball, or a backdoor cut if the defender is overplaying. The sequence continues with a series of cuts and fills.

The "Read and React" is a simple system to teach, the effectiveness is in how hard the players cut, and the ball handlers ability to deliver a quality pass. You read the defensive players position and make a pass. That's the extend of the offense. There are opportunities to attack gaps, get paint touches, and post up, should a mismatch present itself.

2. Circle Motion Offense: This is another simple 5-out offensive system, built on continuous ball movement and screening. 5-out circle motion focuses on making an entry pass, and an immediate "Butt Cut" or what we call at Rising Stars Basketball a "Circle Cut" where we're simply rubbing the defender by standing in the way, versus setting a firm screen. The opposite guard makes a "Circle Cut" to the rim, and the backside help defender has to make a decision, help on the cutter, or defender the corner filling the top. It's a very difficult offense to defend, opens the paint, and minimizes the amount of dribbles used to keep the offense flowing. Out of 5-Out Circle, we can run stagger screens, DHO (dribble hand off motion), or double flare screens, and even Spurs Motion Strong. Circle Motion has a lot of moving parts (ha ha).

Guard starts offense with an entry pass to the wing, and immediately sets a "Butt cut" for the opposite wing
Opposite Wing executes a really hard "Circle Cut" to the basket
The Opposite Corner sprints to the top, pulling their defender from help position, and prepares to swing the ball to the opposite side of the floor to continued motion

The "Circle Motion Offense" is a great way to ensures all players are interchangeable and can operate at any spot on the floor, can identify cutters, read defenses and attack gaps when pressure gets high.

3. Shuffle Motion Offense: The Shuffle Motion is another empty-post offense that leverages a player in the high-post spot on the floor. Upon entry of the ball from the top to the wing, the player in the high post, sets a screen for a "shuffle cut" which is a high-post back screen for the opposite wing. It's a very difficult offense to defend, simply because teams that play high-pressure defense "on the line, up the line" will get caught in the shuffle cut often. There are multiple moving parts, in this offense.

Entry Pass to the Wing to establish the strong side
High-Post backscreen to Shuffle Cut
The Opposite Wing will use the high-post screener to cut to the basket, if nothing is available, the wing will empty to the corner, creating the strong side.
The Point Guard, will screen away for the opposite corner, creating backside motion leaving the high-post player to have a free throw level clear out, or flash to the basket behind the help defenders.

The Shuffle Motion is much like the Wisconsin Swing, but the screen is set higher, and the floor is spread to open up dribble-drive opportunities or back door cuts.

4. Wisconsin Swing: The Wisconsin Swing Offense is very old offense that most programs in the state of Wisconsin run for its simplicity, and to limit the number of dribbles the players have to make. This is set up in a 4-out, 1-in type of set up. The 1-in, will always set the screen for the swing cut, then receive an immediate down screen from the player up top. The top players align in what is called the "Chute" of lane-line extended. The wings play at the level of the free throw line extended. There are continuous actions that take place, the video will help you see how it is ran.

Guard establishes strong side with an entry pass to a wing
Upon receipt of the ball, the player in the opposite side post will set the swing cut
The opposite side wing, will receive the screen for a swing cut, coming to the ballside block
The screener gets a down screen from the opposite side chute

The offense can continue with UCLA cuts, guard-to-guard ball screens, but the effectiveneness of this offense is predicated on the ability to swing the ball from side to side.

Whatever your flavor, if you want more dribbles, or less dribble,s there are multiple options to implement a positionless style of play.

Skills Needed to Establish A Positionless System

Passing: In any system, it is highly recommended to work on passing. We're not just talking about the chest pass, bounce pass, one-handed chest pass, one-handed bounce pass, or the two-handed overhead pass we learned in 3rd grade. We're talking about the pass hitting a cutter, and moving target. The bounce pass while reading the defense. The overhead two-handed pass on the skip to the corner shooter. The pass when you're in a full speed sprint requiring you to catch, and deliver a pass without traveling. The one-handed wrap pass into the post. These are all very important skills to develop in any offense, but specifically need to be sharp in a positionless system. There are a wide range of drills you can use for cutting, and too many we cannot possibly list all of them or share links to all of them. We do recommend finding at least 3 drills you can implement into your system to improve your ability to deliver quality passes for scores.
Cutting: This is a given, however, there are a lot of systems that have cuts that are half-effort, mostly because the cut isn't to achieve a score, but to move to the next spot in the offensive system for a screen or to space the floor. In a positionless system, you're looking to make cuts for two reasons (1) receive the ball for a score, or (2) fill a vacant spot and get 1-2 steps ahead of the defense. Cutting must be done with a full speed sprint, diving towards the basket with the end-goal to receive a pass for a score.
Scoring and Finishing: These are two separate skills, in my honest opinion. However, most coaches do lump them into one category. Scoring is the ability to score the ball anywhere near the ball, these are usually done by using one of many "scoring drills." Scoring drills include a layup, a reverse layup, a power slide, a floater, push shot, or jump hook - to name a few. Finishing drills are different in that fact that finishing is actually finishing the move. This could be done against a live body, against a blocking pad, or with two basketballs. We spend a great deal of our individual skill workouts with a bump or body at the end of the move. The primary reason for these drills is to help the athlete become accustomed to contact.
Rip & Go: This is something we spend a great deal of time on. The rip and go is the simple act of catching the ball, and "ripping" the ball or sweeping the ball across our shoe tops, and attacking the rim. The athletes should get used to constant movement, when the ball sticks, the defense is able to set and re-adjust. The Rip & Go, allows your offense to keep moving, keeping pressure on the defense, scrambling and looking to stop the ball. On average, 3 Rip & Go moves, tend to open up a back door cut or an open 3.
Stand Still Corner 3: The stand still corner 3 is the second highest percentage shot in the game of basketball. The highest is the layup. The second highest is the stand still corner 3. This isn't the flare screen corner 3, or the corner 3 on the move - this is a stand still corner 3 while the defense is packing the paint protecting the rim. Every week, we have our athletes shoot hundreds of 3s off of a Rip & Go.

Conclusion

If you're looking to implement a Positionless system, consider these tips and pointers to help you develop your positionless system. It does move your players away from the systematized position-based offense, to a skill-based offense focused on getting players into BETTER positions to score.

The drills and skills necessary are also a change, and move away from rehearsing plays each practice to get players into the right position for a layup. The fact remains, layups require a ton of patience against a good team, a good seal on the block is a great shot, but you get very few of them, and the back to the basket score is becoming increasingly difficult. The positionless system allows you to score at the rim, off of a cut, and from the perimeter as the focus is now on skill vs positions.

Consider reading the article "Teaching Skill vs Teaching Position" to learn more about the importance of the methodology.