THE ONE SECOND ADVANTAGE

As basketball players we should always try to gain a one second advantage. We can do so by using screens, moving on penetration, moving defenders with fakes, etc. Often that one second advantage is the difference between getting a great shot and having a shot contested or coming up with an empty possession and not even getting a shot off at all.

While it's important to create that one second advantage, it's equally as important to maintain it. The following are some habits that cause players to lose their one second advantage:

• where a one second advantage is created by moving a defender with a jab fake; and losing it by driving wide around the defender allowing the defender to recover

• catching a pass with straight legs, then forces the player to have to bend down to load for the shot (which takes one second); and losing their one second advantage for that open shot

• off the ball, standing still on penetration and therefore not gaining the one second advantage from the space or separation that's created when the helping defender hedges to slow down that penetration

(Thanks Coach Mike MacKay, Manager of Coach Education and Development for Canada Basketball and Chad Songy)