Implementing a Conceptual Offense with Limited Practice Time

Coach Niels Vandeput serves as the Head Coach for BC Grimbergen U18 in Belgium and has been a member of Basketball Immersion for several years. He conducts two training sessions each week, with each session lasting 1.5 hours. As a coach who has adapted and adopted ideas from the Basketball Immersion conceptual basketball offense, we wanted to highlight the possibilities for coaches around the world.

Even with limited practice time, Niels and his team have achieved success running a conceptual basketball offense using ideas gained from Basketball Immersion. Time-on-task, active learning time, skipping the fluff, constraints and game based practices, all have helped Niels and other coaches succeed. Niels is dispelling the misconception that effectively utilizing the constrain led approach and implementing a conceptual offense is impossible with limited practice time. Applying these concepts can yield impressive player and team development outcomes.

Here are questions we asked Niels, and his answer below each question, to help you think deeper about conceptual offense.

Basketball Immersion – What do you like the most about conceptual offense?

This offensive structure is easily adaptable, allowing players to learn to read and respond to the dynamics of the game without relying on fixed patterns. Given its positionless nature, it is particularly beneficial for youth development. Players are encouraged to engage in all positions, thereby acquiring the necessary skills for each role.

A pertinent illustration of the significance of this approach in youth development can be drawn from one of my players. At the U12 and U14 levels, he was 20 cm taller than his teammates, but by the U18 level, he has become one of the smallest players on the team. Initially, he played primarily in the post, but through his involvement in this conceptual offense, he has cultivated a diverse skill set that includes dribbling, driving, finishing, and shooting three-pointers.

Where did you start to implement the offense? What did you do in the first few practices of the season?

I became a member of Basketball Immersion. It is that simple. My learning and understanding took off. And I started implementing concepts from the BDT offense in the 2020-2021 season with my U16 team. I started by implementing the base spacings and the dominoes concepts which acted as our first principles of play.

Initially, we employed blast cuts as our primary trigger for engaging in dynamic 1-on-1 play, focusing on the concept of executing actions in zero seconds (shoot, drive, or pass immediately). We integrated the principles of the two-sided fastbreak into our transition offense. Once the players became accustomed to these concepts, we began to cultivate our first two-player trigger known as the “Get.” I utilized the BDT Offense as the foundation for our entire program, ensuring that all our practice activities were derived from various components of the Basketball Immersion Conceptual Offense course.

What SSGs do you use the most at practice?

Initially, we focused on 2-on-1 and 3-on-2 shooting drills to enhance players’ abilities to identify and execute high-value shots. At first, they faced challenges in recognizing and taking open shots early in the offensive sequence, often displaying hesitation when opportunities arose. To address this, we implemented constraints to encourage players to become more adept at seeking these valuable scoring chances.

To foster solutions from various triggers, we engaged in numerous 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 drills with varying spacing and floor locations, emphasizing repetition without redundancy. In this context, we also applied constraints to the defense to develop specific coverage strategies for the offense.

Once players gained a foundational understanding of the available coverage options, we introduced a modified version of Battleships to further integrate trigger usage within a 4-on-4 or 5-on-5 framework. Recently, I adopted a new iteration of Battleships where one team assigns ships to the opposing team that they must attempt to sink. I observed that this format intensifies defensive efforts, as players strive to thwart the offense’s objectives. This approach fosters a highly competitive training atmosphere, which is advantageous for preparing for high-pressure game situations.

If another club from Belgium watched your practice, what do you think they would find most interesting?

The lack of drills or any on-field activities to develop techniques and skills is notable. Nearly all our practice involves some form of defensive engagement.

Additionally, there is a noticeable presence of constructive interactions between the coaches and the players. While it is not my training session, it belongs to the players. I strive to avoid authoritarianism and refrain from positioning myself as superior to the players. Training serves as a secure environment where open dialogue and experimentation in game-like scenarios are encouraged. I actively engage my players in the process and anticipate their contributions as well. My aim is to stimulate their critical thinking and encourage them to devise their own solutions rather than simply providing them with all the answers.