The Basketball Podcast: E20 Andrea Trinchieri on European Basketball Techniques and Tactics

In this week’s basketball coaching conversation, EuroLeague professional head coach Andrea Trinchieri joins the podcast to discuss European basketball techniques and tactics.

He is the current head coach for Bayern Munich of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL).  Trinchieri has been a EuroLeague head coach for five years with Cantu and Brose Bamberg while in 2014 he was named the EuroCup Coach of the Year after leading Unics Kazan to the Finals. In the EuroBasket 2013, he was the head coach of the Greek national team.

From 2015 to 2017, Trinchieri led Bamberg to three straight German League titles plus the 2015 Supercup and the 2017 Cup. His trophy case also includes two Italian SuperCup titles plus the 2014 Russian Cup.

Andrea Trinchieri is considered one highly crafty coach who is able to recognize talent and take the maximum from every person in his squad. A case for the latter is also the fact that throughout the years, the Italian coach helped multiple players take their careers to another level.

Some notable examples of the latter are forward Darius Miller who returned to the NBA following a two-year stint under Trinchieri in Bamberg, forward/center Daniel Theis who struck a deal with the Boston Celtics after playing under the Italian coach, forward Nicolo Melli, guard Janis Strelnieks and three-time EuroLeague champion center Kyle Hines.

Trinchieri, and his teams, have had considerable success including Italian Second Division Cup Winner: (2009), Italian Second Division Coach of the Year: (2009), 2× Italian League Coach of the Year: (2010, 2011), Italian Supercup Winner: (2012), Russian Cup Winner: (2014), EuroCup Coach of the Year: (2014), 3× German League Champion: (2015, 2016, 2017), German Supercup Winner: (2015) and German Cup Winner: (2017).

Andrea Trinchieri Bayern Munich Basketball Plays That Work

Andrea Trinchieri Quotes:

“Below average teams, play pick and roll as a two man game. Good teams involve 3 or 4 players in the pick and roll action. Great teams are able to play with 5 players”

“Offense is action. Defense is reaction . . . If you’re able to . . make the right decision, the defense can cover 2 or maybe 3 players but the fourth or fifth man are going to be open.”

“The spacing is the most important thing . . you have to keep moving to adjust to all movement of the ball.”

“I’m obsessed with spacing . . you need to stretch the defense.”

“I love to develop one topic per practice. Through playing in practice you can coach everything . . but you have to correct . . most of the key mistakes.”

“A good shot is a good shot even if you miss.”

“Angles of the screen are very important. I want the bigs to run to create the small separation . . and [I want] the guards to wait for the screen.”

“We have to play the right way. Action and reaction. I guarantee my players, if you are able to play at the right speed and with the right decisions, the defense cannot stop you.”

“If you set a good screen you’re going to be the one who is going to be open.”

“When the ball passes by your shoulder, you have to make your quickest step to the rim. “

“If the defense goes under, I want that they pay, so the angle of the screen should be a little with the back towards the corner or the baseline . . so if they go under I can take speed and go downhill.”

“If you are able to move the ball against a show very early, they are done. The defense must rotate and you have an open player.”

“The worst thing to do when they try to show on the ball is to hold the dribble.”

“When you load your team with information, you see them like and old computer that is slow.”

“The biggest thing they are doing at Golden State is how they are able to make them play the right way without choking their creativity.”

“[If something is not working . .] As a coach, I call a situation where it is easier for my players to see the right read and deliver the ball as soon as possible.”

“We are a team and nobody is above the team needs. So, be creative within the team needs.”

Q: “What are some of the characteristics that you find successful coaches have?

A: “Culture, passion/love for the game, being able to be honest with their players . . creative, true, self-ironic, and never be afraid to say ‘It’s my mistake, guys.’”

“The biggest problem I see now with players is . . they are not interested enough in what they are doing. Basically, they are not watching basketball.”

“I believe that Fortnite is the biggest enemy of a young player. I have no problem with video games but . . when you do one thing, you have to commit.

“At a certain point, I force my players to watch games and to have a conversation the day after. Because how can you be better if you don’t see the best.”

“No more than 15 minutes in the film room [with the whole team] . . and that means 7-8 minutes of clips because when you talk, basically that’s double.”

“The rule when you do video or film room is you always have to put something positive . . you cannot just show mistakes, mistakes, mistakes . . “

“Another thing I feel is very valuable is, when you call a timeout, you call the play for two plays . . especially at the end of the game.”

“I want more three point shots . . three point shooting after an offensive rebound is totally unstoppable, you cannot match up.”

“If we are able to go consistently crash the boards, we will have more threes – and that’s good. So, I always go for the [opposite] corner crash . . and I say to my bigs, ‘Spin off the first obstacle.’”

Andrea Trinchieri Breakdown:

1:30 – History of the Game and Educating Players
3:00 – “Basketball is a Very, Very Smart Game”
4:30 – “Pick and Roll” Basketball
6:00 – “Offense is Action. Defense is Reaction”
6:30 – Involving the Off the Ball Players in Pick and Roll
8:00 – “Spacing is the Most Important Thing
9:30 – How to Develop Spacing
11:40 – Correcting Mistakes
14:00 – Setting Priorities in Pick and Roll
15:30 – Angles of the Screens
16:30 – Timing of the Pick and Roll
18:00 – “With Speed and the Right Decision, the Defense will not Stop you”
19:00 – Cue to Release a “Screen”
21:00 – Spain Pick and Roll
23:40 – Screens are More Diagonal, Corner to Baseline
27:00 – Switching Defense
29:30 – Problems for the coaches with the Spain Action
30:30 – Overloading Players with Details
31:00 – Making Player’s Instinct Rational
32:00 – The Short Roll
33:30 – Play Calls
34:00 – Running an Efficient Offense and the Need to be “Creative”
35:30 – Balance in Everything
38:00 – “Be Creative Within Your Team Needs”
42:00 – Losing Games and Moving On
44:30 – Practice Structure
46:00 – Comparing a Coach to a Chef
49:00 – Potential Characteristics that Successful Coaches have
50:00 Ideal Characteristics of a Player
51:00 – Passion is the Most Important Thing
53:00 – Team Meetings through Film Studying
56:00 – Off-Screen Situations, Post-ups and other Offensive Stuff
59:00 – “3-point shot after an Offensive Rebound is Totally Unstoppable”
1:01:00 – Need to Have Philosophy, Strategy and Tactics
1:02:00 – Defining Shot Selection and comparing it to NBA
1:03:30 – “Less Athletic but More Physical” in European Basketball
1:04:40 – Corner 3’s Winning Titles

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