Ergin Ataman began coaching the Efes Pilsen Istanbul junior team in 1990, winning seven national championships. For two years he was head coach of Turk Ankara and in 1998 he left for Stanford University. The following year, while coaching Pinar Karsiyaka, he moved back to Efes Pilsen, guiding them to the Turkish National Final and the Euroleague Final Four. Voted Coach of the Year in 2000, he was asked to join the Turkish Olympic Committee. He is head coach of Mens Sana Siena, and with this team, he won last year the Saporta Cup."
In the recent past we had many complex zone offenses that worked the defense with several ball swings in the hopes of causing some kind of mistake. Now, with the 24-second clock, the predominant offensive principle that I utilize involves giving the players a few simple concepts that allow them to immediately attack any kind of defensive alignment and without the use of set plays.
In order for this to happen, the first thing we must do, however, is define the particular areas in which our various players can move:
Our center must constantly move in the area outlined in diagr.1.
He must work behind the defense, using a series of flash cuts in the center area to get open, trying to gain positions from about the middle post to the corner.
Our power forward has his particular space, as in diagr. 2, taking positions from just below the free throw line all the way to the three-point line (so he can shoot, swing the ball in an emergency, or screen for perimeter players). It is essential for the two post players to maintain the right spacing, not too close to one another. This forces the defense to spread out (for example, if 5 is in the middle post, 4 should be beyond the three-point line, or if 5 is in the corner position, 4 can be below the free throw line, as in diagr. 3 and 4).
We prefer that our two inside players take the second type of position, posting sideways (diagr. 5) we think this creates more problems for the defense.
The first goal of our offense is to pass the ball to the players in one of these two positions. Every time one of the two catches the ball, the other must cut strong towards the basket, as in diagr. 6 and 7.
We ask our perimeter players to move freely outside the three-point line, maintaining spacing between themselves and the inside players, and making sure that one defender cannot guard two offensive players at the same time (diagr. 8).
We also want to teach our players some offensive situations that, even if not pre-arranged, can be very effective: A quick pick and roll at the high post (diagr.9); back screens between perimeter players; or back screens between the inside and perimeter players against a 3-2 zone (diagr. 10 and 11).
Only later will I give a starting set up for the offense; for example a 1-4 formation, which is quite useful in identifying every type of defense that can be employed. A big part of the offensive work of my team consists of optimal player spacing. It’s not only my job. The players must learn to take initiatives and create opportunities that are not pre-arranged, knowing that every movement they make will cause a corresponding movement of the other players in order to preserve the correct spacing (penetrate and kick).
This is only one part of the offensive strategy. In the meantime, you can’t forget the proper technical work on passes, skip passes, fakes, post player collaboration with the other teammates, and all the fundamentals that are employed against zones.
I have found that this type of offensive approach gives great confidence to the players and makes it very difficult for the opposition to ever scout the team prior to a game.