Nick Nurse (3)

For late game success, use proven plays To make big plays, instill confidence in your players Drills and shooting techniques that are simple, but effective Nick Nurse combines the most important topics in shooting and late game strategy. Nurse is well-known for his simple shooting techniques. He will show you and your team his three-step approach to shooting which will increase shot selection, accuracy in field goals, and free throw percentage. This instruction is highlighted by four shooting drills. Nurse's philosophy for winning close games is made up of nine concepts. They are "The Perfect Five", as Nurse calls them. The chances of winning the game dramatically increases if your players are familiar with late-game plays. Nurse's insight will help you create your own end-of-game philosophy and complement plays that will save the game. Your team will be able to win close games with confidence. 48 minutes. 2009.

Nick Nurse has won at every level he has coached, including leading the Toronto Raptors to an NBA championship in 2019. One of the reasons for Coach Nurse’s success has been his ability to develop shooters. In this video, Nurse shares and discusses how he crafts quality shooters. Shooting Factors To begin, Coach Nurse talks about getting the shot lined up. The middle of the ball is always lined up with the middle of the basket. The Toronto practice facility actually has lines on the court to illustrate getting a shot lined up. The second factor in shooting is arc. Too much arc will cause the ball not to travel far enough. Too little arc results is a shot being more likely to miss. Developing good form and mechanics can help get the correct arc on the ball. The final factor is depth or the distance the ball must travel. Nurse uses drills to develop a player’s shooting range. Perfect Shooting Drills To learn proper shooting mechanics, Nurse uses two main drills: Perfect Form and Perfects. In Perfect Form, players work on their form using a cadence. “Perfects” is a drill with a target on the rim. The objective is to get all net. Nurse expands Perfects with Backup Game where players take a step back from the last spot where they made a shot. 3-Point Shooting To help players extend their shooting range, Nurse uses a drill called Deep Threes. The concept is similar to adding weight to a bar. Players shoot from progressively deeper spots behind the three-point arc. Another drill is Five Spot Shooting which allows players to compete against themselves. This video by one of the NBA’s best is an outstanding look at how to develop the complete shooter.

Nick Nurse guided the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 NBA title and earned the 2020 NBA Coach of the Year. Much of his team’s successes are based on his offensive philosophy which is on display in this video. With offensive concepts from the NBA filtering down to the high school level, Nurse makes these concepts easy to understand so you can utilize them at your level. Offensive Overview Nurse’s version of the 4-Out, 1-In offense is a little different than the traditional set. The idea is designed to spread the floor to create opportunities to drive to the basket. Perimeter shooters set up around the three-point line and a fifth player is in the “dunker spot.” The idea is simply to create space and attack the paint. He discusses this in-depth as well as pointing out how points per possession increase when the ball gets into the lane. Attack Phase Regardless of how the ball is obtained, one of the keys for Nurse’s offense is attacking in transition. The point guard pushes the ball up the floor while the wings run to the corners. You will also see how Nurse attacks the paint using Pitch with a trailer. The point guard works a handoff with the trailer who looks to go to the rim. Nurse also shows you how to use the “Dunker.” The first post down the floor runs to the rim looking for the easy layup. If he doesn’t get the layup, he fills one of two spots on the floor looking for a dump off pass. Pick & Roll and Counters Like most NBA teams, the Raptors and Nurse use the pick and roll as part of their offense. Nurse likes to use Swing, Drag, and Double Drag in transition to generate drives to the basket. There are also counters that Nurse teaches. One is Pindown where the trailer has gotten too far ahead of the point guard. The wing opposite the ball receives a pindown screen. The cutter can either get a catch-and-shoot three-pointer or curl into the paint. Coach Nurse’s presentation makes what appears to be a complex NBA offensive system and makes it understandable and usable for any coach at any level.