The Basketball Teacher Podcast · Mike Hernandez

Episode 280: Taking Away Your Opponent's Best Option With Coach Steve Allen

September 29, 2025·1 hr 19 min·2 clips

Coach Mike Hernandez opens the conversation by welcoming listeners back and setting the tone for another coaching discussion. He frames the show around the daily work of helping players improve on and off the court. From there, the talk shifts into the kinds of actions coaches see most often in practice and games. Ball screens from the top, horns actions, pin downs, back screens, Princeton actions, and shell situations all come up as examples of what teams need to handle well. The conversation stays centered on how those actions are taught rather than on any one clever play. The guest describes the value of giving players a clear structure early. He talks about showing footwork, walking through the details, and sticking with the basics when the concepts are new. He also makes room for the other side of that process. At some point, players need to work without constant rescue. That is where the coach can see what mistakes show up on their own and what the group actually understands. The conversation keeps coming back to the idea that errors are information. If a team keeps coming up too high or the ball gets away from them in a live situation, that tells the staff where the next coaching point has to go. The episode treats that observation as part of the craft of coaching. It is not enough to know the correct answer. Coaches have to expect where players will break down and then respond to the real version of the mistake, not the version they pictured. The pacing stays measured and practical. Hernandez follows the guest's points with long, affirming questions that keep the focus on teaching and evaluation. That structure gives the discussion a classroom feel without making it stiff. The guest's answers carry most of the substance, but the host keeps bringing the talk back to useful coaching habits. The result is a conversation about repetition, adjustment, and trust. Coaches are encouraged to teach enough so the players have a framework, then step back enough to see what actually happens. The episode closes with the same kind of respectful coach exchange it began with. It leaves the listener with a simple reminder that good teaching is not just about explaining the right answer. It is also about watching closely when players try, fail, and adapt.

As heard by us

A practical coach-to-coach discussion about teaching reps, spotting mistakes, and knowing when to step back.

Coach Mike Hernandez and a guest coach keep the focus on a familiar but useful problem: how to teach offensive actions without crowding every rep.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a calm, practical look at teaching ball-screen reads and live decision-making.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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