I purchased the ebook on motion offense and drills. We typically have been running the 5 out offense on my 5th grade team and my 2nd graders run a milder version only cutting when they pass from the top of the key.

What do you do when the defense plays aggressive and they know where your first pass is going to the wing. I understand you can back cut and down screen. The kids just seem to have the "deer in the headlights look" in games. My 5th graders have been going against 6th graders so far so that may have a lot to do with it. Just looking for some thoughts, drills or pointers.

Thanks,

Joel

We run this drill a little bit so players get better at getting open on the wing:
https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/play.asp?id=437

Sometimes players just need to pop out a little further and your point guard needs to pass away from the defense and time it so the wing and ball meet at same time as the player is popping out.

Sometimes the point guard needs to drive. If the wing defenders are locked (close) to the offensive player, the point just needs to beat their man and drive to the basket for a lay up (take what the defense gives you). That is often the case...the defense is in bad position so take advantage and shoot lay ups until they started playing off their checks more.

Here are a few more ideas to enter the ball.
https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/offense/7-entries.html

With that said our youth teams we do not have any entries and our players just figured it out by getting better at everything.... passing, driving, screening, cutting, and popping out in the motion.

Joel,
I love these types of questions when I hear about people dealing with the same problems that I experienced and continue to experience.

I coach a 6th grade boys team and we have been running the 5 out since about half-way through our 4th grade season. We have thrown the ball away countless times when attempting the pass to the wing. We have done a few things this 6th grade season that seem to have helped.

1.) We really work on pushing the ball up the court......no walking and letting the defense get set. Everyone sprints after the ball is rebounded and outletted.
2.) As part of pushing the ball up the court we have implemented a more structured fast break in which the point guard declares a side of the floor (usually the right hand side because we are all right-handed) and tries to stay out of the middle lane of the floor. The two wings run wide and to the corners if they don't get the ball, post goes to the ball-side block after running the middle, and other post is the trailer who runs the opposite side of the floor as the ball. I have found it a lot easier to get into the 5-out from this position.

- The guys in the corner can cut up to the wing free-throw line extended and receive the pass rather than trying to start in a stationary position at the wing. I have found that if we start at the wing we tend to drift away from the basket and catch the ball too far from the hoop.
- By declaring a side of the floor it really shortens up that pass to the wing. If the boys try and throw it from the top of the key most don't have the physical strength to really zip the thing there.
- The guy on the block can do something to start the motion...set a back screen for someone...pretty much anything other than just stand there gets things going. After setting a screen he can fill out to the perimeter.

I found in 4th and 5th grade the boys focused too much on being in 5 out "spots". We would jog up the court and fill the corners and wings and then the point guard would try and pass to the wing from the middle of the floor 25 feet from the hoop and it would get picked off all the time.

Hope this helps.

Josh