Know the answers when preparing a basketball scouting report by Tom Kelsey

Putting together a useful basketball scouting report is more than who can score and who can make an outside shot.

The best coaches make sure their teams are prepared.

Take the time to ask essential questions about your opponent, and this improves your team’s preparation.

As you do, you will find areas that you may not have thought of before.

Basketball Scouting Report Questions to Ask

Transition
● How well do they get back in transition?
● How do their post men get back down the floor?
● How well do they pick up shooters?
● How well do they stop the ball?
● Where to get easy baskets vs. them on the break?
● Who on their team does a poor job of in transition of picking up his defensive
assignment?
● Who is the best on their team at getting back and protecting the rim and the paint?
● Where to get an easy basket in the post on the break?
● Where to get a quick drive off the break?
● Where to get a quick 3 point shot off a down screen in transition?
● Who is the last one down the floor the majority of the time?

Press
● Do they press?
● Where are they effective in their press?
● Where are they weak in their press?
● Trap areas?
● Is the throw back to the middle available?
● How do most teams beat their press?
● Where do most teams get caught vs. their press?

Matchups and how they guard
● Where is the size mismatch?
● How do they guard the post? Front, ¾, behind?
● How do they guard screens block to block?
● How do they guard ball screens with their post players?
● How to score on their post players?
(Drive them, make them guard ball screens, make them guard cross screens, etc.)
● Can we seal, dribble down or feed on on top to get the ball in the paint?
● Who can we drive on?
● Who on their team is poor at closing out?
● Who cannot contain the ball up top?
● Who is their best on-ball defender?
● How do they guard screens away from the ball?
● How is their help-side defense?
● How well do they contest shots?
● How do they guard staggered and flare screens?
● Who on their team will go for the shot fake on the perimeter or in the post?
● How well do they help and recover to the ball?
● How long will they play defense each possession?
(15 sec. 20 sec. 25 sec. 30 sec.)
● How good are they once the ball is swung twice around the perimeter?
● What makes their defense effective?
● Who can be screened and where?
● Do they often foul and where?
● Who on their team is the foul prone?

Rebounding
● How well do they block out as groups?
Post Players
Wings
Point Guards
● How to they block out on the Free Throws?
● Which of their post players go to the glass hard and which ones do not?

Their Zone basketball scouting report
● What type of Zone Defense do they play?
● Where do most teams score against their zone?
● Are they able to be screened in their zone?
(Blocks, Elbows)
● Can their zone be overloaded?
● What is the best way to get the ball in the paint vs. their zone?
● What are options to get an open 3 pointer vs. their zone?
● Can you center screen their zone?
● Can you ball screen their zone? Inside ball screen or outside ball screen?
● Can you penetrate vs. their zone?
● Can you rebound vs. their zone and which side of the zone can we get offensive
Rebounds.
● Can you dribble and throwback vs. their zone?
● Can you get the ball in the short corner and high post vs. their zone?
● Can you dribble loop vs. their zone?
● What are the weak areas of their zone?
● Who on their team is poor at closing out?
● Who on their team does a poor job of blocking out?

Team Things
● What gives them momentum and who on their team gives them momentum?
● What causes them the most frustration?
● How are they starting off the game, going into the half, coming out the 2nd half and
finishing off games?