I remember the first time I tried to draw up a basketball play on paper - it looked like a toddler's scribbles compared to what coaches create. That's when I realized there's an art to court diagramming that separates casual players from strategic masters. Just look at that BENILDE game where Sanchez dropped 16 points and Liwag added 14 - those numbers don't happen by accident. They're the result of meticulously planned strategies drawn up somewhere, probably on a whiteboard or tablet during practice sessions.
Let me walk you through what I've learned about creating effective basketball court drawings. The first step is always understanding your personnel - you can't just copy NBA plays if your team doesn't have that kind of personnel. For instance, if you've got a dominant scorer like Sanchez who put up 16 in that BENILDE game, your diagrams should feature actions that get him the ball in his sweet spots. I always start by listing our top scorers and their preferred positions on the floor. This becomes the foundation of every play I design.
The second step involves mastering basic court geometry. I used to think this was just X's and O's moving around, but it's really about creating angles and spacing. When I diagram a play, I'm constantly thinking about how to create passing lanes while disrupting defensive positioning. Look at how BENILDE managed to get multiple players contributing - Sanchez with 16, Liwag 14, Cometa 9, Torres 7. That balanced scoring tells me their plays were designed to create options, not just force-feed one player.
What really changed my approach was learning to incorporate misdirection. The best plays I've drawn always include at least one decoy movement. For example, I might diagram what looks like a play for our post player, only to have it turn into a kick-out for an open three-pointer. This reminds me of how BENILDE's box score shows contributions from role players too - Moore with 6, Celis with 5. Those secondary scorers often benefit from the defensive attention drawn by primary options.
The fourth step took me the longest to master - timing and sequencing. Early in my coaching journey, I'd draw beautiful plays that completely ignored the shot clock reality. Now I always include timing markers in my diagrams - when each cut should happen, when screens should be set, when the ball should reverse. I imagine BENILDE's coaching staff probably drilled their players on similar timing concepts, given how they had 8 different players score between 2-16 points. That kind of distribution doesn't happen without precise execution of timed movements.
Finally, the most overlooked aspect - adaptability. I've learned that rigid plays break under pressure. My best diagrams always include built-in options for when defenses disrupt the initial action. This means drawing secondary actions and emergency outlets. Looking at BENILDE's stat line where even their bench players contributed meaningful minutes and points - Morales, Cajucom with 2 each, Eusebio with 1 - it suggests their system had flexibility built in. When primary options were taken away, others stepped up.
What I love about court diagramming is how it blends art and science. There's something deeply satisfying about watching a play you sketched on paper come to life during a game. I've developed my own little quirks too - I always use green ink for cutting movements and red for screening actions. It's these personal touches that make the process yours. The BENILDE game example demonstrates how effective planning translates to balanced scoring across the roster. From Sanchez's 16 points down to Eusebio's single point, every contribution matters in the grand scheme.
The truth is, I've probably drawn hundreds of plays that never worked in games. But each failed diagram taught me something new about spacing, timing, or personnel. That's the beauty of this process - it's iterative. You start with basic movements, then gradually incorporate more sophisticated elements as your team's basketball IQ grows. I suspect the coaches behind BENILDE's 74-point performance went through similar evolution in their playbook development.
Now when I sit down to diagram, I think about creating opportunities rather than just designing movements. It's the difference between drawing lines and creating scoring chances. The numbers from that BENILDE game - 74 total points with contributions spread across the roster - represent what we're all aiming for as strategists. It's not about designing the perfect play, but creating frameworks where players can succeed. And honestly, that's what makes basketball so beautiful to coach and to watch.