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我們都看過這樣的場景：球隊不斷傳導，球在外圍流動，五次、六次、七次傳球。看起來節奏流暢、配合漂亮，但最終卻往往以一個倉促、受干擾的出手結束。

球是有在動，可防守卻始終沒被真正打開。那一回合看似團隊合作，實際上只是「動作多於意圖」的空轉。

許多教練在教進攻時，就像在跑一份清單：跑戰術、站好位置、等好機會。但他們常常忽略了現代籃球最關鍵的一個核心概念。

正如克利夫蘭騎士隊助理教練 Alex Sarama 所說，這個被忽略的概念，其實才是一切的關鍵：「大多數教練教進攻時，都像在跑清單：跑戰術、站定位、等好球出現。但他們錯過了一個重點，那不是一套戰術，也不是一個陣型，而是一個『優勢』。」

Sarama 所提出的「多米諾哲學」（Dominoes Philosophy）提供了一種全新的思維方式。重點不再是執行戰術模式，而是創造、辨識、並轉化「優勢」。

以下四個顛覆傳統的觀點，或許會徹底改變你對進攻的理解。

一、別再強迫傳球，學會尋找「第一個好球」

最好的進攻，不一定是傳球最多的進攻。

第一個顛覆傳統的想法，是「傳越多不代表越好」。許多訓練要求球隊必須傳幾次球、或是讓每個人都碰到球才出手，Sarama 認為這樣的做法既不真實，也常常適得其反。

我們都記得聖安東尼奧馬刺的「The Beautiful Game」，那種美輪美奐的多次傳球進攻，但 Sarama 指出，這樣的傳導只有在防守成功恢復時才有必要。

真正的重點，是將第一次創造出的優勢轉化為「好球」，也就是上籃、灌籃或者Catch and shoot的三分球。如果這樣的機會在第一個「多米諾骨牌」倒下後就出現，就應該果斷出手。刻意增加傳球，只會讓防守重新站穩。

他坦言，自己以前也曾陷入這樣的誤區：「我以前也會這樣教，但後來我停止了。因為那不符合比賽的真實狀況。有時候最好的『多米諾』就是你接到球、突破、上籃得分。」

傳球應該要有目的性（也就是創造進攻優勢），而非為了傳而傳。每一次傳導，都應該讓優勢延續，而不是讓節奏重置。

二、學會「零秒決策」：快，才是關鍵

要麼立刻行動，要麼失去優勢。

「多米諾哲學」的首要原則，就是所謂的「Zero-Second Decision（零秒決策）」。意思很簡單：當球員在擁有優勢的情況下接球時，必須立刻做出決定：投、傳或直接攻擊，沒有任何猶豫的空間。

這直接挑戰了傳統「三威脅姿勢」（Triple Threat）的概念：接球後停頓、觀察、假動作。

在 Sarama 的體系裡，那個被奉為基本功的姿勢，反而是扼殺優勢的元兇。因為當球員一接球就停下來觀察，哪怕只是一個假動作的時間，防守就能趁機回位，讓整個進攻的「骨牌效應」中斷。

籃球裡的優勢是轉瞬即逝的，一旦猶豫，就會失去。

關於「三威脅姿勢」是否已經過時的課題，我在幾年前曾經寫過，當時也是有一些教練嗤之以鼻。個人認為，「三威脅姿勢」有它存在的價值，但是在節奏越來越快的現代籃球，「零秒決策」確實很關鍵。

真正的快，不只是動作快，而是思維快：信任自己的判斷、信任隊友的反應、信任整個系統的流動。

三、把中距離當成「熔岩區」

地板是熔岩（The Floor is Lava）

為了讓球員理解空間感，Sarama 用了一個生動的比喻：「地板是熔岩」。核心原則是「Stretch the Defense（拉開防守）」，我們永遠不希望一名防守者能同時守到兩個進攻者。

在這個比喻裡，「熔岩」指的就是中距離區域。當球員在一個「Dominoes」狀態（有優勢）下，如果突破後停在中距離等球，那就等於讓防守者可以同時顧兩個人。這時優勢就消失了。

正確的做法是「逃離熔岩」，也就是立刻往外線移動，重新拉開空間。對於內線球員而言，「dunker spot」（籃下兩側空間）則是安全區域，可以隨時準備接應上籃或補扣。這樣的移動保持了空間，也延長了防守者的補防距離。

唯一的例外是「動態切入」時可以短暫進入中距離完成進攻，但禁止「站」在那裡，因為那會讓整個節奏停滯。

四、教練的任務：設計環境，而非指揮球員

設定限制，而非給出答案。

這是 Sarama 最具顛覆性的觀念之一：教練的角色，不是命令執行者，而是學習環境的設計者。

他主張，教練不再大聲喊出每一步該做什麼，而是透過「小場制遊戲」（Small-Sided Games, SSGs）加上不同的限制（constraints），讓球員在情境中自然養成正確的習慣。

幾個例子說明限制如何對應習慣的養成：

• 培養進取心：設 7 秒進攻時間，迫使球員不再繞外圍傳球，而是更積極終結回合。
• 強調攻擊性：規定每次出手前必須有一次「禁區觸球（Paint Touch）」，讓球員習慣打出破防動作。
• 練零秒決策：若球員接球後猶豫被判失誤，讓他直接感受到「猶豫的代價」。
• 教地板是熔岩：若球員站在中距離接球被判失誤，強化他們「逃離熔岩」的空間概念。

教練的工作，不是「告訴」答案，而是創造出能讓球員自己找出答案的環境。

結語：從「套路」走向「原則」

Alex Sarama 的「多米諾哲學」從根本上改變了進攻觀。它讓球員不再只是「執行者」，而是能即時思考與決策的創造者。

從尋找第一個好球（觀念一），到零秒決策（觀念二），再到維持空間的熔岩法則（觀念三），最後是教練以環境塑造學習（觀念四），整個系統環環相扣，目標一致：讓「倒下的多米諾骨牌」永不停止。

最後留給每位教練一個問題：你是在教球員照著清單執行，還是在創造一個讓他們持續「推倒骨牌」的環境？

如果這篇文章有給你帶來啟發，歡迎轉發給正在尋找新訓練方向的教練或球員。我也會持續分享有關「Transforming Basketball」的一些新觀念。

— Jordan

Rethinking Basketball Offense: 4 Ideas That Flip Traditional Coaching on Its Head

We’ve all seen it: a basketball team that moves the ball beautifully around the perimeter, making five, six, seven passes. It looks like good offense, but it often ends with a contested, late-shot-clock jumper.

The ball moves, but the defense never breaks down. The possession is a hollow victory of movement over meaning, where the defense is never truly forced into a compromising position.

Many coaches teach offense like a checklist of plays to run, hoping a good shot will eventually materialize. But they often miss the single most crucial concept that underpins all effective modern offenses.

As Alex Sarama, assistant coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers puts it, this missing piece is the key to everything: “Most coaches teach offense like a checklist run a play pitch your spots hope for a good shot but there’s one concept most coaches skip it’s not a set it’s not a formation it’s an advantage”

Sarama’s philosophy of “Dominoes” provides a modern solution. It shifts the focus from running patterns to creating, recognizing, and converting advantages.

Here are four counter-intuitive takeaways from his approach that can transform how you view offense.

Takeaway 1: Stop Forcing Passes and Start Hunting for the First “Great Shot”

The Best Offense Isn’t Always a Pass-Happy Offense

The first idea that challenges conventional wisdom is that more passing isn’t always better.

In direct contrast to traditional drills that mandate a specific number of passes or demand every player touches the ball, Sarama argues this approach is often unrealistic and counterproductive.

While we all remember the beautiful, multi-pass sequences of teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Sarama clarifies that those long chains are only necessary if the defense successfully recovers.

The primary goal is to convert the first advantage into a great shot—defined as a layup, a dunk, or a catch-and-shoot three.

If that shot is available after the first “domino” falls, players should take it. Forcing extra passes when a great shot is already there only gives the defense time to reset.

Sarama explains how his own thinking evolved, moving away from popular coaching constraints that don’t reflect in-game reality.

“I used to do that too but then I stopped doing it the reason why is because it’s not realistic of the game… I also used to do things like every player must catch the ball on offense but it’s not representative of the game because maybe… the best dominoes could just be you catch the ball you drive and you score a layup”

Takeaway 2: Master the “Zero-Second Decision”

Act Instantly or Lose the Advantage

The first and most critical habit in the Dominoes philosophy is the “zero-second decision.”

This principle is simple but powerful: when a player catches the ball with an advantage, they must immediately shoot, pass, or drive.

There is no time for hesitation.

This directly contradicts the long-held coaching practice of catching the ball and settling into a “triple-threat stance” to read the floor.

In Sarama’s system, the revered triple-threat stance becomes a potential advantage-killer. Holding the ball, even for a split second to jab-step or fake, is all the time a scrambling defense needs to recover, get back to a neutral position, and stop the “dominoes from falling.”

An advantage in basketball is fleeting, and any delay in decision-making guarantees it will be lost.

I wrote about whether the "three-threat stance" is obsolete a few years ago, and some coaches scoffed at it. Personally, I think that the "three-threat posture" has its value, but in modern basketball, which is getting faster and faster, "zero-second decision-making" is indeed crucial.

Takeaway 3: Treat the Mid-Range Like Lava

The Floor is Lava

To solve the critical problem of spacing, Sarama employs a powerful teaching heuristic: “The Floor is Lava.”

This concept is built on a foundational principle he calls “Stretch the Defense,” which dictates that “we never want one defender to be able to guard two offense.”

The “lava” analogy provides players with a simple, memorable rule to maintain that essential spacing.

In this analogy, the “lava” is the mid-range area. When players are playing in a “dominoes” situation (with an advantage), they are forbidden from standing and waiting in the mid-range after an action like a drive-and-kick.

As Sarama explains, “if I stay in there I’m losing the dominoes because one defender can guard two.”

The correct action is to immediately “escape the lava” by relocating back outside the three-point line. For taller players, the dunker spot is also a safe zone, as it positions them for a high-value layup or dunk.

This quick relocation maintains spacing, lengthens defensive closeouts, and makes the player available for the next action.

There is, however, one critical exception: a player on a dynamic cut can catch the ball in the lava to finish a play. The rule is against standing there, which clogs the offense and allows the defense to recover.

Takeaway 4: Coach the Environment, Not Just the Players

Officiate the Constraints, Don’t Dictate the Answers

Perhaps the most significant philosophical shift Sarama proposes is in the role of the coach.

Instead of adopting a traditional “command” style where the coach dictates every action, this approach requires the coach to become a designer who creates and manages the learning environment.

This is done primarily through small-sided games (SSGs) with specific constraints that naturally shape player habits.

The coach’s job is not to yell the answers, but to design a game that teaches the principles organically. The following examples show how constraints are directly linked to the desired habits:

• To force aggression: Use a 7-second shot clock. This prevents players from passively passing the ball on the perimeter and makes them “way more aggressive” in seeking to end the domino sequence quickly.
• To mandate attacking the defense: Require a paint touch before any shot is allowed. This forces the offense to attack and break down the defense, which Sarama notes is “more representative of what happens in the game when exploiting an advantage.”
• To enforce the “Zero-Second Decision”: A turnover is called if a player catches the ball with an advantage and hesitates, directly punishing the habit that kills advantages.
• To teach “The Floor is Lava”: It’s a turnover if a player catches the ball while standing in the mid-range “lava,” forcing them to learn the habit of relocating to maintain spacing.

In this system, the coach’s primary role is to “officiate the constraints” so that players learn the principles of play within the game itself.

“…the traditional approach we see that we have to tell the players everything and they must do it instead with this approach we have to create and manage the environment”

Conclusion: From Patterns to Principles

Alex Sarama’s “Dominoes” philosophy represents a fundamental shift from memorizing rigid patterns toward building a team of adaptable decision-makers.

The entire system is interconnected: the goal is to take the first great shot (Takeaway 1), which requires players to make instantaneous decisions (Takeaway 2) and maintain perfect spacing (Takeaway 3). The coach’s role is not to shout these instructions but to build an environment where deliberate constraints (Takeaway 4) make these championship habits automatic.

This approach leaves every coach with a critical question: Are you coaching your players to follow a checklist, or are you creating an environment where they learn to keep the dominoes falling?

If this piece gave you new perspective, feel free to share it with a coach or player who’s exploring fresh ways to train. I’ll continue sharing new ideas inspired by Transforming Basketball in future editions.

— Jordan

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