Winning Time Coaching Test

You have three timeouts remaining with 3:01 left in the game. The other team has just scored. Your star player is motioning that he badly needs a breather. As you prepare to inbound, you:

Choose one of the following

Get a sub in without burning a timeoutCall a timeout immediately, while there's still over 3 minutes left in the game.Don't burn a timeout. You need to save all three to allow offense/defense subs lateWait until your team crosses halfcourt, then call timeout so that you can inbound from halfcourt where your plays work better.

Your team is down by one with eight seconds to go and one timeout remaining. Your opponent has airballed a wild layup, and your point guard has just grabbed the rebound. You:

Choose one of the following

Call a timeout to advance the ball and set up the game-winnerCall a timeout to sub in your best shootersLet the offense see if it can get something easy. If nothing’s there after a few seconds, then you can always call the timeoutSave the timeout, tell your guard to slow down, and yell out your best play from the sideline

You’re down by four with 15 seconds to go and the ball. You have a quick 2 play that works about 50% of the time and a 3-point play that works 35% of the time.

Choose one of the following

Call the quick 2 play. You will have to foul anyway, and if you miss the 3, then the game is over.Call the 3 play. You need to make up points as quickly as possible.Call the quick 2 play. You still have a timeout to extend the game if it doesn't work.Call the 3 play and wind down the clock. You don't want to give the other team an opportunity to set up a good play after the shot.

Tie game, 0.2 seconds left. You have the ball, and you’ve called timeout. What play are you drawing up?

Choose one of the following

Just don’t turn it over or commit any sort of foul. Not enough time to legally get a shot off, we can only lose on free throws to the other team.Try to shoot it into the basket from the inbound and have our big man tip it in when the ball is above the cylinder.0.2 is still enough time to get our fastest shooter a normal catch-and-shoot free throw line jumper. Run our best play to set that up.Try to punch the ball in the air towards the basket

Tie game, 20 seconds left. Your opponent has one timeout. You have the ball, and you’ve called your last timeout. What do you tell your team?

Choose one of the following

Wind the clock down and make absolutely sure the ball is in the air when the time is at zero so that our opponent doesn’t have a chance to score.Get a shot up with a few seconds left so that we have a chance to get an offensive rebound and putback off a miss.Get the shot up early. If we miss, we can intentionally foul and still get the ball back for the last shot with a chance to win or tie.Find the best shot you can and don’t worry about the clock. The most important thing is that we get a make and take the lead.

Four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Your team’s head coach, Tim Poylen, used up all of your timeouts three minutes ago and was ejected for challenging the referee to a push up contest. You, the assistant coach, have taken over. The referees called your star player out of bounds saving the ball, but you look up at the jumbotron and see that he was clearly inbounds. You:

Choose one of the following

Call a challenge to try and get the call reversedInstall a punch clock because why not?Save your challenge for the last two minutesDon’t call a challenge.

Three minutes left in the game. You have one timeout remaining. Your opponent has clearly double dribbled before laying it in. You

Choose one of the following

Call a challenge. Every point is crucial down the stretch, especially if you have a high chance of overturning a play.Don’t call a challenge. You need to save it for the last two minutes of the game.Don't call a challenge. The play is not reviewable.Don't call a challenge. Challenges are automatic in the last three minutes