Offensive Basketball Plays for a Center

Regulation basketball is played with 5 players on each side. The positions that are played at one time are center, forward, and guard. Normally an offense will have one center, two forwards (a power forward and a small forward), and two guards (a shooting guard or off guard and a point guard). The center is usually the tallest player on the floor. There are many offensive basketball plays for a center than can be run during the course of a game.

A good center can dominate a game with his scoring and rebounding abilities. Also, a center can block the other team’s shots and make it all but impossible for them to bring the ball inside. On offense a good center will always give his/her team a scoring option – when a team needs a basket they just get it inside to the center. However, that’s sometimes easier said than done. Therefore offensive basketball plays for a center need to be designed and run.

One offensive basketball play for a center that can be run is a simple clear out. This play involves the center keeping his/her defender on his/her hip and providing a good target for another player to pass him/her the ball. Once the center gets the ball, the rest of the players on the team just stay away from him/her. By all the other players staying away, it will keep the defenders away as well and effectively make it one-on-one basketball. The center can then use one of any number of center moves to beat his/her defender and score.

Usually if the center is good, the defense will make sure they bring another defender to help cover the center every time he/she touches the ball near the basket - the defense double teams the center. When this happens, there are a number of offensive basketball plays for a center that can be used.

If the center knows he/she is going to get double teamed, he should look to pass the ball. There has to be a player open if he defense is playing man-to-man. So the center should look for the open player. Often that open player will cut to the basket and could get an easy basket if another player doesn’t pick-up that open player.

If the other team is playing zone defense when the center gets the ball, the double team will cause the zone to collapse to the side of the center. In that case the center should look opposite (to the other side of the court) and find an open player for a jump shot.

One of the most exciting offensive basketball plays for a center is the alley oop. For this play the player with the ball will throw the ball up near the basket. It’s the center’s job to go up and catch the ball and either shoot a lay-up or, more commonly in college and pro basketball, slam the ball through the hoop. Alley oops take great timing but they are great to watch and even better to do.

A good center in basketball can make for a very good basketball team. A center that doesn’t do anything can make for a struggling basketball team. No matter the talent of the center, a team should always have some offensive basketball plays for a center in their playbook. If done well, these plays can result in the offense playing very well.