I have been watching a lot of basketball lately, both NBA and March madness. One of the things I've noticed is how good offensive teams run offense at a great pace. This is kind of a "no duh!" type statement, but I feel it's greatly over looked. This year during the NCAA Tournament it is apparent that offense in college basketball is on the decline. I think a big part of that is pace. Many of the teams I watched slowly ran through their stuff, almost looks like a walk through sometimes. And they are running actions and not looking to score. When I watch some of the best teams in college or the NBA, they play with great pace. The Spurs and Hawks are two teams that come to mind that play with great pace, and they are fun to watch.
What does "pace" mean anyway? It doesn't mean hoisting up shots right away, thats for sure. Pace to me is more about how quickly they move the ball and people in their offense. Teams that play with great pace are quickly, and constantly, moving the ball and people. They aren't waiting a long time to "let things develop" they are forcing the action and making things happen. They also aren't running their stuff robotically, they are constantly looking for openings to attack and make moves.
