Sacramento Kings assistant coach and architect of the famed Princeton offense Pete Carril talks about the importance of passing and how the skill translates to other aspects of the game (Via Eric Musselman’s Basketball Notebook):
Passing was the single greatest attribute of my teams over the years. A passer who can see people open is the same guy who sees where and when to screen, avoid picks, helps on defense — in other words, he can see. The passer is the same guy who knows where weaknesses are, where the drives are, and where everybody on the floor is. To score, you gotta move the ball. We pass to move the defense, and every pass counts. What I also love about passing is how much it helps to build team morale. Passing takes the tension out of a game. Passing makes everybody feel a part of the game, a part of the team. No single aspect of basketball does more to develop good team play than passing. The first thing I look for in a high school player is, Can he pass? If he can, he’s the same guys who can cut, and can defend.
