Take a second to watch this video from a meaningless Timberwolves-Magic game this past season.



It’s pretty typical successful fast break possession. Rebounder gets the ball and gives it to the point guard, who makes a pass to the guy who scores a transition basket It’s also a great illustration of an important distinction between types and skill sets for transition players.



I like to define players as “first pass” or “second pass” guys, though more than a few are both.



A good “first pass” player must be able to do one important thing: Make the right decision quickly and have the ability to execute what is necessary to make that happen. In today’s NBA, Ricky Rubio is a prototypical “first pass” guy. He has excellent vision, elite passing ability and a strong handle. A perfect “first pass” player would be a more capable scorer to force defenses to react differently, but Rubio is...