Fast Break

Fast Break

The most exciting play in basketball is the fast break. This poem outlines every detail of the fast break and does a great job using the words to create a fantastic visual for the reader. The title of the poem, “Fast Break,” is actually what the whole poem is describing. The visual that is created is one of the reasons this poem is so appealing. My love for the game of basketball, more specifically at the collegiate level is another reason why this poem catches my attention. The author, Edward Hirsch, is probably the speaker and also a coach or fan of the team that is playing. I would say that he was a player, but all five players of the team are outlined in the poem and it’s not written in the third person. The author might also be mistaken as the head coach of the team; however the poem is in memory of the late Dennis Turner, whom I believe to be the Head Coach. A fast break lasts approximately five seconds on the court and the poem outlines every motion of both the offense and defense. The author puts the fast break in slow motion for the reader so that they can understand and re-live the play in their imagination.

Each stanza of the poem explains each step of how a fast break is preformed. The first three stanzas begin the fast break which usually starts off from a missed shot by the other team and a defensive rebound. The tall and thin center grabs the rebound and recognizes to immediately get the ball to the catalyst of the offence which would be the point guard by way of the shooting guard. This team’s offense if probably based around running the fast break otherwise the center would have taken his time getting the guard the ball who would then slowly dribble up court into a half court offense. The man with the ball now is probably the shooting guard who also quickly passes the ball up to point guard who is already sprinting down court past the defenders. Another insinuation that this team has an offense based on the fast break is the forwards hustling down the court as soon as one of their team-mates has the ball. With an unquestionable advantage down court, probably three on one or two the point guard feeds one of his forwards the ball. Now towards the end of the fast break, and the poem, the forwards share the ball as if playing hot potato until the single defender remaining down court commits to the wrong man.