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Moving Without The Basketball

Posted on May 11, 2010 at 4:09 PM

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Coaches often ask me what the key is to getting better offense out of their teams. They are often surprised when I tell them:

It's NOT forcing your team to shoot 1,000 jumpers a day.

It's NOT sentencing them to death by pushups if they happen to miss a layup.

And it's DEFINITELY not having 12 different set plays

to run.

What's the key to offensive success?

Moving without the ball!

It sounds simple, but some coaches think I'm kind of WEIRD when I bring it up. This short video below hosted by Michael Jordan will show you how to get open by using screens.

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How To Become a Beast Playing in the Post

Posted on March 25, 2010 at 3:19 PM

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Developing a low-post game can help you dominate the competition...

It doesn't matter if you're tall or short, guard or center...Look at

some of the best guards in the NBA, like Chauncey Billups and Jason

Kidd, both of them can post-up their man.

If you're a big-man(or woman), then you definitely need to work on

your low-post game. Imagine being a scoring machine like Tim

Duncan...

To help you develop this area of your game, we've put together some

nice moves that you can use to "dominate in the low post"...

Here are the moves you should start practicing right away:

1) Drop step to baseline

After getting the pass, get a feel for where your defender is.

Depending on which side he/she is, give a fake to that side. Then,

plant the foot that's opposite to the ball, pivot on it quickly to

face up with the hoop and go aggressively to the hoop. Keep your

body between you and your defender, keep the ball up high, and

flare your elbows out. Also, make sure to extend your hands out in

front of you so you're ready to release for a shot right

away...this also makes it harder for the defender to block you.

2) Drop step to lane & jump hook

After getting the pass, get a feel for where you defender is. If

he/she is on the baseline side, then fake to the baseline, plant

your lane-side foot and pivot on it quickly...As soon as you pivot

go up in the air for a jump hook with the hand that is opposite the

defender.

3) Turn, Face, & Jab

After getting the pass, if the defender is directly behind you,

then pivot and face the defender. Keep the ball low and protected.

Give a shoulder fake or a jab step fake, and watch what the

defender does. If he/she takes a step back, shoot a little jumper.

If the defender doesn't back off, just drive right past him/her

with a quick, explosive step away from the direction that you faked

to. Go strong and try to make some contact with the defender's

shoulder to get him/her off balance. Most times, you'll even get

the foul call because the defender's feet won't be set.

4) Up and under

Pivot and face the defender. Get him/her in the air by faking a

quick shot (raise your chin up to really fake the defender even

more). Once the defender rises up or jumps, just get low and go

right under him/her towards the hoop. Try to brush against the

defender sligthly when you're going underneath, so you can be sure

that you're on the quickest path to the hoop. If the ref calls a

foul, majority of the time the defender will be called for it.

5) Flash to the elbow or free throw line.

Get up near the free-throw line and out of the paint. Get the ball,

pivot, and face the defender. Now, do a quick shot fake to get the

defender in the air or off-balance, and just drive right around

him/her. Or, you can fake the drive by doing a strong jab-step

forward, coming back, and shooting the jumper. The key to this move

is getting the defender away from the hoop where you can use your

quickness.

6. Back Door Lob

It the defender is denying you the ball by staying in front of you,

simply take him to the free-throw line area. Then, plant your feet

wide, put your forearm on the defender, and seal him/her off.

Immediately, put your free hand up calling for your teammate to

pass the ball over the defender's head. As soon as the guard passes

the ball, cut to the hoop and catch the pass to score.

-----------

Listen, you gotta practice these moves over and over again. This way,

it'll become automatic, and you'll use just the right move in the

right situation. Imagine being really good at 4 or 5 different

low post moves. How can the defense ever guard you?

The key is to keep the defender guessing, so he/she never knows which

move is coming next. Thats why you've gotta practice!

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Dribbling Philosophy and Tips

Posted on March 1, 2010 at 5:45 PM

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We don't really care what position you play - guard, forward, or

center...

If you wanna be a good basketball player, then you gotta be able

to dribble a basketball, period.

Dribbling doesn't mean awesome ankle-breaking moves, it simply means

the ability to handle the ball.

So, what are the secrets to handling a basketball?

There are 3 secrets, and once you understand these, you really can

become better at ball-handling, pratically overnight.

Ok, so here are the secrets:

1) You must dribble to protect the ball - This means avoiding turning

the ball over (getting stripped, stolen, etc.)

2) You must dribble to create space - This means creating room between

you and your defender, so you can get off a shot or pass.

3) You must dribble to get past your defender - This means getting

one-step ahead of your defender so you can be in front of him/her.

The above 3 points may not seem like secrets, but they really are...

Most players think that the purpose of dribbling is to "show off"

and "shake the defender".

This is wrong! Once you know the REASON you are dribbling the ball,

once you know WHY you're dribbling, only then can you become a good

ball-handler. And thats why the above secrets are important, because

they help you mentally identify the goals of ball-handling.

Think about the 3 points carefully, and you'll begin to realize that

handling the ball isn't complicated...its simply about meeting a goal.

So, now that you know the goals, how do you achieve them? How do

you improve your handles?

Well, here are some tips to work on your handles:

> Dribble with your fingers first. Keeping the ball on the fingers

helps maintain better overall control. To develop better finger control,

work on strengthening your grip, stengthening your forearms, and

stetching out your fingers one by one by pulling them back towards

your body.

> During a strong dribble move, slightly palm the ball. For example,

when you're crossing the ball over from one side the another, you have

to slightly palm the ball so you don't lose if off your fingers. Be

careful, because over-palming can result in carrying the ball. Same

with the behing-the-back dribble, you have to slightly palm the ball.

> Always keep the ball low. The ball is fastest when its low to the

ground, and its easier to control as well. Bend at the knees to get

low, as if you're crouching a little bit.

> Trick your defender. This means dribbling in a way that your

defender doesn't know what you're gonna do next. Using head, shoulder,

and leg fakes can help you trick your defender. Also, constantly

switching the ball between your left and right hands also keeps the

defender guessing.

> Ofcourse, learn to dribble with both hands. To follow the above tip,

you need to be good with your left and right hands.

Once you start improving your handles, you're ready to put down

some strong dribble moves. All one-on-one moves, such as "the drive",

require decent ball-handling skills...

This is why its important that before you try fancy one-on-one

offensive moves, you work on improving basic ball-handing

fundamentals.

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Basketball Defensive Tips and Strategies

Posted on February 13, 2010 at 6:19 PM

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It doesn't matter how good your offense is, if you're not

defensively sound, you WILL be the "bench warmer" for

your team.

Believe it or not, coaches do care about defense more than offense.

Coaches know that the key to winning is slowing down and stopping

the other teams' star players.

Now, you don't need to constantly steal the ball from them, or

block all their shots to be an effective defensive player.

Simply being able to stay infront of him/her and force them into

tough, low percentage shots does the trick.

The key here is to make your man work extremely hard to get off a

shot. Your mind set should be to wear him out and make him tired.

Even if he/she starts out hitting those tough shots, it doesn't

matter. As the game progresses, the amount of work, and energy they had to

use will show its effects.

Now, realize that all this is only possible if you're able to stay

infront of your man.

Let's take a look at some of the things you can do to stay in front

of your man...

TIP: Keep your eyes on the defender's abs.

=> No matter what fake the offensive player performs, they can only

go where their abs take them.

TIP: Play defense with your feet not your hands.

=> Don't be lazy, you need to move your feet. Reaching aimlessly

with your hands will only lead to pointless fouls.

TIP: Go for the steal on the up-bounce.

=> This is when the ball is moving the slowest, and when your

player has the least control.

TIP: Get low.

=> When in your defensive stance make sure to get low and wide,

while staying on the balls of your feet. This will maximize your

ability to stay in front of your defender and not let him blow past

you.

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How To Shoot A Basketball Free Throw Shot

Posted on February 2, 2010 at 6:06 PM

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7 Keys to Effective Free Throw Shooting

1) Align - your shooting foot, elbow, hand, and ball should be aligned in a straight line. Your shooting foot should always be in the same spot when taking free throws. Place your toe in the exact center of the free throw line. Place your feet shoulder-width apart in a balanced ,staggered stance.

2) Grip - The ball is in place on your shooting hand, with your balance hand on the side of the ball

3) Elbow - keep the elbow in close to the body, up and in front of the wrist. Make a "L" shape at the elbow.

4) Weight Forward - put more weight over the front foot, hold the head steady, and keep the back straight

5) Aim -the focus should be on the center of the ring or the center eyelet atthe back of the rim. The focus should continue until the ball goesthrough the net.

6) Pause- at the bottom of the shot, you should pause for an instant until physically and mentally calm and focused, but no longer. After the pause, all motion should be up and over toward the basket.

7) Follow-through- full extension of the arm and wrist are keys to the follow-through. The shooter should come up off the floor - get power from the legs. Release high and hold the follow-through until the ball hits the net. Imagine putting your hand in the basket. Come up and finish on your toes. Stay in the shot and stay looking forward with your hand in the basket.

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6 Basketball Rebounding Tips for Players

Posted on January 23, 2010 at 6:27 PM

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Rebounding Technique

-See the shot

Players must be aware of when and where a shot is taken. Whether on defense or offense, they should know at all times. The defender guarding the shooter has the responsibility of letting his team mates know when a shot is being taken. The words "shot," "short," or "long" can be used to give the rebounding team mates an advantage.

- Assume the shot will be missed

Every shot attempt means a potential rebound. Players must learn to always assume that every shot will be a miss and go to their rebounding assignment.

- Locate the opponent

- Go to the opponent and block out

The purpose of blocking out is to gain a positional advantage over an opponent for a rebound. A player is more likely to get a rebound off a missed shot if positioned closer to the basket than the opponent. This is called inside position, because you are positioned on the inside of your opponent. The correct stance for blocking an opponent out is feet set, knees bent, feet should be parallel and shoulder-width apart, arms raised, elbows bent, and palms up/forward.

- Go to the ball

- Get and keep the ball

- Move the ball out or down the court

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How to Maximize a Basketball Screen or Pick

Posted on January 18, 2010 at 4:34 PM

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So what is the way to maximize every screen?

Well, the answer lies in the ability of the offensive players to

read and react to the defense.

The success of any screen not only relies on the ability of the

screener to set a solid screen, but also in the ability of the

teammate to properly "set up" their defender to get screened.

Now, there are a few keys to keep in mind when teaching your

players how to properly "set-up" their defender.

The first thing you should teach your players is to make it

difficult for their defender to predict where they're going to go.

Teach your players to perform short, but strong jab steps in the

opposite direction they're going. This will help place the

defensive player in an optimal position to get screened.

You also have to teach your players how to react to their defender.

For example, if their defender tries to over play the screen and

slide over the top, then you should teach your players to make one

step over the top of the screen, and then quickly cut backdoor

towards the basket.

Also, if the defender is right on your player's tail, then you

should teach your player to perform a curl over the top of the

screen. This will allow your player to stay open, not letting

their defender recover and keeping the defense on their heels.

These are some of the ways your players can maximize every screen.

But, realize that your players don't need screens to get open.

Simply by taking advantage of various cuts, your players can get

open looks at the basket.

So, let's talk about some of the commonly used cuts to help get

your players open:

Front Cut -

The front cut is made between the defender and the ball. This cut

works really well in a "give and go" situation. So, teach your

players to make a pass, then fake to the opposite side, and then

quickly cut to the basket keeping their defender away from the ball.

Backcut -

The backcut works really well when a defensive player is

overplaying the passing lanes. Simply teach your players to make

one strong cut away from the basket, and then sharply change

directions and cut towards the hoop

V-Cut -

This is one of the most simplest off-the-ball moves your players

can use to break free from their defender. Teach your players to

start by taking a few steps towards the basket, and then quickly

dart away from the basket to receive the pass. 9 out of 10 times

your player will be open for the pass.

L-Cut -

This cut is primarily used along the baseline or in the lane.

Here, you need to teach your players to take a few steps parallel

to the baseline, and then quickly flash up away from the basket.

Button-Hook -

This is a combination of the V-cut and the curl. Your players

simply perform a quick cut towards the basket, and then pivot away

from the hoop while sealing off their defender to receive the pass.

Shallow Cut -

This cut is primarily used to promote proper spacing on the floor.

If the guard dribbles towards the wing, then the wing player simply

cuts towards the basket, and out; ending up at the top of the key.

Deep Cut -

This is a cut made from the perimeter all the way towards the

basket and then continued to the opposite corner.

Flash Cut -

This is a quick cut, where the player starts from the low block,

and then quickly cuts towards the opposite elbow to receive the pass.

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How to set a Screen / Pick in Basketball

Posted on January 12, 2010 at 11:24 AM

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Ok, there're basically two general types of screens, "on-the-ball

screens" and "off-the-ball screens". Both of which require the

same techniques and skill sets.

The Stance -

Teach your players to stand with their feet wide and planted firmly

against the ground. They should literally feel like mountains that

cannot be moved. Also teach your players to have their arms tucked

into their chest so the refs can see that you're players are not

committing a foul with their hands.

Positioning -

You must also teach proper positioning. As a teammate runs off of

a screen, make sure that they rub shoulders with the screener. The

person coming off of the screen needs to be very close and tight

with the screener. The closer the player is to their teammate, the

closer they will be to cutting off the defender.

Timing -

This is one of the hardest things to teach your players. This

requires lots of practice and individual attention. The main thing

you have to teach your players is to wait for the screen before

they move towards the screener. When players move before the

screener has a chance to set, it really kills the offensive flow

and really makes it easy on the defensive players, thus making each

screen virtually useless.

Angle -

Also, teach your players how to be in the correct angle so that

your player is directly in the way of the defender. Otherwise, the

screener could be "too wide" or "too high" allowing the defender to

slip underneath the screen, or "too low" in which case the defender

can easily fight over the top of the screen. All of which makes

the screen useless.

Now, the angle that the screen is set is going to be determined by

the type of screen being used. So let's talk about the different

types of screens that are commonly used:

Front Screen -

This is a basic screen that's usually used "on-the ball". The

screener needs to stand perpendicular to their teammate, so that

they will be directly facing the defender.

Back Screen -

This type of screen is usually used "off-the-ball". The screener

needs to stand parallel to their teammate so that the screen is set

on the defender's back side.

Down Screen -

This type of screen is usually used "off-the-ball" and is normally

a screen used to get players open down on the block. Similar to

the back screen, the screener needs to be parallel to their

teammate and should set the screen on the defenders back side.

Diagonal Screen -

This is where the screener goes from the elbow to the opposite low

block of the lane or vice-versa. The screener needs to come

towards their teammate at a 45 degree angle and try to screen the

defender on their shoulder area.