Andy
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Help with Basketball Practice - 2007/03/13 06:18
Hello everyone, my name is Andy and im a little lost with what skills to practice and what kind of condition i need to be to play highschool ball.
So let me tell you a bit about myself. Im around 5"9 pretty tall for a 14 year old. Im pretty skinny and not very strong. Also i have probably the slowest sprint ever. As for my basketball game, im an all around player. Im decent in rebounding, dribbling, and playing defence, but not great. The strongest part of my game is shooting. I have proper shooting mechanics and i knock down open J's. Otherwise the rest of my game is weak. On both ends of the court my skills don't do anything seeing theres always someone faster than me or stronger than me.
Ive gotten serious about basketball a year ago and i have seen major improvements. I have become better than many of my peers through countless hours of work. But i can't seem to keep up with club players or my city's allstar team.
So ive come to try and get soem help. Yeah ive improved this year, just by practicing whatever, but i think its time to really buckle down if im ever going to be a great basketball player. I have a long ways to go and despite my lack of athleticism, im very passionate for the sport and i have the desire to work towards it.
On the offensive end i have problems
*taking it to the hole- i don't have the quickness or hops to make a strong drive
*creating a shot for myself
On the defensive end i have problems
*rebounding over taller and bigger opponents- i box out but some how they grab the board over me
*i get beat off the dribble a lot
*i need to learn how to stop a dribbler in transition
My goals are
*to be a very versatile player able to be able to guard anyone
*shut down all opponents and rip down boards
(ive heard offense takes atleticism, something im not born with but defense takes hardwork so im more focused on defense.
I realize im asking for a lot and i would really appreciate the advice you guys could give me. Some drills and tips on what kind of ball player is best suited for me would be great. By the way, im usually playing pickup games or just working on jogging up and down the court and practicing shooting while im tired.
Thanks for all your help
sincerely,
andy lee
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coachmccormick
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Re:Help with Basketball Practice - 2007/03/14 07:05
(1) I don't believe you have to be quick or jump high to attack the basket. Look at Steve Nash; while he is a phenomenal athlete, compared to other NBA players, he's average at best in terms of quickness and jumping ability. However, he understands angles and how to change speeds, which allows him to beat his opponent.
(2) If you are indeed a shooter, the ability to make shots automatically makes you quicker because defenders have to get out to you quicker than if you are not a threat to shoot. So, use this ability to enhance the next part of your game, which is attacking the basket.
(3) Defending the ball in the half court or transition is mostly the ability to move your feet laterally and backward. So, work on these skills. Work on lateral quickness.
If I were you, I'd:
*spend time playing pick-up games and concentrate on attacking the basket.
*develop a go-to move and a counter
*work on your ball handling. two ball drills, control drills, quickness drills. work on moves at full speed.
*hit the weight room. get stronger.
*work on speed and acceleration drills. hurdles, ladders, running stairs, 5-15 yard sprints, etc.
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thbrown81
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Re:Help with Basketball Practice - 2007/05/03 17:49
Sorry for the late reply. I'm acting on Brian's encourgagement to provide more input, so I'll bump this up and hope you still check in.
Andy wrote:
Hello everyone, my name is Andy and im a little lost with what skills to practice and what kind of condition i need to be to play highschool ball.
So let me tell you a bit about myself. Im around 5"9 pretty tall for a 14 year old. Im pretty skinny and not very strong. Also i have probably the slowest sprint ever. As for my basketball game, im an all around player. Im decent in rebounding, dribbling, and playing defence, but not great. The strongest part of my game is shooting. I have proper shooting mechanics and i knock down open J's.
The shooting mechanic is a major piece of the puzzle. If it's truly correct, then you already have a signicant advantage over most middle school players. I'd recommend focusing on continuing to improve your consistancy as a shooter, and working on shooting off the dribble and off screens (use a chair to simulate a screener) from different spots on the court. Do the best you can to practice at game speed.
Otherwise the rest of my game is weak. On both ends of the court my skills don't do anything seeing theres always someone faster than me or stronger than me.
This is only the case if you let it be the case.
Ive gotten serious about basketball a year ago and i have seen major improvements. I have become better than many of my peers through countless hours of work. But i can't seem to keep up with club players or my city's allstar team.
So ive come to try and get soem help. Yeah ive improved this year, just by practicing whatever, but i think its time to really buckle down if im ever going to be a great basketball player. I have a long ways to go and despite my lack of athleticism, im very passionate for the sport and i have the desire to work towards it.
On the offensive end i have problems
*taking it to the hole- i don't have the quickness or hops to make a strong drive
*creating a shot for myself
Chair drills work well for this, but there's really no substitute for playing one on one basketball to improve creating a shot for yourself. I'd recommend trying to find someone of slightly better skill level to work against. The one on one gives you an excellent environment to work on attacking the basket and scoring off the dribble since you can experiment without upsetting teammates who may be better scorers. I'd also recommend alternating between starting possessions at both wings in addition to the top of the key.
On the defensive end i have problems
*rebounding over taller and bigger opponents- i box out but some how they grab the board over me
*i get beat off the dribble a lot
*i need to learn how to stop a dribbler in transition
If bigger opponents are boxing out over you, you aren't boxing out properly. Make sure that when you turn into your opponent to box out, you are sitting down on his knees so that he can't jump. Then begin backing away from the basket to create more space between you and the basket.
Generally if you are consistantly beat off the dribble, you are either too close to your opponent, or your stance is too upright, or both. I teach my players to keep an entire arms length of space between them and an opponent with a live dribble. Other than that, make certain that your feet are more than shoulder width apart and that you are in a strong, low stance that allows you to move quickly in either direction. Again, playing one on one is the best practice to improve this skill. If you can find a serious training partner, full court one on one will help you with containing a transistion dribbler.
My goals are
*to be a very versatile player able to be able to guard anyone
*shut down all opponents and rip down boards
(ive heard offense takes atleticism, something im not born with but defense takes hardwork so im more focused on defense.
Offense does not necessarily demand athleticism, especially at the high school level. If you can shoot well, dribble with the basketball as fast as you can move without it in either direction (much easier said than done) and move well without the basketball (making good cuts and using screens properly), you can still be very successful without superior athleticism.
In addition to the quickness and agility drills that Brian recommended, which will help your all around game tremendously, I would recommend focusing on developing stamina in your shoulders, biceps and triceps so that you are able to keep your hands up on defense for an entire game. Not dropping your arms when you begin to tire will help you tremendously as a defender, especially in a team setting, because you will deflect more passes and obstruct your opponent's vision. And it also doesn't require a shred of athleticism to achieve. Weight training will obviously help this, especially if you focus on more repetitions with less weight, but simple drills will help as well, such as practicing defensive slides while holding a broomstick or a medicine ball over your head.
I hoep this input helps, best of luck to you.
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thbrown81
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Re:Help with Basketball Practice - 2007/05/03 17:49
Sorry for the late reply. I'm acting on Brian's encourgagement to provide more input, so I'll bump this up and hope you still check in.
Andy wrote:
Hello everyone, my name is Andy and im a little lost with what skills to practice and what kind of condition i need to be to play highschool ball.
So let me tell you a bit about myself. Im around 5"9 pretty tall for a 14 year old. Im pretty skinny and not very strong. Also i have probably the slowest sprint ever. As for my basketball game, im an all around player. Im decent in rebounding, dribbling, and playing defence, but not great. The strongest part of my game is shooting. I have proper shooting mechanics and i knock down open J's.
The shooting mechanic is a major piece of the puzzle. If it's truly correct, then you already have a signicant advantage over most middle school players. I'd recommend focusing on continuing to improve your consistancy as a shooter, and working on shooting off the dribble and off screens (use a chair to simulate a screener) from different spots on the court. Do the best you can to practice at game speed.
Otherwise the rest of my game is weak. On both ends of the court my skills don't do anything seeing theres always someone faster than me or stronger than me.
This is only the case if you let it be the case. Kwame Brown is signicantly stronger and faster than Kevin McHale, but Brown will never sniff an All Star game, let alone the Hall of Fame. Solid fundamentals, intelligent play and hustle will always win out over raw strength and speed on a basketball court, and all three of those characteristics are entirely within your control.
On the offensive end i have problems
*taking it to the hole- i don't have the quickness or hops to make a strong drive
*creating a shot for myself
Chair drills work well for this, but there's really no substitute for playing one on one basketball to improve creating a shot for yourself. I'd recommend trying to find someone of slightly better skill level to work against. The one on one gives you an excellent environment to work on attacking the basket and scoring off the dribble since you can experiment without upsetting teammates who may be better scorers. I'd also recommend alternating between starting possessions at both wings in addition to the top of the key. Also, concentrate on using change of pace and retreat dribbling to beat your opponent as opposed to dribbling behind your back or spinning.
On the defensive end i have problems
*rebounding over taller and bigger opponents- i box out but some how they grab the board over me
*i get beat off the dribble a lot
*i need to learn how to stop a dribbler in transition
If bigger opponents are rebounding over you, you aren't boxing out properly. Make sure that when you turn into your opponent to box out, you are sitting down on his knees so that he can't jump. Then begin backing away from the basket to create more space between you and the basket.
Generally if you are consistantly beat off the dribble, you are either too close to your opponent, or your stance is too upright, or both. I teach my players to keep an entire arms length of space between them and an opponent with a live dribble. Other than that, make certain that your feet are more than shoulder width apart and that you are in a strong, low stance that allows you to move quickly in either direction. Again, playing one on one is the best practice to improve this skill. If you can find a serious training partner, full court one on one will help you with containing a transistion dribbler.
My goals are
*to be a very versatile player able to be able to guard anyone
*shut down all opponents and rip down boards
(ive heard offense takes atleticism, something im not born with but defense takes hardwork so im more focused on defense.
Offense does not necessarily demand athleticism, especially at the high school level. If you can shoot well, dribble with the basketball as fast as you can move without it in either direction (much easier said than done) and move well without the basketball (making good cuts and using screens properly), you can still be very successful without superior athleticism.
In addition to the quickness and agility drills that Brian recommended, which will help your all around game tremendously, I would recommend focusing on developing stamina in your shoulders, biceps and triceps so that you are able to keep your hands up on defense for an entire game. Not dropping your arms when you begin to tire will help you tremendously as a defender, especially in a team setting, because you will deflect more passes and obstruct your opponent's vision. And it also doesn't require a shred of athleticism to achieve. Weight training will obviously help this, especially if you focus on more repetitions with less weight, but simple drills will help as well, such as practicing defensive slides while holding a broomstick or a medicine ball over your head.
I hoep this input helps, best of luck to you.
Post edited by: thbrown81, at: 2007/05/03 17:56
Post edited by: thbrown81, at: 2007/05/03 17:58
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Andy
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Re:Help with Basketball Practice - 2007/05/05 19:14
Wow, that was great, got some real nice suggestions from it. The Kwame Brown example was just great. Thanks for all the input.
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Andy
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Re:Help with Basketball Practice - 2007/05/22 05:22
I thought i'd give a heads up on how im doing right now.
I definetly can see an improvement now when i compare myself 3 months ago to myself today.
My speed has definetly improved. Im not the quickest guy on the court but i can stick majority of the guys. THe quicker people i just need to back up a little bit and im fine. For really quick guys an arm on them usually slows them down. On offense I can pull some runners due to my improved speed and handles. I think its more of handling the ball though. Finally im not scared of smashing my body. Last week while i was going up someone crashed me but i still managed to grab the board. It took me a while to get over the fear. I remember when before i'd be afraid to go get the ball or take a charge, but i guess that one rebound just got rid of any fear of smashing bodies. NOw i'll grab a few boards every pickup game. All i need to do is get that killer instinct and rip down some boards.
Now my weaknesses
Ive tried posting up countless time, but im never strong enough. I can never seem to muscle people. Im taller than some of the adults but they all seem to be stronger than me. The thing is some of my peers are strogner than me but im always able to establish position and do some post move. Jump hook, up n under, fade etc. But i keep having trouble establishing position and when the ball goes in it gets ripped from me a lot. Im thinking its a strength issue but im sure there are a lot of guys who are weaker and post up really well.
I have developed my runner, but thats basically the only driving move i have. I cant seem to get to the rim and try and finish. So no And1's for me. TO correct this im guessing i just need to improve my handles.
Im trying to come up with a plan for the summer. I definetly want to do some strength training and build my stamina.
ANy suggestions to help with my weaknesses would be great.
Questions
WHen i pull a jumper its only if i have some room. I dont need a lot but i need maybe a foot or two. One of my coaches told me im suppose to catch the ball on top of my head and release. THe only person i see do that is Dirk. But i usually bring it down to my chest and bring it up and release on top of the head. Its a much smoother shot. THeres nothign wrong with that right?
Sorry for the long message. Im really trying to imrpove
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