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What position should I play?

guest — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 06:08:20 GMT

It has been said by so many coaches that it feels like a cliche to repeat it....but it's true.....DO NOT LABEL YOURSELF A GUARD, FORWARD OR CENTER......just become a player.

By that I mean you need to learn the fundamentals of an all round player, not just of a position. First of all, you have no idea what postion you'll be playing in 5 years from now. Second of all, no coach wants a big man who can't dribble or a guard who can never post up.

You need to learn the skills and understand the roles of all 5 positions on the court. If you spend the majority of your time working on your ball handling, shooting and passing, you will be ready to play any position needed when it comes time for you to pick your position.

P.S. The best example of someone who didn't let traditional wisdom of "put the big guys inside with their backs to the basket" is Kevin Durant. No doubt he would have been a solid NBA player as a back to the basket big man. However, but by working on his spit second "guard" skills at a young age inspite of his height, Durant has become arguably the best in the world.

How can i practice defense by myself?

guest — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 05:26:42 GMT

Defense can be broken down into on-the-ball situations (where you are guarding the ball handler) and off-the-ball situations. Off the ball situations are difficult to train on your own because most of the skill comes from reading how a play develops. One of the best ways for you to train off-the-ball situations by yourself is to watch a lot of basketball and start paying attention to what the defenders not guarding the basketball are doing.

On-the-ball defence is a little easier to practice, even without someone to compete against....and here's why. The key to being a good defender is being able to stay and move in a low defensive stance without getting out of control. This is easier said than done because a good offensive player is going to do everything they can to get you off balance and out of your stance.

Training to be a good defender on-the-ball comes down to training your stance. Depending on what level you are at, you may want to start with just standing in a good defensive stance:

feet slightly more than shoulder width apart
weight on the balls of your feet
ankles, knees and hips bent
strong, engaged core

Next you want to practice being able to stay in this position for longer periods of time. Once that's comfortable, practice moving in your stance and never coming out of it. Now add quick changes of direction. Are you still able to stay in your stance, without any unnecessary movement or "buckling" of your upper body? Once you can do this practice:

defensive slides from one side of the key to the other....30 seconds on and 30 off.
same defensive slides but throw the ball off the wall to yourself on each set.

Remember to always stay in your stance, keep a strong core and keep any unnecessary upper body movement to a minimum.

Help with Tight Defense

guest — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 04:54:50 GMT

One of the best ways to deal with a defender who crowds you is to be ready to execute the moment you catch the ball....ie be ready to shoot, pass or go by your defender before he has a chance to get up on you. If you are standing with the ball in an unathletic position, you give your defender time to get up in your face with tough defensive pressure.

If your defender is already up tight on you, be ready to claim your space. You have the right to the cylinder of space around you....and if the defender sticks his hands or face in this space, it's your job to take it back. Making sure you are in athletic stance, hold the ball firmly, lead with your elbows and pivot through to create space. Don't swing your elbows....that's a foul...but leading with them while making a strong sweep and pivot is perfectly legal and will create the space you need, like Kobe is about to do here.