Month: July 2019

Fundamentals

Improving your game is actually very simple. What you want to do is practice the fundamentals of basketball daily. Michael Jordan was able to great things on the basketball court because he mastered the fundamentals of basketball.

Doing simple ball handling, shooting, and defensive drills make a big difference when done on a consistent basis.

When you master the fundamentals, your understanding of the game of basketball increases dramatically.

For example, think about when you first learned how to walk. At first, you had to crawl, then you started walking, then you could jog, and then you could run. Eventually you started dancing and now you can play the game of basketball.

The reason you were able to accomplish all those feats is because you mastered the fundamental of walking. You mastered it because you practiced every day without fail. What if you decided to practice the fundamentals of … Read the rest

Let’s begin by looking at the man-to-man defensive techniques. One of the first determinations is the dominant hand of your opponent; either right-handed or left-handed. This is the shooting hand, and it determines how you guard your man and obstructing the shooting path. The next determination is which foot is the pivot foot. This can change with possessions and determines the drive side tendency, frequently to the non-pivot foot side. Another tell is the hand position on the ball. Shooting hand behind the ball indicates preparing for a shot. Hands to the side of the ball indicate preparing to pass. Hand on the upper part of the ball indicates preparing to dribble and which hand indicates going left or right.

Another indicator is dribble patterns. Players who dribble between the legs or behind the back do so in repeated patterns prior to shooting or driving to the basket. Knowing that … Read the rest

There are a few factors to consider when training/learning how to hit a volleyball, also known as an attack or spike. One of those factors is the approach, the “run” towards the ball after it is released from the setter’s hands. First, make sure you are standing behind the ten-foot line with your right foot slightly in front of your left foot and arms down beside you. Next, take a step with your left foot and then another with your right foot. You will then want to plant or hop quickly with your left foot. You can think of it as well as left- right, left. You will want to practice this by starting out slowly and as you get the hang of it, speed it up to a quick “run”. Bend your knees and jump bringing your arms up in the air.

The next factor to consider when hitting … Read the rest

The Magnificent Warrior

In the bleak, murderous North St. Louis neighborhood where Chris Carrawell grew up, he recalls three drive-by shootings in one summer-a setting he said he wouldn’t dare wish on many people. “Learning to stand up for mine” was his 11th Commandment. “My basketball was my thing; I had to fight older guys not to have it taken,” Carrawell says. Carrawell had no one else to stand up for him as a kid. His dad was non-existent, he was the man of the house, and most of the time it seemed as if no one cared whether he would ever enjoy a shred of success doing anything anywhere.

He claims that the only reason he and his siblings were able to make it was his Mom’s toughness. “She kept us in church, she was really religious,” he says. “Seeing her be there for us each day and keeping … Read the rest

The average rating for National Basketball Association players is 15.0. NBA superstars frequently have a rating in the upper 20’s. Collegiate and high school ratings will be significantly lower than the NBA, but I’ll get in to that in a moment.

The formula that Hollinger uses is complex, but I believe it’s a highly accurate view of how a player is performing while on the floor. Because of this, during my days as an assistant coach at the collegiate level, I wanted to determine if I could come up with a way to assess a player’s performance a little quicker than using the formula that Hollinger uses.

Fortunately, I was able to find a much simpler way to rate players. While this method was easier to compute, I found it to be highly effective and accurate when it came to determining player’s playing time and predicting who would receive end … Read the rest