Hi Ken
Sorry for taking ages to reply i have been very busy.
I have only 1 friend that likes basketball and that's Matthew as i said basketball isnt very popular over here at all :( . Matthews doing great but his basketball form is doing terrible cause he is busy playing soccer which he is AMAZING at. My jumper is going great and has helped me to dominate (modestly of course) and beat anyone i come up against. Ha ha so the USA is still the USA nice to hear ;) . I totally agree with you the only person that can hold you back from your dreams is yourself. Thank you so much for helping me i really appreciate it.

Hi Peter -

Funny thing, I was just going to write you to see how things are going and to ask about Matt. I'm glad to hear that he is doing well with soccer... too bad he cant put in JUST A LITTLE TIME into Bball. I would like to see him make the team.

You only have ONE FRIEND that likes Bball? What kind of friends do you have??? LOL Good to hear that your jumper is getting better and you are dominating. BTW, I LOVE your modesty.....:-)

I'm glad that I can be of help to you...I always enjoy reading your posts and answering them. I hope you have a very successful season... if things keep improving like they have been - maybe you get moved up to the varsity sooner than you think?

Take care and stay in touch.... season starts when???

Hi Peter -

Here is something for Matt - I know he hasn't been reading any of this lately... so you will have to wake him up a little bit.

My first year as head coach we had sophomore that I brought up... he was 5'2 tops .... he played varstiy soccer as a freshman, became an All State soccer player... but bball was his love. He was my point guard and started as a junior.... all conference an honorable mention all state.as a senior. BTW, he was a 5'6" senior... smart kid amd is now a general manager for Athletico.

So tell him to put a LITTLE time into bball..... just shooting, Wouldn't want him to get hurt workling on bball out of season. I hear you guys are safe from Crocs and Gators too... must be a nice place to live.

Hi Peter -

Here is something that I thought you would like.... I could make a few cutting remarks about Matt... but I guess I will be nice to him.. LOL

Today's theme is "The Exceptional Player"
These are some of the things that make a player a standout above the rest. The exceptional player:1. Always plays great defense, even when his/her offense is "off".

2. Always hustles, boxes-out and rebounds.

3. Sees the whole floor and is an excellent passer, able to find the open teammate.

4. Is a good ball-handler, avoids costly turnovers.

5. Can shoot from outside.

6. Can drive, "take it to the hoop". You can't rely on just an outside shot, or just your ability to drive. You've got to be able to do both. If you can't score from outside, the defense will "sag" and not allow you to drive. If you can't drive, they will guard you close outside, and not allow your outside shot. You’ve got to be able to do both so that the defense cannot key on either aspect of your game.

7. Looks for the open shot all the time. Doesn't stop shooting just because of missing one or two shots early in the game. If a great player starts off "cold", he/she will usually get it going by hustling, playing good defense, getting a steal or two, and getting into the flow of the game, and getting an easy lay-up or free-throw. Then the shots will start falling.

8. Can make clutch free-throws.

9. Stays out of foul-trouble.

10. Has "mental toughness"... is able to sense the critical times in a game and elevate his/her game and teammates a notch (especially with defense, hustle and rebounding). Is able to make the "big plays" in crunch time. Is able to do the "little things" needed to win...like making the pass to an open teammate, setting a perfect screen, making a steal, etc. Keeps focused...does not get upset by a bad call. Is able to forget mistakes and keep playing hard. Understands the game situation, the clock.

11. Inspires and leads his/her teammates by example, hard work and hustle in practice and during games. The exceptional player works harder than anyone else. You can't ask your teammates to practice and play harder if you're not there yourself. Exceptional players are not born...they become exceptional by hard work and dedication.

12. Understands the concept of "team" and "family". It takes more than skill to have a championship team. You must have team "chemistry", respect for each other, a common goal, and help and encourage each other.

13. The exceptional player is "coachable". Listens and works closely with the coach. Is willing to try new things and is willing to "step up" when the coach needs some leadership on and off the court.

Peter -

I take it that becuase of Matt's size he is a point guard?? IF so, this should help him a lot. Tell him to take 5 minutes away from soccer and his GF and read this.... then send a reply.... would be nice to know if he is still breathing LOL

Let me know if this helps you too.



5 Things Every Basketball Point Guard Should Know

Playing the point guard position in basketball comes with a lot of responsibilities. The position comes with an added role of leadership and being able to get the team organized on the offensive and defensive end, as well as being a skilled player. A lot of point guards are considered the coach on the floor or the general of the team. If you look at the elite point guards like Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo you will see that they lead their team and look to make every player around them better.

Since being a basketball point guard requires so much of the player, it can become a very challenging position. That is why I have created a list of things that every point guard should know about playing this position. So whether you have just started playing point guard, or have been playing it for a while and are looking for ways to be a better player, this article is for you.



Take Care of the Ball
As a point guard you must be able to take care of the basketball. If you are throwing the ball around the gym and turning it over frequently your team is going to struggle, and you will most likely end up on the bench. So you need to make sure that you are making good basketball passes and staying out of situations that have a high turnover probability. Stay out of spots on the floor where you can get trapped and where there is a lot of congestion, and don’t force the action. A good point guard is able to see the floor and stay out of situations where there are a lot of hands and people. Just being able to recognize these types of places on the floor will help you limit your turnovers drastically.

Be a Leader on the Floor
Some players are more naturally outspoken than others and it is easier for them to be leaders. With the point guard position though you are going to need to get out of your comfort zone and be a leader, whether you are natural leader or not. It is your job to be able to get the team organized on offense and defense. You are an extension of the coach on the floor and you need to know the offense and the game plan better than anyone else out there on the floor. This will require more time on your part studying the plays, learning the defense, etc. but if you want to be a great point guard than this is necessary.



Make your Teammates Better
You will have the basketball in your hands more than anyone else on the floor and you will be running the offense. One of your jobs from this position is being able to help your teammates get great scoring opportunities. Great point guards are able to set their teammates up for good shots in places where they are comfortable with the ball. So whether it is driving the paint to kick out to a down ready shooter for an open shot, or running a play to get the ball into the post player, you need to make sure that you are helping your teammates out.

If you see that one of the better scorers on your team is struggling to get going then you need to be able to run a play that gets them a high quality shot. You must be able to keep your finger on the pulse of your team and know your teammates.

Pressure the Ball
As a point guard bringing the ball up the floor you know how annoying it is to get pressured and not be able to get into the offense as easily as you would like. Well the same thing goes for the ball handler on the other team. If you can provide good ball pressure (especially in high school and college basketball where there is a 5 second closely guarded call) you can add a lot of value to your team. The other team’s point guard will be so nervous about the pressure that they won’t be able to get their team into the offense.

Pressuring the ball does not mean reaching, gambling, and getting out of defensive position (unless that is your team’s game plan). You must be able to keep your man in front of you, because if not they will just get into the paint and carve up your defense. Be able to pressure, while also being able to contain the ball.



Play at Different Speeds
A player with the ball that plays at the same speed the whole time is easy to guard, but a player that mixes up their speeds and is unpredictable becomes a lot harder to guard. It is not always about being lightning quick with the ball, but you do need to be able to go from slow to fast and fast to slow while handling the basketball. This will keep the defender guessing and off balance when they try to pressure you on defense, or when they are trying to keep you out of the paint.

The harder you are to guard off the dribble the more value you bring to your team. If you are able to get into the paint to kick the ball out for a shot, or dump it off for a layup, etc. you add a lot to your team on the offensive end. You need to be able to get into the paint though within the offense, not by using 10 dribbles to try and break your man down.