Finishing

I just finished my 2nd Practice of the AAU seasOn and I'm having trouble finishing against the bigger and stronger players during one on one drills.

I grew one inch over this winter so I am now 5 foot and 85 pounds.

Thanks,
Ben

Hi Ben,

Good to hear from you again...... we don't get to see what is going on so these are my best thoughts:

Work on your quickness so you can beat them off the dribble and go strong to the basket..... get a foot / shoulder past their foot and you should be able to beat them. Show no fear, kind of like D Rose of the Bulls.
Last year I saw a freshman play on a Varsity team, about your size, maybe 5'2 ..... he took the ball right at them and didn't avoid contact.... he got knocked down several times and many times he didn't get the call.... many times he did. ( I don't know how your refs call the game )
Protect the ball with your inside arm and shoulder.... IF they are going to block it, they are going to have to go thru you.

Keep working on your strengths... I know you are a good shooter, develop a mid range pull up jumper and the three as you get comfortable at shooting and making that shot. This will help you as you can shot fake and go past them since everyone wants to be a shot blocker, especially against a smaller opponent...... good luck and stay in touch with us.

How are things going in school?

Ok I 'm going to looks at some Derek Rose clips today after school and practice that.

School is going pretty well. On my school team we got to the championship and lost against one my aau teammates team by 6 points. I scored 10 points and had 5 assists. Though the season I scored 7 points a game and 7 assists per game.

Thanks,
Ben

You're the point guard, right Ben?

Those are pretty good stats for a point guard.

Tell me something about your shooting - 1 do you have a mid range jumper 13-16' ? How about threes? Are you shooting those with any consistency or is that not part of your game?

- Quickness... would you say that you are pretty quick or average? This is a very important part of a guards game... being able to beat someone off the dribble, getting into passing lanes, penetrating to break down the D etc. The important thing at your height is to know where to penetrate and how deep, so you can dump, kick out or get your own jumper off.

I always told my players... be strong with the ball... limit your turnovers ..... we can always play D if you get a 5 second call and they take the ball out of bounds...... hard to defend breakaway lay ups. Try to keep yourself out of the trap spots and be smarter than the guy defending you.... have confidence in yourself.

Tell us what is happening when you try to finish against those bigger - stronger guys.

When I am going to the basketball i usually try to draw contact but then I get blocked very badly.

Clean blocks or are they fouling you?

I think I remember sending you a video about creating some space last year..... drive, make contact to freeze them and then step back for your shot?

Tell us about this part of your game -
Tell me something about your shooting - 1 do you have a mid range jumper 13-16' ? How about threes? Are you shooting those with any consistency or is that not part of your game?

- Quickness... would you say that you are pretty quick or average? This is a very important part of a guards game... being able to beat someone off the dribble, getting into passing lanes, penetrating to break down the D etc. The important thing at your height is to know where to penetrate and how deep, so you can dump, kick out or get your own jumper off.

There is nothing you can do about your size, you will grow, don't sweat that... you CAN get quicker and you are a smart guy, use it to your advantage... use shot fakes and pass fakes to get your defender to move and then attack his weaknesses...... IF you can knock down a few mid range jumpers, they will STILL want to block your shot... shot fake and go by them. If you are already dribbling - then use a hesistation move on them... fast, slow down and then when they are slowing down, blow by them. Hope some of this helps.

Mostly clean blocks.
I think my mid range game isthe best part of my game but I don't take advantage of it. Three Pointers in a game I could probably hit about 40%. I would say I'm pretty quick and I usually get by my man. Most of the blocks are I get by my man I try to out jump them so I need to get in the mindset that I need to put the ball up quick.

Thanks,
Ben

Ok Ben,

You pretty much answered your own question here.... the mid range part of your game.... play to your strengths... and if you can shoot the 3 ball at 40 % thats pretty good too.

I asked another coaching friend of his opinion on this.... this is what he said -
I would tell him to learn to jump stop at the end of his drive to the basket, then give a ball fake. This will get defender off the floor and he can jump upwards and into him and draw the foul. When a player becomes proficient at the ball fake at the end of the dribble, it becomes very difficult for the defender to guard him.

So, this is just another weapon for you.... don't drive yourself nuts trying to do too many things... if you are quick thats a good thing.... that can get you out of a lot of trouble and make it easier to create things for yourself. Play some 1 on 1 / 2 on 2 games with some friends... some bigger and stronger... that way you can experiment with some of these things and get better at your game.
I think the ball/head fake is going to be your best friend for awhile... I know you are working at your game and can shoot it... pick a couple of moves that you can work on, be comfortable with and then use them in competition. You can always add things to your game as you get older.

Here is something about playing the Point Guard position... its a lot more than just scoring... thought you might find this interesting.


1. Vocal Leadership – If your PG isn’t vocal, they can’t command the team. It’s not enough to just “lead by example” on the court; the PG must be able to control the game and keep their team organized (calling out sets, etc)…

2. Lead by Example – We all expect our PG’s to be leaders, so they must lead by example on and off the floor. They have to have leadership qualities to be able to run a team. One good “on-the court” example would be their defensive stance and on-ball pressure as the ball moves up the floor. If they are a ball-hawk and showing extreme pressure to the ball, there is a good chance the rest of the team will also buy in to being in a stance.

3. Have a good relationship with the coach. We all say that the PG must be an extension of the coaching staff on the court, so there must be a solid relationship between the coach and PG so they can always feel comfortable communicating with each other.

4. Not a “Shoot-first” player . They don’t necessarily need to always be a pass-first PG, especially in high school where the PG might also be the best scorer, but they can not be a player that typically will bring the ball up the floor looking to go one-on-one and creating shots just for themselves. The offense will become stagnant and other players will shut down, because they know their chances of being involved offensively are low.

5. Have a high IQ for the game / feel for the game – They have to understand special situations, the flow of the game, the time & score, when to attack, when to pull it out, etc.

6. Have a high conditioning threshold – if the PG isn’t in shape and is expected to play big minutes and minutes at the end of the game, they will break down mentally once their body breaks down, so it is huge for them to be in great shape.

7. Make the easy pass, and not always the “assist” pass – Sometimes PG’s make foolish passes because they know the ball will be in their hand much of the time. Have them keep it simple. The reason Steve Nash can make the passes he can make is because he works on it every day and he is the best in the world. There aren’t a lot of Steve Nashes out there, so use the KISS principle – “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.

8. Be able to knock down the open shot – I couldn’t shoot, and I played a lot of minutes, and it definitely hurt my team at times. The PG typically won’t get a ton of shots off of set plays or screens because he or she is setting up others, but the PG must be able to hit the open shot in transition, on post-feed kick-outs, etc.

9. Have “Gears” – I’m talking about a change of pace in their game. The toughest PG’s aren’t the ones who are extremely fast, but the ones that are always playing at different speeds. They have deception in their game.

10. Have a “Motor” – summarizes a lot of the points already made, but the PG has to play extremely hard, and be eager to do all of the dirty jobs. The PG must be willing to guard the full length of the court, push the ball in transition, be vocal, and play with a tremendous amount of energy.

Ben,

I have talked to a few guys that played point guard for me many years ago -

Their advice was pretty much the same as mine....

1- Play to your strengths
2- Be an assist man first and shot second (your teammates will love you)
3- Use your mid range game to your benefit
4- Be the quarterback of your team

Learn how to use the crossover and the jump stop... know where the help is coming from so you can dump to a post player and kick it out to a wing shooter. One guy said he rarely took the ball to the basket.... not even in college.... he said, why would I do that at 5'8" vs 6'7 guys - so I could eat the ball? They were both 5' tall as freshman by the way and were very smart when it came to keeping themselves out of bad positions, seeing traps coming etc. I hope this helps.

Ben,

I know you want to be a great scorer....nothing wrong with that.... but most of the articles I read don't say a lot about scoring... here is another one for you to look at.

FOUR KEYS TO BECOMING A GREAT POINT GUARD

by

Chris Capko
Assistant Basketball Coach
Stetson University

You will often hear coaches refer to their point guard as a “coach on the floor” or the “quarterback” of the team. You will also hear coaches refer to their guard play as being the reason their team was so successful. Point guards have more responsibility than any other player on the floor. A good point guard should account for many jobs that statistics just do not cover.

Away from the obligatory physical basketball skills that point guards must perfect, there are a number of other mental skills that are required for this position.

1. Pace and recognition of time and score.

These compliment each other and are two of the most important mental qualities a good point guard should have.

A good point guard plays at a steady pace, never getting out-of-control. They know when to turn up the pace and run as well as slow things down. The pace is generally dictated by the time and score of the game as well as that particular coach’s basketball philosophy. As simple as this sounds, too many times you will see a guy push the basketball and run when it is simply not needed or get out of control and make a bad decision because they don’t have a proper feel for the pace of the game.

It is as equally important for a point guard to always know the time and score of the game. There’s two minutes left in the game and your team is down ten, the point guard must recognize this and push the pace looking to get quicker scores. What if your team is up 4 with two minutes to go? The point guard must recognize this and set up a play to burn some clock and get the shot your team needs. Too many times young point guards lose track of this.

2. On offense a point guard should know every spot of every play within the team’s offense.

A play cannot be initiated or run correctly if every player is not in the correct spot. Point guards must recognize this and get their teammates in the correct spots. They should also know where their teammates are, who the play is run for, and how he prefers to receive the ball. Does my center feel more comfortable from the left or right block? Does my shooting guard shoot the ball better coming off screens going right or going left?

The point should also have a feel for the opposing players foul trouble or where there are defensive mismatches and be able to exploit them without the coach having to say that.

3. Leadership

Leadership is another quality that is a must for a good point guard. Between plays are you huddling your teammates up to let them know what defense you’re in or what play your coach wants to run? Are you encouraging your teammates or reprimanding them? If your big guy has been running the floor, but yet to receive the ball in the post, keep encouraging him and let him know you will be getting him the ball. Are you telling guys who they need to be matched up with or are you confused yourself? Through scouting do you know tendencies for all the opposing players or just the guys you are guarding? To truly be a “coach on the floor” you must know the intricacies of your team and the opponent.

4. Decision making

Decision making is another component that a point guard cannot overlook. Turnovers can be a detriment to a team’s success. The point guard has the ball in his hands more than anyone and is looked upon to make sound decisions.

A good point guard must value the ball and each possession for their team to succeed. It goes deeper than turnovers, but into shot selection and knowing personnel. Know the difference between a good shot and bad shot. Not knowing the difference can essentially be the same as a turnover as can not knowing your own personnel.

Many of these traits come with experience through playing the game, but many can also come through film and studying. A good point guard or basketball player in general can never study too much. You can never know all of your plays too much or find enough instances through film where you did not lead like you should. Invest in being the best point guard you can be both mentally and physically and your team will benefit greatly because of it.

Ben,

I'm not sure that you are still interested in this, but here is something from Steve Nash -

NOTES FROM STEVE NASH (speaking at the Nike Steve
Nash Skills Academy)

* A player should always want his coach to be critical--it is an
opportunity to learn or opportunity to overcome adversity.
* A point guard sets the table for everybody; he makes other
players believe in themselves. If the point guard is not "fun"
to be around and if he is not respected, he will have a difficult
chance becoming a good point guard.
* Everyday work on all of the shots you will use in a game.
* No one is going to be in better shape than me.
* I don't want to dribble just to dribble...but I don't want to give
up my dribble and give my defensive man an advantage.
* Know your teammates and where they want their shots.
* Early in my NBA career, I worked out after a game.
* On an isolation play, read the defense behind your defender
and don't make up your mind that you have to score.

Hi Coach,

Thanks for all the great information.

But I'm having trouble with my shot. My dad has been helping with my shot forever. One thing he has always emphasized was backspin on the shot. So we were working on my shot tweaking some things and nothing feels natural or right and I'm still not greeting backspin. Now I'm stuck with no shot and I really need help.
One thing my dad told me was that he noticed that sometimes the ball is coming off the side of my hand. Is there anything I can do to fix that.

Thanks again,
Ben

Ben,

Last time we looked at your shot - you had a great shot, form and all. Maybe you are overthinking your shot?? Lets go back to the basics...

Stand by a wall, take one dribble and bring the ball up with your shooting hand only, (leave your guide hand behind you or along side of you) go in to your shot and hold the follow through... ( Put your hand in the cookie jar ) Doing this against a wall takes away thoughts of making the shot and gets you to focus on your form again. Do that 25 or 50 times until you feel comfortable again with the form.
Then do some BEEF check starting from the block to center of rim to the other block, do this with one hand also until you feel like things are getting back to where you had them. As for the ball falling off the side of your hand I can only guess that your elbow is getting out to far ?
After getting comfortable with this - add your guide hand and repeat the process..... then start backing up a few feet at a time. Then you might shoot some free throws and keep working on the form. I used to tell my players that when they were struggling with their shots in games, get to the free throw line, that gives you some time to go over your form/shot in your head.
After you feel like you have your shot back, then start shooting while you are moving, the flip drill etc
(If you can take another video of your shot that might help us to see what's going on)

Seriously, you had a very nice shot last year... so its hard to figure what happened in one year?? I know from our previous conversations that you are a hard worker and WANT to get better, but don't beat yourself up over this, remember, its a game and you are supposed to be having FUN too.
.Try some of this out for a few days and then get back to us.... let us know how the form and backspin are going.

Coach,

I remember posting that video and that was at a time where i was shooting great. My dad told me that my shot has changed and he noticed that my shooting percentage has gone down each year since that year. Also instead of shooting against the wall will shooting against the backboard work?

Thanks for the advice,
Ben

Update on Shooting:

So I did the form shooting and it went pretty well but:

When I did it one handed everything was fine but as soon as I put the guide hand on the ball it fet awkward. Can you think of any reason for this?

Thanks,
Ben

Ben,

The wall makes it a little easier, but if you don't have that available to you, the backboard can work too... use what's handy.

Could be your guide hand is involved with the shot now? If everything is fine when you are just shooting with one hand... try keeping your thumb pointing towards a part of your face, your eye nearest the guide hand? That should keep it still. I think its all about becoming comfortable with your shot again...

If you get a chance, post another video for us.

Let me ask you this, what do YOU think happened that caused your shot to change?

I don't think the guide hand is involved with the shot it just feels different and weird.

And answering your question I think I started to think too much about my shot.

Tell ya what Ben, go back and look at the last videos and see IF you can see or feel anything different....

Then relax a little bit, go out and have some fun..... IF your shot is anything like it was last year, it was and probably is still a darn nice shot.

Just stop overthinking this and shoot.... come back in a few days and let us know how you are doing.....