If you watched the NBA Finals, you saw TJ McConnell emerge as one of the heroes for the Indiana Pacers. His effort & grit (not to mention his pullup jumper) were huge factors in the Pacers pushing the Thunder to 7 games.

McConnell is a classic underdog story. He was underrecruited out of high school. He wasn’t drafted. He’s 6’1 (in case you’re wondering, there are 11 players in the entire NBA 6’1 or shorter).

And yet, he’s defied the odds time and time again. How? Certainly he’s a tremendous basketball player. His shooting ability from 8-12 feet is uncanny.

But it’s more than that. It’s his effort. And he’d be the first to tell you that. In fact, he’d tell you that playing hard is a skill. That’s great news, because it means you can develop it.

As you head into your tryouts and seasons, playing hard is a great way to get noticed. In my 16 years as a varsity coach, it was always easy to spot the players with that high motor.

Ready to become one of them? Read on to find out how.

Play Hard, Play More: 5 Simple On-Court Behaviors

1. Defense

Everyone loves playing offense. That means your defensive effort is the separator.

• Are you in a stance the entire possession?

• Are you pressuring the ball?

• Are you engaged and communicating?

• Do you sprint back in transition?

• Are you physically fighting through screens & boxing out?

If you can answer yes to those questions, you are playing hard.

2. Offensive Rebounding

Offensive rebounding is hard. You have to get through or around the person boxing you out and then get the ball. Many players don’t work hard enough to make the happen.

They just watch the ball. Or they lean on the player boxing them out in a half-hearted effort. Players who play hard attack the ball. They refuse to be boxed out.

The best news is, offensive rebounding creates its own reward. Why? Because they often result in great scoring opportunities for the players getting them.

3. Sprinting The Floor In Transition

All players say they like playing fast. But very few actually SPRINT the floor on every possession.

What does sprinting look like?

• Arms pumping

• Heels hitting butts

• Forward lean

It all starts with the first 3 steps. As soon as your team gains possession, it should look like you are shot out of a cannon. Your goal should be to “win your race” by beating your defender down the court.

4. 50/50 Balls

These are the plays where effort is obvious. When the ball is up for grabs, do you come up with it more times than not?

Playing hard turns 50/50 balls into 80/20 balls in your favor. You must be willing to dive on the floor & do whatever it takes to secure those extra possessions.

When you do, your coach will take notice.

5. Next Play Mentality

You are going to make mistakes. Everyone does. What’s crucial is how you respond.

Do you immediately move on to the next play? Or do you linger on the last play, decreasing both your physical and mental effort?

If it’s the latter, you are hurting your team.

Train a mistake response to allow you to move on immediately. That keeps you playing at max effort and prevents one mistake from compounding into multiple mistakes.

An Easy But Rare Skill That Will Set You Apart

If I asked you whether it would be easier to become a knockdown shooter or to play with elite effort in the next month, I’d guess you’d say playing with great effort would be easier. I would agree.

Everyone CAN play with great effort. But few CHOOSE to do so. Part of the reason is that they don’t know what it means.

Don’t let that be an excuse for you any longer. Focus on the 5 areas above and you’ll become one of those players your coach can’t take off the court!

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