Tag Archives: NBA

6 Steps to Dominating the Court

Many basketball players are looking for ways to really stand out on the court and show how good they are while other need ways to really get to the next level with their ability. I have put together some basketball tips to help you get ahead of your rivals.

1. Be focused. The top athletes have a laser-sharp focus which gives them a strong desire to win. You should aim to develop your focus so you can visualize the outcome of a move before you have started it. Keeping good concentrating means you will be in the zone more often and working to your best abilities.

2. Be a team player. It is not a one-man game so always think about your team-mates. As much as we all enjoy some personal glory, the main goal is to win as a team so always aim to build each other up and help others with your knowledge.

3. Be decisive. Do not sit back and wait for things to happen. In most cases nothing will happen when you do this so always be willing to take action. When you have decided on an action you must commit to it or it will not come off.

4. Study the best. Take note of the top NBA players and what they do. Think about tactics and movement. Watch how the top players control the ball and take shots. This will then translate into your own game.

5. Practice hard. You should really dedicate yourself to working hard even in practice sessions. This will lead to improvements in your game that will show in the big moments. Work at something until you have it down perfectly.

6. Listen to your coach or mentor. Pay attention to what those around you say if they have been there before. If you have a mentor that has worked hard they will have a lot of good advice to impart so pay attention to them.

Master your Pick and Roll

Mastering Screen and Roll gives an important advantage to the offense team as it is considered one of basketballs’ toughest situations to defend.

Lets take John Stockton for example, NBA’s all-time leader in steals (3,265) and assists (15,806). True he had Karl Malone next to him, but his remarkable ability to use the Screen and Roll to a level of perfection made this duo one of the deadliest ever.

Before we continue with basketball tips for Screen and Roll, ask yourself:

(1) Can you create a shooting situation every time you play Screen and Roll?

(2) Are you afraid of the trap or hedge? Are you just looking to get the ball away from you as fast as you can?

(3) Can you find the open man?

Want to Master Screen and Roll?

(1) First of all, don’t rush it; you need time to read the situation.

(2) Always try to start the play where you believe can take the shot. If the defender is going under the screen, take the advantage and make him pay.

(3) The opponent teams’ defense will try many solutions: switch, hedge, trap… at some point, someone is going to be open or with a mismatch you want to take advantage of.

(4) In a trap situation, it is most likely that one of your teammates will have a better passing angle to the big guy.

(5) Remember - If you started to drive and can’t finish, the corner man is waiting for the shot. He is w-i-d-e open.

(6) At least 25% of the time you need to fake and go to the same side you came from. No one will expect that.

Improve Your Decision Making Skills

Sometimes you’re probably having these bad days - committing too many turnovers, coach is yelling at you, telling you that you’ve made bad decisions while all you want is to improve your game. Want to avoid these situations and dramatically improve your performance? - Read the following tip carefully.

Making the Right Decisions

Making the right decisions on a basketball game is one of the most important aspects a player must consider. It doesn’t matter if a player runs faster or jumps higher than any one else on court, if he turns the ball too often he will simply end up sitting on the bench.

Take Steve Nash for example, he is not taller or faster than other talented NBA players, yet, he was selected the NBA MVP… The secret is all about decision making skills.

Basketball tips to remember about decision making skills:

(1) An athletic ability is great - it will definitely give you the opportunity to play, however smart decision making skills will keep you on the court.

(2) While your team is on the offense, coach expects you to read the game and identify opportunities to take shots. All that, while you listen to his or hers’ instructions.

(3) Smart basketball players are those who think fast and quickly analyze the game, in order to find these opportunities that will enable them make the right decisions.

Want to Improve your Decision Making Skills?

Well, dribbling is easy for you as is following coaches’ instructions. Now, following coaches’ instructions from the bench while dribbling isn’t that easy.
Here is one of the best basketball tips that will improve your decision making skills on court:

Start by dribbling up and down the court; try to mix it up with between your legs or behind your back etc. While doing so, do the following:

(1) Spell the A-B-C, not that difficult. Don’t stop dribbling.

(2) Spell the A-B-C backwards Z-Y-X. Now it’s not that easy…

(3) When you master this drill, add your first name, age, phone no. etc. - everything backwards.

This exercise will help you think while you execute other basketball tasks. It will help you to perform better on the court.