Grow Your Game

Something that I have always found interesting about basketball is the diversity contained inside the offensive side of the game. Think about it.

When you first learn the game or if you’re lucky enough, taught the game you’re inevitably going to learn either shooting or dribbling first. Arguably these are the two most basic offensive skills of basketball and some never grow from here.

As you grow with the game you’ll learn and develop new skills. Maybe a lay-up is taught, using both hands when dribbling, bounce passes, chest passes. These are skills a player is going to learn to ‘grow his or her game’.

The trend continues. You may learn dribbling moves such as a cross over or hesitation, there are a whole series of jabs and up fakes that you can learn. Perimeter players are going to be taught how to penetrate, shoot from the outside, cut effectively and so on. Post players get to learn a whole different set of skills: various post moves, hook shots, up and unders, passing out of double teams, the correct way to pivot etc.

The important thing is that you are in fact expanding your game and growing your offensive repertoire. Guards should be able to execute all their moves equally as effective with their right and their left. Post players the same way should have the ability to execute their moves going right or left. These are all parts of basketball and developing what you do is part of it.

I’m speaking on adding on to ‘what you do’. Now I had a pretty limited basketball career. I was a better than average, if not good high school player, for a small high school in North Jersey. I had probably just enough talent to make a small Division III school, but not really break into a rotation. Which was fine by me, I had a great time playing basketball and don’t regret anything. It’s now been four years since I’ve last played “competitive” basketball.

Yet I’m still fired up from something I saw on youtube recently. I’ve come across the twitter feed of Mike Lee. He’s a professional basketball trainer who puts up videos on youtube of how NBA players execute some of their patented moves (By the way, Mike does a great job. The videos are concise yet informative. Check out his blog right here) . One of his latest editions is the Allen Iverson fade away. Now I’m only 5-7, so one of my setbacks every time I step on a court is finding ways to get my shot off against taller players. So naturally this shot, perfected by one of the best “little” players in basketball history is a great way to do just that. Now I’m all fired up to get home from trip to work on that shot.

Point is, I’m 24 years old with my best basketball playing days way behind me, yet I’m still interested in adding things to my game. The summer is a great time to do that. Think about it if you’re a freshman entering high school right now. If you add a move to your game each summer, by time your through with college you’ll have seven new moves to your game. Seven offensive moves is a pretty diverse offensive player.

One of the best ways to learn hoop is by simply watching. It’s not always a bad thing to emulate what the greats of the game do (on the court.) Learn a turn-around fall away by watching Kobe Bryant. Learn an inside pivot from Tim Duncan. Heck, learn a skyhook from watching Kareem.

The key though is to expand your game. Don’t be satisfied with where you’re at and its never too late to learn something new.