Many times you will receive a pass on the court and find that, although you are guarded, you are the closest one to the basket. It's now up to you to make a move with the ball so you can get off your shot. This is where you get to add your personal offensive touch. Being able to execute more than one of the following individual moves with the ball will greatly help you get free for your shot. Practice them when you're alone, using different fakes and varied speeds.
When you
practice these moves, be sure that you turn, face the basket, and assume proper
basketball position: your feet a shoulder's width apart and pointed toward the
basket, your knees are flexed, and your shoulders are facing the basket. If you
are right handed, keep the ball on your right side. If you are left handed, keep
it on your left side.
The
drive, a quick move past the defender toward the hoop, is one of the most basic
of all offensive basketball moves. If you are able to drive well, then you can
get past your man and successfully penetrate the defense. Once you are close to
the hoop you can then go for the shot yourself, possibly getting fouled; or, you
can dish off to a teammate who can get an uncontested lay-up or a short- range
jump shot.
Don't
overuse the drive. What happens in a game when you continually look for the
drive is that your defensive man automatically starts to back up once you have
the ball. He knows what you want to do. By backing off, he denies you the first
step to the hoop. This takes away any advantage that you had over him with the
drive.
When
this happens, a player has to bring out the best offensive weapon there is to
get the drive back: the OUTSIDE shot. If the defense is laying off you to keep
you from driving, then go for your jumper. After you make two or three of them,
the defense will be forced to move back in close to keep you honest. Then you
got your man right where you want him. He's more vulnerable than ever to your
quickness, and you can use your drive again.
Sidney
Moncrief says, "When I receive the ball I can set my man up for a drive by
using ball, shoulder, or head fakes. Depending on the position of my defender, I
can also fake a jump shot, get my man in the air, and go around him."
Montcrief
goes on to say this about the mechanics of the drive. "When my man does go
for one of my fakes, I push off my pivot foot, take a long quick first step
toward the hoop, as I put the ball down hard on the floor just past the hip of
the defender. When the ball is put down, I lift my pivot foot, push past the
defender's shoulder and go for the hoop."
It's
important to protect the ball with your body when you are driving. Do this by
turning your trunk as much as possible to prevent any steals. For a drive to the
basket, quickness and control are great assets to have. Practice your drive like
this:
Do this
often. Once this first quick step starts to come naturally, you are on your way
to becoming a dangerous driver. When you do commit yourself to going up for the
shot, after the drive, concentrate on making the shot. It's going to be
congested as you move to the hoop. Other players will pop out to pick you up.
Concentrate on making the shot! Look to pass only if you can't get your shot
off, or if you can spot a teammate in a better scoring position.
The
jab step is a common foot fake which, depending on the defensive player's
reaction, is used to set up either a drive or a jump shot. To perform the jab
step do the following:
OR
When
you make the jab step move and your defensive player plays you for the drive (he
backs up and blocks your path), your next offensive possibility is to take a
jump shot. You can do this by first, pulling back your lead foot and then going
up for the shot.
It's
important when you are going to make a jab step that your first step not be too
long. Secondly, remember to keep in a crouched position with your knees bent.
This coiled position assures you enough power to make the drive or jump shot.
The
rocker step is a quick head-and-shoulder fake you can use to set up a drive. It
begins just like the jab step. Do the rocker step as follows:
This
move is an elaboration upon both the previous moves. Perform it as follows:
As with
all these individual moves, it's important to maintain a crouched position when
you make your fakes and when you go around your defender. If you straighten up,
you will lose the power and quickness which makes these moves so effective.
Often
the defensive player will overplay you to your strong side. In this case, the
crossover step and the ability to dribble equally well with either hand will
help you out of this defensive overplay.
To make
this crossover step to the left, take the following steps:
Reverse
the above steps if you are being overplayed to the other side. In that case, you
would be doing a crossover step to the right.
Many
times you will encounter situations in a game when you have already picked up
your dribble and your defensive man is standing right in front of you preventing
you from getting off a shot or passing the ball. It is just for cases like this
that you need to have some dead-ball moves. Naturally, you can use these moves
away from the basket, but they are more effective when you make them not far
from the hoop, either in or close by the lane.
To
execute this move, do the following:
This
is another power move that will help get you past your defender after you have
given up your dribble. Do the following to execute the move:
Since
this is a power move, making the shot will depend a lot on getting jumping power
and positioning from your lower body. Be prepared to be fouled as you go to the
hoop. Protect the ball from your man with the elbow as you go up.
To
execute this move do the following:
It's
a necessity in winning basketball that a team have players with good, solid
inside moves. These are the player (and not just the center), who can post their
man, receive a pass in the paint, or down low "in traffic" and then
turn it into a high- percentage shot and a possible three-point play.
The more
players a team has like this, the better off it will be. A team that can rely on
good inside movement for many of its points has these positive factors working
in its favor:
To
play down low you have to make yourself bigger. You do this by setting yourself
up with an exaggerated basketball stance.
Spread
your feet wider than shoulder's width. Make sure your elbows are flared and your
hands are up. What this big stance does for you is help keep your defensive man
from stepping around you or reaching over your back to either steal or knock the
ball away.
When
fighting for position down low, the most important thing to do is to present
yourself as a good target for your teammates. With so many players cutting in
and out of the low-post area, this is often difficult.
Your own
defender will be doing his best to get in front of you and cut off any passes,
and any other defender coming through the low-post area will throw out his hand
if it looks like he can steal an incoming pass.
Keep
your man behind you at all times by continually maneuvering in front of him,
blocking him with your upper arm, while at the same time presenting a target for
a pass with your other arm held high. It's extremely important to have contact
with the body of your defender so you can always know where he is and what type
of move you can try to make.
To work
successfully in the low post or in the lane, it will take a coordinated effort
between the passer and you to finally get you the ball.
In
the early part of every basketball game it becomes obvious how they intend to
play the post man. Every post player should become aware of this fact.
As the
ball is brought up court, the post man should line up on the high side of the
box (rectangle along the foul lane). The post man should face into the lane.
This simple maneuver, (facing the lane), causes many problems for the defender.
Generally, a defensive man is not accustomed to see the man he is guarding
squarely facing him and staring him in the eye. In such a position, the
defensive man feels mighty foolish playing in front of the offensive man.
As the
ball is brought into the wing area (free throw line, extended), the post man's
first step should be toward the baseline to drive the man down. Then, he pivots
into the defender to seal him off. The pivot must be executed properly ... knees
flexed, hips lowered, feet spread wider than shoulder's width, arms up with
elbows out, taking up a lot of space on the court.
Now is
the time to note how your defender is playing you. Generally, each team will
establish a certain pattern on guarding the post man. Usually, after two or
three times down the court, the coach can see the trend. This is one of the
first thing every good coach looks for from the bench. An intelligent post
player determines this, too. He should call this to the coach's attention at an
early time out. If a post man can come over to the bench and say, confidently
and correctly, "They are fronting me when I'm low and siding me to the
baseline side, when I'm high." Or, "They are playing directly behind
me at all times." Then, you are well on your way toward being a good pivot
man.
When the
ball is thrown to the forward at a wing position, below the free throw line, and
the defensive post man is playing on the low side (baseline side), the next
possession the post man should line up on the low side of the box. He should be
thinking "short hook to the middle" if he gets the ball. If the
defensive man is playing on the high side of the post, not the baseline side,
The offensive post man should move up the lane to straddle the second lane mark,
but he should stay on the lane. The post man should be thinking power lay-up if
he gets the ball. If the defensive man is directly behind, get to the high side
of the box. Think short hook to the outside or short jumper to the middle. You
might even get a power lay-up by faking to the middle, then executing a quick
drop step with the baseline foot, then, power it up.
If the
defensive man is fronting you completely, slide up the lane to the third lane
marker and move a half step off the lane. More will be said about the pass and
type of shot to be used in different situations; but, to put things briefly, if
the defensive man is playing on the high side, the post man should expect a
bounce or overhead pass and be thinking power lay-up.
If the
defender is on the low side you should expect a bounce, overhead, or halo pass,
and be thinking hook to the middle.
If the
defender is behind, look for a bounce, overhead, or halo pass, and be thinking
quick pivot jumper or a one ball busting dribble-drive move.
If the
defender is fronting, you should expect a lob pass from the forward at the
strong-side wing; and, the guard at the point as you swing into the lane, or
from a weak-side forward, who has flashed to the high post. The shot in all
three cases will be either a baby jumper or a power lay-up.
When
you're being closely guarded from behind in the low post, you often need to make
a quick rear turn to spring yourself free to receive a pass. This move is made
by hooking your outside foot around the outside foot of your defensive man and
then quickly pivoting on your lead foot. Bend over slightly as you make the
turn, being sure to make contact with your man with your rear and back.
Once you
have good positioning, ask for the ball with either one or two hands. Hold this
position for a two-count so the player with the ball can see you.
To
prevent your defensive man from interfering with the incoming pass, it's
important that you seal him off by putting the forearm of your non-target arm,
bent at a 45-degree angle, on his chest, without using the hand to push or hold
him. If you don't get the ball, by the end of the count, move somewhere and set
a screen.
Another
effective way of keeping the defender from reaching over and stealing a pass is
to hook your non-target forearm in the crook of the defenders extended arm and
push it down. Continue to signal for the ball with the other arm.
When
your defender is playing in front of you on the ball side in the low post, you
will never be able to receive a good pass unless you can get back in front of
your man.
The best
way to do this is to do the following:
If
you are positioned down low on the ball side, but your man is keeping you from
getting a pass, a good way to free yourself is with a reverse move. To make the
reverse work for you, do the following:
Timing
between you and the passer is critical if this play is going to work. The pass
has to be accurate and out of reach of the defender; and, you have to hold him
off before breaking to receive the pass and take it to the hoop.
The lob
pass is best used when your man is fronting you low on the ball side. When this
happens, do the following:
Many
times your man will do a good job of fronting you and keeping you from getting a
pass down low. When this happens on the ball side, what you can do is signal
your teammate to swing the ball over to the opposite side of the court. As this
is happening, time the passes and cut quickly to the ball.
The flash cut is always made
from the "weak-side", away from the ball. You can move toward the
passer from either the low, or high post areas. To make a flash cut you should,
first, take a step or two away from where you want to go. Then, change
direction, pick up your pace, and cut toward the passer to receive the ball.
Your defender will be behind you at this point and you can either go up for a
shot, or pass off.