Give an opening

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If you are defending 1-on-1 let him have a spot to go. He will pass the ball if he has nowhere to go and you don't want that. Try to give him an opening so you can close in on him at the end forcing him in to a bad shot

Try to read eyes

Image by Héctor de Pereda via Flickr

The point guard, in particular, is the player that makes the decisions. He is the player that passes to open teammates. Look for signs in their eyes that give away their decisions. If he looks one way he might pass the other way(if he is a tricky one).

Stay calm

I learn this the first time I started playing in a league......Never get nervous. The easiest pret are the players that aren't calm. It is easy to steal the ball from a nervous player because it might be his first time playing. This is the main reason why rookies in the NBA are not clutch. The crowd and the thought that they are playing on the big stage is what get's them to make mistakes.

Find your opponents weakness

It's as simple as this...If the dribbler likes to go right, make him go left. If the opponent likes to go left, make him go right( this is a good reason for a ball handler to practice dribbling with both hands).

Do not flop...(unless you are great at it)

Trying to take a false charge will give you a bad reputation with the referees. If you get caught you wont be a refs favorite. Only flop when it looks natural...cheap but that is sometimes what the game is about. Think of the San Antonio Spurs for example, I haven't seen them play a fair game in my life yet they still win.

Foul....if you have to

If a guy thats a little too big for you has a wide open layup, foul him quickly. It is easier to make a layup than a free throw. This is a personal favorite tip.

Dont settle for a jumpshot

Driving in is one of the most important parts of the game. You get easier shot which means more points(unless you cant make a layup).

Find your Strenghts

If you are great at one particular thing, exploit it. If you are a great shooter, keep shooting and getting better. You cant only get better through practice.

Basketball is a non contact sport

Basketball does not encouraging contact, that is what football is for. Do not play too aggresively or you might start a fight. People don't want to have some one harrassing them while there trying to have fun. This is a good tip to save you from a trip to the hospital.

Play within your game

No one likes a player that hogs the ball when hes not good at it. If your good at defense focus on putting a lot of dedication to it. If your a great shooter, settle for a jump shot. If your good at getting to the rim, focus on that. You don't have to be a superstar!!! just show that you can contribute.

Always anticipate a miss

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Often you will find players that take a jump shot and walk back wards to get back on defense before the shot even hit the rim. With that being said, TIP:always expect a missed shot. Whether your on the defensive side or offensive side you should never anticipate the ball to go in, rather you should always be ready if it happened to be a miss. Most easy offensive rebounds come off this tip, try it!!!

You can only trust yourself!

I learned in the past that the only player in the game you can depend on is yourself. You can't expect a player to see you wide open when he has 4 other teammates and defenders to look for. Create opportunities for your self by getting a rebound and creating a fast-break or stealing the ball to start a fast-break. In some situations this is the only way to get noticed.

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Follow through on your shot

Don't make the mistake to fade away on your shot. Lean in and the shot will have a better chance to go in.

Secret on how to improve your free throw shooting(shhh...dont tell anyone)

5 simple steps:
1)Get balanced
2)Look at the rim when you shoot
3)Bend your knees
4)Keep your arms and body center to the hoop
5)Always follow through

These were the steps that I was taught when I was younger and it has helped me ever since.

Give a pump fake

People seem to underestimate the pump fake now a days. It's easier to do than a crossword puzzle(although I've come across some hard ones)and is probably the most affective technique in basketball. You are standing at the 3 point line with a wide open shot, you see a defender flying towards you, what do you do a) shoot it quickly before he blocks it b) pump fake, let him go by you and take an easier shot. Answer: obviously choice B, do you think I would be praising the pump fake only to pick A?. If the defender doesn't fall for your scheme draw some contact, draw a foul.




Did he just Pump-Fake a Free Throw shot

Go At em'

Depending on your size, it could be hard to get shots close to the rim(this post is for small people....big people leave). I once was a prime target to this(due to my littleness), getting pounded by the big guys inside. I was never able to get a shot that was inside 20 ft., which is why I come to you with the following advice: Go in strong, if your playing a league game often you will draw a foul. Big men are prone to their masculine side, and will try to go for a block. By attacking strong he will see an opportunity for a block and get excited ending with him messing up and fouling you. What the big man should really do is stand his ground and draw a charge(if only they knew:).

Learn how to move without the ball better than with the ball

One of the best pieces of basketball advice I ever got(and it still works out good)is to move without the ball. Keep running around and around until you are open and then the ball handler can pass to you. I mean..getting open without all the attention on you is easier than getting open with all of the attention on you?. Run behind picks, do something creative to get you away from the defender.

Stay fit, but dont rely on fitness

Image via Wikipedia

You might of heard me say in one of my other blogs that fitness isn't the key to success. I still stand by that because skill is still(it rhymes!) the key to success. This doesn't mean you cant work out a little but remember, your not becoming a body builder, your becoming a better basketball player. Do some average exercises like push ups, pull ups, crunches, weights,sit ups, and work mainly on your legs and upper body strength. Basketball is a sport that requires you to take some pounding so make sure you have a little cushion if you have to take a fall.

Force the dribbler to make the first move

Your the defender and the ball handler is just toying with your head, waiting for you to go for the steal while he dribbles back and forth and back and forth right in front of your face(I do this a lot). Your first reaction is to play in to his trick and go for that quick steal while he goes around you for an easy layup. Do not let this happen to you, while he continuously dribbles just move your eyes where ever the ball goes(or at least make it look like your awake), the ball handler will get bored and ultimately try to make a move. That is what you want him to do. If you make the first move he can anticipate it and go right around you. If he makes the first move, you can anticipate where he is going with the ball and the result will probably be a missed shot, a steal, or a block. All the good NBA defenders use this technique. In fact I was actually taught this method by a former NBA player!

Look Up!.................(no, not for superman!)

Many handlers often make the mistake to dribble while looking down. Reason is: players are pretty conscious of losing the ball and by looking at where there dribbling they think that will help them keep control of the ball. Look up when your dribbling so that you have better court vision while dribbling. This allows you to make a quick pass, or even just rise up for a shot. Looking down while dribbling wont allow you to do that because of the fact that you have to look up before you pass or shoot. Dribbling with your head down is basketball's "Cardinal Sin".

Get flashy when you have to

A lot of times players will make it a point not to pull out the tricks in middle of a game. My advice is don't pull out the tricks when you don't need to. Many times a flashy move or two can put you in a great position, it's all about decision making. If your stuck on a fast break with two defenders in front of you, your not going to get by them by just running straight, do a spin move, hop step, or even a crossover. Although it may seem too flashy "you got to do what you got to do" in some situations. Just because they are classified as finesse moves it doesn't meant they are hard, just get creative and you may even get a nice crowd shocker.

Play some damn defense!!!!

Advice to anyone who is trying out for a basketball team, PLAY DEFENSE. A coach will not put you on a team if you slack off all the time, he wants to see that you give effort. Show that you add more to the team than scoring,(the first time I tried out I noticed that my coach picked the players that were less noticeable but did the little things right). Not only is this a tip that will help you make a team but it will help you in games also. Give yourself the motivation to be a better defender and you will succeed.

Shooting

Shooting comes with practice, practice, practice. You should always make sure your shot looks the same, keep using the same shot over and over again until it is second nature. It doesn't matter if your shooting for a game-winner at the buzzer or your taking a shot midway through the second quarter it should always have the same technique. The best way to get a fluid shot is to practice free throw shooting, take 50 to 100 shots in a row from the free throw line and I guarantee it will help your in game shooting.

Skills not Weights

ok, now you can see a picture(im on the left)

Often people think of basketball as a fitness based sport because of all the running up and down the court you need to do and resort to exercise to improve their game, WRONG. Although it is better to be fit or strong to be good it is also important to know that basketball is a skill based game, you could enter a game looking like a body builder but that wont get you anywhere. You should know your limitations when you play(If your a big guy, stay close to the rim. If your a small guy you often have to work for your shots). Work on your dribbling and shooting first, you can not get anywhere without them. Defense comes with practice so don't work too hard on it.

Get to Know Me!

no pictures!!!!!!!!

What's up guys, I'll use this paragraph for readers out there to be able to know who there getting there advice from. My name is David Berman, I am 15 and entering my sophomore year in high school. I started playing varsity(didn't get much playing time though.......the racism they had against middle schoolers those days...ugh) for my school in 8th grade(yes, I was the only middle schooler on my team ) and have been on my school's team every year. Many times I get recognized in school as the basketball fanatic. Its pretty weird, but I often find myself in a situation where a kid will come up to me with a question that has to do with basketball, and then I say to myself, I don't even know who this kid is. Since I usually take up my time either playing basketball or talking about basketball, I mine as well just make a blog for readers who are interested about my basketball knowledge. Not to sound too arrogant, but who better to get some advice from then someone who is actually good at the sport. For now on, no more talking about me, lets talk about some basketball.But here's a couple of videos I made last year just so you can see me.It's not so impressive but I think it's pretty good for a freshman, don't you think?