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How to become a better point guard in basketball


USA Basketball - 7 Ways to Make a Better Point Guard

Point guard is perhaps the most demanding position in basketball. A good point guard is expected to have exceptional ball-handling skills, be a scoring threat, orchestrate the offense, make assists, and play good defense against the opposing point guard. Since your point guard will touch the ball far more often than other team members, it is essential that he makes good decisions about what to do with it. Without strong point guard play, your team is going nowhere.

In fact, the point guard is often described as your representative on the court. The point guard has to have a great understanding of your wishes and has to be able to translate those wishes into realities on the court. Controlling the pace of the game, having the presence of mind to wait until players are in proper position before initiating plays, recognizing who has the hot hand, and effectively communicating your strategic directions to the team in the heat of the game all fall to the point guard.

Since your point guard has so many critical responsibilities, he constantly faces strong defensive efforts to reduce his effectiveness. If the opposition can disrupt your point guard and shake his confidence, they can drastically reduce your team's offensive productivity and get easy baskets off of turnovers. Since you know for sure that your point guards will be facing constant pressure, it is your responsibility to prepare them for it.

Here are seven great basketball drills for developing point guards who can withstand and overcome this kind of defensive pressure to effectively lead the team in the direction that you want it to go.

Two-pass, Three-second Limit Three-on-two

This basketball drill is good for your entire team, but you can certainly use it specifically to hone the decision-making and reading-the-court skills of your point guards. The offense has to generate a good shot within two passes and three seconds. Have three offensive players (all point guards if you wish) at the half-court line and two defenders stacked in the key.

Initially, the middle offensive player will have the ball and will dribble toward the key. The defender on top will cover him. The wing players should run wide and cut to the hoop at 45 degrees once they near the top of the key extended. The bottom defender will cover the first pass. The defender who stops the middle point should rotate down to stop the pass to the opposite wing cutter. If the defense has played the odds to prevent a lay-in, then the middle point man should be open at the free throw area for a jumper. That would be the second pass. If no open shot has been generated by then, the offense has failed and the "fast break" is over.

You can use this drill to develop reading-the-court abilities, too. For instance, if your middle player cuts to the hoop after passing instead of remaining at the free-throw area, then the offside wing should cut to the free-throw area. Otherwise, the spacing is distorted and one defender could shut down two players, destroying the three-on-two advantage.

Another way to instill reading-the-court abilities is to start the ball on one of the wings. The wing is free to dribble to the hoop from the wing or to dribble to the middle position, and the other offensive players need to establish logical positions accordingly. For instance, if the wing player does dribble to the middle, then the middle player should "banana cut" behind him into the vacated wing lane. The idea is to quickly establish three good options that will always result in a good shot within two passes and three seconds.

Two-on-Three

This basketball drill will challenge your point guards to operate under intense defensive pressure. The idea is to keep from getting trapped, and, if trapped, to pass out of the trap effectively.

Have three defenders on the baseline under the basket and two offensive players at the wings outside of the three-point line. A coach above the top of the key throws a ball to one or the other of the offensive players, who must immediately dribble inside the three-point line, which then becomes the out-of-bounds line. The defense attempts to trap him (he can dribble indefinitely; they have to make him pick up his dribble) and to prevent an escape pass. The other offensive player cuts and moves in an attempt to provide an escape target.

Play continues until the defense gets a five-second call on a stationary passer, steals the ball, intercepts a pass, or causes an out-of-bounds violation. This drill teaches your guards to dribble effectively against pressure, to move to get open, and to maintain poise when trapped. They will have to pivot and protect the ball. You can make this competitive by keeping track of which pair can maintain possession the longest. If you want to up the ante on defensive pressure, just make it two-on-four.

Three Dribble One-on-One

This simple basketball drill provides your point guards practice in their one-on-one skills. They will need these skills when the shot clock is winding down, plus, you want your point guards to be good offensive threats. If they are, then they can penetrate, draw the defense, and distribute the ball more effectively. You certainly want a dribbling limit. The last thing you want is point guards who dribble around endlessly looking for a shot.

Position an offensive player at the free throw line and a defender under the basket with a ball. The defender throws a crisp pass to the offensive player and closes on him. He has up to three dribbles to get a shot off. If you like, you can have play remain live until the defender gets the rebound or the shot goes in, but the new dribble limit is "one."

You should vary the position of the offensive player to provide practice in attacking the hoop effectively from different angles.

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Two-Man Game

This basketball drill provides practice in establishing effective angles, cutting, exchanging the ball, and moving off of another player in an "open court" setting. Many offenses feature such settings on the "weak" side, and two skillful players can wreak havoc on a defense if they are highly skilled in attacking the hoop strategically.

This is a four-player drill, two offense and two defense. Position your point guard three feet above the top of the key and a wing player free-throw line extended outside of the three-point line. Each should be guarded. The wing player should have his feet pointing right at the hoop.

The point guard dribbles toward the wing and attempts to penetrate into the gap. As he nears the wing, the wing reads his own defender. If his defender is sloughing off, the wing will cut high and behind the point guard as he penetrates, and the point guard will leave him the ball right off of his dribble.

However, if the wing defender is playing the passing lane aggressively or closing on the point for help defense, then the wing should back-door cut to the hoop, and the point guard should hit him for a lay-in. The key thing is for the wing to do one or the other move explosively and decisively.

If the point defender is cheating over to prevent the penetration, then the point guard simply beats him to the hoop with a crossover dribble.

After passing to the wing, the point guard should cut for a possible return pass. If he passed back door, then he should cut to the corner. If he dribbled the ball to the wing cutting behind him into the key area, he should roll to the hoop, maintaining good spacing. It's also a good option for the point guard to simply keep the ball and continue driving to the hoop off of the decoy action provided by the wing cutter.

This drill will help the point guards develop a feel for what will work in each specific case. Give-and-go's and sudden pick-and-rolls also fit in with this drill if nothing good results from the initial attack at the wing. The drill continues until the offense scores or the defense gets a stop.

Pass and Screen Away

This basketball drill provides your point guards with practice in hitting a wing, setting an effective off-ball screen, and opening up after the cutter comes off of the screen. Many offenses feature this kind of motion from the point guard position.

This drill works best with six players, three offense and three defense. Two wings start out a foot or two above free-throw line extended and outside the three-point line, and your point guard, with a ball, starts out a few feet above the top of the key. The wings do a 'V' cut to free up, and the point guard hits one of them. Then the point sprints into position to screen for the off wing's cut. The off wing cuts off of the screen, and the point guard opens up (using a drop step to seal his defender) to the wing passer in case the wing cutter was covered. Quite often, the point guard will have a wide open path to the hoop.

Though lots of moving screens go un-penalized, you should teach your players to set correct ones and your cutters to use them properly. Spacing and angles are critical. That's why doing this kind of drill is valuable; it features correct spacing and allows you to direct players to effective screening positions

We recommend that you start the drill as a "form" drill to establish the fundamental structure. Then, go "live" and allow the defense to do whatever they want to try to stop the play. Similarly, allow the offense to take advantage of any "cheating" by the defense. For instance, if the defender guarding the wing passer stands in the passing lane instead of in correct defensive position, the wing should simply drive straight to the hoop. If the wing defenders don't give on the V cut, then the wing should keep right on and the point guard should hit him for a lay-in.

Comprehensive Lay-in Drill

At the very least, you want your point guards to be able to shoot a basic lay-in with either hand. Really effective point guards can do much more. Being able to hit reverse lay-ins (with either hand from either side) and short hook/scoop shots makes such point guards almost impossible to stop on the drive and drastically reduces the chances that they will have their shot attempts blocked. Having lots of options makes up for the substantial height disadvantage that most point guards face when driving to the hoop. We recommend that you include plenty of reps in these advanced lay-in techniques for your point guards. Be sure to include attack angles from the baseline and straight-on as well as from the standard 45-degree angle. Any lay-in drill format that gets you lots of reps is fine; the key thing is for you to teach and focus on these advanced techniques so that your point guards end up with skills that they can rely on in a real game situation.

Perimeter Jumpers

All things equal, a point guard who shoots well from outside is about twice as hard to guard as one who doesn't. Therefore, you should have your point guards working daily on their perimeter shooting. There are all kinds of basketball drills that you can use for this purpose, but here's one that works on conditioning and inside-out principles, too.

Start with your point guard at an elbow with a ball. Have him pass to a player in the low block and then sprint out to the three-point line. The low-block player will hit him for a jumper. After the shot, the point guard will sprint to an elbow and back out to the next perimeter spot. Meanwhile, the low-block player gets the rebound and hits the point guard for the next jumper. You can designate five spots per round, and then you can add an upfake-before-the-shot round, an upfake-and-power-dribble-before-the-shot round, and so on.

Be sure to include rounds moving in both directions. Charting results helps with focus and motivation.

What Else Can You Do to Develop Great Point Guards?

As we mentioned at the very beginning, there is a huge amount of ground to cover when you're working with point guard play. If you're interested in learning more on this critical topic and to get free basketball drills, be sure to look over the many great resources available at WinningDrills.com.

8 Keys to Becoming a Great Point Guard in Basketball

This article was written by Mike O’Donnell, the director of basketball operations at the University of Central Florida.  

 

1. Mentally Tough

  • Confidence
    • Ability to think positive and be constructive in every situation
    • Ability to self analyze/self diagnose
  • Makes free throws
    • As primary ball-handler, expect to be fouled in late-game situations
  • Play through pain (not referring to injuries)
  • Accept criticism from coaches and teammates
  • Be great in your conditioning all through the season… always ready to play the entire game
  • Stay focused and in tune with the flow of the game while on the bench
  • Hates losing
    • Relentless worker
    • First one in, the last one to leave
    • Challenge teammates
    • Challenge coaches (respectfully)
    • Watches film/studies opponent

 

2. High Basketball IQ

  • Great in the open floor
  • Navigate the ability to always know time, score, and possession
  • Coach on the floor
  • Ability to control the tempo
    • Recognize flow of the game
  • Don’t be perfect
  • Voice in the huddle. Doesn’t always matter what you say, just that you are saying something
  • Comprehension of scouting reports


3. Solid Defender

  • Great point guards find a way to affect the game in any way possible
  • Becoming a respected defender makes opposing coaches strategize for it
  • No player is a perfect defender. Perfect your craft… be a lockdown defender in the half-court, be pesky in the full court, have incredible awareness as a help-side defender, and focus on never getting beat off the dribble

 

4. Physically Tough

  • First to the floor
  • Put in the time in the weight room
  • Lead team in charges taken

 

5. Excellent Ball-Handler

  • Doesn’t have to be flashy.
  • Be efficient… don’t use four dribbles when you are quick enough to beat your opponent with one. Think about it; you are wasting energy.
  • Be a great ball-handler in the open court and in tight spaces (there is a difference)
  • Creating distance is the most important thing
    • For you shot, the offense, and tempo

 

6. Strategic Passer

  • Every pass MEANS something
  • On-time, on target
  • Recognize the hot hand
  • Don’t be afraid to enjoy the hockey assist (make the extra pass that leads to the assist)
  • Great passers practice passing
  • Become a great “post-feeder.”

 

7. Have a Go-To Move

  • This is key for the shot clock, end of regulation, or if the team is stagnant on offense
  • The step-back jump shot should be your best friend… just ask Chris Paul

 

8. Respected 3-Point Shooter

  • Consistent shooter
  • Stretches defense
  • Takes the pressure off your scorers
  • Opens up your penetration
  • Keeps the defense honest

 

 

So why do you not see “Leader” listed in the group of eight? Well, what does a leader even mean? All of the above-listed qualities equate to a great leader… but that does not define leadership. A player could have only three qualities listed above and still be considered a “leader” or having “leadership type qualities.”

I did not use leadership as a point guard essential for a reason. The term “Leadership” is the most overused, misunderstood, and misinterpreted word in sports. A basketball player could be stubborn, unapproachable, and un-coachable and still be a leader… if he starts negatively affecting his teammates, he is still a leader… just not the kind of leader you envision when you hear that word.

That negative player that was just described can create followers, and he/she may not even know it. A point guard can yell, scream, pound the floor on defense, and be perceived (to the fans) as a great leader. However, yelling and screaming does not mean that the player controls the locker room, huddle, or off the court scenarios.

Acting on your emotions is the complete opposite of what authentic leadership is all about. The ability to affect your teammates on and off the court positively to maintain the overall goal of winning (as a team) makes you a truly good leader.

You don’t have to be a leader to be a point guard… but it sure will set you apart… You don’t have to have all of the eight point guard essentials listed above… but it sure is coveted by basketball coaches… you don’t have to do half of that and be a good point guard. The choice is up to you to go from good to great. The margins are so small and yet so far apart. Focus on closing the margins, and you won’t have to worry about being good; rather, people will tell you that you are great.

 

Thank you to Brendan Suhr, Donnie Jones, Chris Mayberry, and Drew Speraw for their input and guidance in this basketball article.
Email: [email protected]

 

Wizard. 6 Recipes to Become a Legend

NBA legend Magic Johnson turns 60 on August 14th. He is so popular that it would seem that almost everything is known about him. We tried to refute this statement and found, in fact, a birthday man for every ten years.

Magic Johnson / Photo: © Getty Images

A source of inspiration for rock musicians

Forever young and perky rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers wrote a song in honor of Magic. No hidden meanings. On album 19'89 Mother's Milk has a song called Magic Johnson.

https://twitter.com/L4n0t4/status/1054910345574199296

Members of the California gang at every opportunity emphasize their long-standing loyalty to the Los Angeles Lakers, so even in this personalized compliment to the legendary point guard, they could not leave his teammates without attention . Particularly inquisitive listeners, in addition to the name of today's birthday man, will not miss the mention of Byron Scott, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and A.C. Green.

Mom and advertising

Here are two factors that brought together the most outstanding duelists in the history of the NBA. In 1986, Larry Bird of Boston and Magic Johnson of the Lakers had personal sponsorship contracts with Converse, which had just released its flagship Weapon model.

To promote the sneakers, the company decided to shoot a commercial featuring both basketball players. Everything was going smoothly until Magic found out that filming would take place in Indiana, the place where Byrd was born, grew up and went to university. Magic, who was well aware that the video could also be filmed in Los Angeles, at one of the Hollywood studios, saw in this excessive privileges from Converse in relation to Larry.

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Due to contractual obligations, Magic, albeit in a bad mood, nevertheless went to Indiana. Together with Byrd, he worked the first filming shift, after which he received an unexpected offer from him. Larry invited Magic to his home for a meal prepared by his mother.

— It was a typical no-frills country dinner with boiled corn, mashed potatoes and a piece of pork, but the main thing was not the entourage. I remember more the hugs of Mrs. Bird. She hugged me like her son, and at that moment I realized that we are not so different from Larry. It was that moment that I consider the starting point of our friendship, which I am still proud of," Magic Johnson recalls.

Jordan's predecessor

Magic and Michael Jordan were opposites. In this case, we are talking about a literal sign of fate that predetermined the basketball legacy of both. The 1979 draft still used the mossy draw system of picking players with a regular coin. In other words, the future of the clubs depended on who was lucky in the yard toss. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls claimed the right to choose first, depending on whether it comes up heads or tails.

https://twitter.com/alfredogr_98/status/1089685064042967040

No one doubted who would be chosen under the first number. The Magic was the biggest basketball sensation in the country. Chicagoans chose tails, but heads came up, and Johnson instead of the "windy city" drove off to sunny Los Angeles, and Chicago, a few years later, thanks to the draft lottery system, got Michael Jordan. It would have happened if the coin had fallen on the other side, we will not know.

Johnson's first nickname was not Magic 9 at all0007

The nickname Magic actually replaced the name of Irving Johnson. Everyone knows that Irwin was called “magic” by Fred Stabley Jr., a sports journalist who “assigned” this title to 15-year-old Johnson after he scored 36 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists in one of the school games.

But before that, Irvin Johnson had a much less glossy nickname.

https://twitter.com/nacaolakers/status/1154508214341263361

As a child and elementary school student, he was called the June Beetle, after a TV show character whose protagonist was a chubby wandering beetle.

- As soon as the summer starts, Johnson starts to travel to all the local basketball courts, like the same beetle. And he also reminds him with his wobbling movements and chubby cheeks, classmates swaggered over the future NBA champion.

Johnson Influenced NBA Terminology

Although Milwaukee Bucks point guard Oscar Robertson scored double digits in points, rebounds, and assists in the 1961/1962 season, the term triple-double entered the NBA lexicon much later. And more than anyone else, Magic Johnson, who to this day remains one of the league leaders in the number of triple-doubles in his career, contributed to this.

https://twitter.com/ZoneSportsUS/status/1161563129194717189

So "Magic" is far from the only word associated with Johnson's game and career.

League Business Innovator

It's no surprise that Magic's net worth has increased by more than $400 million since the end of his active playing career. Johnson has always tried to make the most of his brand and name.

In 1988, Johnson became one of the first to use his image as the basis for creating a computer game. It was called Magic Johnson's Fast Break, and although it did not gain wide popularity, it added whists to Magic.

https://twitter.com/8bitNESgames/status/980244155380232192

Just six years later, in 1994, Johnson became the first African-American basketball player to receive a partial stake in an NBA club. Yes, at that time the share in the Lakers was small, only 5%, but now we already know the consequences of this modest undertaking.

Johnson himself speaks of his achievements with a patented smile, noting that despite his successes, he continues to find a lot of new things for himself in life and does not stop learning from his mistakes. It's not flirtatious, and his recent failure as President of Basketball Operations for the Lakers would certainly benefit the Magic. But that will be another story.

How to be a good basketball playmaker?

Use a strong defensive stance.

  1. Stay low. Keep your shoulders low and your hips back as you defend against an opponent. ...
  2. Be prepared to answer. ...
  3. Stay at arm's length from your opponent. ...
  4. Move your feet quickly.

Namely, what is the position of the attacker in basketball?

Post 1: point guard Post 2: rear (shooting guard) Post 3: winger (small forward) Post 4: power forward (power forward)

And how to become the best basketball player in the world?

Having active arms, being bent, keeping your arms in the air, keeping a close eye on the movement of the ball - these are the points you have to work on in order to master them. In NBA top Defenders (Leonard, Crowder, Thompson, Bradley, Allen) are always active whether their ball is in possession or not.

Then what are the 5 positions in basketball? . Posts 5 du cart

  • leader. The leader is on the shopping cart what the thumb in the hand, an indispensable item. ...
  • back. In the rear, there is predominantly a player whose main mission is to shoot at three points. ...
  • Winger. ...
  • Strong striker. ...
  • Rotate. ...
  • basketball in the Gallery.

What are the positions in basketball?

5 messages du cart

  • Leader. The leader is on the shopping cart what the thumb in the hand, an indispensable item. ...
  • back. In the rear, there is predominantly a player whose main mission is to shoot at three points. ...
  • Winger. ...
  • Strong striker. ...
  • Rotate. ...
  • basketball in the Gallery.

What does Stephen Curry do?

Stephen Curry (born March 14, 1988 in Akron, Ohio, USA) is an American basketball player who plays for and is the leader of the Golden State Warriors in the NBA.

How do you count points in basketball?

Number points The number of points depends on the distance from which the throw was made. Any throw made outside the 3 lines points located at a distance of 6 m 75 from the ring, therefore it is worth 3. Any other basket is worth 2 points , except in the case of a free throw following a mistake. A free throw is worth points .

What is the minimum height for a basketball player?

It requires a well-fixed cliché, being plays basketball well, it is absolutely necessary that he be over 2 meters in height. However, it's quick enough to watch Tony Parker and his 1.88m, Spud Webb and his 1.70m or even Muggsy God and his well-packed 1.59m. for understand that size does not always matter.

What is the best way to throw a basketball?

Keep a good elevation when shooting. Start the ball with the middle finger, placing it in the center. Get the highest release point. Keep your elbow in the direction of the basket.

Where will the strong attacker go?

Princeton attack

In a situation of classical offensive strategy, the distribution of basketball players is basically the following: rod and strong striker find loans from the basket;

What is the role?

Son of role usually use their size and physical mass to fill close combat baskets and prevent opponent players from approaching their own basket.

How to choose an NBA team?

You must find inexpensive players that will allow you to earn as many points as possible. Therefore, we advise you to Choisir franchise player such as James Harden or LeBron James and build team around him, while keeping in mind your players' calendar during "game week".

Which position to choose NBA 2k21?

Pick & Pop Pro - Defender / Shooter: In terms of distance, especially if you're playing with an aggressive leader, the shooter's turn is all you need to free your racket. And this year again, it is best to create him using the red / green diagram, but ... as a strong winger.

What does James Harden do?

James Harden (full marital status: James Edward Harden, Jr.), born August 26, 1989 in Los Angeles, is an American basketball defenseman and leader in the game.

When does the basketball game end?

1- How long does match last? Part se consists of 4 periods of 10 minutes, separated by an interval of 2 minutes, except for the period between periods 2 and 3, where the interval is 15 minutes (break).

Why 3 free throws in basketball?

From 1976 to 1984, the penalty for a shooting foul is three shots. francs of 10 e command error (then 8 e from 1980), the third lancer is only granted if one of the first two fails. This rule was abolished in 1984 when the three-point basket was introduced.

See also

How is the basketball game?

Le basketball -ball is played by 2 teams of 5 ball players. The goal is to score the most points by scoring baskets. A match consists of 4 periods of 10 minutes, called quarters. The stopwatch stops at each whistle of the referee.

Does basketball make you taller?

Thanks to the numerous jumps based on verticality, basketball will stimulate bone growth. Similarly, repeated sprints while playing will positively impact growth hormone production. … "VS' is is pretty hard to say yes, basketball makes you grow .

How to grow playing basketball?

Proper exercise with proper nutrition and a balanced diet increases the secretion of growth hormone in the body, which makes grow in size. in basketball, includes dribbling, shooting, jumping and rebounding, and most importantly, running.

Who is the smallest player in the NBA?

Bogues smallest basketball player who played in NBA (1.6 m). In 1987, he was named twelfth by the Washington Bullets.

How to shoot well?

Exercise 3: stand facing the wall, then leave a distance of one meter. Shoot at the wall, even abusing the trajectory of the ball (very high). It will help you shoot well in the air during shoot in the match and therefore have an arcuate ball trajectory called " shoot at the bell."

Where to aim in basketball?

COMMENT target ? At a short distance, to the side: target top corner closest to the small rectangle.


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