There's no doubt that working on your jumpshot is very important for developing as a player. Being able to knock down open jumpers and stretching the floor is critical for any team at every level. However, often overlooked is the ability to finish at the rim. It may not be as fun to work on as training your three point shot, but it is essential for becoming more effective and versatile during games.
Take Kyrie Irving for example. His incredible ability to finish at the rim with 7 footers contesting him helped allow the Cleveland Cavaliers secure the 2016 NBA Championship. While he clearly has a knack for finishing strong with great touch, there's no doubt he works tirelessly on his finishing ability.
Here are 3 important keys to work on when finishing at the rim. The only way to truly get better is through purposeful training. That's why we designed the Dr. Dish All-Star as the only shooting machine on the market designed to work on finishing basketball drills as well as outside shooting drills.
Focus on Footwork
Having proper footwork is very important in all facets of the game and especially when attacking the basket. The best finishers are able to take off both feet, or either foot, to finish effectively.
The most common way of learning to shoot a layup, for example, is to take off of your left foot on the right side and right foot on the left side. This is the most fundamental way of teaching finishing at the rim. However, great finishers are able to take off either foot and can throw the defense off if they take off the "wrong" foot at the rim. One of my favorite "wrong" foot finishers is Tony Parker. While he is a smaller player for NBA standards, he's able to finish over 7 footers consistently many times because he catches them off-guard with his diverse and adept footwork.
The best way to finish with complete body control, though, is off of two feet. This allows you to have a strong base, absorb contact, and even pump fake if needed. As with your jump shot, balance and body control are essential to finishing around the rim. Work on finishing strong with power when jumping off two feet.
While different circumstances call for different types of finishes, it's important to work on all types of footwork to be ready for game-like situations.
Finish Strong Through Contact
This is an essential one, and can be easily practiced. Both contact and the expectation of contact are enough to alter a shot, but it's very important not to shy away from contact. Rather, in many cases, it's actually better to seek it out. Players have to adjust to keep the shot from being blocked as they go up in the air, and players often have to compensate by putting extra force into the shot, or adjusting the arc to get it up over opponents.
All of this can be simulated in practice with basketball drills. Have your players drive on each other and establish contact close to the rim. Teach your players not only to be ready for contact, but the possibility that another player may dart in to try to swat the ball away or to take away the lane to the hoop. The more prepared your players are, the better.
The expectation of contact can be very intimidating, but with exposure this effect decreases. Players who are comfortable with contact don’t back away from finishing just because a player is there to defend. Slowing momentum or stopping to avoid contact risks a turnover or an offensive foul. Players who finish aggressively and aren’t afraid of contact can overpower their defenders and draw the defensive foul.
It's important that players do not expect or hope for a foul call when absorbing contact. Basketball is a physical sport and different referees will call contact in different ways. Practicing through contact will only help prepare for game situations.
Diversify Finishing Moves
There are many different ways to finish at the rim. And while closer shots may seem easy, you'll see many missed layups at all levels, including the NBA and NCAA. That's why it's essential to have many different types of finishing moves in your bag of tricks to be as effective as possible. Practicing one-foot and two-foot layups are important but how often do you get wide open layups in games? Not very.
Through purposeful basketball drills, focus on finishing in diverse ways. Below is a list of different ways to finish at the rim:
One foot finishes
Two foot finishes
Right hand finishes
Left hand finishes
Jump stop finishes
Reverse finishes
Pump fake (Up and under) finishes
Euro-step finishes
Floaters
Finger rolls
Double clutch finishes
Finishes through contact
Fake pass finishes
Combination of those above
Keep opponents guessing by constantly expanding upon your players’ repertoire of in-close moves. Emphasize the role of unexpected changes in direction, the use of changing pace to throw an opponent’s speed off, or coming in with unexpected force.
Most of all, let your players know that all these moves have their own advantages and can come in handy in certain situations. Let your players grow to feel comfortable using their own discretion to decide how to finish, and stress that versatility is the key to keeping your team from becoming predictable. Establish enough moves and your team will become a talented and forceful presence at the rim, with too many options to predict and too much experience to intimidate.
There are numerous ways in which an offensive drive may result in action close to the rim. Teach your players to be experienced, unafraid, and efficient in finishing strong and capitalizing on high-percentage shots. Creating a scoring threat inside exhausts the other team and keeps them guessing where the next shot will take place. Footwork, experience with physicality and versatility all go a long way in establishing your team as a premier presence at the rim.
Did you know that our Dr. Dish All-Star basketball shooting machines are designed to work on finishing too? Click below and watch more.
10 Keys for Finishing at the Rim in Basketball
This article was written by Georgia State University Assistant Coach Chris Kreider.
Starting anything without finishing it is pointless. It is literally “pointless” when it comes to having the moves to get all the way to the rim and then not finishing the play by converting a lay-up or dunk. For any serious player, this is something that immediately demands attention.
In fact, the ironic thing is that most young players wait until it is too late to start dissecting this skill and realizing the importance of finishing at the rim in basketball. The fact of the matter is that the best players at every level can both get to the paint or rim while finding a way to finish the play in every possible scenario.
Why not START NOW by studying and working on THE FINISH? Here are ten keys to finishing at the rim in basketball.
Study Basketball Finishes
Study every single finish you can find! Watch film. But not just your game film. Watch the best players in the world in the NBA Finals, for example. It could even be studying basketball finishes on YouTube. It is up to you to make sure that you are putting in time studying finishes, though.
Granted, there are varying levels of basketball and obviously varying levels of skill sets within the game, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find finishes to work on.
Every player or team’s goal at their respective levels is to play at the “next level” – which means the best thing to do would be to watch that “next level” for learning purposes! The game’s speed and the size at every position make attention to every detail that much more important!
Break each offensive possession down at the moment of truth and evaluate each finish’s technique and details.
Develop Touch When Finishing Around the Basket
Improve your “touch”! Just like ball-handling and shooting, finishing can be improved by working on it daily. This is a great way to start any workout or practice (varying speeds). The more quality touches you can get around the basket finishing from different angles, the better. You will have all the more confidence in finishing a tough layup in a game if you have built up this quality touch. Have a routine and stick to it!
Here are a few of our favorite basketball finishing drills that work on touch around the basket.
Two-Ball Same Side Mikan Basketball Drill
Two-Ball Same Side Facing Out Mikan Basketball Drill
Creativity Around the Basket
Develop a sense of creativity! The game isn’t perfect. Neither should your basketball training be when it comes to finishing at the rim in basketball. Varying how we get to the paint and basket is one thing (dribble moves/using screens/etc.), but we also need to allow for variation in how we are getting the ball on the rim!
Just make sure that while you are spending time working on your creativity, you are also working to mastery. If you will use a difficult finish in a game, you need to have already spent the required time mastering the move in your workouts.
Get to Your Spot When Finishing
Get to the rim when you can and always know how to get to your spot! Whatever you do, don’t drive it too deep into the “teeth of the defense!” The best finishers live at the logo in the paint or get all the way to the rim. As a finisher, you need to have a plan for both!
Work on both types of finishes so that you can read every situation and get the finish that you want and not what the defense tries to make you take.
A big part of being able to get to your spot is being under control on your drive. Yes, you will need to be explosive to get an angle by your defender, but you also need to be able to be under control to execute your finish as you are driving.
Take Off Ball Location
Evaluate the “take-off.” Perhaps the most important part of the finish is the location of the ball right before take-off. Bringing the ball back to the defense or “rocking the ball” at that point will be the difference between being able to get the ball on the rim and allowing the defender to get a hand on the ball or, worse yet, turning the ball over.
To avoid this, always position the ball on the outside shoulder at the time of “take-off!” Here is an excellent example of this with our ball protection finish basketball drill. You will notice that the player is focusing on his finish and that he is also accounting for the other defenders that are also in the area.
Ball Protection Basketball Finish Move
After enough practice with moving the ball on the drive, it will become second nature, and it will be something that you can do without much thought. In the beginning, though, you must be holding yourself accountable to have excellent ball protection.
Go-To Basketball Moves and Finishes
Have a “Go-To Move” but also have a repertoire of finishes (and give them a name while you are at it)! The game is not a lay-up line! Due to the speed of the game and nine other moving bodies, you will not be able to get to the front of the rim more times than not.
So now what? Be prepared to be able to get the ball on the rim in multiple ways (over-hand, under-hand, inside-hand reverse, outside hand reverse, runner, or floater, Euro step, etc.) and give them each a name for easy reference!
Remember, any move that you want to add to your game, you must be willing to spend the needed time mastering it. This means that you must be willing to put in hours and hours of work for every type of finish that you want to use.
It is also important to remember that your defender and the help defense should really be determining the type of finish you use. Don’t drive to the basket with a pre-determined finish; instead, read the defense and then make the correct move.
Finishing Release Points
Be able to change your release point at any point in time! You might have a clear path to the basket on some drives, but most times, that will not be the case. Prepare for these different scenarios by adjusting and releasing the ball in different ways at every position on the floor!
Another reason why this is so important is because of unpredictability. As a finisher, you want to be as unpredictable as you can with your finishes. If a defender can consistently time up your finishes, they are going to either be able to block you or, at the least, force you into a tough finish. Learning to finish from different spots on the floor will help keep the defense off balance.
Basketball Weaknesses to Strengths
Work on your weak hand continuously! Not only do you have to work on it, but you have to trust it. These are both separate things and both equally important. The only way you can build up trust in either of your hands, though, is to put in the time in and spend hours developing them.
Knowing when to use it and coming up with basketball drills to work on it is one thing, but actually using your weak-hand in live-action (especially when the game is on the line) is the tough thing. When your weak hand is needed, don’t second guess it! Trust it!
This weak-hand basketball finishing drill will help provide quality repetitions and the ability to finish from various angles around the basket.
Two Minute Combo Move Weak Hand Finish Basketball Drill
Use the Glass When Finishing Around the Basket
Have a relationship with the glass! You need it, don’t be stubborn! I love this quote by Kevin Eastman, “Eyes make lay-ups. Feet make jump shots.” The more you use the glass around the rim, the higher the percentage of a finisher you will be.
You are moving, but the target is not! “High off the glass” is the teaching point! And it may take a little while to get used to doing something different, but the payout at the end will be worth the added discomfort at the beginning.
Finish Through Contact
Deliver the first blow at all times and play 1-0 at the rim instead of 1-1 whenever possible! If you have the angle on your defender, look to create contact before finishing at the basket. If you allow the defender to come to you and bump into you first, you will take an off-balance finish.
Creating the contact also helps eliminate a shot blocker’s ability to get off the ground to contest your finish. One of the best players to watch when learning how to create contact before finishing at the rim in basketball is Chris Paul. Even though he is usually shorter than the defender playing defense on him, he uses his body to create an angle for himself and limit their ability to get off the ground.
A significant teaching point with this is making sure that you are using your body to create the contact and not extending your arms or dipping your shoulder. The more subtle you can make the contact, the better. This will make it look more natural and keep the referees from favoring the defense or rewarding them for a flop.
Finishing at the Rim in Basketball Conclusion
Finishing at the rim in basketball, like any other skill, must be worked at. Along with working hard, though, you must also be willing to work smart, and that is precisely what these ten basketball finishing keys are going to allow you to do. They will help players finish at a higher percentage and will help to limit empty possessions.
This will be critical because while shooting can add a lot of value to a player’s game or a team, getting to the basket is going to be just as vital. And not only will it provide quality finishing chances, but it will also put pressure on the defense and force them to commit unwanted fouls, and this means trips to the free-throw line.
Javier Pascual: "Finishing third is not very pleasant" - Basketball
received satisfaction from participating in the final stage, and identified the factors that predetermined success in the game for third place.
“From the very beginning, we took it very seriously, paying more attention to protection. This allowed us to make several breakthroughs, playing fast and dynamic basketball. That's how we took the lead in the first half. In the third quarter, we had problems, especially with the pick-and-rolls that Olympiacos played, leading Vujacic to throw. This allowed them to score easy goals, but we were able to keep our distance thanks to the offense. It was a bit like the dashes we did in the first half. And the obtained advantage was enough to decide the outcome of the match. Finishing third is not very pleasant, because we came here with the intention of competing for the title of champions. By that logic, we cannot leave satisfied. We had a good meeting in the semi-finals, we had the advantage during most of it, but it was not enough to win”, Javi Pascual quotes the official website of the tournament.
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In Desnogorsk finished the regional championship of the school basketball league "IES-Basket"
On February 10-11, the city of nuclear scientists Desnogorsk for the second time hosted one of the main sporting events in the Smolensk region - the final of the IES-Basket School Basketball League Championship. The competitions were held within the framework of the youth basketball movement development project in Desnogorsk, initiated by the management of Smolensk NPP with the support of the City Administration, the regional branch of the WFP "United Russia", the regional basketball federation and the central basketball club "Dynamo".
The Championship program included basketball matches among the 10 strongest teams in the region from Smolensk, Dukhovshchina, Demidov, Yartsevo, Desnogorsk and Roslavl, as well as opening lessons and master classes in Desnogorsk schools from honored basketball coaches, various competitions, sports dances and basketball acrobat shows.
Before the start of the competition, young basketball players visited the Mound of Glory memorial, where they laid flowers and wreaths at the graves of the soldiers-liberators during the Great Patriotic War, and also visited the museum of the search movement.
Welcoming the athletes, Anatoly Terletsky, Deputy Director of Smolensk NPP for Human Resources, emphasized that Smolensk NPP, as a socially responsible enterprise, fulfills a number of state tasks, including involving not only employees of the enterprise, but also the younger generation in sports.
- Sport develops a person not only physically, it brings up willpower, a sense of elbow, forms patriotic values, our young players also have all these qualities, I wish you all good luck and bright victories! he wished.
Deputy Governor of the Smolensk Region Olga Okuneva noted the importance of the project for the development of youth basketball in Desnogorsk and thanked the leadership of the city, the Smolensk NPP, as well as the coaching staff and parents for supporting children in their desire and aspiration to engage in this sport.
- Desnogorsk is a special city, it has a lot of young people, schoolchildren, for whom it is important to have good health, to be spiritually and athletically developed and literate. Sport helps in this, because it gives rise to a sense of team, and when we are all in a single team, we feel like a strong, confident country, - Olga Vladimirovna is sure.
On the first day of the competition, semi-finals were held among women's and men's teams, which determined the leaders. On the second day, a tense fight for the championship title flared up. Exciting fights among girls ended with the victory of the team of school No. 31 from Smolensk, the team of school No. 19 from Smolensk became the silver medalist, the bronze went to schoolchildren from Dukhovshchina. Among the boys, the first step of the podium was taken by the team of school No. 19 of Smolensk, the 2nd place - the team from Demidov, 3rd place - the team of school No. 10 of Roslavl. Thus, teams from the capital of the region got a ticket to the finals for the CFD Cup for the second time.
The fans also witnessed an exciting demonstration match between the schoolchildren team, led by Olympic basketball champion Irina Sumnikova, and the VIP-persons team, represented by the management of Smolensk NPP, the administration of Desnogorsk and honored basketball players from the Dynamo pulp and paper mill. The game ended in a draw with a score of 33:33 and showed that young people are in no way inferior to adult athletes in perfected moves and well-aimed throws of the orange ball into the basket.
- It is a great pleasure for me to come to such holidays, where both players and fans love basketball, - Irina Sumnikova shared her impressions, - when we see the happy faces of children, we understand that such championships as IES-Basket are necessary, and thank you very much, that there are people who help develop this sport, create the necessary infrastructure. Thanks to your region and Desnogorsk.
Among the young basketball players of Desnogorsk, Angelina Belyakova, Elizaveta Artamoshkina, Pavel Mishin and Ivan Gunko were awarded the title of "Best Player of the Team". The winner of the special Cup "For the will to win", dedicated to the 55th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight into space, from the party "United Russia" was the team of girls from school No. 3 of Desnogorsk. Physical education teachers and coaches from Desnogorsk schools were awarded for their contribution to the development of basketball. Prizes and certificates were awarded to the labor dynasties of the Smolensk NPP, who achieved high results in sports - the families of Rakovs, Miganovs, Drobkovs, Vakulovs, Gunko.
Work on finishing strong with power when jumping off two feet.
The more prepared your players are, the better.
Practicing one-foot and two-foot layups are important but how often do you get wide open layups in games? Not very.
Let your players grow to feel comfortable using their own discretion to decide how to finish, and stress that versatility is the key to keeping your team from becoming predictable. Establish enough moves and your team will become a talented and forceful presence at the rim, with too many options to predict and too much experience to intimidate.
It is up to you to make sure that you are putting in time studying finishes, though.
You will have all the more confidence in finishing a tough layup in a game if you have built up this quality touch. Have a routine and stick to it!
If you will use a difficult finish in a game, you need to have already spent the required time mastering the move in your workouts.
Bringing the ball back to the defense or “rocking the ball” at that point will be the difference between being able to get the ball on the rim and allowing the defender to get a hand on the ball or, worse yet, turning the ball over.
This allowed us to make several breakthroughs, playing fast and dynamic basketball. That's how we took the lead in the first half. In the third quarter, we had problems, especially with the pick-and-rolls that Olympiacos played, leading Vujacic to throw. This allowed them to score easy goals, but we were able to keep our distance thanks to the offense. It was a bit like the dashes we did in the first half. And the obtained advantage was enough to decide the outcome of the match. Finishing third is not very pleasant, because we came here with the intention of competing for the title of champions. By that logic, we cannot leave satisfied. We had a good meeting in the semi-finals, we had the advantage during most of it, but it was not enough to win”, Javi Pascual quotes the official website of the tournament. 
The competitions were held within the framework of the youth basketball movement development project in Desnogorsk, initiated by the management of Smolensk NPP with the support of the City Administration, the regional branch of the WFP "United Russia", the regional basketball federation and the central basketball club "Dynamo". 
On the second day, a tense fight for the championship title flared up. Exciting fights among girls ended with the victory of the team of school No. 31 from Smolensk, the team of school No. 19 from Smolensk became the silver medalist, the bronze went to schoolchildren from Dukhovshchina. Among the boys, the first step of the podium was taken by the team of school No. 19 of Smolensk, the 2nd place - the team from Demidov, 3rd place - the team of school No. 10 of Roslavl. Thus, teams from the capital of the region got a ticket to the finals for the CFD Cup for the second time. 
