In order to make good decisions in games, you must discipline yourself to develop good techniques and habits during practices and scrimmages. You can instantly improve your game by avoiding the following bad habits in practice:
1. No Fade-Aways. Always take it up strong and look to draw the foul – don’t avoid the contact and risk missing the shot.
2. Failing To Use A Fake. Fakes (if done properly) not only embarrass your defender, but they also give you quick window of opportunity (advantage) over your defender.
3. No Box Out. Boxing out your opponent on EVERY shot attempt makes them have to fight to get around you to get to the rebound. Take advantage of that.
4. Improperly Catching Passes. Don’t get in a hurry. Keep your eyes on the ball all the way into your hands. Catch it – don’t fumble it.
5. Panicked Passing. Passing the ball to get rid of it instead of passing to a target for an advantage leads to turnovers.
6. Standing Around. Always be aware of good spacing on offense (EQL triangles) and always skirmish and threaten on defense. Standing still hurts your team.
7. Not Hustling. Hustling back on defense or hustling after loose balls is the #1 thing that shows that you care about winning.
8. Not Closing Out Defensively. You must try and take away your opponents ability to shoot, dribble or pass EVERY time they touch the ball.
9. Not Coming to the Ball on a Pass. You can’t stand still and wait for the pass to get to you. That leads to easy steals by the defense. Always run to the pass to catch it.
10. One Handed Passing. Passing with one hand instead of coming to a jump stop (under control) leads to turnovers.
11. Dribbling With Wrong Hand. Dribbling with your right hand while going to your left and vice-versa. If you don’t have a left-hand, you are going to be easy to guard.
12. Forcing Shots. Learn to recognize “good shot opportunities” and avoid shooting ill-advised shots against good defensive pressure.
13. Forcing Passes or Using Bad Angles to Pass. Great passes require perfect timing. Create the opportunity (E2) before passing.
14. Failure To Stop the Ball. Allowing the ball to go by you (not stopping the ball) because the ball handler wasn’t your man is a BIG no-no! Remember, great defense isn’t “me vs. my man.” It’s “us vs. them.”
15. Starting the Offense Too Early. Starting the offense too far away from your teammates or not being ready or in position to make the pass as the play is initiated (timing is critical).
16. Lunging For the Steal. Instead of overplaying and lunging for the steal (and getting beaten and embarrassed), just contain your man and force her into passing.
17. Being Over-Aggressive On Defense. Being aggressive is good, but not if it gets you into foul trouble. Fouls hurt your team, earn you bench time and give your opponent an advantage.
18. No Communication. Not calling out the following: “shot,” “pick,” “help,” “ball,” or “outlet” hurts your team.
19. Selfish Play. Playing lazy defense but hustling on offense because you want to shoot is selfish.
20. Looking Down While Dribbling. You can’t pass to open teammates if you’re looking down at the ball.
Let discipline come from a sense of purpose rather than a feeling of guilt.
4:13
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