REMINDER - WHEN YOU GET INTO THE PAINT...

I know I’ve covered this before, but with Bethlehem coming up this week I think it would be beneficial to go over some of these again as a refresher.  Lately, we seem to be having a tougher time than usual finishing at the basket, so let this soak in.

Any time you get into the lane (or the paint) you need to remember the following:

Rule #1 - DON’T HURRY!

Get POWERFUL.  

When you get into the paint, you have to get powerful, both physically & mentally.  Physically you have to set your feet (wide and your butt low) and get on balance.  The best way to get physical in the paint is a dynamic jump stop. Mentally you have to expect that you will be slapped & bumped.  You have to expect the defenders to converge on you.  Don’t act surprised.  When you get into the paint, you better get strong both physically & mentally.

Always PEEK.

Although we’ve covered this many-many times before, few of you have made it a habit to peek at the rim (take your eyes to the rim).  When you get into the paint, it will create openings all around you as the defense converges on you, but it won’t do you any good if your head is down.  If you are able to get into the paint and get that close to the rim, you are ‘dangerous’ to the defense.  If you’ll just look to the rim, defenders hands will immediately start going up.  It makes you much harder to guard if their hands are going up because that opens up all kinds of passing lanes to your teammates.  But if you keep your head or your eyes down, the defenders hands are probably down as well.

If you will just peek at the rim, you will be amazed at how defenders will immediately raise their hands and they’ll normally leave their feet with the slightest fake, and passing angles open up all around you.

Be PATIENT.

We have not shown much patience in the paint lately.  We have a tendency to rush or hurry our shot, which typically results in a missed lay up.  I’m not asking you to be patient for 5 or 6 seconds.  The difference between a good shot and a rushed shot is usually less than 1 second.  That 1 second is usually the difference between you finishing your shot and looking special, and missing the easy lay up and looking like you don’t know what you are doing.  Again – don’t hurry when you get into the paint.  Be patient.

Be PURPOSEFUL.

Be decisive when you get into the paint.  You can’t be tentative.  Most players that get into the paint play not to mess up or play not to make mistakes.  Well, basketball is a game of mistakes, the best players in the world make mistakes all the time.  You can’t play not to make mistakes, because if you do, you are only going to disappoint yourself.  When you get to the paint, be purposeful.  Take a purposeful shot, make a purposeful pass, make a purposeful ball fake.  Don’t get into the paint and wait for something to happen…make something happen!

4:13