Basketball Classroom (JFrazier)

(photo captured by Markus Spiske, Link to photo)

You Have to Have Purpose Behind Your Action

Maybe you're playing basketball to get a scholarship, because you love the game, or simply want to improve. No matter what your reason, having a reason is extremely important.

Just like in other areas of life having a reason as to why you're doing something can drive you to do the hardest parts. In basketball that might be conditioning, scrimmages, or maybe just practice, either way, you need to try your best to improve as much as possible.

You also need drive outside of practice, when there are opportunities to get rebounds you have to be willing to fight for them, on defense you need to have the discipline to stay in front of your offense, no matter how tired you are. During transition, you also need to have the drive to make it down the court quickly enough if you need to, or play good defense during transition.

Here are 3 articles to help improve your mentality:

Michael Jordan's Mentality

Mamba Mentality (Kobe Bryant)

How to Be Mentally Tough in Basketball

Thanks for joining me on this journey of learning about basketball and improving your game!

(photo captured by Logan Weaver, Link to photo)

Why You Need to Be a Good Passer

Let's imagine that your team is down two points, and you're currently driving toward the basket but a defender gets in the way so you have to make a quick decision, you can try to change directions or choose to do something else. Then, out of the corner of your eye, you see your teammate open on your left, behind the three-point line, all you have to do is make the pass, and your team will be in the lead... and bam! you make the pass, your teammate makes the shot, and your team's in the lead!

Or imagine another scenario: You're a great shooter, so the other team chooses to double-team you, so now you need to pass to the teammate that the defense has left open.

Both scenarios can be game-changing for your team, but only if you can make the right passes. In the first scenario, if you pass to a teammate who isn't really open, that could lead to the other team getting a steal. In the second scenario if you keep the ball because passing isn't a skill you have worked to develop then that could also lead to the other team getting a steal.

Even though shooting and handling the ball are essential for any basketball player, so is passing the ball, here are three videos to help you with court vision, basketball IQ, etc. which will all help to make you a better passer:

See Better on the Court: By Any Means Basketball

Increase Your Basketball IQ: Home Skilled Basketball

Make the Right Passes: Hoops Process

I've discussed so many of the physical aspects of basketball: defense, footwork, passing, etc., so tomorrow's article will be about: How Mentality Can Separate You as A Basketball Player!

(photo captured by Vu Huy Hoang Chu, Link to photo)

Even though high-flying dunks and deep 3s look impressive and are something that most players would love to be able to do, finishing through contact and in tough situations is a skill that many players need to learn.

Layups Can Be Better Than Dunks

Say you're a player who compared to others isn't the biggest, or most athletic, then being able to layup well could make the difference from being an okay player to a great one. Players that can make quick decisions through contact and make the right read to lay the ball up with their left or right hand, to do a low or high pickup, to stop and lay it up, or to keep running while they do it, can be very valuable assets to their team.

With layups, you could tie up a game because you were able to make the most of a gap in defense by running forward, then use a low pickup because the defense's hands are high, and finally use your right hand because the defense expects you to use your left, and do all of that without making a dunk at all.

Here are 3 articles to help you get better at finishing at the rim!:

Drills to Get Better: www.breakthroughbasketball.com

Learn more about Finishing: basketballhq.com

How Kyrie Irving Finishes: www.mensbasketballhoopscoop.com

Being 6' 6'' in the NBA, Kobe was never the tallest player and without the fastest first step he also lacked the speed to simply run past people. However, despite that he still dominated during his reign in the NBA.

Kobe's Midrange Jumper

Kobe had what many called a "textbook jumper", a jump shot especially in the midrange, that almost anyone who wanted to improve their jump shot could learn from. Many times from a low position he'd drive, for example, let's say he wanted to go right, he'd drive right for a step or two, then stop using his left foot, plant his right foot to stop quickly, and jump to get his hand over the hand of the defender. It's also important to remember that Kobe had a high set point, with the ball resting above the top of his head. This high set point allowed him to get just a little bit more height on his jump shot so that the ball was less likely to get blocked when his shot was contested, which it usually was.

(Photo of Kobe's set point from an article by Splash Lab Basketball, this article also goes more into his shooting form if you're more curious about that!)

Willingness to take Hard Shots

His amazing midrange jumper and ability to stop on a dime also gave Kobe the ability to take difficult shots. It wasn't uncommon for Kobe to take a shot with a hand or two in his face, as he also was known to fade away from the defense (leaning back while jumping to create space between you and the defense). So in any given play, it could be expected for Kobe to pump fake the ball, do a one-dribble pullup (taking one dribble in the direction you want to go and taking two steps forward, grabbing the ball, and jumping for a jump shot). Then during the pull-up, he'd fade away to create even more space from defenders who may have had up to a 7'0'' wingspan.

And as always this ability didn't come naturally, it came from studying the game of basketball for hours at a time, and practicing and practicing and practicing until he felt comfortable with taking the shot in games.

Want to see clips of Kobe's infamous One-Dribble Pullup? Check out this video by Dom Carter: Kobe Bryant’s 1 Dribble Pull Up - Scoring, Isolation Mastery | Skill Set Series - YouTube

Trying to learn more about Kobe's playstyle? Look at this article by Hoop Blog: What Is Kobe Bryant's Style Of Play? » TheHoop.Blog

(captured by Tim Mossholder, Link to photo)

As I mentioned in the last post, I'll be covering three of the greatest basketball players of all time: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Spongebob Squarepants. Of course, I'm joking. I'll also be covering Lebron James.

The Athleticism of the Greats

Michael Jordan and Lebron James are both known for having an extremely fast first step even compared to other NBA players, which means that from a low stance, they were able to rise up and get into a sprint faster than most of their defenders. Unlike those two, Kobe wasn't known for having an "extremely" fast first step like that of Jordan or Lebron, of course as an NBA player it was fast but that wasn't his expertise when facing pro-level defense. His expertise was being able to quickly sprint, stop, and jump high enough that he could shoot over taller defenders while in the midrange (between the three-point line and being very close to the basket), which was his signature pull-up jumper.

Curious about these players' best years in the league? Check out these videos by Thinking Basketball on YouTube:

LeBron James

Kobe Bryant

Michael Jordan

On top of physical athleticism, all three players also honed instincts and skills that allowed them to react really quickly on the court. Lebron is known for being able to read the defense quickly to know where to drive and when. Jordan could fly over the defense and choose mid-air which hand to spin the ball off of to make the right layup. Last but definitely not least, Kobe would react to the defense in a split second at times so that he'd know if he should drive to find a better stop to take a jump shot or if he should try for a jump shot where he was.

(Captured by Chris Moore, Link to photo)

The Importance of Defense

In basketball a lot of players focus on offense, they only put time into making sure they can shoot 3s, dunk well, and end up on highlight reels. But, the aspect of the game that doesn't tend to end up on highlights, aka defense, is just as important in the game of basketball. It doesn't matter if your team can score 80 points in a game if you can't stop the other team from scoring 81. So no matter how good you are on offense, you have to be efficient on defense.

Footwork in Defense

One of the best ways to make sure you're not blown by on defense is to understand footwork and how to move the right way. A key mistake many players make is getting off balance when trying to get in front of another player. You must keep your feet at a distance apart that doesn't allow the offense to say do a step-back, crossover, or behind-the-back that would cause you to fall since you're off balance.

Also just like on offense, one of the things that separates average players from some of the best is drive. If a player is able to blow past you, gather yourself, and run after them. Just because they got past you doesn't mean the play is over so don't act like it is. If the other team is able to do a fast break, run after the player with the ball, and try to block their shot, layup, or dunk, you might just be able to do it. It's the moments where you choose to play the best defense you can that can decide the entirety of your game!

Want to learn how some legendary players played defense? (Check out these videos):

Lebron James: LeBron James Defensive Highlights

Kobe Bryant: Kobe Bryant Defensive Highlights

Michael Jordan: Michael Jordan Defensive Highlights

(Photo captured by Terrilo Walls via Unsplash.com, A couple of men standing on top of a basketball court photo)

Footwork is a commonly overlooked aspect of basketball, which is really unfortunate as it may be one of the most important. Without footwork players are left losing the ball, missing open shots, and messing up moves.

The Basics of Footwork

One of the simplest moves in basketball is the jab step, where a player gets into a low stance and fools their defender into believing that they're going either left or right, by dropping their weight, turning their hips in that direction, and jabbing their foot outside of their defender's foot (if you're faking going right, then you put your right foot outside of their left foot, and the opposite is true for if your faking going left).

If these three things are done correctly and at the same time, then there is almost no visual difference between a jab step and actually going in the direction you want the defender to believe you are.

Want to know more?

For a more detailed explanation about the jab step check out this article: How to Do a Jab Step? A Hoop Player's Secret Sauce Move

Or this article that includes 6 tips to also improve your jab step: Mastering the Jab Step in Basketball (6 Important Tips)

Prefer a video explaining the move? Here's one: Fundamentals Of The Jab Step

The Jab Step Isn't Everything

But footwork isn't only about jap steps or fooling your defender, it's also extremely important as a defender. So in tomorrow's blog, I'll be covering: How Proper Footwork Creates Elite Defenders!