Basketball: Tips for Point Guards

As a high school junior, I did a lot of chicken chasing. The chicken was named Frank, who was FAST. That prepared me for containing the ball as a senior when I had a bigger role. 

So you want to be the starting point guard. What skills help point guard wannabes? 

• Become the coach on the floor. 
• Energize your team every day.
• Take care of the basketball.
• "Learn the game." 
• Get everyone involved. 
• Be a willing passer. 
• Lead. Make plays, not excuses. Model excellence. 

1. Warm up properly with the Jay Wright/Villanova "Get 50." It bugs me to see kids walk into practice and start jacking up 3s. "We make our habits and our habits make us." 

2. Extend your range via a catch-and-shoot three. Create separation for side dribble threes like Joe Harris. 

3. "See the game." Sue Bird shows how to use "paint touch and ball reversal" as she relocates for a three-pointer. Relocation, relocation, relocation. 

4. Become acquainted with Celtics 32 (diagram below, 17 shots, 32 point maximum). 

Combine multiple distances and time (two minutes) in search of your "personal best." Again, a partner is necessary. Pitino quarters (168 point maximum) is the Herculean version with seven radians, three levels (distances), and four quarters (84 shots). 

5. Handle Messiah. 

Develop functional (working) moves to right and left. Continuation dribble moves include speed dribble, hesitation (hesi), in-and-out dribble. Reversal moves include crossover (on the shoetops), between the legs, behind-the-back, and spins. 

Develop combination moves like hesitation into crossover and vice versa.

Have a back dribble crossover to avoid dribbling into traps. 

Some players "make a living" with one dominant move, like a killer hesitation move. 

This video is long but outstanding. 

Better with defense and higher intensity...

Cut with purpose and urgently. 

Lagniappe. Coaching thoughts from Dave Smart via Basketball Immersion. 

• Don’t try to be a basketball genius, keep your plan simple, focus on execution.
• Read and be “book smart” but remember to apply knowledge and be “street smart.”

***If it doesn't work or we can't teach it, move on.