How to Become a Complete Basketball Player

Written by Kyle Ohman

The more complete of a basketball player you become the harder you are to guard and the more value you bring to your team. If you are simply just a scorer and can’t play defense then you are going to limit yourself, because your coach can’t trust you on defense. On offense if you can shoot really well, but can’t handle the basketball then the defender is just going to crowd you and not let you shoot any open shots, you become easy to guard. Don’t limit yourself and your game by allowing yourself to not fully develop as a player.

The reason that most players do not become complete players is because they do not want to spend time working on their weaknesses. It is much more fun to get in the gym and work on your strengths because it is easy for you.

When Michael Jordan came into the NBA he was told that he couldn’t shoot consistently and that he wasn’t a good enough defender. So he decided to dedicate himself to proving people wrong and working on his weaknesses. Now he is considered the best player of all time and probably the most clutch shooter of all time. He also was on the all defensive team multiple times. Here are a few tips that you can use to help you become a complete player.

The first thing that you need to do is sit down and figure out what your weaknesses are. I suggest that you make a list of all your weaknesses and strengths. Once you have your list you can see what you need to work on and be reminded of it as well. Only you are going to be seeing the list so be honest with yourself.

Identify Your Weaknesses

Make a Game Plan

After you figure what parts of your game you are going to work on you now need to figure how you are going to work on them. If one of your weaknesses is your left hand then put that you are going to do ball handling 3 times a week for 20 minutes or something like that. Whatever you decide to do make it realistic. Don’t put, “do basketball drills for 5 hrs a day.” Start with something that you will for sure be able to do, and then after a month or so you can bump it up if you need.

Be Consistent, Be Patient

Working out once every two weeks and expecting to see any results is not going to work. The key is consistency and working at it everyday or at least every other day. You are not going to see the results after working out two days in a row. It takes time and consistency to turn a weakness into a strength. Be patient with the results and you will see the payoff down the road. Trust your basketball training plan and stay motivated as you continue to work hard.