Which Rookies Will Hit the Ground Running in the NBA Next Season
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The 2018 NBA Draft seems like it happened eons ago, what with LeBron James turning free agency upside-down by signing with the Lakers, Demarcus Cousins taking his talents to the loaded Warriors, Paul George staying put in OKC, and Kawhi Leonard getting traded to the Raptors. Summer League has passed us by like a gust of wind as well with the Golden State Warriors coming out on top. Now, the search for the next impact player in the mold of a LeBron James or a Kevin Durant is officially on. As members of Ladbrokes’s highest earning sports stars in the world list, both James and Durant started out as rookies and went on to great success. They left no doubt that they would soon take over the NBA from their first seasons. And they have, indeed, taken over. That being said, here are eight rookies that will surely hit the ground running next season: DeAndre Ayton With his wealth of physical tools, Ayton will give the moribund Suns the inside presence they sorely need on both ends. On offense, the former Wildcat will be a perfect complement to shooter extraordinaire Devin Booker, whose dead-eye jumper will give Ayton space to work down low. On defense, the Bahamas-born center will anchor a porous Phoenix defense that surrendered a league-high 113.3 points per game. Jaren Jackson Jackson will benefit tremendously from playing with Marc Gasol, who will help ease the rookie’s transition from college to the pros. The former Spartan’s skillset is nothing to sneeze at either, as the 18-year-old New Jersey native has skills that translate nicely in the NBA: deft touch around the basket, a refined shooting stroke, and great athleticism. He’ll play alongside Gasol as a playmaking four, a stark departure from the bully ball playing style of…
Why Zone Defense is Bad for Youth Basketball
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Why NOT to Play Zone Defense in Youth Basketball I have wrestled with this topic for some time as a youth basketball coach, but after coaching for several years in the AAU arena, I have come to the conclusion that zone defense in basketball bad for youth basketball. Zone defense is a tactical defense approach applied in football, basketball and many other sports, where each defender is to guard a specified area. This is the opposite of man-to-man defense, where each defender guards one opponent throughout the game.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Need a Coaching Plan or Tips to Help your Youth Basketball Team Win? Learn More! [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Zone Defensive Coverage Strategy In basketball, a majority of zone defensive coverage strategies are outlined by a series of numbers (player designated positions) that match the number of players represented in the front zone, and working towards the back zone. A good example is the 2-3 zone, where two players cover specified areas at the top of the zone whereas three players cover specified areas closer to the basket. Therefore, the players within the top zone act as guards while those players closer to the basket are centers or forwards. The guards are to cover designated areas to prevent open shots and penetration around the perimeter while the players in the back of the zone, cover the corners and provides interior defense around the basket. The 2-3 zone can be attached heavily to Syracuse University’s Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim. Other commonly used zone defenses include 2-1-2, 3-2, 1-3-1 and 1-2-2. [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="25px"][vc_single_image image="10247" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" link="/zone-defense-bad-youth-basketball/basketballzonecoverage/"][vc_empty_space height="15px"][vc_column_text] 5 Disadvantages to Playing a Zone Defense The NBA prohibited zone defense before the 2001-2002 season. No NBA team really uses the zone defense as their primary defensive strategy. It is more common in college and youth…
Why Speed Is Important to Basketball
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I have the pleasure to introduce Jason of Workout HQ, who wrote a great article for Inspirational Basketball on why speed is important in basketball. Without further ado, enjoy… What if your lack of success in basketball isn’t due to a lack of basic skills like shooting, dribbling, or passing, but due to a lack of speed? I was a pretty good player as a high school sophomore. I could shoot as well as our shooting guard, had handles on par with our point guard, and had the height to play as a small forward. However, I never got much playing time because our coaches offense revolved around pushing the ball and I didn’t have enough speed and endurance to run with the team. Our offense basically consisted of cherry-picking and outrunning our opponents to the point they would rather let us score instead of trying to keep up. I knew that no matter how hard I worked on improving my skills, I could never play on this team unless I improved my speed, so that summer I did some research and got to work. After an incredibly difficult summer my coach barely recognized me at tryouts. My handles shined as I could now push the ball up the court with ease, score nearly at will, and run the offense that our coach wanted to run. (Pro tip: figure out what your coach wants and do it. You’ll get a lot of playing time that way.) I started in 19 out of 20 games and we won 80% of our total games that season. Before I tell you how I increased my speed, let’s talk about why increasing your speed will be beneficial to you even if you coach doesn’t run a cherry-picking offense. Don’t worry. The training that’s required for this won’t take a ton of time…
How to Increase Your Vertical In Basketball
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]I have the pleasure to introduce Blake Ventura of EZ Compression, who wrote a great article for Inspirational Basketball on how to increase your vertical in basketball. Without further ado, enjoy… Every baller wants to dunk. It’s just a fact of life. Not everyone will be able to dunk a basketball, but an improved vertical leap will always help a player’s game, whether on defense or taking a jump shot. In an impressively high vertical jump, a sequence of muscles fires in the correct order to put maximum force into the ground. It is this force that pushes us upward, so optimizing the positions and timing of this sequence is the first step to adding inches to the vertical leap. This biomechanics presentation on YouTube is a good place to start learning to optimize the jumping technique.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="8750" img_size="full"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text] #1 THE KEY The posterior chain, which includes all the muscles along the back of the legs and the glutes, is key to the vertical leap. However, research has shown that the hip flexors also play a dominant role in powering the jumping sequence. When the posterior chain and hip flexors together are strong and flexible, all the parts of the jumping sequence can fire hard and in the proper order to maximize leaping ability. #2 BUILD FLEXIBILITY Part of the secret to jumping high is being flexible enough to get coiled into a proper leaping position so that the posterior chain can fire in the correct sequence and at maximum power. This requires the hips to be in a neutral position, and for the thighs, hamstrings and calves to be elastic. Rather than using static stretches to maximize elasticity, consider a program of active-dynamic stretching, which helps build range of motion while safely lengthening the muscles. Stretching the following muscles, especially prior to workouts, will allow you to get deep into the leaping…
Best Charlotte, NC Sports Summer Camps
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="8872" img_size="630x217" alignment="center"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] I have the pleasure to introduce a good friend of mine and contributor of this article, Brendan Winters. Brendan played basketball at Davidson College from 2002-06 where he was named All-Conference, Player of the Year, and an All-American. After college, Brendan played professionally overseas in France, Germany, Hungary, and Greece from 2006-2011. Brendan Co-Founded Pro Skills Basketball (PSB), a national organization dedicated to youth basketball development. He is now the Director of PSB Charlotte where he plans, oversees, and manages all of their events and programs, including multiple year-round camps and over 40 AAU teams. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_raw_js]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[/vc_raw_js][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Brendan has helped more than 50 players go on to play at the DI, II, and III collegiate levels. Without further ado, enjoy... After living in Charlotte, NC for the past 6 years and being in the summer camp business with my Pro Skills Basketball organization, I’ve come across a lot of great options for sports summer camps here in Charlotte, NC. Many kids that come to our PSB summer camps and play on our PSB Select AAU teams play multiple sports, and end up attending multiple sports camps throughout the summer. Most of them also have brothers and sisters who attend summer camps as well, so I’ve asked our players and parents for other recommendations on sports summer camps. With this experience and knowledge, I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 sports summer camps in Charlotte, NC. This is by no means a complete list as I’m sure there are other great options out there as well, but check out the below summer camps from my recommendation![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text] List of Summer Sports Camps in Charlotte BASKETBALL SUMMER CAMPS We’ll start with basketball summer camps since, like I said, that’s the business I am in with…
How to Overcome Fear Before & During a Basketball Game
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="8969" img_size="630x420" alignment="center"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text] How Not to Play Basketball Scared [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]Everyone gets nervous or anxious before engaging in one thing or the other. Even those who are very good at what they do, can experience fear. It is natural for humans to feel this way! Occasionally, I would have this overwhelming nauseous feeling before playing in front of a crowd, guarding a very skilled opponent, thinking about the results of a game before even playing, and even playing pick up basketball.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_raw_js]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[/vc_raw_js][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]Some times I couldn't control the feeling even if I had confidence in my game that day. A lot of this anxiety came from my passion to do well and win games! Honestly, I was confident in my abilities, I worked on my game 2 - 3 hours a day, but why did I feel anxious before and during my basketball games?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This article is for those who might have felt an overwhelming sense of nervousness when playing in a basketball game and even before the actual game. That means it is for EVERYONE that plays competitive basketball because if you haven't felt this gut feeling, then honestly you don't have true passion for the game! Develop Mental Toughness in Sports with a 10 Minutes a Day Program? Read this Book While it is a common thing among athletes, court nervousness can be caused by various factors. I'm not psychologists but I would think a lot of basketball anxiety comes from the pressure put on players from their own internal fears, coaches, parents, fans, peers, and etc. Credible studies show that student-athletes might fail to get help because of the fear of losing respect among peers and appearing weak. According to research, causes of performance anxiety by athletes can consist of the following:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 1. High Expectations An article…
European Players in the NBA
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Is there anything our youth basketball programs can take a way from the increased number of international players in the NBA? The 2016 NBA Draft was a record-breaking event for international players. This means that all or almost every team in the NBA has at least one European player on its bench. According to several sources, there were 124 European basketball players in the NBA out of 449 total NBA players during the 2015-2016 season. That’s 28% of current players![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="8700" img_size="300x225"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]Chart Reference This charts stops at 2011, but you can see the trend and rise of international players in the NBA year-over-year. This has raised several questions both for the fans, players, and teams. In this article, we will review this change and what it means for up and coming American players.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Why are international players showing up so much more in the NBA draft? Some believe that we are seeing more foreign basketball players because of advertisement overseas and the deals put in place which allow the NBA to live stream to other countries around the world. Others believe that European players are developing better skills at the youth level compared to young Americans.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_empty_space][vc_empty_space][vc_raw_js]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[/vc_raw_js][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What you need to know: The 2016 draft featured 100 international players from 37 different foreign countries. Of the first round of the draft, 14 of the 30 men were foreign-born players. Canada has the most players drafted at 12, France has 10, and Australia has 8. The 2016 NBA Champions, Cleveland Cavaliers had five foreign players on its roster. So, why has there been an increase in International players in the draft? A controversial comment made by Kobe Bryant may give us an insight into why European players are featuring heavily in the 2016 draft. Bryant was said to have explained that European players were better ball-handlers than players trained in America. They have…
Top 5 Strength and Conditioning Drills for College Basketball Players
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image="9237" img_size="630x354" alignment="center"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]I have the pleasure to introduce Andrew Fox of Aim Workout, who is a trained Boxing instructor and an avid triathlete. He wrote a great article for Inspirational Basketball on strength and conditioning drills for college basketball players. Without further ado, enjoy...[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In order to achieve success in basketball especially at the collegiate level, you need to strengthen several body muscles. You need to build your core muscles, lower body muscles among other things. You could also benefit from some high-impact exercises and learn some specific skills. A lot of basketball drills are used in for enhancing skills to improve the performance of an individual while playing the game. With the help of basketball drills, you can improve your performance in dribbling, jumping, shooting, and etc.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class="align-left-p" width="2/3"][vc_column_text] By building a good amount of strength, you can become dominate on the court and help your team have a better chance to win. In this article, I have outlined 5 basketball exercises for college basketball players that can help with developing their strength and enhancing their overall performance on the basketball court.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_raw_js]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[/vc_raw_js][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height="40px"][vc_column_text] 1. The Power Lunge (Making Higher Jumps) It’s a given that basketball requires exploding up and making very high jumps. Your ability to jump higher will directly impact your performance on the court. With the power lunge, you can make your body get off the ground very quickly. By performing power lunges, you can rebound several shots that you missed much quicker than your opponent. To perform the power lunge, you simply need to explode up from the bottom lunge position and alternate lunges on both legs.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_video link="https://www.youtube.com/embed/06UUYD1n10k" el_width="50" align="center" title="Video Demonstrating the Power Lunge for Basketball"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text] 2. The Push Jerk (Maintaining Dominance On The Court) In order to be dominant at…
HOW TO WALK-ON A COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAM
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="10px"][vc_column_text] 6 Steps to Surviving College Basketball Walk-On Tryouts Written By Lamar Hull @ Google+ [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="20px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class="align-left-p" width="2/3"][vc_column_text]Because I actually did it. I successfully walked-on to a division 1 basketball program and earned a professional contract overseas! All I ever wanted to do was play Division 1 Basketball. At first I didn't care where, I just wanted the opportunity to experience it. As a 5'9" point guard that played like a shooting guard in high school, I wasn't highly recruited. I averaged 28 PPG my senior year and received tons of accolades, such as; North Carolina Mr. Basketball Runner-up. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class="innrow" width="1/3" css=".vc_custom_1499433103516{margin-right: 50px !important;}"][vc_raw_js]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[/vc_raw_js][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]I had a GPA of 4.1 and had put in the time every day to improve my basketball skills so that one day I could sit at the table and sign that acceptance letter to a D-1 program. That never happened! Several division 2 and division 3 schools gave me a look, but none I was interested in. The only real chance I had to get at least a partial basketball scholarship was with Clemson University.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="20px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]My high school coach had a connection with their staff and their assistant coach actually came to watch a 6'9" freshman who was playing varsity my senior year. As a senior, I would take over and dominate games, had a positive attitude, was a great teammate, and a hustle that would never quit. Clemson's assistant coach started to like my skill set and continued to come and watch me play. Conversations started happening around me signing a letter of intent to play basketball at Clemson University. Clemson is known for recruiting smaller guards who are very quick and can control the pace of the game.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_single_image image="9949" img_size="full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]My dream almost came to fruition, until head coach Larry Shyatt…
What to do When Your Parents Don’t Support Your Basketball Dreams
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 5 WaYs TO Follow Your Dreams when Your parents don't Support You [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="7/12"][vc_column_text]This topic came about because I wrote an article on The Odds of Going to the NBA. If you visit that page and view the 80+ comments, you will see an underlying story from tons of young kids who have the same dream of making it to the NBA. The scoop is... Their parents don't support their basketball dreams! And the crazy thing is, not all parents support their kid's dreams, especially if their kid’s dream is to be a professional basketball player. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="5/12" el_class="innrow"][vc_raw_js]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[/vc_raw_js][vc_empty_space height="15px"][vc_single_image image="8769" img_size="630x420" alignment="center"][vc_empty_space height="15px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]There are a million kids who have the same dream and based on statistics, it is almost impossible to make it to the NBA. We all understand this, but even if the odds are against you, why should you waiver your potential by not following your dreams because of a statistic or a lack of support? Does the odds stop people from winning the lottery, becoming famous, etc.? Most of the time it’s tough to keep working towards what your heart tells you to do when your parents aren’t supporting you. However, as tough as it may be, don’t give up on your personal goals which you have set out for yourself. Because I experienced a lack of support to a certain degree when following my dreams, I was impelled to write this article! Here are 5 things to do when your parents don't support your dreams, especially when your passion is basketball. #1 Keep Dreaming Let's get this clear...it’s important to never let that feeling go and to never let your childhood dream fade! I will say this, dream BIG... Watch this MVP speech from Kevin Durant, you can hear the great support system that…