Knowledge is Power! Also, the sooner you get that knowledge, the more powerful the knowledge becomes!
To make it to the NBA, a guard only has to MASTER 3 key fundamentals:
- Ball-handling
- Midrange Shooting/Scoring
- Making the “Open” Three
I didn’t learn how important these three fundamentals were, until my second year in college, and by then it was too late. Tragic. (Again, the sooner you acquire the knowledge, the more powerful the knowledge becomes – remember this!)
Fundamental #1: Ball-handling aka “Handles”
There are three main reasons why mastering your ball-handling is so important.
First, when you are young, you hope you grow to be very tall. All of us guards dream of becoming 6 ft 6 or taller like Kobe Bryant or Lebron James. But the truth is, we don’t know how tall we will become. To solve this problem and still give yourself the best chance to make it to the league, guards must work hard to become the best ball-handler in their city and then become the best ball-handler in their state!
The second reason why ball-handling is so important is to eliminate the fear of ball pressure. When we are younger, we all hated to be pressed! Some older players still hate ball pressure or the full court press. Great ball-handlers love to be pressed! When you become a great ball-handler, you will love defenders who pressure you because you will know that they can never take the ball from you. You will also know that when you shake them, you have an opportunity for a fast break and a chance to score. This leads me to the most important reason why ball-handling is so important.
Third, excellent ball-handlers can score “off the dribble.” A great ball-handler can get his shot off at any time. Either by attacking the hoop for a lay-up or dunk, pulling up for a short jumper or floater, or by creating space for a jumper like a “fade-away” or “step back.” Having great handles allows guards to become great scorers – and we know how important being able to score off the dribble is to NBA scouts. Being able to score off the dribble is the most important skill a guard can have! Just ask the following players: Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Dwayne Wade, Steph Curry, Jamal Crawford, Kobe Bryant, James Hardin, Russell Westbrook, Monta Ellis, Tony Parker, Deron Williams, Brandon Jennings. Again, having the ability to score off the dribble at any moment, is the most important skill a guard can have!
Guards, to make it to the NBA, you must become the best ball-handler in your state! Get to Work!!
– Coach Beast
(Fundamental #2: Midrange Shooting/Scoring – Coming Soon!!)
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