Coach Ethan Khoza breaks down three things that actually matter for basketball: deliberate skill practice, strength training, and playing pickup games. Play at least once or twice a week against someone slightly better than you, with a 3-4 dribble limit on 1-on-1s to keep it game-like.
Questions this video answers
October 16, 2019
Three or four dribbles
At least once or twice a week (5-on-5 at least once weekly if possible)
Chapters
Obviously you know that if you want to get better, you should be in the gym working on your skills. If you watched my recent video on lifting weights, you should know that that's something you should also be doing. But in terms of developing as a player, that's only half of what you need to be doing. Aside from practicing and lifting weights. There is a third category that so many players make the mistake of ignoring. Let's get into it. So what is the third category you need to become a better player? Well, it's simple. You need to play. You need to go against real live defense. Here's why. When you spend an hour every day working on your three point shot, your ball handling and your finishing, you'll become a more skilled player. You know that. But the other part is that you need to translate those skills into the game. A lot of players are great in practice, but they aren't great in games. A lot of times it's because they don't play enough pickup, so they don't learn how to use their skills in the context of a game. It's a lot easier to shoot when you don't have to worry about the defense coming to block your shot. It's a lot easier to drive to the basket, but you don't have to worry about a help defender coming to try and stop you. So if you aren't playing pickup at least once or twice a week, you're really selling yourself short and you need to start doing that. Pickup doesn't necessarily always mean 5 on 5 either. I would recommend that you try and play 5 on 5 at least once a week. If all you can find in your area is five on five pickup games. So you decide to do that two, three times per week, that's fine.
Obviously real games are five on five.
So you need to make sure that you do that. But another good alternative is playing one on one. I'm a huge fan of one on one personally. However, it needs to be game like one on one, meaning it shouldn't be you taking 25 dribbles trying to cross up your defender. In a real game there will be help defense, so that won't work and you'll lose the ball and get subbed out. Impose a dribble limit. Three or four dribbles is usually good and helps simulate a one on one situation in a real game. Let's talk about the last key to making sure your pickup games are helping your development as much as possible. Seek out the best players you can find and play against them honestly. If you can go play somewhere and you end up being the worst player in the gym. There you should go do that. It's sink or swim. Playing as guys who are better than you will force you to raise your game. Let's use lifting weights as an analogy. If you go to the gym and lift comfortable weights, weights that don't challenge you all that much, will you get stronger? Sure, maybe a little bit. But your muscles won't be that overwhelmed and you won't see all that much progress.
But if you go to the gym.
And use really heavy weights that really challenge you and force your muscles to adapt and grow, you'll get a lot stronger. So find players to play against who will really challenge you. Going along with that same analogy, just make sure that you don't use weights that are so heavy you can't even lift them. That's not going to help you get stronger at all. If you're a beginner, don't try and go play against NBA players. Play against players that will really push you but that you can still hold your own against. Skill development, getting stronger and playing pickup against better players. If you do all three of those things, you can become a great player.
What's up guys?
Coach Ethan here.
We just finished up talking about the three keys to becoming a great player.
And I want to do something to.
Help you guys out with that. So I just opened up our private Facebook group and inside this group I'm going to be giving you guys help advice. I'm going to answer you guys questions. I'm going to support you guys on your basketball journeys and you guys can.
Come in and support each other as well.
We're really going to create the number one basketball group in the world. So if that sounds good, go ahead and click the link in my description to join. It's completely 100% free. All you got to do is answer a couple questions and I'll let you guys in. So I'll see you guys in there. If you guys enjoyed this video, please leave a like and subscribe as well. I really appreciate it and I'll see you guys soon. Join the group if you're interested.
