Do You Take Advantage of Dead Ball Time?
WHEN THE CLOCK IS STOPPED
Mediocre players use this time to rest, to complain, to limp, to frown at referees, to look around at the crowd. The problem is that many talented basketball players use the time when the clock is stopped for the same purposes. But there is an endless number of valuable things a good player can do while the clock is stopped if he is thinking and really trying to be as much of an asset to his team as he possibly can.
On the free throw line,
- Remind someone to block out the shooter,
- Remind the big guys to block out aggressively
- Remind the inbounds passer to get the ball in quickly.
These are obvious things, yet so often they go unsaid, and so often there are breakdowns in one of these areas.
Watch More: A Habit of Great Floor Leaders
To go further, though, a good basketball player is constantly singling out people and whispering in a teammate’s ear:
- “We need to draw a foul on their big guy next time”
- “I’ll look for you this time cutting across the lane, make sure you come hard”
- “Let’s really hurry on the break this time. I think we can catch one of ’em loafi ng”
- “Make sure you turn and come back to the ball after you screen,”
- “C’mon, we gotta hit the boards,”
- “Let’s get a layup next time down.”
Singling out a teammate and giving him extra encouragement often works wonders, yet it is so seldom done. If you are about to take the ball out of bounds, tell someone you’ll be looking for him. Get your teammates doing their best. Praise someone for a play he made a minute ago. Urge tougher defense.
When there is a break in the action, and you can’t think of anything to say to anyone that might help the team, you are either a very selfish player, or you know very, very little about basketball. Good players use the time when the clock is stopped to make the next play work better and to make teammates try harder and concentrate.
If you use part of this valuable time for frowning and complaining and foot-stomping, it would be difficult to call you anything other than a stupid player, even if you are talented and a high scorer. Chances are you are not a winner.
—Excerpted from the book, “STUFF Good Players Should Know”
Posted
By
Related Articles
Los Angeles Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers said it best. “Everyone can’t be the star of the team, but everyone can be the start in their role.” That’s not an easy thing for every athlete to do, but players like Marcus Smart have a long NBA career because that’s exactly what they do.
Discover five techniques all unstoppable point guard use and hear a breakdown on how you can apply it to your game.
WNBA Legend Debbie Black and PGC Director Kyle Koszuta breakdown what a player needs to become a lockdown defender.
About PGC
PGC Basketball provides intense, no-nonsense basketball training for players and coaches. Our basketball camps are designed to teach players of all positions to play smart basketball, be coaches on the court, and be leaders in practices, games and in everyday life.
We combine our unique PGC culture with a variety of teaching methods and learning environments to maximize the learning potential of those that attend our sessions. In addition to spending 6-7 hours on the court each day, lessons will be reinforced through classroom sessions and video analysis.
Our goal at PGC is to empower you with the tools to fulfill your basketball dreams, while also assisting you in experiencing the joy of the journey.
To learn more about PGC Basketball, including additional basketball training tips and videos, visit our YouTube Channel or find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Share This Post