This means attending every team practice, listening and learning when your coach is instructing, and giving your best effort in every drill and scrimmage. It also means working on your game at home, when you can find the time between school work and family responsibilities.

THERE'S A LOT MORE TO THE GAME THAN JUST SCORING
You have to work on all aspects of your game. That means you have to learn the basics — fundamentals — for playing defense, rebounding, passing, and shooting. It also means learning the rules of the game. If you have never read the rulebook, spend a few minutes going through one before the start of each season. You’ll surprise yourself — and your teammates — with your knowledge of the game.

One of the unique aspects of basketball is that you can develop your own style. But that can only happen after you have mastered the fundamentals.

CONCENTRATE ON THE FUNDAMENTALS
From shooting a jump shot to throwing a chest pass, there is a fundamentally right way to do everything on a basketball court. It’s no coincidence that great shooters in the WNBA and NBA have almost exactly the same technique. They have mastered the fundamentals of shooting, which involve coordinating the fingers, hand, wrist, arm and body in one rhythmic motion. Over time, the technique becomes natural. When it does, good shooters can become great shooters. There are similar fundamental techniques to playing defense, passing, dribbling and rebounding.

THE POWER OF REPETITION
Becoming a dribbling, rebounding, passing, shooting or defensive expert doesn’t happen overnight. All these skills take focus, effort, attention to fundamentals and practice — a lot of practice. And make sure the time you spend is spent wisely.Practice all aspects of the game. Even simple drills can provide remarkable results when done correctly and often. Remember — practice won’t help if you are not focusing on fundamentals. Spending long hours practicing poor technique will only reinforce bad habits.

At the beginning, however, concentrate on executing the proper shooting techniques from close range. One sure way to develop poor shooting habits is by taking long shots away from the basket. That’s not practicing. That’s fooling around. Practicing proper shooting form might be the most important fundamental in basketball because those techniques must become automatic before any player can become a great offensive threat. That’s also why shooting, more than any other skill, demands repetition.

LIFT OFF
Ray Allen has some of the strongest calves in the NBA. By doing thousands of toe lifts (see Home Training, page 30) when he was younger, Ray became one of the best shooters in the game because he gets one of the best “lift offs” on his jump shot.

THE FLAT BACK DRILL
Lie down on your back and practice shooting the ball straight up into the air. If you use proper technique, the ball should come straight down. If it goes to one side or the other, check your guide hand. Make sure you are extending your arm straight up and snapping your wrist in a downward wave.

THE CHAIR SHOOTING DRILL
Place a chair six to seven feet from the basket. Sit down and practice shooting the ball with one hand. By sitting in the chair you will be forced to fully extend your arm and follow through with a snap of the wrist. If you fail to use the proper technique, the ball won’t make it to the basket much less go through the hoop.

If you watch the best shooters, you’ll notice that they stop, jump, and shoot — all in one fluid motion. They don’t have to think about what they’re doing, or how they are doing it. That’s because they have practiced the shooting motion for so long that it has become an automatic part of their game. That’s the goal for you, too.

STEP-BY-STEP
Get your body square to the basket with equal weight on each foot and bend your knees slightly. If you are a right-handed shooter, then your right foot should be slightly — not more than five inches — in front of the left foot, facing the basket.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE IN THE PROPER SET-UP?
Have a teammate push your chest with one or two fingers. If you fall back, then you weren’t in the proper position. Balance is critical to shooting because the power for a shot comes from your legs, not your arms.

• Bring the ball into the “lock and load” position. That means bringing the ball onto the fingertips of your shooting hand with your wrist back. In other words, hold the ball on the fingers of your shooting hand like a waiter holds a tray. Use your “off hand” as a guide and nothing more. Bend your knees with your head out over the ball.
• Lock in on your target with your eyes. Some players look at the back of the rim, others concentrate on a spot just over the front of the rim. Whatever you choose, lock in on that spot. Use your other hand as a guide. It’s only there for the set-up and to help balance the ball in the proper position. Do not try to shoot the ball with both hands. If the off hand is too far in front of the ball, it will be difficult to shoot accurately. Practice each of these steps until they become automatic.
• With your “guidance system” in order, push the ball straight up toward the basket until your arm extends completely and your elbow locks. Follow through by snapping your wrist in a downward waving motion. Remember to keep your shooting elbow aligned with your body. That way your arm has to go straight up and down which increases your accuracy.
• As you release the ball it should roll off your fingertips, producing backspin. Your middle finger usually has the last contact with the ball. Remember to shoot the ball with your fingertips, not the palms of your hand. Practice using these techniques close to the basket. You want to keep the follow-through the same every time. That’s why it’s important to practice at close range in the beginning. When these fundamentals become automatic, you’ll be able to bring the ball off the dribble or receive a pass from a teammate and immediately go into the basic set-up without thinking about each movement.

The goal is to be able to dribble with either hand without looking down at the ball. That means keeping your head up to see what the defensive players are doing and the location of your teammates. In the beginning, this can see like an impossible task. Just maintaining control of the ball with one hand can be difficult. Remember to use your fingers and fingertips, not the palm of your hands, to control the ball as you bounce it down to the floor. And try not to let the ball bounce above your waist.

DEVELOPING YOUR FEEL FOR THE BALL
WALL BALL
Stand about three feet from a concrete or other sturdy wall and hold the ball over your head with both hands. Bounce the ball off the wall 10 times with your right hand and 10 times with your left hand. This might be difficult at first, but it helps develop the “feel” you need to handle the ball. Use your fingertips, not the palm of your hand.

LEARNING THE CROSS-OVER DRIBBLE THE WEAVE
For more advanced players, there are a number of drills to help develop the cross-over dribble. One of those involves placing chairs, or some other obstacle, in a straight line down the middle of a court, playground or driveway. The object is to dribble down the line, weaving around the obstacles you have set up.

Dribble toward the first obstacle as if it were a defensive player. As you near the obstacle, quickly change hands and go around it. Do this from right to left and back again, all the way down the line, concentrating on moving quickly while maintaining control of the ball. Remember to keep your head up and the ball low — no higher than your knees — as you bounce it from hand to hand. The faster you can execute this move, the more difficult it is for the defensive player to react.

PASSING CREATES OPEN SHOTS
Great offenses pass well and often. All five defenders can monitor an offensive player dribbling the ball. They can see where he or she is going. But a team of good passers can pick apart the biggest and best defenses because a pass almost always moves faster than a defender.

While there are a number of different passes, they all require the same basic fundamentals. Like dribbling and shooting, players should use their fingers and fingertips, not the palms of their hands to execute a pass. There are two passes every player must master to become a good passer: The two-handed chest pass and the two-handed bounce pass. The fundamentals are exactly the same with each of them. Keep the ball on the tips of the fingers and push off with both hands.

TARGET DRILL
Pick out a spot on a wall and practice throwing a two-handED chest pass to that spot. Remember to step into the pass and to snap your wrists outward. Do the same drill using a bounce pass with the ball bouncing about three quarters of the way between you and the wall. The ball should not hit the wall at a height above your waist.

TWO-HANDED CHEST PASS
Spread the fingers of each hand on either side of the ball. Push the ball out from your chest, fully extending your arms. Snap your wrists outward so that the back of your hands are facing one another. By snapping your wrists outward you will get rotation, or backspin, on the ball, which makes the pass easier to control for your teammate who is receiving the ball. Remember to step in the direction of the player you are passing to and to follow with the palms away from the body.

TWO-HANDED BOUNCE PASS
Follow the same motion as the two-handed chest pass. The only difference is that you should locate a spot on the floor about three quarters of the way between you and your teammate. Try to hit that spot on the bounce. To make the bounce pass even more accurate, step toward the spot and the player you are throwing to. The bounce pass should be received by your teammate about waist high. A pass below the knees or over the waist can be difficult to handle for your teammate. Also, a bounce pass that bounces too high is much easier for a defensive player to steal.

On offense, grabbing a rebound after a missed shot gives your team a second chance to score. On the other hand, when pulling down a defensive rebound, a player is limiting the opponent to just one chance at a basket. Those “second chances” can be the difference between winning or losing a game.

Good rebounders are not necessarily the tallest players or best jumpers on the court. Sure, bigger players and those with great jumping ability have an advantage, but just like playing defense, position and fundamentals can make any player an effective rebounder. In fact, if you use proper technique, you can keep any player away from the basket and out of rebounding position.

THINK MISS
Always assume the shooter is going to miss. No matter who is shooting or where the shot is coming from, be prepared to rebound a missed shot. Remember, even great shooters miss half their shots.

STARTING [AND ENDING] THE BREAK
The best way to begin a fast break is by grabbing a defensive rebound and making a quick outlet pass to a teammate. Remember not to hold onto the ball and stand there. Instead, immediately look up and fire the ball to an open teammate running up the court and then start running yourself. Trail the fast break and get yourself into position to grab the offensive rebound on the other end of the court if your team’s shot is missed.

PRACTICE THE OFFENSIVE PUT-BACK
Stand two to three feet from the basket and toss the ball off the backboard. Step toward the ball as it comes down and lock on with both hands. Remember to keep the ball up, out and away from your body. Keeping the ball in this position, come down and immediately go back up to put the ball in the basket.

BLOCK OUT
As soon as a shot is headed for the rim, you need to get into position for a rebound. Get in front of the player you are guarding and turn toward the basket staying between your opponent and the hoop. You can use the “reverse pivot,” to move in front of your opponent if your back is to the basket when the shot goes up. Spin, or pivot on one foot when the shot goes into the air. For example, plant your right foot on the floor, turn on that foot and bring your left leg across your body so you are facing the basket. This allows you to get into rebounding position while keeping your opponent behind you. Make contact with your opponent so you can move with him or her. Stay balanced by keeping your legs wide apart and your knees slightly bent.

Focus on the trajectory of the ball and try to pay attention to the angles. With your man behind you, it’s easier to move toward the ball quickly. When the ball comes down, go up strong. That means keeping your legs wide so you can stay balanced as you jump into the air. Go up with both hands and as soon as your fingertips touch the ball, lock onto it. Come down with the ball in the same motion you went up. Protect the ball immediately so opponents can’t slap it away and quickly look to pass the ball or go up for a shot.

WANT SOME EVIDENCE?
Former Boston Celtics star Bill Russell is considered one of the greatest defensive players of all time. Russell didn’t score much and he was only 6-feet-9, but he is considered the primary reason the Celtics won 11 championships in 12 years. Russell was so dominating as a defensive player and rebounder that he didn’t need to score a great deal of points for the Celtics to dominate as a team.

THE PROPER SET-UP
To keep yourself balanced and ready to move, stay on the balls, or front, of your feet. Do not stand flat-footed or get caught on the heels of your feet. You cannot move quick enough to stop anyone if you are not on the balls of your feet. Keep your feet as wide apart as your shoulders and bend your knees slightly with your trunk, or backside low. If your feet are too close together, you will not be able to move quickly in either direction.

USE YOUR HANDS AND FEET
Once you are in position, defense is generally played with your hands and feet. When the offensive player is dribbling, keep one hand low on the ball and the other hand high to guard against a shot or pass. When the offensive player has stopped his or her dribble, you should lift both hands up. The same is true when the offensive player you are guarding doesn’t have the ball (two hands up to deny the pass).

Focus on the waist of the offensive player in front of you, particularly if that player has the ball. Why? The waist doesn’t move. The eyes, head, shoulders and arms all can move before the player decides to pick a direction. But, the waist must remain in place until the player moves. If you watch the other body parts, it’s easy to get faked out of position. The offensive player can fake all he or she wants, but that player isn’t going anywhere unless the whole body moves. So keep your eyes on the mid-section.

Move with the offensive player by sliding side to side without crossing your legs. Your feet should remain the width of your shoulders and your weight should be on the balls of your feet. Do not allow your feet to touch each other while sliding.

Be aware of everything that’s going on around you. If the player you are guarding doesn’t have the ball, then drop back a couple steps and keep one eye on the rest of the action.

Always stay between your player and the basket. Also, study the player you are guarding. Does he or she like to dribble in one direction all the time? What hand does the offensive player favor? Young players almost always prefer to dribble with one hand over the over. Try to force that player to go in the opposite direction, or to use the weaker hand.

You can be a great shooter, dribbler, passer or rebounder, but it takes more than individual skills to achieve success — it takes a group effort. On offense, your team will need a well-coordinated effort to score enough points to win.

All successful teams practice offensive plays which give a team organization on the court. Practicing planned movement on offense will prepare you and your teammates for the reactions to your plays from your opponents. Once you have learned your moves, as well as the probable reactions of your defenders, your team will be in great position to get open shots and score points.

Your team will develop their coordination at practice as you run through set plays over and over until you run them perfectly. When you and your teammates have mastered a few offensive plays, your team will become much more difficult to defend.

Plays such as the “pick and roll” and the “back door” are common sets that your coach may teach to your team. In addition, you will most likely work on the “fast break” as a method of putting points on the board.
The fast break puts tremendous pressure on the defensive team, and is the best way to get an easy shot at the basket.

FAST BREAK
The key is to move the ball quickly up the court after your team gets a defensive rebound following a missed shot or free throw by your opponents. To be successful on the “break,” your team must win the numbers game first — you need a greater number of offensive players than defensive players as the play moves up the court. After an initial quick outlet pass after the rebound, the ball should be passed or dribbled to the center of the court while offensive players run the lanes on either side of the court. The ballhandler (preferably the point guard) dribbling up the middle of the court should stop near the foul line and either pass to one of the players running the side lanes, or shoot it if there is no defender covering.

SETTING A PICK
One of the most successful plays a team can run is the “pick and roll.” The key to this play is the “pick,” otherwise known as a screen. When a successful “pick” is set, the offensive player who sets it effectively screens a defender from another offensive player.

This allows the offensive teammate to get free and run to an open spot on the floor so they can receive a pass and take an uncontested shot, or if they have the ball, get by a defender for an open shot at the basket. To set a pick, you need to anticipate where a defensive player will move to before he or she actually makes their move. Once in position, plant your feet wide apart, keeping your hands and elbows close to your body — and just stand still. If you move, and/or put your hands out to help block the defensive player, you will be called for an offensive foul. Once you are able to set a good pick, your teammates will have a much easier time scoring.