WOW

[mkacala45]

Ok hope i dont get kicked out for this or anything but....
I'm not an offical! lol

well im a player for our highschool team and played jv this year and varsity next year

i found this forum searching for ones on basketball and i check in now and again because i lear a ton about rules i didnt know existed

NOW... MY QUESTION!!!! since refs see alot of games each year i was wondering what skill you see most lacking in big men, centers and pf's? i play center and want to know what is the #1 thing a center should work on to dominate or be better?

THANX

[Tim Roden]

Free throw shooting. If you are a dominate person like Shaq and can't make a free throw, then what is the use. They will hack you until you lose control. You make free throws and they will respect you going for the basket. As an official, I make more rebounds when the big men are at the line then the little guys. The only rebounds officials get to make are the first of two shots.

[Mark Padgett]

Here's my two shekels worth.

On offense, I think big men should work on jump shooting. Power moves to the hoop become ten times more effective when mixed with fakes and then short jumpers.

On defense, work on going around your man to disrupt an entry pass without making contact. This seems to be a lost art.

Oh yeah - and when you disagree with a call, keep your yap shut.

[Oz Referee]

Here's my FEEBLE suggestions for big guys (and gals)

- Don't try to block every shot: sometimes you WILL get scored on, and too many big guys pick up cheap fouls

- learn a hook shot: you don't see them as much as you used to, but it is still the hardest shot to defend

- practice passing out from the post: if you become a player that commands a double team, and can effectively pass from the post, then you are a real threat

- free throws!

[ReadyToRef]

Foot work

Free throws

The principle of verticality

How to influence a shot (like Oz said before, you don't have to block every shot. A good big man can influence a lot of shots without blocking and without picking up cheap fouls)

Blocking out

A variety of short shots around the basket.

Did I say free throws?

Oh yeah, and when the referee calls a foul, it's a foul. Nothing you say will make him/her change the call.

[A Pennsylvania Coach]

A D1 coach was explaning what they teach their posts at a clinic I attended. His posts learn only two post moves; one they get really proficient with, that they use 80% of the time, and another to counter the first one, that they use 20% of the time. It's not necessarily the same two moves for each, just whatever works best for each player. He doesn't like to use a lot of time to work on six or seven different moves. He thinks it's far better to just be really good at two moves.

[Brian Watson]

Originally posted by ReadyToRef

Nothing you say will make him/her change the call.

Had a player give his coach and I a good Davism a few weeks ago.

Player argues call, Coach tells him that there is no use, I am not going to change it. Player responds " Well they did the Giants game last night".

Damn sportcenter.

And if you saw the highlight, it should have been changed, I just cannot believe it actually happended.

[Hoosier]

I don't know how big you are, but if you can learn to use your body, your height won't really matter offensively. Learn to use your tail to establish position and not your arms and then learn to go left and right. If you can get that down, the defender will never be in the right position because you can just go the other way or seal him to the other side. Another lesson you will probably learn or have already learned is that not all officials understand that a big guy can get a rebound from behind a little guy. If you have one of those officials who think that every time you get a rebound from behind is "over the back" you'll just have to adjust your game. That is really one thing that differentiates good players from great ones, they can adjust their game to whatever is going on.

[Hawks Coach]

I always focus on what you do before you catch the ball - that's really where post moves start. Learn how to set yourself up on a player. You can get away with just a couple of moves when you have the ball if you learn good footwork to setup for the entry pass. Of course, you must also be asware of using your moves to set up the catch in areas where you are most dangerous. And good off-the-ball footwork is also essential when defending the post.

I always tell my players that you must work hardest when you don't have the ball. For a post player, that is generally more than 95% of the time you are on the floor (50% is defense, and guards dominate the possession time on offense). If you can master your time off the ball, you can be successful. You will recognize when you are working too hard with the ball by these kind of symptoms: forced shots, turnovers, and offensive fouls - all decidely negative results of too little work off the ball, to much effort to get something going with the ball.

As for on the ball, having a good 8-12 foot jumper, a mastery of left and right hooks and lay-ups, and 70-80% (minimum - more is better!) free throw shooting are essential to getting the most from your touches (and will make the little guys want to feed you the ball - more touches!).

Work hard when you don't have it, make 'em pay when you get it!

[fletch_irwin_m]

As a former coach here is what we taught:

1) FOOT WORK. Your body follows your feet. They also provide a solid base so that you can't get pushed off the block so easily. A well placed foot can create enough space to get off a shot.

2) Echo the "Two Move" philosophy. IF you are down low, you need a shot you can get off and make consistently. Once the "D" catches on, switch to move #2 a few times. After that the "D" will be confused.

3) On defense, NEVER LEAVE YOUR FEET. When you leave your feet, bad things happen. If you are coming over to help and the offensive players is shooting over someone else, that is the only time to leave your feet to block a shot.

4) To get around on defense, it is like a dance Step Back, Step to the Side, Step in Front.

Hope that helps.

OH yeah a hook and FREE THROWS help

[mkacala45]

i have good freethrows, about 70% and i shot 56% from the field this year, averaged 5 boards and 2 blocks

gotta work on footwork the most i think

[ranjo]

One more thing I haven't seen mentioned yet. If you don't have to dribble to get to the basket,then don't. I see lots of big guys turn the ball over trying to dribble in the low post area when with they can be at the basket with only a pivot move.

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett
Here's my two shekels worth.

Oy!

Why can't we keep him to two cents???