What type of shot does he shoot? Can he be hurried? Does he have to be set when he shoots? Can he shoot while moving both ways? How was he guarded when he shot? Can he shoot over a zone? Can he drive against a man-on-man? Almost all of this information can be recorded on the shot chart that I include in the scouting kit.

Now I want to know about the individual size and speed of each opponent.

Can we floor five men who compare favorably with them in size and speed? How is their speed and size affected when they substitute? Will the use of the substitutes weaken their team? Do they appear to be in good physical condition, or do they begin slowing down late in the game?

If we cannot stay with them in a man-for-man situation, then what type of zone would be best to use? Should we use a set zone defense, or should we vary it? Why?

Our opponent’s style of offense is the next thing in which we are interested. Do they fast break? If so, how do they get the fast break started? Is it organized, or do they “race horse”? Do they pass to the middle, side, or use the long pass? Do they have any “half court Charley’s”? Do they use single-pivot, double-pivot, or flash pivot? Do they run a continuity pattern or freelance? Chart out-of-bounds plays. Chart jump ball situations to see where the tip goes. Do they foul a lot; especially, do key men foul a lot. Are there any poor free-throw shooters? Are there any out standing free-throw shooters?

These are the key things that I, as a coach, want answered by my scouts. I then ask him to match our team with theirs man-on-man, and explain the reasons for the matchups. After the matchups are made, our team members are assigned an opponent, and we make every attempt to impress upon them the individual characteristics of the opponent they will be guarding.

I will set up situations in practice using the individual patterns of the opponent and stress to the boys the things they are to look for.

There will be occasions when your team will probably get to see a future opponent play. This happens quite often in tournaments and can be very good or very bad, depending on the circumstances. If your future opponent looks very bad on that particular night, then your team might get overconfident and tend to take them lightly. If your future opponent has an outstanding night and looks unbeatable then your team might react that way too. During tournament play I often will let our players “scout” our next opponent with us. I will give every boy an idea of which member of the opposition he is likely to defense and have him keep notes of the boys individual maneuvers. This has worked very well for us on most occasions.

On several occasions the scouting done by the boys has paid rich dividends. Last year, in a Holiday Tournament, we observed one of our future opponents on three different occasions. Although we never met in the tournament, we did meet during the regular season, and the scouting information we gathered enabled us to defeat our tough opponent rather easily.

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The Warriors showed America they have something to prove, and they did it in front of a crowd that included numerous celebrities, including Snoop Dog, Jessica Alba, and Woody Harrelson. The fans also showed America that they would be behind their team all the way with shirts that read “We Believe”. The Warriors showed America that money and fame does not win games, but the passion and dedication for the game, and the teamwork, will prevail over all the money and fame. They also showed that a team should not focus on one key player.

Honestly, I am surprised that the Warriors made it this far. I did not expect them to make the playoffs, much less expect them to actually beat Dallas. I can honestly see why many had Dallas over Golden State. How many people ever heard of Baron Davis before the playoffs began? You could ask me how he was playing, and my only reaction would be to ask who the guy is. Not many people outside of the Oakland area actually get to see the Warriors play. Guess why? Many of the big name channels, like ESPN, have almost never aired Golden State games, because they would almost never pick a team with low rep over big names like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.

After an upset of this size, many people are jumping on to the Warrior-wagon, myself included. Almost everybody I know is picking the Warriors to beat the Jazz, and after seeing the way the Jazz played against the Rockets, I have to agree with them. In fact, I believe that the Warriors have that series won in 6 games. I would not be surprised if the next time I looked on ESPN, their analysts all have Golden State over Utah. If, in fact, Golden State does beat Utah, they would be one step closer to winning their first championship since 1975. But there is a problem. If they win, they would also have to beat the winner of the Suns/Spurs series, and that would cause some problems for the Warriors. That series may be when the clock strikes midnight for this Cinderella story. But, you never know, because their determination may pull through and they may pull off yet another big upset for the world to see.

But, lets not jump to conclusions just yet. It is still early and the theories should wait until the games are actually being played. Until then, let us all watch, wait, and hope the Warriors pull through again, because here in America, we always love an underdog.

The NBA is all about star power, and these elite teams almost have the market cornered when it comes to prime-time players. Of course Kobe Bryant alone is worth the price of Laker tickets, and that goes double when they are playing Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal and the Heat. Miami Heat tickets have always been red hot, and now they are even hotter after the team won the NBA championship in 2006. San Antonio Spurs tickets give you the chance to see the big man Tim Duncan in action, and although you won’t be treated to a Michael Jordan appearance anymore with Bull tickets, Chicago ’s team has one of the most exciting lineups in the NBA with the likes of Luol Deng, Ben Wallace, Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich. And Celtics tickets will get you into see Paul Pierce while Knicks tickets allow you to enjoy the talents of Stephon Marbury.

The number of NBA titles won by these elite teams is staggering – the Lakers alone have won 14 world championships. So if you are looking for the best of the NBA, make sure your basketball tickets include games with the Knicks, Celtics, Spurs, Bulls, Heat or Lakers. And if you can get NBA tickets for a game matching two of these teams, then you are really in for a memorable experience.

Now that he is coach of the Rockets, that strategy came with him. The Rockets are second in the NBA in points allowed and first in field goal shooting defense. When they play a team like San Antonio, you can anticipate a slow-paced game with rugged defense and no easy shots.

But an angle within this angle that is even more important is how the team is doing LATELY. That’s more important than season averages. Memphis, for instance, became a wide-open, running offense in midseason when a new coach took over. The Clippers are suddenly struggling to score points and that’s tied into the fact that starting point guard Shaun Livingston is out for the year (knee injury) and Sam Cassell isn’t playing much with some nagging injuries.

Let’s examine a game I gave out this week when Philadelphia played at Atlanta. If you look at the overall stats of the season, you see a pair of lousy offensive teams. The 76ers average 95 ppg, sixth-worst in the NBA, while the Hawks are dead last at 93 ppg. Based on that, you might expect a low scoring game and a low total by oddsmakers.

However, take a look at how those teams have played lately: Atlanta is on an 8-3 run over the total, while Philadelphia has scored 99 or more in 4 of the last 5 games. Their offenses are gaining more cohesion and confidence. Atlanta has scored 100, 106, 99 and 104 points the last four games. The 76ers struggled offensively after trading star Allen Iverson, which was to be expected. But that was several months ago, meaning that the other players on the team have had to learn to pick up the slack, distribute the ball, and look for the new go-to guy(s).

So what happened? The total was set low by oddsmakers at 185. Yet, Atlanta shot over 49% and finished with 104 points. The teams combined for 196 points, more than 10 points higher than the total for an easy over. Myself and my clients cashed easily.

Just as revealing in the box score was the balanced scoring. You never thought about balanced scoring when Iverson was on the 76ers, yet they had 5 guys in double digits that game.

Other factors with respect to totals are: Are any teams playing with no rest? Is this a team’s third game in four nights? Players that are not rested means the first thing to go are their legs. Tired teams are less likely to have the energy to play good defense. Also, examine balanced scoring and potential mismatches, like a good backcourt going against a team that has poor defensive guards.

You can see you I cashed my 10-star Game of the Day on the 76ers/Hawks over the total. And you can too, by understanding totals and by looking at how teams are playing the last few weeks, more so than the entire season.

Michael Jordan was cut from his team as a young player. From that day on he committed himself to be the best he could possibly be. The incomparable drive in Jordan is legendary. His ability to score, dunk, play defense, and win are unmatched. Of all of the traits he possesses, his competitive spirit may be his best attribute. Nothing gets in the way between Jordan and success.

When Michael Jordan hit his peak in the late 1980’s, it was obvious to the world that he would lead his Chicago Bulls to Celtic-like success. The result was an incredible 6 NBA titles under Coach Phil Jackson. Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bill Cartwright, John Paxson, and Dennis Rodman represented an unbeatable combination of skill, tenacity, and competitiveness. Jordan, the prince of late game heroics, was the magnet that made everything flow in the same direction.

Air Jordan Nike-brand shoes have been sold by the millions. The shoe reflects his game. Smooth, sleek, powerful, and explosive. Some will remember that Michael became a good shooter only after years of developing his stroke due to his drive for perfection. In the end it was his ability to put the ball on the floor that made him unstoppable. His drives were strong, quick, and acrobatic. His ability to get to the basket forced the Detroit Pistons to establish an elaborate set of “Jordan Rules” in an attempt to slow him down. Nothing slowed Michael Jordan down.

The Michael Jordan phenomenon created basketball phrases new to the game. Players everywhere worked on their ability to “put it on the floor” or “get to the rim”. How many times have you heard “And 1″ as a shot is taken off the dribble drive? Scoring off the dribble slowly became the preferred mode of scoring points in the NBA. As with many popular trends, “the bounce” became the skill that dominated individual practice activity. Players from the NBA down to grade school worked to perfect their ball skills and driving ability.

With the advent of Michael’s slashing to the rim, players all over the world perfected this skill through practice. Was all of this activity good for the game? Not only did it focus on dribbling and driving, it was a blow to the jump shot. Since the glory days of Michael Jordan the art of shooting has steadily declined. Shooting percentages have been on the decline for years now. Pitiful free throw percentages are seen in the NBA, College, and high school levels. Kids are growing up without the ability to consistently shoot the ball. Certainly it is not fair to blame Jordan for this, but with fame comes responsibility. His fame was so enormous that if he had started to make half court hook shots, kids in every gym in America would have worked tirelessly to do the same.

The problem with the dribble drive is that every second spent on it takes seconds away from shooting jump shots. If repetition produces mastery, lack of repetition equals mediocrity. Shooters are not born they are made. They are made from hours of sweat, hard work, and thousands of shots. Gyms no longer are filled with jump shooting gym rats. Where did all the gym rats go?

Walk into most gyms these days and you will see kids lined up at the three point line. They hang around this line not to shoot, but to drive to the rim to attempt the dunk. Most kids have no chance to dunk, let alone touch the rim. Yet visions of SportsCenter dunks are still fresh in their mind. They spend hours trying to dunk it just one time. What a waste of time most coaches would tell you. Why? Games are not won on the drive and dunk. They are won with toughness, fundamentals, and shooting. Yes, I said shooting.

Our kids must fall in love once again with the jump shot. No matter how great the slam dunk is, it will never put three points on the scoreboard like the popular three point shot. Both the drive and the jump shot have their place in the great game of basketball. They can survive together in balance. Lets open the door and invite the passion for shooting back in the gym.

I was speaking with my older son during the holiday about practice planning for his 5th grade boys team. One issue we discussed was how to build confidence and train the young players to not dribble all the time with the strong hand. Also, many young players look way too much at the ball while they dribble. This is especially true when the player comes under pressure. This will most likely be accompanied by turning the back on their teammates while trying to keep from losing the ball.

While I don’t have the space here, nor the capability for diagrams and pics that can illustrate all this, here are some of the drills I teach. I will attempt to give as much text detail as I can to give you a good ‘visual’.

To preface these drills, if you at any time have a player finding it difficult to dribble with the off hand, or to keep from looking at the ball while dribbling, take them back to the very basics where you teach them “how” to dribble. This is where they can learn to dribble without looking at the ball and where you have instilled confidence and control with use of the weak hand. They must have a place that’s comfortable to fall back to, when this happens, in order to then be able to work forward for success.

#1) Start with walking while dribbling the ball at hip height. Because of the distance the ball is off the floor, the ball is out of the dribbler’s hand for this time/distance. It could cause their confidence to ebb, causing a need to look at the ball. Have them walk and dribble slowly, using the hand/elbow action they learned early on. (If they have too much trouble, take them down on one knee and continue to practice and build confidence there.)

As the player increases forward motion, the ball will have to be pushed out ahead of the dribble-side foot, even with, but slightly outside, the hip. Practice going around dribbling, first with one hand, then the other. Each time they change sides with the dribble, the ball should be dribbled slightly forward of the front foot and pushed slightly toward the other hand while the other hand comes toward the ball to continue the dribble.

By now, players should be able to jog easily, dribbling at hip height, pushing the ball slightly ahead of the ball side foot. There will be ball errors, but emphasize the coaching points up to this point. Don’t let them slap at the ball. Have them drive the ball with the fingers and the arm movement you’ve practiced. They should be able to dribble with either hand and minimize looking at the ball.

#2) Now, set up 4-6 chairs in a straight line. Explain to the players that when they approach a chair, to pretend it’s a defensive player and they must dribble by it using the hand away from the chair. Teaching Point: Always dribble with the hand away from the defensive player, keeping the dribbler’s body between the ball and the defender.

Have the players walk the dribble out to the first chair, passing to one side using the rule above. Have them touch the top of the chair with the near hand as they go by. This will make the player aware that the ball is being dribbled with the hand away from the chair. As they pass the chair, the ball is switched over (still on the dribble) to the other hand, so when they pass the next chair, they will do so on the other side, again touching the chair with the near hand.

#3) From the straight line of chairs, go to a ziz-zag set up. The angles approaching the chairs are sharper now and the players will actually be changing directions with each chair. Walk through first, then jog, then run. Touch each chair in the beginning to check the hand being used for the dribble. As they go around a chair, have them immediately change dribble hands for the next chair.

#4) Have the players line up on the end line. On the whistle, have them move slowly up the floor, on the dribble. On the next whistle, stop and assume a protective stance while continuing the dribble. On the next whistle, switch dribble hands and start again up the floor. At each stop, the player goes into the protective stance. On each start, the player will have switched dribble hands and go back to an up-right open court stance. This alternating action simulates having no pressure on the open court and then meeting the pressure of defense. Watch for balance, foot placement, body angle, correct dribbling hand for the direction heading, the angle of the back, and dribble height.

#5) Eyes Up Drill. This is designed to have the player protect-dribble all over the backcourt area, halfway between the mid-court line and the three point line. The coach, or another player, can move around anywhere below the three point line.

Never turning their back on the other player, the dribbler must continually change directions/dribbling hands in order to hold eye contact with the other person. When that other person raises their arm over-head, the dribbler must immediately make a good pass to the person with the hand up. The passer then makes a fake and then a cut to the basket for a return pass and layup.

This drill teaches keeping the eyes up, protecting the dribble, making a pass off the dribble and fake and cut to the basket.

A defensive player could be added to play on the dribbler. I would have them be passive at first, allowing the dribbler to move and pass freely. The more advanced the players, the more game-like this drill can be made. Don’t go live until individual defense has been taught!!

#6) Circle Dribbling. (King/Queen Of The Hill.) In the circle at center court, or if the free throw area has a full circle, have 4-5 players each go in with a ball. (Big kids use only 4 players.) On the whistle, each player begins to dribble, protecting the ball from the others while trying to knock the other balls away. For young players, you can go easy on the rules at first. No one may stop dribbling or dribble outside the circle, or they’re out. All players need to keep their eyes up to see what is happening and must dribble-protect while changing hands and directions and trying to slap the other balls away. Last one in is a winner. This is a fun competition drill at any level.

#7) Bumper Cars. This is an all over, half-court drill, where any and every type of skill and dribble may be used. More advanced players may go between the legs, behind the back and use a spin dribble. (This is the only free-style dribbling I allow at every practice.) Players must go after the other dribblers while avoiding having the ball taken away as they attempt to slap another dribbler’s ball away, if they can. Eyes are up all the time. Dribble never stops. It’s time to practice all the skills, alternating between open-floor and protect dribbles. 10-12 dribblers within the confines of a half-court makes for a good avoidance/skill drill.

In my DVD, Basketball On A Triangle: A Higher Level of Coaching and Playing, and in my book, with the same title, due out in ‘07, I go into much greater detail about how to teach all the things mentioned above. http://www.basketballonatriangle.com/

Yours in Sport & Spirit,
Coach Ronn

Basketball is one of the most famous games of today. It has a significant audience of fans and players. Especially it is popular in the United States of America. In the following article I am going to discuss the most outstanding and prominent players of basketball.

In recreation centers all across America, young aspiring basketball players are trying desperately to “be like Mike.” Mike, of course, is the great Michael Jordan of the NBA’s (National Basketball Association’s) Chicago Bulls. Every boy who plays basketball dreams of achieving the greatness of Jordan. Considered the greatest player who ever stepped onto a basketball court, Michael Jordan is the measuring stick for all basketball players, and at this time no one has come close to equaling his greatness. From his incredible hangtime exploits on his way to the basket, to near perfect shooting in critical games, Jordan has left numerous NBA opponents in shock. Jaws drop and championship dreams are shattered largely as a result of the amazing prime-time efforts of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan. But what makes Jordan so great? Is it his awesome jumping ability or the uncanny accuracy of his patented jump shot?

As I investigate his unbelievable exploits, I am convinced that the success of Mr. Jordan comes, not from his lean, muscular legs or his fantastic shooting skills, but from a passion buried deep inside his heart. Jordan’s greatness comes from an unequaled desire for success, a relentless will that refuses failure, a commitment to excellence that is unparalleled, a belief that a player must do what it takes to win, and a mystique that often has his opponents defeated before the referee tosses up the ball to begin a contest.

Although the NBA is filled with players who can run faster, jump higher, and shoot better than him, no player can equal his success on the court, primarily, because according to Jordan, “heart is probably the biggest key to success in basketball at the NBA level. There are a lot of players who pass through the league with the ability, but they don’t have the heart or the intelligence to get the job done” (I’m Back 39). Despite his uncanny ability, Jordan has always possessed a strong desire for perfection. According to Phil Taylor, “When you’re around Michael a lot, you start to believe that he will always find a way to beat an opponent. If not with his skills then with his desire”. Phoenix Sun forward Charles Barkley, a superstar in his own right, believes Jordan’s desire is almost supernatural, “I knew the moment I looked into his eyes that we were in trouble. Michael was pissed, and when Michael is pissed you can forget it” (interviewed on Above and Beyond video). Jordan’s desire has enabled him to reach a pinnacle that only a select few in the world of sports have attained. He believes that his type of success comes primarily due to desire. “Look at Larry Bird. He’s a prime example.

He was slow. He couldn’t jump that well. He had good hands, good ball handling and shooting skills, and he was smart. But more importantly, he had a big heart” (Jordan, I’m Back 40). Perhaps this is why Jordan can continue to dominate his sport at 33 years of age, even after missing almost two seasons while pursuing a career in baseball.

A lack of desire is probably the reason Jordan decided to retire just two days before the start of training camp prior to the 1993-94 season. Jordan, because of the death of his father and feeling he had nothing else to prove, shocked the sports world when he decided to hang up his “Air Jordans.” However, Jordan did not retire from sports. Instead he sought to accomplish his father’s dream of a career in baseball.

The main story for the Cavaliers in the 2006/07 season, as it has been for the past three and probably will be for the foreseeable future, is LeBron James. LeBron is by far one of the best young players that the league has seen in a very long time, and his performance last season was as impressive as any other players in the NBA.

LeBron James was third in the league last year with 31.4 points per game. His scoring numbers have improved every year since he has been in the league and there is no reason to expect a drop in production anytime soon. One thing that Cavaliers fans would be happy to see is an increase from his 6.6 assists a game. Once thought to be the heir apparent to Oscar Robertson, James still has a lot of work to do in getting his teammates more involved.

Playing aside LeBron in the upcoming season are role players such as Larry Hughes and Zydrunnas Illgauskas. Larry Hughes is coming off a slightly disappointing season in which he was injured for two-thirds of the year. He should benefit greatly from playing an entire season next to one of the best players in the league and return to his 2004 form when he averaged 22.1 points per game. Illgauskas is a great scorer at the center position and is usually the key to how well the team as a whole does. If he is able to set a tone early, the Cavaliers are very tough to beat.

Other role players who are expected to contribute to the team include Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones and Anderson Varejao. Marshall is an inconsistent scorer at the power-forward position who has a long range. Jones is another inconsistent shooter who can light it up from the three-point range. Both players are expected to improve upon mediocre 2005 seasons. Anderson Varejao is a pure energy player who can give the team a boost off of his reckless play. Varejao has to stay healthy, however, and make it past the sixty games played mark for the first time in his career.

Second-year head coach Mike Brown may not get much press, but there is no question that he got the job done last year by leading the Cavaliers to their first playoff berth in a long time and winning a playoff series. More will be expected from him and the team, however, in 2006/07 and Brown needs to make sure that his team is not happy with last years results. This is not a championship team yet, but they are only one or two players away from that status.

The author is a well knowned sports betting editor at Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

Tony Parker missed his chance to play for his country this summer, a broken finger kept him out of the world championships in August, but he wouldn’t miss the chance to play for the home fans in two cities. Now the San Antonio Spurs’ guard is getting a chance to play in his homeland.

The Spurs is one of the four NBA teams that are in France, spending a portion of its preseason overseas as part of the NBA Europe Live tour. The Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns joined the Spurs in Europe to get an earlier start even if this meant they would do it really far from home. The rest of the NBA just opened up training camps at home. The 76ers are in Barcelona, the Clippers in Moscow and the Suns in Treviso, Italy, and Rome.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns will later head to Cologne, Germany, for the most important event of the whole trip, a two-day tournament that also includes CSKA Moscow and Maccabi Tel Aviv, the top two finishers in the Euroleague last year. The last event is heavily pushed by the NBA, they are calling it its “most ambitious international initiative,” because it comes with a number of marketing and promotional activities.

I think we can all conclude that this is a Public Relations trip more than a preseason preparation, since basketball has become such a global game. What brings the more challenge to the players might be the fact that it is something like 13 time zones. They will be jet lagged and they will be going to be playing two pretty tough teams. But at the end the NBA has high hopes that the teams will accomplish what they want to accomplish, and in the process they might want to take advantage of the trip for the players to get a little culture as well.