An “interview” with my coach, a couple of questions I asked that he answered
Recently, I asked my coach a couple of questions I was having some trouble with in basketball class. He’s been playing basketball since he was 6 years old and played all the way from middle school, high school, college and professional in Europe.
M: Here’s the scenario, I have a lane where there’s one defender and I’m open at the 3 point line. Should I drive in for a shot, or should I take the 3 pointer?
C: If you can step in and take a 15-footer, that’d be the best. You’d have to be pretty good to be able to drive into traffic and make the shot. If you can make the 3 pointer, go for it.
Please note that I am paraphrasing, because I don’t have eidetic memory =P. One of my friends also mentioned that if you have a clear lane, it’s better to drive every time. My coach has also mentioned the problem with a lot of players in my class was that they kept getting themselves in sticky situations when they didn’t need to.
M: How do you know when to set a screen?
C: Find someone that you like to work with. Not everyone in a pickup game knows what they’re doing.
I think what he meant by this is that you should find someone who can use your screen effectively, as well as effectively screen for you.
He also mentioned that you should use defenders to drive as well as shoot.
M: Is there a set “number” of how often I should pass, shoot, drive, or just go with how I feel?
I asked this question because one time the coach inferred that I was shooting it every time I got the ball, so I figured I wasn’t passing enough. So then I started to feel like I was passing too much.
C: You should go with how you feel.
I think the key though is still to balance out how often you pass, shoot, or drive. It should be dependant on what your defender saw you last do. If he’s giving you respect for a 3 you made last time around, and is up in your face, you should drive on them.
M: How can I get better as an overall player?
C: Go to the park and shoot as much as you can. Watch good players play. Practice good ball handling.
He also mentioned that a lot of NBA players are great individual players, but bad “basketball players”. I think what he means by this is that they are bad team players.