Finishing the Play

Finishing the Play

                                      I have been in many situations where I had to think and decide which way I can go to beat my defender to either score a basket, or dish it off to a player for a wide open layup. The goal is not to score, but to have your best opportunity to finish the play. There are many ways on how to get by defenders. Not all defenders have the same style though. Some are big, and some are small. Some are fast, and some are slow. It quickly becomes a chess match as you begin to make the move. You start out bringing the ball down the court.

                                      Being a point guard takes exceptional IQ and respectable vision. You want to be able to see things that others can’t. While you are bringing the ball down the court there will be a lot of distractions you are going to have to get out of your head. For example you have the crowd in the stands screaming and shouting, the coach yelling and telling you to call out a play, and also the aggravating defender guarding you as you take it down the court, trying to anticipate your every move. Don’t forget about your subconscious. Your subconscious is the biggest battle in the game. 

                                      It will want you to think. Don’t think. React. You want to be able to react and have your instincts come into play. Only then you will succeed of getting past your defender. Once you get past bringing up the ball and setting up the play, it is time to make your move. Remember, the goal is not to score, but to get past your defender to be able to finish the play.  There are different situations that a different kind of defender can come your way. But for now I will explain how to get by the defender that has been guarding you as you brought the ball up.  Now it is safe to see that the defender guarding you has close to the same abilities as you do for their team—which makes since because he/she is guarding you.

                                      For me, the defender is quick, and has really good instincts. The defender has really good hands so it will be a challenge. After the ball is swung around a couple of times it ends up coming back to you. You get the ball, face up to the basket, and get in a triple threat position. You are about 15 ft. from the goal, well within range. The defender is guarding you forcing you to go to the baseline so there can be help from the other defenders on the court. He knows you are a fast, explosive player, and that extra help will probably be needed. You begin to make your move. While being in the triple threat position, you begin to fake right with the movable foot, and then speedily attack middle, pushing all of your force off of your pivot (left foot) foot. You then have surpass the idea of going past your defender, catching him off guard as his assumed you were going baseline. The next move is up to you. If you have a wide open lane, shoot it. If not, dish it off to the wide open defender. Since your defender got beat, it makes sense to be one less defender in the play, thus making a player open to have an opportunity to score.

                                      The next possession you have another opportunity to finish the play. You set up the play, but this time you call the big man to set a pick. This is called a pick and roll. The pick and roll can cause many situations that makes the defender think. It becomes a mind game in the defender’s heads. Your job is to make the best play possible based on what the defender does. If both defenders decide to double team you, you must try to get the ball out of your hands and pass it to the best option possible. This must be done quickly though. If the defender that came with the big man decides to hedge, simply back away and go at that defender. Hedging means to block the “pathway” that the offensive player is trying to go through. So the big man comes and sets a pick on the defender guarding you. You are about 20 feet away from the basket. You are in a triple threat position and you begin to use the screen. The big man decides to hedge very hard, making it harder for you to back away from the big man. You eventually back away far enough to see the pathway that is now open.

You begin to attack but as you do the defender that’s been usually guarding you comes back and takes his position, stumbling from the effective pick that was made by the offensive big man you called. You were not able to finish the play.  You begin to call for another big man to see if there will be a different result. Pick and Rolls are something you will have to be patient on. It will not work every time, as you see. You are in a different area of the court as the new big man comes to set the pick. You are determined to finish the play this time. The big man comes and sets a flat screen. A flat screen is normally placed when you are aligned at the middle of court at your basket. It makes it very difficult for the defender to defend because there isn’t really an angle for the big man to hedge.

                                      You attack from the left side of the big man setting the flat screen, skinning off of his shoulders so the defender guarding you won’t be able to get through. It now becomes you against the big defender. You still have your dribble so you will have to make a simultaneous move based off coming off of the screen. You do. The ball is in your left hand and you hesitate left, making the defender think you’re going right. When this happens, the pathway of scoring is open as can be. You effortlessly shoot a layup and the crowd goes crazy, awed by the move you made.

                                      You did it. You finished the play. It wasn’t an easy task but you got the job done. Hopefully you will be able to finish the play without my guidance. You have learned just a few of the many ways to go by your defender, and finish the play. You have learned how to go by a defender with the similar-like qualities you possess, and how to go off some of the many pick and rolls.

Being a point guard takes a high IQ and good vision.           

Being a point guard takes exceptional IQ and respectable vision.