Receiving a Pass & Reading the Defense
-Instead of catching the ball, pausing, and trying to figure out what to do, reading the floor early allows you to make your decision in mid-air or right as the ball hits your hands.
-There are too many factors to go into reading the defense right here. But the basics to look for are where is your defender positioned in relation to you and the basket? How fast are they moving? What does it seem like they are going to try and take away, your shot, or your drive?
Split Catch
-Once you have read the defense and decide driving is the best option. Using a split catch will help you get to that drive faster.
-As the pass travels through the air, you lift or slightly hop off the floor.
-You catch the basketball at the exact moment both feet touch the floor simultaneously in a staggered position.
-Your feet should land slightly wider than shoulder-width apart to keep your hips low and center of gravity anchored.
-If you intend to attack toward the right, your right foot should be the forward-facing lead foot to instantly load your weight.
-This is a horrible position to shoot from, but it is great position to start a drive from.
Call for the Ball
-When a player is wide open, they should let their teammate with the ball aware. The teammate might see someone who is wide open.
-Most teams have a specific call the player makes to alert their teammate.
-I use "fire" which is something I learned from Oakland Coach Greg Kampe at a coaching clinic. He said that he uses "fire" because when someone yells that word people look.
-Do not overuse the "fire" call or your teammates will stop trusting that you are open.
