Five Tool Player – Kobe Bryant

Five tools of a great basketball player:

1. Shoot - Off the dribble, the post, three point range.
2. Pass – Correct pass at the right time, give it to a teammate in a position where they can make a play.
3. Dribble – Handle the basketball, go left, go right, create the shot.
4. Defend – Guard multiple positions.
5. Intangibles – Know the time, read the situations, rise to the occasion, make the right play to win the game.

Sam Cassell Teaches Mid-Range Shooting

Sam Cassell is smallish guard who could shoot any time from around the paint when he was on the top of his game. He explains in this video what mid-range is, how to create space.

1. Sam points out that space is created the same way against small defenders and big guys. It is even easier against the big guys because they can’t move that quickly.
2. The easiest way to create space is when defender is backing up. No defender can jump to block the shot while backing up.
3. Posting up as a point guard. Sam explains how to establish a solid base, turn around and shoot.
4. Terrell Brandon and Jeff Hornacek are good examples of guards who had excellent mid-range game.
5. Sam also talks about when to start the move at the end of the game. He likes waiting until there’s 5 seconds on the clock, then basically does the same move which he explained several times.

Luol Deng Teaches Spin Move

Luol Deng teaches how to spin around the defender correctly, what to pay attention to, and how to finish. He starts by saying: “basketball is a game of reaction.” Have your defender react to your first move to beat him with your counter-move.

1. Have your defender lean to one side.
2. As soon as he leans, spin to the other side.
3. Put the ball away from the defender to protect it.
4. Then, look up towards the basket. See help defenders coming. See you teammates. See if you have a shot for yourself
5. It is not good enough to beat one guy and be happy with it. You have to learn to react to what’s happening next (basketball is still a team game!).
6. Speed is important, but what’s even more important is being smart about it. You have to have your defender lean to one side, then you change speed to beat him.

Behind the Back with Tobin Anderson

Tobin Anderson, from Five Star Basketball Instruction, teaches behind-the-back change of direction move.

1. Step in the direction of the dribble first. Protect the ball with the foot pointing in that direction.
2. Stay low, lower than defender. Too many players go low, then immediately high. You MUST stay low until you’ve beaten your defender.
3. First move, opposite the direction of where we really want to go, should be slow enough for defender to buy it. We want to give the defender time to react.
4. After behind-the-back move, EXPLODE by your defender and brush shoulders to prevent him from recovering. Don’t go wide around him, but go north-south and beat him to the spot.

Crossover Move with Tobin Anderson

Tobin starts this demonstration by stating that change of speed is more important than change of direction and adds that crossover is the best change of direction move.

1. Step in the direction of the dribble.
2. Rip the ball underneath the knees to protect it from deflection – a hard rip across.
3. Go by by brushing the shoulder against the defender.