Basketball players rely on size, strength and athleticism to become great players. Those are wonderful physical assets to have, but a player won't start to improve if he doesn't concentrate on the skills to make him better. Players need to work on dribbling, shooting, rebounding and playing defense in order to play the game at a high level.
Dribbling Drills
All players have to dribble the ball well if they are going to be effective on the court. While the point guard does the bulk of the ballhandling, the two forwards and the center are much more effective players if they can handle the ball. Start off at the near baseline and start walking towards midcourt. Dribble the ball in your dominant hand and as soon as you hear it hit the ground -- your eyes should be focused forward and not down -- dribble the other ball as well. If you have to go slow, that's fine, but walk while dribbling until you get to midcourt. At that point, break into a slow trot while continuing to dribble. When you get to the endline, dribble while walking back to midcourt and then dribble while trotting to the opposite end line. Do this drill twice a day, before and after practice to improve your dribbling.
Shooting Drills
Shooting is an important skill for any basketball player. While you may struggle in that are and that may make you hesitant to take a shot, do the following shooting drill to improve in that area. Take a rack of five balls and start out at the right baseline and take five shots in succession. Move to the right elbow and take five more shots. Do the same from the top of the key (the semi-circle from behind the free-throw line), the left elbow and the left baseline. Record how well you did and do the same drill every day for two weeks. Track your progress as you proceed on a daily basis.
2 vs. 1 Defensive Drill
This helps defensive players move their feet and learn how to cover two players at once. The point guard will come dribbling over halfcourt and he will be teamed with a forward. The point guard and the forward will attempt to score on you. They must complete three passes before shooting the ball. You have to steal the ball, deflect the pass, block a shot or get a rebound. If you can get three stops out of 10 attempts, you win the drill.
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