TOP 5 PROFESSIONAL SKILLS NEEDED TO BE THE BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER

Basketball for youth may seem like a simple sport at first look, with all the players trying to put the ball into the hoop more times than their opponents. They also appear to make some incredible feats on the court without putting in much effort.

Make no mistake. The game involves more than just scoring a higher number of goals than the opposing team.

Players must possess a number of skills and techniques — both offensive and defensive — to score baskets. Building these abilities is no mean feat as they need plenty of training and practice for years to hone them to the finest levels.

If you wish to play like the elite basketball players of the world, improve your scoring prowess, and shutdown defense, apply focus and discipline in learning them early on.

Below are the top five you need. These core competencies will help you become a well-rounded player and take your game to the next level.

Top 5 Skills You Need To Be The Best Basketball Player

Dribbling, passing, shooting, defending, and rebounding are the most important abilities every youth basketball player needs to master.

Professional basketball players train and work hard for years to strengthen these moves—from joining a basketball league for five year olds to enrolling in basketball programs for youth, until they qualify for the big leagues.

And it’s all worth it.  These five skills ensure they consistently perform at the highest level. Their mastery enables them to execute exemplary plays on the court.

1. Dribbling

Dribbling is a basic rule in this ballgame. Players are not allowed to go back and forth on the court with the ball in their hands. That would constitute a violation called “traveling.” Thus, they must dribble the ball as soon as their feet land on the third step of walking or running.

Sounds easy? Not quite. The fact is, dribbling is a nuanced art that involves strong ball-handling skills.

First, a player needs to learn the proper placement of their fingers over the basketball to gain maximum control of it. This helps them execute excellent plays while navigating between and through defenders of the other team without passing the ball.

Next, they must get the hang of swapping the ball between their dominant and submissive hands. This requires practicing to dribble well with both hands — even the weaker one — to ensure they are significantly harder to tackle and beat.

And finally, they should master difficult tricks like behind-the-back, crossover, and spin dribble. These moves make sure the opposing defenders never know where they are heading with the ball. Once opponents are distracted, players can easily cut past with their expert dribbling skills and keep the ball out of the other team’s reach.

Famous dribblers like Pistol Pete Maravich, Allen Iverson, and other all-time NBA greats boast world-class dribbling skills that make them huge assets to their basketball teams.

Your child can start honing their dribbling competency by moving the ball constantly while they remain in one position. Standing still while dribbling helps them develop hand-eye coordination, which is another essential motor skill for basketball players.

With constant practice, your little one will learn to dribble the ball while making their way back and forth on the court. Over time, they will advance to dribbling with both hands and doing crossovers and other tricks.

2. Passing

As a team sport, basketball requires players to frequently pass the ball between teammates. Therefore, passing is a prerequisite to playing this game. It’s one of the most essential abilities players need not only to become valuable team members but also excel in the sport.

This foundational skill enables players to move the ball around the court when they’re not dribbling so their team doesn't lose control of it to the opposing team. Strong passers help their team earn more opportunities for scoring goals, and eventually win in basketball leagues.

Passing is a difficult move and takes time to master. Players should be able to see lanes and spot open team members quickly, and then pass the ball to them so they can shoot and score points. This involves rapid hand-eye coordination and excellent eyesight.

Moreover, while there are only two basic types of passes (air and bounce), basketball players use many variations, including:

• overhead

• chest

• wrap around

• behind-the-back

• pick-and-roll

• dribble

• baseball

Getting a grip on all of these types will diversify a player’s attacking arsenal.

Want to improve your passing prowess? You need only a ball and a wall to train! Master the basic air pass (sending the ball to a teammate without it touching the floor) and bounce pass (bouncing the ball on the floor to the direction of a teammate).

When you’re already adept at these basic passes, elevate your play by mixing up your pass types. Also, learn how to thread a pass over long distances. It comes in handy not only while playing basketball but also outside of the sport. This ability helps you judge distance effectively and build your physical literacy.

3. Shooting

Shooting the ball is where the glamor of playing basketball lies as it is the only skill that actually involves scoring points. At the end of the day, the goal of the sport is to get the most balls in the basket. Thus, a team that lacks strong shooters will lose even if its players are experts at the other key competencies.

The best shooters are those who can make not only short-range and mid-range shots but also long-range ones. So, the farther away from the net hoop, the more skills and talent a shooter needs to make a shot.

While training at a basketball camp, children are encouraged to take part in different shooting drills. They practice a range of easy, medium, and advanced basketball shots like:

• jump shot

• lay-up

• hook

• bank shot

• free throws

• fade away

• alley oop

These drills facilitate their improvement at shooting and progress to making layups and other impressive shots with ease.

Even if kids don’t make three-pointers, practicing shots will build their confidence and help them grow as players. Mastering the fundamentals is the cornerstone of a solid foundation of shooting abilities they can rely on during intense games.

4. Defending

Offensive players may appear showy, but defense is an equally important element in basketball. It requires a high level of athleticism and effort as its goal is to prevent the opposing team from scoring points. Basketball teams can never win games without excellent defense so all players must learn this crucial skill.

Great defenders like Hakeem Olajuwon and the late Bill Russell are known for their ability to quickly adapt to situations, block shots, move laterally, and anticipate passes to steal the ball from opponents.

Young basketball enthusiasts can become experts on those moves by following these tips:

• Develop nimble hands to steal the ball, block opponents, and prevent them from reaching the hoop without making a foul. 

• Learn to intimidate and obstruct opponents around the rim who are about to make a shot.

• Stay alert to every player’s position on the court to determine where the defense is needed.

• Master turning the tables quickly and setting up fast-break responses.

5. Rebounding

Another fundamental basketball competency, rebounding is used on both the offense and defense ends. It helps regulate shot attempts and assists offensive and defensive players in achieving their goals.

Rebounding allows players to control missed shots on the offense and defense sides as well as acquire and maintain ball possession. This helps their teams earn more scoring opportunities and dominate the board, which in turn increases their chances to win the game.

There are two kinds of rebounding:

Offensive rebounding is meant to demoralize the defense and throw them off balance, thus getting more shooting, scoring, and free throw opportunities..

Defensive rebounding is essential to a stellar defense strategy and limits the offense team’s scoring opportunities to one shot. When players use it in tandem with a quick outlet pass, the result is a powerful offense that could change the direction of the game.

Players with good rebounding skills have a unique mindset or attitude and try to get all the rebounds they can within a game. They are more aggressive on the boards, which leads them to carve out a successful career mainly on that skill.

To develop and perfect your rebounding abilities, you should do practice drills like the tip drill: Players queue up in a line, catch rebounds mid-air, toss back the ball against the backboard before they land, and return to the end of the line to repeat the drill.

Regular and consistent practice of such drills train you to meet the ball high up in the air and turn rebounds into another shot when playing offense. It also helps to start young so that you’ll be more than ready if you decide to try out for professional basketball leagues in the future.

Other Key Skills Basketball Players Must Have

While the five competencies listed above are the most important, there are three others that can make or break the game:

1. Jumping

This offensive technique is useful while shooting to score a point or catching a pass from team members.

Defensive players can leverage this ability, too, to level up their performance. For example, they may need to jump to foil a pass from their opponents or thwart a shot. Rebounders also need to out-jump their opponents to catch a rebound.

It might sound like an easy thing to do, but jumping in basketball is actually difficult to learn. In basketball camp, training involves increasing stamina and strength to boost power and jump height.

Young players must also develop their leg strength with exercises like calf presses and squats. Such moves build the explosive power they need to out-jump their opponents.

And like in any youth sports, practice sessions train kids to use the skill at the right time to maximize their performance on the court.

2. Footwork

Basketball requires players to make quick horizontal movements, which calls for great footwork. The way they move their feet impacts the way they move on the court, handle the ball, dribble, pass, shoot, score, and defend.

Mastery of this basic skill converts a player’s lower extremities from just doing simple running and jumping to performing complex and daring stunts.

Proper footwork also helps players stay quick and agile with a better position and balance whether on offense or at defense. It assists them in moving towards any direction quickly, defending their man properly, cutting off their opponents, and making more space for their shots.

That is why footwork is one of the vital basketball skills that players need to hone to improve their performance in the long run. In fact, a private basketball coach usually starts with footwork techniques when teaching at a basketball camp or clinic.

Young players also run wind sprints with side shuffles during drills. This helps them become more agile in moving side to side to keep their opponents in front while defending.

3. Teamwork

One of the most underestimated basketball skills, teamwork is crucial as basketball is a team sport. To win in the game, team members need to work with each other and amplify each other’s strengths while masking each other’s weaknesses.

Youth sports camps and clinics train kids to build their teamwork skills by encouraging them to take part in drills with partners and in teams. Developing this ability helps kids in the future, too, by making them better team players in their families, organizations, and the society at large.

How To Develop Your Basketball Skills

Practice, practice, practice.

That is the basic discipline in any sport. Repetition not only sharpens your learned abilities but also prepares you to progress to higher levels.

Likewise, leading a healthy lifestyle is essential in building your stamina and maintaining your hard-earned competencies.

Here are additional ways to fine-tune your basketball skills:

1. Work on Ball Control

Focusing on dribbling helps you become a better player faster. To perfect your dribbling and shooting skills, practice using this method: Get into an athletic stance and keep your body static. Then, move the ball around your body and dribble aggressively while keeping it close to your shot pocket.

Remember to use both hands and put more power behind each dribble to control the ball better.

You must also learn the three fundamental ball-handling tricks: crossover, behind the back, and between the legs. Establishing a strong skill base with these three moves allows you to create combination dribbles that are valuable during matches.

2. Identify and Eliminate Weaknesses

To level up as a player, you must pay attention to your weak spots. Focus on your flaws more during practice so you can be comfortable doing all kinds of moves on the court in games. Then you will be well on your way to becoming a well-rounded and prized player.

3. Train at Game Speed

If you have good form during daily drills but find it difficult to maintain it during high-octane games when there is high pressure, it could be because you’re not practicing at game speed.

When you practice solo, imagine defenders marking you so you can carry on a game-time pace. Move at performance level so you can showcase your skills at their finest come game time.

4. Maintain a Proper Hand Position on the Ball

Hand alignment is crucial if you want to become a strong shooter. It impacts ball control, which is key to the sport. Here’s how you can develop proper hand positioning:

• Place the index finger of your dominant hand on your basketball’s air valve.

• Shoot with your hand positioned this way to help you get accustomed to the center of the ball.

• Grip the ball with your finger pads and leave a little space between it and your palm.

• Stand a little away from the basket, find the air valve, and take 10 shots.

• Now find the center of the ball with your hand without searching for the air valve and take 10 more shots.

  • • • • 

5. Prioritize Physical Fitness

You can take your basketball skills to the next level only if you have a high degree of endurance to sprint back and forth on the court during games. Even if you’ve mastered all the basic competencies, you cannot use them effectively if you’re unable to keep up with your team and opponents after a few minutes of play.

Improve your staying power by going on light runs daily, lifting weights to increase muscle mass, and performing wind sprint drills regularly. These exercises will amp up your performance on the court.

6. Follow a Healthy Diet

Nutrient-filled food ensures your ability to exact more energy and effort from your body while playing. Conversely, junk food won’t help you perform at your best or use your skills more powerfully.

Conclusion

Just like other youth sports, basketball takes time, effort, training, and commitment. To master the essential skills, you should enroll your child in basketball leagues for youth where your child can get well-rounded training in every aspect and competency.

At Royal Basketball School, we offer top-notch basketball programs for youth that focus on building fundamental skills. Our students range from ages 4 to 14.

Enrolling in our classes will establish a strong foundation for your child to develop into a stronger, better player worthy of the top basketball leagues.