One of my favorite track from The Big Ten mixtape 50 put out last December. The whole tape was great actually. I like 50′s video

skits that go around the songs; he did the same for Put Your Hands Up a few months ago.

I discuss the different conditioning aspects needed for basketball — there are no shortcuts to having every aspect of the game’s movement covered.

When I was a teen (and even sometimes as an adult) I would spend a lot of time contemplating the results of some hypothetical action that I might take. And my great human brain, ever the loyal servant, responded to my most pressing fears: delivering, front and center to my conscious mind, every possibility of something going wrong. 

We all know the mind of man does exactly what it’s told to do: demand positive, confidence-building output, you get it. Focus on your fears, the things you dread, what might lead to failure, delay action out of timidity, and you mind brings that energy to you, ASAP.

The latter type of thinking is a serious waste of time and energy, the only two things humans really own. A smart business man once stated that mediocre action is better than perfect, mistake-free planning.

Action has an energy in itself that will allow you to fix things as you go. Planning and thinking leads to stagnation, loss of energy, and those self-defeating thoughts creeping to the front of your mind’s line.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we should rush into action blindly with no idea of our goals. It means that once you know what you want, make moves. Take action. Start. Action and thought are not mutually exclusive.

Energy is in movement. Go.

Ever since I introduced the one-hand-under dribble to my game, I know i can pull it off at least once per game and catch a defender not knowing what’s going on — an opportunity for me. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJdbq54i4-Y

The move causes a freeze of the defense, and you move into the breach, so to speak, and attack — you can pull up, as I do in this play, or drive as your defender is flat-footed for a split second figuring what just happened. You have to be ready and able to react, taking advantage.

Gathering additional information always comes at a cost. We’re better off setting our criteria for making a decision in advance (as in, “I’ll make the call once I know X, Y, and Z”). Once you have that information, make the choice and move on. 

…

If you’re wrestling with a difficult decision, consult a friend or colleague who’s been in your situation before. Their insight will likely be significantly more valuable than almost any research.

…

Ask yourself if this decision is really that meaningful. If it’s not, stop obsessing over it, and just make a call!

To compete at high levels in this game, you will need more than just the on-court work. The higher you go and the better the competition you face, the bigger, stringer and more athletic the players will be. Your job is make sure you can still compete physically.

Basketball is a total-body sport; there is not an area of your body or movement that can be neglected. Strength (upper & lower body, core), endurance, stamina, agility, speed, quickness, flexibility… the list goes on.

And I understand that not everyone can find or have access to a performance coach or trainer — for years I never worked with one myself. And that where Dre Baldwin comes in: Get the Ultimate Athlete Hoop Handbook, and watch the PLaylists I have on YouTube, with all the athletic workouts you need.

I’m here for you.

At 30 years old, in my physical prime, and having no trouble throwing it down, I don’t need Jump Manual right now. But if it’s as good as advertised, my experience will make it crystal clear to all of you. This is especially true since conventional wisdom believes that becoming more athletic is for twenty somethings only. This week I am starting the Jump Manual, from the beginning. You all have seen me jump and dunk enough, but I will put myself and Jump Manual to the ultimate test. 

I have three goals from Jump Manual, and am setting a 30-day deadline starting May 14.

I don’t have a vertical jump inches goal for this program, and frankly my vertical jump measurement has never been important to me. What weight does the number hold when what really matters (and what you can measure) are effect and results?

Example: I’m sure there is some 5′-6″ or 5′-7″ guy out there with a vertical a few inches higher than mine (I’m 6’4″). In a basketball game though, who’s getting more rebounds? Who affects more opponents’ shots on defense? Who is the bigger threat to actually dunk in the game? Me, me, and me.

Here are my goals:

1. Increase the explosiveness of my first step (not measurable, but I can feel the difference if/when there is one).
2. Be able to do a running one-foot jump windmill a là LeBron James like this (very measurable, and recordable):

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqXkL_Oekt0

3. I can 360, but not “WOW” – 360. I want to be able to do a clean, inches-to-spare two-footed 360• dunk (also very measurable, and recordable):

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mJXH-YyY8s

That’s it. I will update with video(s) as I progress. In the meantime, you can get Jump Manual here or at the link at the top of the page.

The Scissor Crossover is a great move to use if you can pull it off — I still lose the ball occasionally using it in workouts. Getting your feet set wide when doing the rapid crosses is key to getting your defender to respect it, as the wide base makes you a threat to not only blow by, but to blow by left or right (given that you can drive left or right). See the examples here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0it6ZRnsDD0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SctBreMGjs

Combining the scissor with the ‘regular’ crossover is a test of your handle & quickness, and a combo that can clear a path to the hoop for you, when used in the right circumstances. The key is to be quick and non-hesitant with it — don not give the defense time to think, and it will be over before they know it.

I don’t agree with the order — they chose Russell Westbrook as #1 because he’s the biggest (or 2nd biggest) “name” guy on the list –

but all ten are great moves. Nate Robinson’s cross move made me cringe for his defender’s groin area. Rodney Stuckey’s double

cross-pullup on Kobe might have been the best, actually. Chris Paul and Deron Williams each had great moves that could’ve been #1

It should be noted that none of these moves were planned out by the guys that did them — these are all in-the-moment reaction moves. How do you learn to react in the moment this way? You guessed it: Practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjI7hLmgLm8

]]> http://DreAllDay.com/2012/05/16/nbas-top-10-crossovers-of-the-year/feed/ 0 http://DreAllDay.com/2012/05/16/scoring-options-catching-the-ball-on-the-block/ http://DreAllDay.com/2012/05/16/scoring-options-catching-the-ball-on-the-block/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:43 +0000 DreAllDay http://DreAllDay.com/?p=20819 Scoring Moves #2 | Scoring Moves #3

If you’re a player that can cut and move off the ball, this is a great seres to learn and add your own twists to. You should be able to score quickly and efficiently off of a received pass and finish around the basket area; your size may be a factor but you have the skills to adjust when necessary. 

Protect the ball and finish through contact, using your body to shield defenders and swiping hands. Make the plays count.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnkp9KQcN4c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVHB_5fVeDo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLIg8GMHXY

• Someone you thought would help you, won’t
• Someone else will have seemingly more resources available to them then you have
• You’ll be passed over for an opportunity that you feel is perfect for you (and vice-versa)
• People you thought would take the journey with you drop out of the game
• You’ll feel as if you’re all alone in your journey to become the best player you can be
• It will seem as if all signs point to you walking away from your basketball goals to do something more “realistic“

When these situations happen, many players become ex-players — they give up on their basketball aspirations (though they may not stop playing completely), and that’s all she wrote.

Reaching the point I described above (I’ve been there many times, in many situations) is a crossroads for you. What are you gonna do?

If you’re a self-generated person, none of the above will weaken your resolve — if anything, they strengthen it. Being self-genrated means your most important resource is you — what you’ve done, what you feel about yourself, and what you can do about every situation that comes your way. With this mindset, you’ll find that instead of leaning on certain resources and/or people, they will be leaning on you. And you’ve got to be a strong individual for that.

Throwing a couple down for fun. I’m setting some dunking goals that will be announced soon, so stay tuned this week for a blog/ video update.

I really started using hook and baby hook shot techniques in the last 2-3 years, but should have been using them sooner. Many players (and observers) incorrectly attribute hooks shots to post players or “big men” and a lot of us don’t want to be classified in that category. 

But a made basket is a made basket. And if there was a way for you to increase your chances for a made basket, would you wanna know about it? Would you use it? Exactly.

The hook shot takes advantage of (for me) long arms and jumping ability, which you’ll see in a lot of basketball players. It’s useful to players that don’t have those qualities also — it is a quicker shot to get off, and harder to block since it comes from one side of the body instead of requiring much use of both hands like standard shooting does.

In this move, a first step and quick spin may get you a sliver of space but the baseline works against you — it’s an extra defender and you don;t want to get behind the backboard on your shot attempt. Enter the hook: raise up, extend your shooting arm, and release the shot over the top of your head and defender. Practice will help your accuracy.

But you already know that.

One day I was sharing that issue with the same teammate and he summed it up very simply:

“You just gotta throw them shits out there.”

Young players (and older players) ask me a lot about how to pull off a move — when to use it, how to set it up, and complain about their nervousness to even try it at all. As with everything else in this game and life, no magic words from me or anyone else is gonna magically change your mindset. Nike branded the statement a long time ago, and it applies universally: Just Do It.

Will it fail? Possibly. Will the ball get stolen? Maybe. Will the defender even be faked out? She might not be.

Do any of the above possibilities scare you? If so you chose the wrong game to play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzuXgPuyN4g

The snatchback crossover is a move I first encountered watching Allen Iverson during his early NBA career. Being so quick, and with the crossover move that he made famous, defenders played off of him… until he made some jumpers. Then they had to come up on him. To ease the punishment his body took on drives to the hoop, AI just needed a move to get defenders off of him with his dribble.

Enter the snatchback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-sKvurox24

Get the defender moving his feet to stay with you as you drive… and then you snatch the ball back away from the direction of your supposed drive, snatching the soul of your defender in the process. At that moment, the world is yours — shoot, drive the other way, you can even double cross your defender by going by him for real this time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkMkRwwISz4

Make it work for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3XNKLEwF7w

I told one of my friends that I was picking the Lakers in 6 games over OKC in their second round series starting tonight. He told me I was “going against the grain!” and I guess he’s right: OKC is a great team. But I have to see them beat Kobe first before I can believe.

One of my favorite writers — John Hollinger of ESPN Insider — had a great write-up of his prediction:

The Lakers have the rings and the rep. Coming into their second-round series against Oklahoma City, I’m not sure they have much more.

…

Hero ball is likely to be a constant discussion point, so let’s focus on that. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant tied for the league lead with 54 field goal attempts in the last two minutes of one-possession games, according to NBA.com’s advanced stats tool, and a lot of these shots were pure garbage. The later it got, the worse the shots — tied or trailing by three or fewer in the final 30 seconds, the two combined to shoot 10-for-36 with one assist.

• Shot Fake

• Jab Step

• Jumpstop

• Floater

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mxDtmQiNjg

Put it all together and you get the finished product. Now imagine what else you can come up with when you make combinations of all the skills you can master in this game. I’ll help you out.

Every player can benefit form an ability to score in the post, no matter your size. You can use the same skills — crossovers, jab steps, jumpers — in the post that you use on the perimeter, adjusted for the space and situation you have.

This move utilizes your ability to shoot — draw in or ‘raise up’ a defender with a ball fake, then use your quickness in finishing at the rim. Make necessary adjustments to fit your style and the game situation. Those adjustments are part of being a good player. If you can’t make them, your game needs improving.