Many times in life when we become wrapped up in those “big moments” and get so overwhelmed by thinking of all the possible outcomes, we end up doing nothing. I see this on the court all the time…players freeze when it comes to making decisions on the court. This usually stems from the fact that players assume there are hundreds of options of moves for both them to make and their defender to make. Looking at it from that standpoint is definitely intimidating. The good news I am here to tell you is that the game of basketball is much simpler than you think. Let me set up a scenario…a player has just made a cut into the post or the perimeter area and received the ball. Their defender is chest to chest with them. At this moment, there are ONLY 3 things that player can do:
1. Shoot
2. Attack
– Change speed
– Change direction
3. Pass
These 3 options have not changed since the inception of basketball and they never will. I have a question…have you ever thought about this? I want you to think back to the last basketball game you watched and identify which one of these options happened each time a player had the ball.
The second point I want you to pay attention to is the order of the 3 things. Addressing your options in this order allows you to extend the play, making you a decision maker on the court and gaining the minutes you deserve. For a full 10-week course on developing your decision-making skills, see our Virtual Training System.