In regard to hoops, one game changer is understanding the art of passing the ball. Anyone can make a shot. A guy who can make great passes has court vision and is selfless.
Agreed. But there's passing and there's playmaking. Passing is seeing the floor and being able to anticipate or quickly recognize the right pass so you can deliver the ball on time and on time target. Playmaking is manipulating the defense to create openings for other players. There was point in my playing career when I went from "get me the ball" to "get me the ball and I'll get you an open shot."
So that being said: If you want to score a lot of points on easy shots.....
LEARN HOW TO CUT AND MOVE WITHOUT THE BALL. That is another gamechanger. Nothing is more frustrating than getting the ball on the high post and everyone is standing at the arc.
No, nothing is more frustrating than making good cuts off the ball and getting ignored, which is the norm in a lot of pickup games.
I felt this way for a long time. I grew up partly before the three point shot was adopted by the NBA (1979) so I didn't even watch games with it as a kid, it was not in high school or college ball when I was in school (adopted in 1986 by the NCAA and 1987 by HS), and even for many years later there was often no three point line on outdoor courts. So it just wasn't part of my experience of the game.
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However, I've grown to like it, both as a player and fan. It's a part of the game that rewards skill, not just size or athleticism. And the math is undeniable. You just can't compete shooting twos against a team that can hit threes. This is even more pronounced in pickup games where you play with ones and twos instead of twos and threes. Here's Dan D'Antoni's (brother of Mike, coach of Marshall University) after being questioned during a post game press conference about taking a lot of threes:
The other thing I like about the three is how it spaces the court. If you have to guard players at the three point line, you can't be packed in the paint. That opens up driving lanes and allows for a lot more creativity on offense, so dribble penetration is still a hugely important skill. That's where playmaking comes in. You can run around and pass the ball all you want, but if you can't break down the defense, you aren't going to get good shots. That's one reason college ball is so much slower and more boring that the NBA -- a shorter three point line and much worse shooters (and lower skilled players in general), allow defenses to pack in and muck the game up.
The NBA used to have complicated illegal defense rules to force defenses to spread out and allow the offense some space. Now they just have a defensive three second rule, which they could just as well get rid of. The spacing happens organically because defenses have to guard the three point line. This has also put a much bigger premium on versatile team defenders who can switch and defend in space. Immobile unskilled bigs are a thing of the past, and pretty much good riddance. A traditional power forward who is a rebounder, post player and post defender, but can't shoot or defend perimeter players, kills your spacing and gets targeted and roasted on defense. I watch a lot of classic games, and love a lot of the historical players (I'm usually the one arguing that they would still be great today and would adapt to today's game), but overall I prefer the current style of play.
"Train today like you are planning to set a personal record tomorrow. Then train the same way tomorrow."
I have seen this said a few different ways, but it is some of the best advice that too few people follow.
That line is from Dan John, although I don't recall the specific context.