A coach's nightmare is seeing his or her team breaking out into an advantage situation in transition only to watch a player try to make a fancy play. This drives us crazy!!! How many easy points have been lost in 2on1 situations because a player tried to make a fancy pass? Too many! Smart, simple basketball will win more games than fancy showboating, every time.
Play Smart Basketball
Great players understand that simple basketball is the key to being exceptional. They know that good spacing, ball movement and player movement will create scoring opportunities. They don't try to make 5 moves to beat their defender, then take it right at the help. They move to good spots, use their teammates and create a small advantage. They then use that small advantage to create a bigger advantage which will lead to a scoring opportunity.
If you want to be a great player, you have to learn not only how to create these small advantages, but also how to recognize when someone else creates one. Then you have to know how to use it to break the defense down and capitalize on their mistakes.
We see great players make plays that look like they are alone on the court because of their awareness of what the defense is doing now and where they will be after the next action. Great players always seem to be in the right spot or to make the right pass. This is because they are doing the simple things well, and all the time. Making a habit of performing smart, simple plays is what separates the average players from the elite players.
Fast breaks are a perfect example of where great players excel. Great players know that the ball should be in the hands of the best finisher and they know that person should be attacking the basket to score. Too many players attack a 2on1 situation looking to pass and this allows the defense to stunt and recover to a position where they can effectively contest the shot. A great player will attack the rim and force the defender to make a decision, then by using the space created, they will either finish their attack or drop the ball off to their open teammate.
Playing against zone coverage is another example of smart and simple execution being better than fancy moves. So many young basketball players think they can drive the ball through a zone with a couple of ballhandling tricks. The great player, on the other hand, recognizes that executing a simple screen with a flare cut will get their team an uncontested look at the basket almost every time.
Coaches, scouts and scoreboards around the world recognize smart play as the overwhelming favourite over fancy play, and they reward it with playing time, scholarships and wins. Sure, the kids on the playground or the fans in the stands may love their freewheeling "superstar", but it is the smart and simple plays that win games and championships. Take the time to work on your footwork, decision making and teamwork. Learning to read the defense and use your teammates will pay dividends in the long run.