self control

One of the most important aspects of the basketball game is ball control. You want to be able to utilize the clock effectively, having the most of the shot-clock time available for your team on offence, but forcing the other team to have a minimum time to carry out their plan, when you are on defense.

That means that basketball needs to be played on the whole court all the time. If a team falls back on defense and waits for the other team to come leisurely down the court, call a play, and then run it, that is not basketball; that is half court game. You allow them to pit their strength against your defense.

No! Pressure them full court. Make them take all ten seconds to get the ball past half court. Then, they have two enemies, you and the shot clock. That puts the pressure on them, where it belongs. They are forced into something unplanned, not being able to run what they have practiced half court with full shot clock.

The key to ball control is self control. Each player must be in control of his thoughts, attitudes, and actions for the entire game. If you let a referee's call or a player's actions make you lose your temper, you have lost self control and you will lose ball control, because your concentration is divided.

This works both ways. Try to get into the opponent's head and make him mad. If he loses self control, he will foul you, lose concentration, and make mistakes.

This is part of the mental aspect of basketball. It is the meta game within the game. Determine to control the other team's thoughts and to cause their players to lose self control. And determine not to let the opponent cause you to lose your self control.

If you lose self control, you are, by definition, a loser.