Four Keys to Being a Great Post Player:
Getting Open –Proper Post Stance
- There are two types of offensive post players: Stationary Post Players & Mobile Post Players
- There are a few different ways that you can get open in the post – you always want to try and get open in your scoring area. A few ways you can get open in your scoring area are as follows:
- Seal In – Proper Post Up – seal the defense into the lane
- Seal Out – Seal defender out of the lane for a “hi/lo” post feed
- Set Up for the Lob – Against a fronting defender
- Cutting – Cutting into an area to receive ball
- Rim Runs – Post Player runs the middle of the floor in transition offense
- Offensive Rebounding – Treat very shot like a pass and “go get the rebound”
- Focus on a Proper Post Stance when trying to get open:
- Post up in an athletic stance – with bent knees and bent elbows
- Wide Base, Low Hips & High Hands
- “Lower and Wider is Better” – The player that wins, is the player that is lower and wider
- Wide enough base that you have great balance, but are still quick
- “Sit Into Your Game”
- Great Balance – Keep head back and in between knees – Keep a still head (baseball hitter)
- DEMAND the ball with your voice and also with your position
- Make contact with defender and move them back a step – “Own your spot on the floor”
Two ways to create and make contact with your defender:
- Step over the top of defender
- Pin & Spin Technique
- Push hands out, so you can see the backs of your hands
- Take up as much space as you can in the post –take up space with your base and your wide hand placement
Staying Open
- Keep your feet between your defender and the ball
- Stay light on your feet –Boxer Mentality
- Fight with your feet all the time
- Constantly show your #’s to the ball – Don’t turn your body and become “skinny”
- If the ball can’t see your numbers, you are not open
- Make and MAINTAIN contact through the entire seal – LOSE THE CONTACT/LOSE THE SEAL
- Keep your hands high – limits offensive foul calls and also allows to be ready to receive ball
- “Talk to the ball” – Where do you want the ball fed from????
- Great post players are always thinking one pass ahead – set up defender to seal to the ball
- One defender should not keep you from receiving the ball
- Always try to get both paint and angles when sealing in the post
Four reasons to release your seal of the defender:
- Go catch a pass
- Up against a 3 seconds in the lane call
- If you get out of your scoring area
- On any dribble penetration
Receive the Ball Safely
- Catch the Ball with your eyes, feet and hands
- Ball security is number one thing when ball is passed into the post – Catch the ball!!!!
- Catch, Chin & Look Middle – Play Slow in the Post
- Exception to this is if you have a direct angle to rim on post catch
- Block & Tuck Concept on every catch – Block the ball and quickly tuck the ball under your chin
- Catch the ball with a “piece of the paint”
- Catch with two feet in the post – Jump stop as you catch the ball
- Allows you the ability to use either foot as your pivot foot
Scoring Simply
- A great post player is efficient with BOTH HANDS around the rim
- Try to score with limited amounts of dribbles – no dribble moves are the best “Sweet”
- Get the ball up on all shots – contact on the shot, shortens your shot
- Three Point Plays are the ultimate goal – Absorb the contact and score the ball – TOUGHNESS
- “Scoring Simply” means getting all of your work done before the ball arrives – just like a great shooter
- “Less is More” in the post
- Too many post moves = too little production in the post
- You should have one “go to” move and one “counter” move in the post
- Great post players have one signature move in the post
- Finish closer to the rim, than where you caught the ball
Shot Fakes in the Post:
- 2 Inch vertical shot fake – no elongated shot fakes – short quick fakes
- “Take it up, Keep it up” – Don’t bring ball back down after shot fake – CHIN