Basketball is one of the simplest sports in the world with the objective being put the ball into the hoop more times than the other team. However, the process in which an individual or team does this is much more complicated than it seems at first glance. Some of the most important skills that are part of the game of basketball include shooting, dribbling, defense, rebounding, and passing. Outside of these basketball-specific skills the need for good athleticism, jumping ability, speed, and stamina are all important skills in the game too. For example, without the ability to jump, one cannot be good at rebounding or defense just like a player who is not the quickest will most likely not be as good at defense as someone who is faster. Every skill in basketball can be developed and the techniques involved in this outnumber the main skills of basketball by the hundreds. Drills and techniques are used at all levels of the game to teach the game correctly and to manufacture better players.
The five main skills in the game of basketball are as follows in no particular order:
The best players in the world have mastered each of these skills or at least many of them to reach the highest levels of the sport that most aspire to play at.
Dribbling is the process by which a player has to move the basketball around the court. A player cannot walk around the court with the ball or else this will be deemed a traveling violation.
Shooting is the only skill that directly involves scoring points. Whether a player shoots a layup or a three pointer it is all encompassed in the idea of shooting or scoring the basketball.
Defense is the skill that involves the most effort and athleticism as the goal is to prevent the other team from getting good shooting and scoring chances. Without good defense, a team will never win basketball games making it a very essential skill for all to learn.
Rebounding is the process of controlling missed shots on both the offensive and defensive ends. Controlling the most missed shots leads to more shooting opportunities and generally allows a team to score more points.
Passing is the other option to move the ball around the court outside of dribbling. A team that has good passers can create many good scoring chances helping their team to win more games and score more points.
Shooting is one of the five basic skills in basketball and is the direct skill that involves scoring points, the main objective in the game. Shooting a basketball may involve the most specific technique of any of the five basic skills and also may require the most practice to become great and master this skill. The further from the hoop, the more skill involved in the process of shooting which is why only the best shooters have long range ability. Usually, the best shooters from longer ranges like outside of the three point line have come from the guard position however in recent times shooting has become a skill that even the big men and forwards are mastering which has changed the game entirely. If the player another player is guarding can shoot they become much harder to guard making shooting a very valuable skill to possess on the court.
Every player learns to shoot a basketball with the same basic steps even though every player's jump shot looks different. The steps of the process are the same in all cases although each player must practice and learn to "find" their jumper and the process that makes them become the best shooter they can be. The basic steps are as follows:
This is the simple process of shooting the basketball which must be practiced and honed in on individually to become the best shooter a player can be.
