Agility, or the ability to change directions without losing speed, is as vital to the game of basketball.  It is a skill just like ball handling or shooting and therefore it can and should be improved upon.  Throughout the course of a basketball game, basketball players are constantly changing directions both offensively and defensively.  Consequently, agility training should be a necessity for all basketball players during their workouts. 

There are many different agility drills that can be used to increase a players basketball specific agility.  These drills  include but are not limited to the pro agility drill, T-Drill, and three cone drill.  When performing any of these agility drills, it is important to include the different movement patterns that basketball players use such as sprinting, sliding, and backpedaling.  When doing so, think about the ways a player moves in a game and incorporate those patterns into the drill.  In other words, have them sprint, then slide, then backpedal all within the same drill.  This will increase their basketball agility in a way that is more specific to the actual basketball game.  

The basketball agility drill in the video below is called the box drill.  During the drill, you will hear me encouraging them to plant their foot hard in order to change direction quickly and keep their speed.  You will also see the players performing the basketball agility drill with the basketball.  This aspect of basketball agility training is highly important, but often forgotten.  Basketball players need to be able to change direction without the ball becuase it happens so often during the game, but so does changing directions with a basketball.  Consequently, they need to practice changing directions with the ball too.  By doing so, they will become a more explosive and dynamic offensive player.