When it comes to training for basketball, it is vital that you structure your workouts properly.  Throughout each workout, there should be elements of all of the major skill components (shooting, passing, dribbling) as well as speed and agility work, and finally, conditioning.  These skill components are all essential aspects of the game of basketball and therefore need to be worked on daily in order to improve upon them.  You may be thinking that this is impossible; “How am I supposed to work on all of these components in one basketball workout?”  The answer is relatively simple, try combining some of your drills to make them more efficient. 

In the past I have spoken on numerous occasions about my speed and agility workouts and how they include basketball skill work.  Primarily, this is done in order to make the drill more functional to the game of basketball.  However, it is also done to make the drills more efficient.  More can be accomplished in less time when skill work is merged together with speed and agility work.  The same holds true with other elements of the game of basketball.  Why not combine ball handling drills and shooting drills?  Why not use one drill that makes the player pass, dribble, and shoot?  In short, there is no reason, “why not,” and this is why this type of training is one of the fundamental aspects of all the Elite Basketball Training workouts.  In doing so, my players are forced to work on basketball skills in a way that is, at the very least, the game’s equivalent when it comes to functionalilty.  At the same time, these drills are highly efficient and allow the player to work on the most important aspects of the game in the least amount of time. 

The video below shows a player going through some of the various stages of a combination drill that I call, “The Dribble Attack, L-Cut Series.”  In the drill, the player is working on various dribble moves that are allowing him create space for himself off the dribble in order to attack and finish from the top of the key.  He then runs an L-cut out to the wing and works on attacking out of the triple threat with the use of a jab series.  During the jab series, he is shooting a jumper or attacking the basketball while using different jab steps in order to create space for himself.  At the same time, he is working on his jumper and finishing around the basket with different finishing moves, including a straight finish, finish off a jump stop, and a finish off a jump stop with a head fake and step through.  This video only shows him working from the right side but it is important that the player complete this drill from both sides of the court.  When using this drill, the player is usually asked to make 10 shots from the wing, before they move on to the next dribble move and attack move. This really forces them to concentrate on makes rather than total shots taken.