I recently read an email that I received about a clinic that Micah Lancaster did with Kobe Bryant at the Michael Jordan Legacy court.  The email was meant to advertise an upcoming Micah Lancaster clinic in my area, but it was the description of Kobe Bryant’s attention to detail that astounded me.  Obviously we know that he is arguably the best current player on the planet, and now I understand why. 

The email talks about a Kobe Bryant teaching the players the importance of having offensive combinations or a variety of moves along counter moves and counter moves to the counter moves.  For example, a shot fake, one dribble pullup jumper to the right, then a fake and step in the same direction only to pull back  and make the move to the other direction.  The point, to have as many moves and combinations as you need so that it is natural in the game.  How does Kobe do it?  Preparation, focus, and a drive like no other athlete.  Do you know that Kobe Bryant does not move on to the next combination move/shot until he has made 150 shots…IN A ROW?! 

That is absolutely insane to think that someone could make that many shots in a row (of one combination) let alone in an entire workout.  This takes extreme focus and drive to be able to be in the gym that long to complete this task, but that is the type of preparation that makes Kobe the best current player on the panet. 

Ask yourself, do you have that type of focus?  Are you willing to prepare to be great?  Being successful is not about the talent that you are given, but rather what you do with the talent that you have been given.  What are you doing with yours?

Train hard and I’ll see you on the court.

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

In the video below, you will see several sequences of one of the agility ladder drills that we did this weekend.  In the drill, the player is working on his quick feet agility as well as attacking moves, and finishing off the dribble. 

Have a look and let me know what you think, and don’t forget to add some of your own variations in the comments section so that we can all learn.  Thanks.

See you on the court!

Rich Stoner

Another activity that she has managed to pick up at quite a young age (most likely from me as well) is talking. She started talking before she was one and she seems to keep adding to her vocabulary on a daily basis. She even knows some Italian! Seriously, she is one of the few people that I know that can go on an hour and a half car ride and literally talk to the whole way. As a result, we usually know what she wants and when she wants it. This can be quite helpful as a parent, but what does it have to do with basketball?

Having been a basketball coach at the high school level for over a decade, the most common deficiency that I have picked up on has been a lack of communication. This lack of communication takes place on various levels including player to coach and player to player, and can really be a detriment to the team as a whole.

Communication is important on so many levels in basketball. Primarily, it keeps your teammates informed. Communication keeps them informed of where you are on the court, where the ball is on the court, where you might be cutting or moving to, and consequently, it will allow them to move into better positions based on that knowledge. For example, while playing defense in transition, my players are taught to call out two words immediately while starting to sprint back down court. The defensive player that is ahead of everyone should call out “basket,” meaning that he will be sprinting right to the lane in order to cover the basket. Another player should call out, “ball” in order to let everyone know that he will be stopping the ball in transition. Based on these two calls, the rest of my players know where they need to fill in as they reach the defensive end of the court. In this situation and all other situations, communicating keeps the players informed. Consequently, because the players are informed, they can react better to the situation and produce a more desirable result.

Keeping on the defensive end of the court, talking can also serve to intimidate and oponent. My players are always taught to close out and call, “ball” as part of a a way to let their teammates know where the ball is on the court so that they can move to the proper help defensive spots, but also as a form of distraction and intimidation. Communicating to distract is actually a technique that is also used by martial artists. Anyone who is a martial artist or has seen some of the old Bruce Lee movies or even The Karate Kid knows what I am talking about.

On the offensive end, communication from player to player will allow your teammates to know exactly where you are going on the court and that you want the basketball. Anytime that I work with a post player, they are taught some key components to playing the post like staying low and calling for the ball verbally and by showing a hand (remember, communicaiton does not always have to be verbal). By calling for the ball, it shows his teammate not only that he WANTS the basketball but also where he wants it thrown. Communicating on the offensive end can also serve to misdirect your opponent. For example, when my players make a cut back door, they usually sell the cut by stepping up the line, showing their hands (as if they want the ball on the perimeter), calling for the ball, and then cut hard back door, once again showing their hand in order to show where they want the ball passed. This form of communication can misdirect the opponent in a couple of ways. First, it can make them believe that you really want the ball on the perimeter thereby making it easier to get the back door cut. Second, throwing your hand out once you have made the backdoor cut can actually help draw a help defensive player away from his own player and leave someone else open for an easy shot.

Finally, I also mentioned communicating with your coach. This is extremely important because the coach needs to know what is going on with you for the team to be successful. It is for this reason that I ask my players at half time or during practice if they have anything to add that they might have picked up while playing. This can be a very important and useful variable since the players are the ones playing on the court and have a different perspective of what is going on. I may not always use what they have to tell me, but I do always listen. I cannot stress enough how important this level of communication is. It will go a long way towards building the players’ confidence, make them feel like they are a vital part of the team, and provide useful information for the coach.

So what can basketball players learn from my often chatty little girl? That communication is important on so many levels, coach to player, player to coach, coach to coach, and player to player. However, it does not matter who is communicating to whom, communicaiton always serves to keep everyone informed, and an informed team will ultimately be a better team.

Train hard, be efficient, and I will see you on the court.

Rich Stoner

One of Coach Eastman’s main concepts that he feels should be included in every skill building workout is weak hand devlopment.  Working on this skill in a variety of ways will allow players to pass, dribble, shoot, and finish with their weak hand.  This can be done in a variety of ways, but one of the more basic ways is seen in the video below.  This video will show you how to incorporate weak hand development into a workout for beginners.  There will be videos to follow really soon on more advanced weak hand development drills, but if any of you know of some other ways to work on your weak hand please let the Elite Basketball Training community know about them by responding in the comments section. 

Train hard, be efficient, and I will see you on the court.

Rich Stoner

Anyway the real point of this post is not to tell you about my lowrider Nissan Pathfinder and its once crappy tires, it is to tell you how you can get in a great workout with very little equipment.  It is frustrating when players tell me that they cannot workout because they have no ride to the gym.  That is an EXCUSE.  You really do not need a gym to get a solid workout.  For example yesterday, my guys did the following:

Sandbag Shouldering (similar to a deadlift) 3 x 6

Dumbell Jump Squats (Can be done with body weight) 3 x 6

Split Squats 3 x 6 with Pullups for max effort

Overhead medball throws 3 x 6 with max effort pushups

Prowler finisher 

Two rounds of planks and side bridges each held for 30 seconds.

ALL AT THE PARK!

Now I know you are probably thinking, “Rich I don’t have all of that equipment.”  This is fine, but much of what I wrote down can be done with bodyweight.  Not to mention,  a sandbag

costs about $20 to make,  You can pick up dumbells on Craig’s List (btw who is Craig?) for next to nothing, and instead of a prowler, throw that sandbag in an old tire and push that around.  All you need is a little imagination and some creativity and you could be getting killer workouts anywhere you want. 

If you have any other rustic, old school training techniques please share them with the Elite Basketball Training community, we would love to hear from you all out there.  In th mean time, train hard, be efficient, and I will see you on the court.

Rich Stoner

Defending in basketball is not always that simple.  Will power and discipline are definitely a great start, but there are proper defensive fundamentals that need to be practiced and drilled in order to become a great defensive player and team.  Not to mention getting yourself in great shape in order to outlast your opponent on the court and defend the entire game, and not only in spots. 

In this blog, I have spoken on multiple occasions how players and coaches should use drills that work on multiple skills at once.  The following drill, (what I call) The Closeout, Slide, and Shoot Drill, is another perfect example of this.  In this drill, the player is once again working on a variety of basketball skills, two of which are defensive oriented.  The drill starts with the player on the baseline with a basketball and the coach at the top of the key.  The player passes the basketball to the coach and then closes out on him with proper form.  Proper form should include sprinting to the closeout.  My players never jog or slide or shuffle to their closeouts.  These methods of moving are too slow and the basketball moves incredibly fast for anyone to be sliding or shuffling to a closeout.  So, we sprint.  This requires two larger steps at first and then breaking down into choppy steps as your approach the offensive player.  The defensive player should be on balance throughout and as they approach the player have their hands and feet active in order to be prepared for any pass, dribble, or shot.  Once the player has closed out on the coach, he or she will defensive slide to the sideline, and then sprint back in for a wing jump shot.  Proper form should be maintained in the defensive slide as well as proper footwork and form on the jump shot.  Make sure the player is breaking down as they step into the shot with their knees bent and hands ready in order to insure a quick release and good arch on their shot.  You can also progress through this drill beyond just a step in jump shot, by using a jab series and then shooting off the dribble or attacking and finishing at the rim.  The possibilities are endless, so be creative, and if you come up with any good variations, as always share them with the Elite Basketball Training community.  Below is a diagram of the drill with more detailed instructions. 

Instructions

• The player is on the baseline with the basketball and the coach is at the top of the key.
• The player passes the basketball to the coach and closes out on him.
• He then defensive slides to the sideline.

• The player will then sprint in to the wing and receive a return pass from the coach for a wing jumper or drive to the basket.

Points of Emphasis:

• Proper closeout technique
• Sprint to closeout
• End with choppy steps, active hands, and active feet
• Proper sliding techniques (hips down, communicate, active hands, etc.)
• Sprint to the jump shot
• Proper footwork, hands ready, hips down, knees bent
• Finish all shots.

Motivation/Teaching Tips:

• Time the drill and compete against the clock
• Set a number of makes before moving on to the next variation of the drill.

Work hard, be efficient, and I will see you on the court!

Rich Stoner

Due to the increased success of the Metuchen Summer Hoop Camp, an autumn version will hit the hardwood for the first time next month. Metuchen High School head coach Rich Stoner saw his summer camp enrollment increase fourfold in just its second year in existence, and figured it was time to open camp for the fall.

“I like to run the summer camp outside,” Stoner said. “Outside in the sun gives the camp an old-school feel that I think is appropriate for the summer months. This fall the camp will move indoors to Sports Zone in Edison.”

At Sports Zone, formerly known as the Basketball Academy, Stoner’s campers will experience a program that places heavy emphasis on the strength and conditioning aspects utilized by elite basketball players.

“We’ll be doing a lot of speed and agility exercises made basketball-specific,” Stoner said. “We’ll use a lot of different methods and tools, such as sandbags, kettle bells, sled drags and a bunch of other stuff that we’ve taken from body training programs and fine-tuned into our own basketball-specific program.”

Stoner’s camp will also stress team-concept basketball, but the top priority is making basketball players into elite athletes.

“Our philosophy is to create the complete basketball player,” Stoner said, “one who can outlast his or her opponent in the fourth quarter, one who can jump higher, run faster, and hit that winning shot and still have something left in the tank.”

The Autumn Hoop Camp is slated to run Sept. 7-Nov. 4 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. at Sports Zone.

“Just like we had in the summer camp, we expect some really high-level athletes at this camp,” Stoner said. “At the summer camp, we had a player that ended up earning a walk-on spot at Villanova [University]. We’ve had kids as young as 14 and as old as 19 in the camps.”

For younger players, Stoner will hold what he is calling a Half-Day Hoop Series. Hoopsters ages 9-14 can enlist for a 9 a.m.-to-noon class held at the Salvation Army in Red Bank.

“The idea is for kids to take advantage of some days off from school to work on developmental skills as well as speed and agility,” Stoner said. “The series will run Sept. 9 and 10 and Nov. 2, 4 and 5.”

“The camps for the younger players are always a lot of fun,” Stoner said. “We’ve had kids from all over, including Bridgewater, come down to Red Bank for the series.”

Interested players can get an up-close look at Stoner’s teaching methods and philosophy later this month when he’ll be teaching a speed and agility class at Sports Zone. Class begins at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 24. For more information, visit www.richstoner.com or send Stoner an email at rstoner42@gmail.com.

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.

Three on three basketball can and should be used to develop your team’s offense because the games can be altered in many ways in order to fit your offensively philosophy.  At yesterday’s practice, we worked on multiple variations of three on three basketball in order to help develop our team offense and defense (which will be covered in the next post).  Each game was to one point and the loser would rotate off while the winner stayed and played the next team.  We used both sides of the court so that teams would not be standing for a long period of time.  Each block of games which usually lasted for 10 minutes had certain variables that needed to be followed and worked on based on our team’s offensive principles.   Offensively we run the dribble drive but with more movement off the ball and some added pick and roll sets. Consequently, we worked on all of these concepts during our three on three play.   

The first concept that we worked on was moving without the ball.  In order to do so effectively, the players were not allowed to dribble at all during this time period.   Too many players get caught dribbling too much and the other players tend to stand around and watch.  By eliminating the player’s dribbles it forces them to rely on cutting and screening in order to get an open look at the basket. 

During the second block of games, the players were all given one dribble per touch.  Once again, this forces them to really move without the basketball in order to get open looks but at the same time, they were now working on using their dribble for a purpose.  Players can do more than they think with one dribble provided they use their dribble to attack a gap and force a teammate’s defender to help or attack the basket and score.  By limiting the number of dribbles a player has, they are forced to use their dribble properly or they will waste an opportunity to score. 

As we progressed into the next block of games, we allowed each player three dribbles on each touch.  Now we were getting into more of the dribble drive offense’s concepts.  Once again because of the limited number of dribbles, the players had to learn to attack properly with their dribble in order to be productive, but at the same time they were still forced to rely on moving without the basketball and setting screens in order to keep their spacing and create driving lanes for the man with the ball. 

The final variable that we added was that the score had to come off the pick and roll.  Each player still only had three dribbles per touch because we wanted to work on attacking off the pick and roll effectively and not with an excessive number of dribbles.  My players are drilled to go by screener tight with their shoulder low enough that they actually hit the screener’s hip.  It is preferable that they use two dribbles while coming off the pick and roll with the second dribble being the one to clear them from the pick and attack the space that is being created by the action.  It is preferred that the player with the ball attack coming off the pick and should not go sideways.  Attacking while coming off the pick will put the defenders at a disadvantage when trying to help and recover and should lead to better scoring opportunities.  On the other hand, cominf of the pick and attacking laterally creates an easy help and recover opportunity for the defenders. 

Once we had worked on all our offensive variables, there was an, “anything goes” session of three on three.  This is meant to work on all of the concepts we had worked on in the previous four sessions while allowing the players to use their own creativity within the offense.  This is an important concept because players are too often confined to what their coaches want them to do that it actually limits their capabilities as a player.  A player’s creativity can sometimes be the best part of their game and it should be cultivated to make your team better. 

Ultimately, making the team better is the goal of every practice and game and three on three basketball can go a long way towards accomplishing this goal.  Using three on three basketball can be a highly efficient way of developing your team offense.  The games can be short, competitive, and altered in a way that fits your team’s offensive concepts.  By adding rules to the games, the players are able to work on those concepts more effectively.  Since there are fewer players per team than in a regular game, each player will get more opportunities to work on the designated concept.  Also, because the games are short (only one point games) it forces the players to compete harder in order to win and stay on the court.  Consequently, they will try to execute the concepts better more often and more efficiently in their attempts to win.  Overall, three on three basketball is an excellent way to develop your basketball team’s offensive concepts and improve in a game like setting.