Learn to Play the Percentages….A Skill Worth Learning
However, while you are out there learning to shoot the rock, grow some awesome handles, dee up, and drive and dish don't lose sight of what skill contributes most to winning teams. Percentage basketball is what I'm talking about. Percentage ball has become a lost art to the many high flying acrobatic maneuvers of today's players. They would rather slam, look fancy to draw attention to their ability than make the simple play that results in an easy score.
I'm not at all suggesting you give up the crowd pleasing acrobatics because there is no question the dunk is a high percentage play. I am simply saying players, as you developing your basketball skills learn to play the percentages. This means easy scores with numbers advantages, locating a physical mismatch quickly on the court and getting that player the ball, making one extra pass to get a higher percentage shot, or taking the wide open shot versus penetrating into traffic and shooting off balance.
If you are not a student of the game you will never learn to play percentage basketball. I am telling you that no one rises to the top level of basketball and wins consistently without being able to play percentages. To learn percentage basketball you must be attentive when your coach is teaching you about these situations and be able to use them to your team's advantage consistently throughout the course of a game.
One of the simplest examples I can give you is of a game I was coaching some year's back where we were playing a very athletically talented team. In the scouting report we saw they ran 95 percent of their plays from the right side of the court. Primarily because they were weak left handed dribblers. They were athletic but only half as athletic going to their left as their right. Our focus the whole game on defense was to never let them initiate a dribble with the right hand. Needless to say we won going away by 20 points and totally frustrated a talented team. This is an example of playing the percentages. You should learn this when playing defense on your opponent as well. What are their strengths and weaknesses and are you letting play to their high percentage play or forcing them to play below their level by taking away their strengths.
Other examples are found in all aspects of the game of basketball including knowing percentage wise where the ball will come off the basket ring the greatest percentage of the time when shot from the right side of the basket at 45 degrees, knowing that teams that don't get 70 percent or more of their points in the paint rarely win championships. Teams that win championships always have a positive turnover ratio against their opponents, make 80 percent of their free throws as a team, and shoot more free throws than their opponents because they bring the ball inside more. Winners also get back and give up the fewest transition points. Percentage basketball is getting more shots and better shots than your opponent.
The point is players, talent will get you on the court, but percentages will make both you and your team a winner. Winners carry the positive effects of effort, teamwork, and enhanced self-esteem into life after basketball. Talent without focus, and the intelligence to play high percentage ends up talking about what should have been. Learn the percentage game, and you'll become a much better player, even if at times you struggle with other parts of your game.