Being quick vs. playing quick

  In today’s article, [How One of the Slowest Players in the NBA Gets Past Elite Defenders]( , you’ll learn: - How Luka Doncic became arguably the best 1-on-1 player in the NBA, despite having average speed and athleticism - What basketball players can learn from pitchers - 2 simple dribbling drills ANY player can use to master changing speeds and become virtually impossible to guard We'll cover Part 1 of the article today and then dive deeper into Part 2 in the near future.  How One Of The Slowest Players In The NBA Gets Past Elite 1 on 1 Defenders  No one would say that Luka Doncic is one of the quickest players in the NBA. However, his ability to accelerate and decelerate is elite.   Because he is always changing speeds, he becomes much harder to guard. It’s why he’s possibly the best 1 v 1 offensive player in the NBA.   His defender is always having to react to a changing pace. That is much harder than guarding someone who is always going the same speed, even if that speed is fast.  I’ve seen this first hand.   Matt was one of the quickest players I’ve ever coached. When you watched him in drills, you were convinced no one would be able to stay in front of him.   Ray was moderately quick. If you watch him in drills, he didn’t jump off the page.  Something weird happened when games started. Matt could almost never create space with his dribble. Ray almost always did.  Why? A simple reason - Matt always played at one speed, while Ray was great at changing speeds.  What Basketball Players Can Learn From Pitchers  In the history of Major League Baseball, there have been a lot of guys who throw in the mid to high 90’s. Some succeed, some don’t.  One of the differentiators is that most of the guys who succeed have more than just one pitch.  No matter how hard you throw, if it’s the same speed every time, hitters will adjust.   However, if you can throw hard AND you have a good off speed pitch, you make yourself much harder to hit.  The same applies in basketball.   Train this skill to [make yourself quicker]( and harder to guard!  2 Simple [Dribbling Drills]( to Master Changing Speeds  Changing speeds can and should be practiced. Here are some ways to develop this valuable skill.  1 - Starts and stops - start on the baseline. Take 1 hard pound dribble in place, followed by a pushout dribble.   When you make your pushout dribble, you want to fully extend your arm in front of you. This means your elbow should be locked out. This allows you to push the ball out farther in front of you.  On the pushout dribble, sprint and cover as much ground as possible.   After the pushout, decelerate to a stop while maintaining your dribble. Take 2-3 pound dribbles in place. Then perform another pushout dribble and cover as much ground as possible.   Stop and perform a couple pounds dribbles and repeat. Continue this pattern all the way down the floor, working on accelerating and decelerating.  Make sure to perform the drill with both hands. [Click here to watch the Starts and Stops dribbling drill](  2 - Zig zag speed change - start on the baseline. Begin by taking 2-3 dribbles with your right hand going at an angle to your right. When going right, go at full speed.   After 2-3 dribbles, perform a change of direction move to switch the ball to your left hand. Take 2-3 dribbles going left at 50% speed.  After 2-3 dribbles, change hands and direction back to your right and go full speed again.  Continue the length of the floor, alternating hands and speeds. On the way back, go full speed with your left hand and half speed with your right hand.   Here’s an example for you to watch of the [Zig Zag speed change dribbling drills](.    The Key Difference Between Being Quick and Playing Quick  Being quick is largely a gift. Playing quick is a skill.   And the great news is you can play quicker without getting quicker.  By learning to change speeds, you’ll make yourself harder to guard.    Get after it!   Upcoming Camps  I also wanted to remind you that summer camp season is upon us, which means that there are plenty of opportunities for your players to improve their skills this offseason.  You can [view the full Breakthrough Basketball camp schedule here]( or take a look at the list of our upcoming camps for the next couple of weeks below.  There are still a few spots left at most of them (you can also join the waitlist if they're sold out), so if you’re interested and in the area, just click the link below for more info.  Also, if you're wondering what people are saying about our camps, check out this recent review we received:   [Edison, New Jersey]( - June 21-23 - Grades 3 to 8 [Hobson, MontanaÂ]( - June 21-23 - Grades 3 to 8 [14 spots left] [Lenexa, KansasÂ]( - June 21-23 - Grades 3 to 8 [Beaverton, OregonÂ]( - June 21-23 - Grades 3 to 8 [St. Cloud, Minnesota]( - June 21-23 - Grades 7 to 12 [Chicago, IllinoisÂ]( - June 24-28 - Grades 7 to 12 [1 spot left] [Houston, TexasÂ]( - June 24-26 - Grades 7 to 12 [8 spots left] [Rio Rancho, New MexicoÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [2 spots left] [West Lake Hills, TexasÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [Sudbury, MassachusettsÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [14 spots left] [Centralia, WashingtonÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [Sold Out] [Columbia, MissouriÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [Deerfield, IllinoisÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [4 spots left] [Fort Wayne, IndianaÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [Gilbert, ArizonaÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [Sold Out] [Greensboro, North CarolinaÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [Independence, MissouriÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [9 spots left] [Shawnee, KansasÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [8 spots left] [Lansing, MichiganÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [Sold Out] [Las Vegas, NevadaÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [3 spots left] [Lincoln, NebraskaÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [14 spots left] [Lubbock, TexasÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [7 spots left] [Merrill, OregonÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [Nampa, IdahoÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [5 spots left] [Oklahoma City, OklahomaÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [5 spots left] [King of Prussia, PennsylvaniaÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [4 spots left] [Pleasant Prairie, WisconsinÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [Sold Out] [Rochester, New YorkÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [Salem, OhioÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [10 spots left] [Everett, WashingtonÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [2 spots left] [Smithfield, UtahÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [10 spots left] [Spartanburg, South CarolinaÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [State College, PennsylvaniaÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 3 to 8 [5 spots left] [Traverse City, MichiganÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [Sold Out] [Woodbridge, ConnecticutÂ]( - June 25-27 - Grades 7 to 12 [4 spots left] [Bozeman, Montana]( - June 26-28 - Grades 3 to 8 [1 spot left] [Cedar Rapids, IowaÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 3 to 8 [7 spots left] [Irving, TexasÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 7 to 12 [10 spots left] [Mansfield, TexasÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 3 to 8 [Rochester Hills, MichiganÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 3 to 8 [3 spots left] [Westfield, IndianaÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 3 to 8 [19 spots left] [Garden Grove, CaliforniaÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 7 to 12 [13 spots left] [Louisville, KentuckyÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 7 to 12 [5 spots left] [Starkville, MississippiÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 3 to 8 [3 spots left] [St. Bonaventure, New York]( - June 26-28 - Grades 3 to 8 [Sold Out] [Topeka, KansasÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 3 to 8 [Watford City, North DakotaÂ]( - June 26-28 - Grades 3 to 8 [Sold Out] [Elizabethtown, KentuckyÂ]( - June 28-30 - Grades 3 to 8 [4 spots left] [Springdale, ArkansasÂ]( - June 28-30 - Grades 7 to 12 [10 spots left] [Maple Grove, MinnesotaÂ]( - July 1-3 - Grades 3 to 8 [Sold Out]    All the best,  Jeff Huber Breakthrough Basketball  This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you indicated that you'd like to receive emails and updates from Breakthrough Basketball on 2016-12-16 05:42:39. 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