EVALUATE YOUR PLAYERS BEFORE YOU WORK THEM OUT
Everyone has a different approach when working with a player for the first time. I've seen every type of approach known to man. We all have a routine for positional players that we work with, but without knowing what a player can/can't do its hard for me to just jump straight into a workout.
My philosophy is to have the player shoot on their own for 5-6 minutes to evaluate them and get an idea of what to key in on. Here are the things that I look at:
- Shooting Mechanics
- Physical Traits Size/Length/Athletic Ability
- Skill Level
- Timing
- Pace In Which They Work
- Footwork, Do They Travel? Is their footwork consistent??
Anyone can put a player through a cookie cutter workout, and believe me there are plenty of coaches who do that. I want to watch a player like a hawk and see what they are good at and what they need work in.
I ease into the workout with the player with "Hey lets try this" or "I see that this is a little off lets make a small correction". You never want to straight up change everything about a player in the first meeting. Developing trust with a player takes time and changes with a player should be done on a gradual level.
The evaluation process when working with a player is very important. Take the extra time to watch everything that they do. Get a feel for what they are good & Bad at. You should be then devising a workout plan in your head throughout his first few minutes on shooting on their own. We all have our workouts for players depending on position , but evaluating a player on what we need to center in on is very important.
Here is a list of things that I evaluate by position.
- POINT GUARD- When working with a PG the first thing I evaluate is if they are a true PG or combo guard. Do they change speeds and what kind of speed do they have? Speed is important to see if they can create separation consistently or do they need a Screen/Roll.. Are they the type that can penetrate the teeth of the defense and get in the pain consistently or are they the type to get you into your offense and spot up on the perimeter. What kind of touch do they have in the pain with layups/floaters etc? What type of range do they have not heir jumper
- WING PLAYERS- With wing players it comes down to shooting. How much of a handicap will their shooting be to their game. If shooting is an issue then what are we talking about?? More Reps?? Full Change in their shot?? Next can they put the ball on the floor or are they going to be mostly a spot up shooter... What is their size?? Length of their arms?? Are they quick and athletic enough to guard people. Are they undersized? If they are they better be athletic/explosive and or be able to knock down shots. 3 &D wing?? Are they tall enough to play 3 & 4??
- POST PLAYERS- Shooting is also important for post players. Can they stretch the floor or are they strictly a paint big. Do they have touch inside at all?? Length and true size is so important to see if they can protect the rim and get their shot off consistently in the pain against bigger players. Athletic ability and explosiveness getting off the floor is important with defense and rebounding. Are they mobile? What kind of hands do they have??
Like I always say there are so many different ways to develop players. Everyone views the game differently and thats how it works. There are so many factors that go into my evaluation of a player and what direction their development should go in. Players come in different shapes and sizes and they should have big impact on how you shape your workout.
Don't be a cookie cutter coach, use your eyes and basketball sense to develop a program that will maximize the potential of your players.
