Keys to being a great post player

Four Keys to Being a Great Post Player: 

Getting Open –Proper Post Stance

• There are two types of offensive post players:  Stationary Post Players & Mobile Post Players
• There are a few different ways that you can get open in the post – you always want to try and get open in your scoring area. A few ways you can get open in your scoring area are as follows:

1. Seal In – Proper Post Up – seal the defense into the lane
2. Seal Out – Seal defender out of the lane for a “hi/lo” post feed
3. Set Up for the Lob – Against a fronting defender
4. Cutting – Cutting into an area to receive ball
5. Rim Runs – Post Player runs the middle of the floor in transition offense
6. Offensive Rebounding – Treat very shot like a pass and “go get the rebound”

• Focus on a Proper Post Stance when trying to get open:
• Post up in an athletic stance – with bent knees and bent elbows
• Wide Base, Low Hips & High Hands
• “Lower and Wider is Better” – The player that wins, is the player that is lower and wider
• Wide enough base that you have great balance, but are still quick
• “Sit Into Your Game”
• Great Balance – Keep head back and in between knees – Keep a still head (baseball hitter)
• DEMAND the ball with your voice and also with your position
• Make contact with defender and move them back a step – “Own your spot on the floor”

Two ways to create and make contact with your defender:

1. Step over the top of defender
2. Pin & Spin Technique

• Push hands out, so you can see the backs of your hands
• Take up as much space as you can in the post –take up space with your base and your wide hand placement

Staying Open

• Keep your feet between your defender and the ball
• Stay light on your feet –Boxer Mentality
• Fight with your feet all the time
• Constantly show your #’s to the ball – Don’t turn your body and become “skinny”
• If the ball can’t see your numbers, you are not open
• Make and MAINTAIN contact through the entire seal – LOSE THE CONTACT/LOSE THE SEAL
• Keep your hands high – limits offensive foul calls and also allows to be ready to receive ball
• “Talk to the ball” – Where do you want the ball fed from????
• Great post players are always thinking one pass ahead – set up defender to seal to the ball
• One defender should not keep you from receiving the ball
• Always try to get both paint and angles when sealing in the post

Four reasons to release your seal of the defender:

1. Go catch a pass
2. Up against a 3 seconds in the lane call
3. If you get out of your scoring area
4. On any dribble penetration

Receive the Ball Safely

• Catch the Ball with your eyes, feet and hands
• Ball security is number one thing when ball is passed into the post – Catch the ball!!!!
• Catch, Chin & Look Middle – Play Slow in the Post
• Exception to this is if you have a direct angle to rim on post catch
• Block & Tuck Concept on every catch – Block the ball and quickly tuck the ball under your chin
• Catch the ball with a “piece of the paint”
• Catch with two feet in the post – Jump stop as you catch the ball
• Allows you the ability to use either foot as your pivot foot

Scoring Simply

• A great post player is efficient with BOTH HANDS around the rim
• Try to score with limited amounts of dribbles – no dribble moves are the best “Sweet”
• Get the ball up on all shots – contact on the shot, shortens your shot
• Three Point Plays are the ultimate goal – Absorb the contact and score the ball – TOUGHNESS
• “Scoring Simply” means getting all of your work done before the ball arrives – just like a great shooter
• “Less is More” in the post
• Too many post moves = too little production in the post
• You should have one “go to” move and one “counter” move in the post
• Great post players have one signature move in the post
• Finish closer to the rim, than where you caught the ball

Shot Fakes in the Post:

• 2 Inch vertical shot fake – no elongated shot fakes – short quick fakes
• “Take it up, Keep it up” – Don’t bring ball back down after shot fake – CHIN