Introduction

The objective of "The Art of Basketball" is to help you become as complete and fundamentally sound a player as possible.

To give you a model to shoot for, I thought it would be interesting to create Ideal Player Profiles, first of a complete all-around player, and then for each individual position.

Whatever his or her position, this player will have command of the fundamentals of the game, and specifically should be able to:

dribble with either hand
shoot layups and tip-ins with either hand
execute all the basic passes accurately (chest, bounce, overhead)
execute a crossover dribble
execute a reverse pivot
set picks effectively
execute a pick and roll
understand the basics of court movement without the ball
move quickly enough to play effective defense
get position for rebounds and block out under the boards
handle the ball against the press.

Height and speed are desirable, of course, but preferably in combination with the qualities above.

Ideal Players at Each Position

Centers:

Good defensively
Able to tip if in position
Sets picks
Great rebounder
Can shoot the hook shot with either hand
Helps teammates on defense
Can pass in tight situations
Accurate shot from close range up to 15 feet out
Blocks off the boards
Best player at the pick and roll
Has good mobility, is not stationary
Able to play facing away from the basket
Good speed, can run the court
Agile enough to block or deny shots

Forwards:

Good defensively
Better rebounder
Playmaker
Able to penetrate
Good speed, can run the court
Able to shoot coming off screens
Moves well without the ball
Able to go left or right
Able to pass to pivot in all situations
Sets picks
Follows his/her shots
Good judgement in passing and shooting
Able to shoot moving toward the basket
Blocks off the boards

Guards:

Outstanding defensively
Good dribbler
Doesn’t dribble excessively
Always keeps head up, has court in full view
Accurate shot from 15-18 feet
Able to pass on the run
Able to pass off the dribble
Able to initiate the fast break
Able to control the game
Commands the respect of his/her teammates
Protects against the fast break, doesn’t get caught under the basket
Aggressive, able to penetrate
Able to execute the pick and roll
Willing to go to the basket enough to keep the defense off balance

You can see what you have to do. It isn’t anywhere nearly as overwhelming as it appears. These are all skills the average player can and should develop, and some are just plain common sense.