You know what you are good at, and you know what needs work. Which is more deserving of attention?
As a player, unless you are blinded by supreme confidence, you are aware that you are not perfect. Perhaps you have never been the best shooter, or maybe you are an undersized post player. You also know where you shine on the court or in the locker room.
With something like basketball, it is easy to get caught up in the areas that need improvement. This is not always a bad thing; there are always opportunities to elevate skill level but do not also forget to focus on the strengths that set you apart.
Players like Shaquille O’Neal and Giannis Antetekounmpo have been mercilessly criticized for their free-throw shooting woes. They are also heavily applauded – they have both been NBA MVPs, First-Team NBA guys, and champions. Do you see where we are heading with this?
Focus on what sets you apart
Shaq was not a great free-throw shooter, but that did not matter because he was so dominant in other facets of the game.
If you are a great shooter, keep working on shooting. Never entirely ignore any aspect of the sport, but stay sharp and keep improving even your best qualities. The all-time great shooters were not content with being good. They still practiced shooting every single day.
Even if you are hyper-focused on strengths, do not forget:
Insulate weaknesses to make sure you do not fall behind
Just because you are focused on what sets you apart does not mean you can ignore the other aspects of the game. You can become a great shooter, but coaches will be hesitant to play you if you never bothered to work on defense.
Not everyone can be fast. Stay in shape and keep your conditioning at the best level you can, but do not sweat it too much if you struggle to improve foot speed. Focus instead on footwork and body positioning to insulate this weakness. Then, get right back to focusing on what sets you apart.
Great rebounders practice rebounding. Glue guys focus on defense and ball movement. Shooters get up hundreds of shots. Be a well-rounded player, but make sure your best skills are kept the sharpest for your team.
Make sure to keep up with more on the great game of basketball here at The Basketball Movement.
