November 06, 2019   |   Tagged Skills,

Autonomy on the Basketball Court

If you take your favorite basketball player and you evaluate what makes him or her so great, you will find he or she has a high degree of autonomy. Stephen Curry, for example, is not confined or limited on the court. Even with tenacious defense, he finds ways to assert his will and demonstrate his freedom of range on the court.

However, one of the the biggest issues is that everyone wants full autonomy without the skill to accomplish it. A great player has earned the ability to be autonomous. Most people haven’t put in the time to truly earn the green light. Your success as a basketball player will be measured by your level of autonomy and your honest assessment on how truly autonomous you are.

Take a quick basketball offensive autonomy self-test.

Against Players My Own Age

1. I can dribble anywhere I want on the court with ease and am not limited by my ball handling.
2. I get open easily and I can create the space I need.
3. I can effectively get into my shot and dictate the shots I want to take -- those my team needs me to take.
4. I can create space for my teammates so they can maximize their time with the ball.
5. The defense cannot alter my will or plan.
6. I find ways to be effective and successful within the confines of the coach’s plan.
7. I am not limited physically.
8. I control the court.

Take a quick defensive autonomy self-check

1. I decide where and when my man catches the ball.
2. I decide where and when my man can shoot.
3. I interrupt the offense and make my man go where he doesn’t want to go.
4. My authority on the court frustrates the offense.
5. My team and coach trust me to shut down my man.
6. My stats on defense match up to my belief about my skill on defense.

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