Looking to buy a brand new basketball. I was thinking on getting the Wilson Evolution or the Wilson NCAA evolution basketball. But are they the same cuz they both say “Wilson” and “Evolution”

Never had a basketball this good as i have just been using casual basketball’s that aren’t as good as the ones i have been interested in.

What would yall recommend?

my first basketball game is today, i started a bit unusually late but i will still try my hardest, this is recreational, not school team btw. im definitely nervous asf but hey 🤷🏽‍♂️

I am the announcer and audio guy for my school and I need some songs/sounds to play during the game action.

Our crowd is very quiet so I am looking for something to play while the action of the game is happening. Something to fill the silence and get the crowd involved/excited.

I have a "stomp stomp clap" track to play as they inbound the ball but I feel that is getting a little repetitive.

I dont know much about basketball or the game experience so any help is appreciated.

Thank you!

I had a debate at a Christmas lunch yesterday. I told my co-worker that the last real finals was 2016 IMO. That went down to the wire and was going either way went 7 games.

17/18 was lopsided. Even though the Cavs were defending champs it was swept and gentlemen swept. Warriors were too top heavy and steam rolled through everyone

19 KD and Klay got injured, so Raptors who were also great went through the Warriors with basically on curry.

20 was the bubble championship, the Heat made it but again had no business being there and with LeBrons experience just took apart the Heat

21 I did not expect both those teams to make the finals. I was more impress with the Bucks/Nets series as that was exciting and the injuries on the Nets side was debilitating. But again that finals was not entertaining to me not really big names.

22 Celtics had a good road to the finals, and the Warriors made it after some time and obviously Curry has more experience and just took the Celtics out in 6 games as the Celtics crumbled in pressure despite them playing hard nose defense

23 Again was lopsided. Heat made it after Jimmy had great playoff series, but could not live up to it in the finals. They had no answer for Jokic and was just toying with the Heat. They took one game but was a huge effort.

24 Celtics already had experience and good coaching was able to knock of Kyrie who is somewhat in his prime but obviously works better when he is the 2nd option, and then knocks of Luka who is the 1st option but has no experience he put up great numbers though his assist went down.

I just noticed that they are playing in three cities same day same time. Just wondering how many teams they have

it's so zoomed out now honestly i don't like it. and it's way too high. i liked seeing the players at a lower camera height angle and the camera operator actually zooming in on the half court only. they seem so small and just like idk doesn't seem as visually appealing

We have played some recreational 4v4 halfcourt basketball. I'm on defense. I always like to help my teammates on defense and this is where the dangerous play came from.

Essentially, my teammate is attempting to guard a player that is too crafty for him (both weren't fast). However, he is driving to the lane, which is adjacent to me so I step in for the help. Basically, I crowd the driving lane. It's almost like I step into the lane in mid-drive placing me foot sooner before him. Well, this is where the attacking player rolled his ankle and was quite unhappy about it, saying it's leg to leg.

Like I said, I love to help on defense, especially if I know my direct man doesn't shoot well. It almost becomes unplayable for the other team sometimes if my help is timed well. However, now since I have been called for a dangerous play, I would like to hear your opinions. Perhaps I'm doing too much for a recreational game, and just let other players play 1 on 1 wihtout help defence. After all it's just about exercise. I'm happy to change my ways, as in the end I would like to be able better defend in these type of situations. So, please share your opinions, you can curse me if you like if you hate players like me, and just let me know it's a dangerous play. In the end, I did feel bad about it and apologised the player.

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Hey, I'm joining a new pickup group at my community college in January. I'm 19.

I didn't play HS ball but I was pretty good at basketball tho. My largest weakness was that I couldn't shoot 3 pointers well, and my strong suits were passing and rebounding

I'm in an awkward position because of my height and weight (I gained a lot of weight after high school due to depression)

I'm working to lower my weight to improve my health . I'm 5'11 330.

Sorry if this is weird, I'm just not sure where that would put me.

Just in terms of not surrounding them with the right pieces, or they play well, but no one else really does in a playoff series, or even when they didn't play well, they got limited support to take the load off of them?

Whenever I go to JUCO games I always feel like they're going a million miles an hour. They're diving for the balls, going hard for the boards, and running hard. They obviously play hard and are better at D1 but I feel the game is slower.

They just seem more controlled and calculated. Maybe they're so big and athletic that the game seems effortless . At JUCO it seems like they're trying so hard to fly to the basketball. In D1 they almost look like they're going in slow motion.

I’m doing my best as a parent to stay positive with my son on JV team. Talking to him, being positive and encouraging. Here’s the scoop.

He’s a freshman on JV team. The coach is a first time coach. My son knows he’s not a starter, but is a decent bench player, and is content with that. Decent jumper, and 3 point shot. 2nd tallest on team and puts up good fight for rebounds and box’s out OK. And we both know it’s his confidence that needs improvement. Practice, one on one, or playing around, he’s pretty good. Game time, he’s hesitant. Nervous.

He got maybe 5 minutes in first 2 scrimmages of the year. Did OK. Few rebounds, a steal or 2. No points unfortunately. But TBH, many players on the team still couldn’t grasp how to run some of the plays. My son did OK. He can set a screen, but the ball handler couldn’t take the advantage.

Son got ZERO minutes first 3 games. Game 4, got maybe 5, but mostly garbage time, when team down 20+. He did good defensively during that time. Game 5, came in for literally one possession in 3Q. He set 2 great screens. On the second, ball shot, he hustled to the paint and got the offensive board! Shot and got smothered (foul IMO) but called OB on him. Turnover. He got pulled from the game and didn’t go back. Coach didn’t even acknowledge him when he came back to the bench.

The varsity coach is also his PE teacher. They play a lot of ball in the class and I’m told my son does really well against him (mid 30’s former college player). And the varsity team is like 6-1. Oh, and earlier this week, the PE teacher had a substitute. She literally just graduated from a local college, and is in the upcoming WNBA draft. He played 1-1 against her. Lost 8-6, because he bricked a 3. She complimented him on being a great player. Good form and shooting from the 3point line.

So, like I say, he’s got some skill, but lacks confidence. I’m really concerned about how this will affect him not getting any playing time, or even advice. I advised my son to talk to the coach and ask what specific he can work on. The head coach didn’t really say anything. The assistant said ball control. He said that because the team can’t handle full court pressure and gets blown out because of it. But how do they know he can’t take the pressure if he’s not in the game?

I really don’t want to be “that parent”. I thought about reaching out to the Varsity coach for some advice. I know my son would love to play for him in a couple years, but worried if he can’t develop now, and gain confidence, he might not be a valuable player to his team. I don’t want him to approach the JV coach or anything. But some advice for me to give my son to keep trying hard.

Hi ballers,

I put my name in for a high school staff vs students game. I thought it was going to be 3v3 on a half court, but it's 5v5 full court. No current varsity basketball players are allowed, but the students are athletes who have played a lot of basketball.

I'll play occasionally at the Y but have never played on a team. I'm short, quick for math teacher, and not a great shooter, and will probably be the smallest person on the court. In 5v5 games, I never really know what to do or where to go. I have pretty good cardio.

Any tips for someone with my archetype to avoid getting humiliated in front of my students and potentially make myself useful? Like, the simplest possible explanation of where to stand and how to cut in 5v5 basketball.

Thank you!

I feel every time he’s on the court there playing warriors basketball.He’s getting 24 minutes he should be getting starters minutes!

so we have game on saturday and our first and only pg cant play. And the only option to play pg is me who is 2nd option for sg. Honestly idk what to do. I have high iq for passing and that but if they play pressing on me i will loose confident and prob lose a game. I need some tips for that asap

(btw i am around 185cm ~6feet and around 90 kg or 198lbg (i know i am a bit un-athletic))

Do you play street basketball with and one rule ( meaning you say foul throw the ball and it counts) or its just you call a foul and its a dead ball whatever happends after

For reference, Im 5'10-5'11 in basketball standards im short so I need to improve my shooting. I do have a decent layup package and im generally pretty good at finishing around the rim and im amazing at defence. Proplem is when I play against pros who are taller more iq based hoopers they're leaving me almost wide open and i almost always miss. The arc ofy shot is ggod but it goes above the rim and i dont know how to fix it. Any tips or drills you advise me to add to my game?

Hi,

as someone who doesnt know shit about basketball, why does Jokic sometimes hand the ball to the opposing player at the out-of-bounds-part of the court where that player then typically tries to avoid touching the ball. You will see the opposing player move away from the ball as if it gives you syphilis if you touch it. Clearly it must be some kind of rule-exploit that Jokic is trying but what is actually going on?

(And yes Im sure other players do it and have been doing it for decades, but I have seen the highlights from Jokic and it sometimes gets shown there)

Regards,

DJ

Other then weekends or holidays there’s no day games.

I noticed sometimes some hoopers average less points, like 20 or something and already get shoe circuits exposure with d1 offers while other hoopers need to drop 30+ish to get the same level of attention and exposure. Is it because they play at worse schools? I dont know that though, both dearon and jared played at great schools and dearon needed to average way more.

I am having pain in my lower back right side (or kinda in center ) it first started while jumping during basketball sessions (was trying to touch the rim) it not like I have the pain all the time but is suddenly starts sometimes and I also feeling like my body is bending backwards and then bending frontward (touching my knees with my head) it feels kinda a good

Idk if it's helpful but I get that pain suddenly while applying pressure while popping too

Does sports or intense energy physical activity cause physological changes overtime for over 50% of participants?

I was supervising one and they exhibited exactly the same over a year and half of getting into skateboarding, football, soccer, and basketball as well as when playing bb or being with people who liked to play.

1. Being noisy and exhibiting more aggressive behavior and casually use foul language and slangs much more. This includes making noise with sneakers in public more than before.

2.Leaning against wall especially with foot pushed against it leaving footprints. I had to remind him as it was plate glass once next to a basketball court he just played on so he doesn’t potentially hurt himself or others. Also I noticed he and other players often talk a little different in tone of voice. 3. In addition to one nonchalent about certain etiquette at home or in public such as more often stays in sneakers and walk around instead of immediately leaving it at the door if that’s what they normally always did, or place them on seats, chairs, sofas, benches, etc. I saw one placing his legs all over the seat in front of him at a theatre recently. And worse yet seem to carelessly walk through puddles much more often.

I do remember seeing similar kind of behaviors a lot growing up myself with sports enthusiasts and remember they also pick on other kids including their longtime playmates after getting into the sport(s) be curious the reason for it. And that it isn’t just coincidental nor only for young people and it can happen for those who join later in life as well even as old as 60. Hence it can be intimating to play such a sport whether recreationally, whether it’s pickup or organzied team.

Is it me?….Or was that foul called at the end of the Michigan game trash?! The refs were absolute trash! Period! Sincerely, a basketball fan! Three was a good shot though…….we just got robbed as fans cause we missed OT.

Was playing at the gym today, someone took a floater but got blocked completely, coming back down with the ball, and ball never left his hand. Defensive player stopped playing D as he expected a jump ball (check the ball), offensive player continued with the play and starts dribbling around. They were arguing whether play should have stopped.

Is there a protocol for what normally should happen here?

I’m curious why the NBA is so stuck in their ways. Baseball and football are implementing changes on an almost yearly basis that drive increases in ratings, attendance, and overall popularity/saturation. Basketball was my favorite sport to play growing up, and also one of my favorites to watch 25 years ago.

These are all just my personal proposals to make the game more entertaining to watch. I would like to have a discussion and read other opinions on what you think could help

Besides the CBA and MAX contracts, there is a whole lot they could change to make it more appealing. Obviously they won’t be changing the way money works for the cap, contracts, etc.

Baseball and football ratings are way up every year, and somehow delusional basketball fans embrace this lame ass product of foul baiting during a three point contest. Defense doesn’t start until the playoffs, and 3/4 of he league makes the playoffs/in. It’s such a garbage product it’s ruining basketball.

Three pointers should be 4 and 2s should be 3s so each perimeter shot only carries a 33% premium. Shooting 38% from 3 shouldn’t beat a team shooting 50% from the field.

Tighten up the bullshit “legal guarding position” back to needing your feet set and stationary to draw a charge. If your foot is moving even a little, it’s a block. No more tick tack whistles on defenders for touching the hair on an offensive players forearm, and conversely; NO MORE using OFF BALL ARM to CREATE SPACE, it’s a PUSH OFF. fuckin Tatum basically stiff arms on his step back. (I’m sure there’s other egregious offenders)

Please share what your thoughts are, thanks for reading

Obviously when you're behind you need to catch up. Still, I feel it's a mental thing where if you're up 4-10 points with like 5 minutes left it feels easier to play without thinking too much. If you're down 2-6 points with a few minutes I feel you think more about every possession and can get more desperate causing you to make mistakes.

Even if it's only a 1-3 point game with less than a minute I feel you have more confidence being the team up even if you can potentially lose still. I think the best can stay calm in these situations but I notice there's a psychological impact when you're up vs. down.

For the past seven years, I've been a shooting coach for NBA players. Every season, I create a Blueprint project for my clients to ensure they always have a reference point for the epicenter of their game.

I dropped the previous two Blueprints in this sub a few months ago, one on keys to being a great movement shooter and the other on reading help defenders.

** This Blueprint was made for a rookie point guard transitioning into the NBA and, at the time, a whole new world of PnR coverage concepts. **

A Whole New World:

Most teams have their unique language and guide for PnR coverages, but concepts are universal to the league.

Therefore, my goal here was to keep everything conceptual and not get too granular with language since this player was about to play for a head coach who was going into his first season, too, and I didn’t know his language yet.

This Blueprint aimed to introduce fundamental PnR concepts the player would be expected to know defensively on Day 1.

NBA PnR 101:

There are two initial layers of PnR defense, plus one standard rotation out of the first skip pass.

1. Point of attack (POA)
2. Base
3. X-Out

POA:

As the primary POA defender, you will have a few options that are considered standard NBA coverages:

• Over
• Under
• Quickest Path: Your choice of over or under based on where you are in the action.
• Down: You must ensure you are on the same page as the big here. Miscommunications here lead to jailbreak situations, which almost always result in baskets in this league.

These are all standard; you will play all of them throughout the year. The biggest key is to know the scouting report of the player you will primarily guard. The quickest way to lose trust and playing time is NOT to Know Your Personnel (KYP).

Base:

Base coverages will be dependent on two different factors:

1. POA Coverage:

• Aggressive at the point of attack = Aggressive behind the ball.
• Passive at the point of attack = Passive behind the ball.

1. Location of Screen:

• Is a corner empty, or are both filled?
• How man defenders are in the “i”?
• Who is Low Man Help?

Low Man Help (LMH)

LMH - Most common “Base” for PnR coverages across the league.

• Ball going away = LMH side
• LMH’s first responsibility is meeting the roller.

I will use “i” Terminology to categorize our film. The number before the “i” will describe the weak side structure. Here are the four options: (Some pictures go here, I'm not sure if I can include them in this post).

X-Out:

An X-Out refers to a closeout rotation used by the two-man “i” (Most Common LMH “i”) on a skip pass to the corner.

• X-Out Progression:

1. LMH meets roller.
2. Top of “i” sinks to guard both & take 1st pass (Corner or Wing)
3. Top of “i” closeout to corner.
4. LMH closeout to Top of “i” man.

(IF the ball is passed to the wing player, then both players in the “i” closeout back to their original man)

LMH can come EARLY (Up The Lane) or stay closer to HOME (Restricted Area), depending on what PnR coverage happens at the point of attack.

The Bigs coverage will usually dictate which LMH action we’re getting.

• EARLY = “Touch”-> Show/ BLITZ.Remember, aggressive at the point of attack means the LMH base will be aggressive behind the ball, while passive coverages at the point of attack mean the LMH base will be passive behind the ball.

If a shooting foul occurs, can a player goaltend to stop an And-One? Or will both fouls be called and it's still an And-One? Sorry if this is a dumb or obvious question, I've only just started watching and playing basketball. Thanks

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