Players Playbook- Off-Season Focus

 

“There is so much room for me to improve.”  Caitlin Clark

There are lots of way a basketball player can improve their game in the off-season. Caitlin Clark could have made some money and played in the Unrivaled League. Instead of “playing basketball” in the off-season, she chose to “work on her game.”

Player’s off-season focus

#1- Become A Better, Stronger Athlete

Great players invest the time in the weight room. For Caitlin Clark, that was one of her priorities. She believed increased strength would help her have a better balance vs. physical defenders. 

Google any of the great players to find their commitment to the weight room- Steph Curry, Jason Tatum, Michael Jordan. Great players not only lift in the off-season but during the season too. 

Lifting will make you quicker, better jumper, and less likely to become injured. 

#2- Become A Better Shooter

Your coach cannot have a lineup where there are players who cannot shoot the ball. Maybe your coach can play a point guard to handle the ball who is not a three point shooter. Maybe your coach can play a big, physical post player who is not a three point shooter. Those are big “MAYBE’S”. 

An average high school team can play maybe 2 or 3 people who cannot shoot threes. The championship high school teams have 5 players who are a three point threat. 

Your mom or dad may see you as a three point shooter. Your mom or dad may ask the coach why the coach doesn’t let you shoot threes. Your coach sees you in practice and knows your shooting percentage from threes. 

There is a big different between a player who CAN SHOOT three, and a player who CAN MAKE threes. So the question for you- are you a shooter or a maker?

If you want to figure out where you stand, I have a simple test for you- all you need is a rebounder and a ball. Set a timer for 2 minutes. You shoot and your partner rebounds. You MUST shoot at game speed. 

Elbow to Elbow- go back and forth elbow to elbow for 2 minutes. Realize these are unguarded shots. 

Make 60%- You are a threat form elbows for a championship level team. 

Make 50%- You can play on an average team. 

Make under 50%- You need to work on your shot, your coach will not want you to shoot from the elbows. 

Threes Around The Arc- Shoot corner, wing, top, other wing, other corner. Keep going around for 2 minutes. 

Make 45%- You a three point threat form elbows a championship team. 

Make 35%- You can play on an average team. 

Make under 35%- You will need to work on your threes before a coach will want you to shoot. 

Threes On The Gun- On the Gun, you will shoot roughly 25% better unguarded than you will shoot in games. So if you want to shoot 40% in games, you need to consistently be shooting 65% on the Gun. Shoot until you make 20 from the corner then rest. Then make 20 from wing, rest. And continue around. 

Make 65%- You are a good three point shooter. 

Make 55%- You can shoot threes in games, but you are average.

Make under 55%- You will need to work on your three point shot before a coach will want you to shoot. 

To become a great shooter, you MUST shoot and shoot in off-season. A great three point shooter should be committed to making at least 10,000 threes in the off-season. 

Free Throw Shooting- Shoot 50 free throws and keep track of your makes. Usually you will shoot 10% better in this setting than in a game. 

Make 90%- This means you probably can shoot 80% in games, this is very good. 

Make 80%- This means you probably can shoot 70% in games, this is average. 

Make under 80%- This means in games you probably will shoot under 70%. Your coach won’t want you on the floor at end of games. 

Making yourself into a shooter should be a top summer priority. 

#3 Skill Development

Caitlin Clark chose to work on getting stronger and improving her basketball skills in the off-season. Many chose to play in the Unrivaled League but she wisely chose skill development. Many high school players and many high school parents are mistakingly convinced that playing AAU will be a good skill development option. 

AAU is for college exposure. If you are a D1 athlete then you should play with a high level AAU program that will get you exposure. But don’t let some of the lower level programs convince you that they are anything more than an expensive “travel ball” option. 

You can work on your skills in your own driveway. And there are numerous reputable basketball trainers that will help you elevate your game. Going to a trainer for skill development will be better for you in the long run over playing travel ball. Less time in the car, more time on the court. 

In my area, one of the really good trainers is Hunter Rhoades. He was highly successful player at UNI. He provides many options for many ages of players. 

#4 Time With Your HS Coach

Whether it is in camps, open gyms, or in summer leagues- spend time with your team and your coach. 

You will begin to understand what your coach wants and how well you can execute your team’s plans on the court. You will see offensively where you will be likely to get shots, so you will know what to work on. 

You want to build trust. When you go to open gyms, your teammates develop a stronger belief in you as a teammate. 

Being with your team in the off-season is a way for you to build the “skill of being a good teammate.”