Great Post Play in the NBA and our Young Bigs.

[BYE]

What makes a good post player and what do our young players need to develop this skill? Favors cannot just be a pick and roll player if he’s going to move to the next level; he has to have some sort of reliable post game since his jumpshot is not as good as a Garnett, Gasol, or Dirk.

NBA Players discussing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C18HVpszHaQ

Tim Duncan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5oz2Ib_QwE

Dwight Howard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCCrNbWo94&feature=related

Al Jefferson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWm3foYmIGA

Andrew Bynum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2zuhhJv-8I&feature=related

Pau Gasol (Not as much low post work)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR0o-qLl4ho

Dirk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=kM9MYvoQn8M

Enes Kanter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ0wMlRaJRg

Each player has different strengths in the post, and the key to becoming a great post player is capitalizing on these strengths. Here are some things I noticed from watching these.

Speed/quickness (you don’t have to have elite speed/quickness, but this is one way Dwight and Dirk are successful)

Decisiveness/Fast movements (you must go through the ultimate motions quickly but not out of control; Duncan is extremely deliberate in his movements but still has speed in his delivery)

Deep post position (for the strength players this is key: Kanter, Dwight, Bynum)

Strength with body control (this can be linked to post position but even Dirk uses the initial bump to create space)

Patience (there’s a fine line between hesitation and patience; Duncan and Jefferson are great at this)

Finish strong (Kanter sometimes jumps onto his tiptoes and gets blocked; you have to go strong but in control)

Limit dribbling (Kanter dribbles quite a bit; interestingly he is more like Duncan and Bynum in this)

Both hands (this is obvious)

Strong large/good hands (extremely underrated but when balls are getting smacked left and right, this is huge)

Shooting touch (varies tremendously, but if you’re not a natural shooter, you have to master a few certain shots; see Dwight and Duncan’s glass shots)

Some sort of a face up game (allows everything you do in the post to be that much easier since the player has to respect this)

Passing out of the post (either to reset or get an open three)

Master one or two post moves and expand (it's amazing Favors hasn't done this yet)

KANTER (needs):
better face up game, passing, left hand, decisiveness, finishing harder, getting one or two set jumpshots since he has the skills to do this.

FAVORS (needs):
getting deep post position (I can’t really think of a time when Favors just willed his way to great post position and I think it’s one of the most important steps for him), passing, one or two set jumpshots, patience, better face up game, mastery of one or two post moves.

FAVORS IN GENERAL
For Favors, he has to 1) run the floor extremely well, 2) get put backs and rebound hard, 3) get better at the P&R including passing, 4) start getting a better face up game to use his quickness, 5) master one or two jumpshots and post move(s), 6) use his strength to get deep post position.


What do you guys think about Kanter and Favors and what they are lacking?

 

[Jazz4ever]

Noticeably absent from your list is ball fakes. Jefferson may be patient and have a nice touch, but he would be nothing without the ability to sell his shot on almost everyone. Kanter is moderately good at this already, and usually allows him to get his up and under move off. Favors has no ball fakes whatsoever, and despite his length and jumping ability, gets blocked because of it.

 

[BYE]

Noticeably absent from your list is ball fakes. Jefferson may be patient and have a nice touch, but he would be nothing without the ability to sell his shot on almost everyone. Kanter is moderately good at this already, and usually allows him to get his up and under move off. Favors has no ball fakes whatsoever, and despite his length and jumping ability, gets blocked because of it.

Good point. I would put this under fast movements, and after watching these clips that the ball fake was closely connected to these fast/decisive movements. Jefferson is not what you'd call fast, but he has decisive movements and this is what allows him to use his ball fakes so often. Also, you have to have a shot that a defender might not want you to take, so Favors needs to develop one or two shots and use triple threat position. Kanter's shot against OKC looked sweet, so he should be able to use the pumpfake in his faceup game.

 

[addictionary]

Good thread. Young bigs especially Enes has the strength to force his way through, but he and any other post player needs to learn the soft touch in contested shots like Al. If they dig it, they will have a much bigger threat that the defender will have difficult time guessing whether if he will force his way through or step back or aside and lay it up or hook it.