Is Driving The Ball Or Shooting More Important In Basketball?
In basketball, is driving the ball or shooting the ball more important? This has been a source of heated debate for decades among coaches and players.
That depends. If you are the type of player who can shoot effectively from anywhere on the court, then you should spend most of your time shooting. However, if you are more of a dribbler or a ball-handler, spending most of your time driving is best for you.
But I have more to share with you. Most people think the primary purpose of shooting in basketball is to score points. That’s true. But it’s only one of the purposes. The other goal is to get your team into a good shooting position so you can take the ball and drive it to the basket and score yourself or your teammates.
Reasons To Drive The Ball
Here are four primary reasons to spend more time driving the ball:
1. It forces your opponent to adjust to you. When you are driving to the basket, your opponent has no idea where the ball will go. He doesn’t know if you will pass it to one of your teammates, drive to the basket yourself, or set a screen for one of your teammates to drive to the basket.
Because of this, your opponent must make constant adjustments to stop you from scoring. This makes it very difficult for him to run his offense smoothly and efficiently.
2. It forces your opponent to guard you. If you are an excellent ball-handler, you can create an endless amount of easy baskets for yourself and your teammates.
However, this will also cause your opponent to pay more attention to you and your ball-handling skills. This means he will be less focused on stopping you when you attempt to drive to the basket.
3. It is more fun. When you are driving to the basket, it is much more exciting for both you and your teammates. You feel like you are playing in a video game where the goal is to get points. When you pass the ball or shoot the ball, it is more of a “passing” experience.
But, when you are driving to the basket, it is much more of a “real” experience. You have to work to get the ball to the basket and score. This makes it more exciting for everyone involved.
4. It makes your team more effective. If you spend more time driving the ball, you will open up more driving lanes for your teammates. This will make it easier for them to get to the basket and easier for you to pass to them.
Also, if you do an excellent job of driving the ball, it will force your opponent to pay more attention to you and your teammates. This will make it easier for you to run your offense smoothly and efficiently. The first step in learning how to drive to the basket is to practice doing it every day. The second step is to add a little variety to your practice.
Reasons To Shoot The Ball
Here are four primary reasons to spend more time shooting the ball:
1. It improves your shooting percentage. People don’t spend more time shooting the ball because they don’t feel they can shoot well enough to make it worth their while. But that’s simply not true. If you can make just a single shot consistently, then you can improve your shooting percentage dramatically.
You see, most people (including me) have what is called a “concentration” problem when it comes to shooting the ball. They concentrate so hard on making the shot they want to make that they neglect to take the easiest shot available to them.
2. It will improve your accuracy. The best way to improve your accuracy is to take more shots. But, it’s easy to say, “Well, I guess I’ll just start taking more shots.”
And that’s what many people do. But that’s not the right thing to do. What you should do instead is practice with more intensity. This will force you to become more concentrated and focused, and it will improve your accuracy immediately.
3. It will improve your touch. The best way to improve your touch is to shoot a lot of balls. But, again, that’s not what most people do. They don’t spend enough time shooting the ball to improve their touch. So, what they end up doing is they dribble the ball a little, hold it for a long time, move the ball a little and then attempt to shoot. This is inferior form.
4. It will improve your confidence. The best way to improve your confidence is to take more shots. After you get the hang of it, you’ll find it very easy to take more shots. But, you’ll have to force yourself at first. And, the best way to force yourself is to shoot a lot of balls.
The worst thing you can do is go out there and try to make just one or two shots and then give up. That will only lower your confidence even further. Instead, what you should do is take as many shots as you need to until you are confident enough to pass to an open man or take a good look at the basket and attempt a shot.
What is the difference between these two skills?
The difference between driving the ball and shooting is that you are almost always looking for an opening to pass to or for your teammates to run through when you are driving the ball. Whereas when you are shooting, you are always looking for the easiest shot available to you.
These two types of shots are very different. When you are driving the ball, what you are concentrating on is moving the ball. When you are shooting, what you are focused on is making the shot.
Why are they both equally important?
They are both essential aspects of the game of basketball. But, they are vital for different reasons. Driving the ball is crucial to the success of an offense. But, shooting the ball is crucial to the success of a player.
If you can shoot the ball well, you can dominate your opponents regardless of how good they are at driving the ball. It’s just like in life. To be good at anything, you have to practice that thing. But, to be good at something, you have to practice the thing a lot, and you have to do it until it becomes almost an automatic reaction.
Which one should you work on first if you want to be a great player?
Finally, which one is more critical to your game? That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? The answer is simple: You should work on both. You see, working on one aspect of your game while neglecting the other will almost always result in diminished performance.
This is true for any skill. It is especially true because basketball is a team sport. If you want to excel, you have to do it as a team. And, if you are going to do it as a team, you have to practice the various aspects of the game equally. You can’t say you will focus all your energy on one area of your game and then completely ignore the other areas. That would be like saying you are going to run a race and only walk the marathon.
You wouldn’t win the race. So, what I’m saying is you should practice each part of your game equally. Shoot, pass, score, rebound, defend, etc. If you do this, the good Lord will see that your team wins more than they lose.
Conclusion
Is Driving The Ball Or Shooting More Important In Basketball? In my opinion, both are important. But, one is much more important than the other. You see, when you are driving the ball, it is crucial to pass to an open man or move the ball quickly enough to get an open shot. But, when you are shooting, it is essential to take the easiest shot available to you.
Therefore, I believe the most crucial aspect of basketball is shooting the ball. However, I also believe a good player can drive the ball exceptionally well. And I also believe a good player can make a challenging shot under pressure. So, in my mind, the ability to do either of these things separates a good player from a great player.
