Great Big Men

1. Great big men can finish in traffic with at least one go-to move and one counter move.
*Tall or small, big or quick, this player simply has automated his scoring skills to the point he just knows he can score when given the ball at a moment of opportunity.
2. Great big men practice the 3 C’s.
*They make it a point to always catch, chin and check.
3. Great big men establish position with a Doleac stance.
*This stance gets as wide and low as necessary to take up as much space in the paint to create the best possible angle and target.
4. Great big men can convert from a low-wide power position to a quick, vertical jump.
*This is especially important late in the game when the legs become heavy and fatigue has set in.
5. Great big men are hard-to-guard.
*They stay active and force their defender to respect and defend each position on the court – low post and/or high post – as a possible scoring threat.
6. Great big men are neither a “black hole” nor an automatic “toss-back machine”.
*They have the ability to read the defense take a high percentage shot, but also recognize a pass back out might lead to an even better scoring play.
7. Great big men can step outside and knock down the 15’ jump shot.
*The best can even step behind the arc and make the sagging defense pay for their lack of respect.
8. Great big men have good court vision.
*Even as they begin to initiate a post move, many teams will double down; an alert post player will recognize this and pass to the open cutter.
9. Great big men are extremely active on the offensive boards.
*They are relentless in pursuit of the ball. They may have to tip the ball two, three, four times just to keep it alive – their perseverance often times dictates the outcome of the game.
10. Great big men use the glass.
*They are able to create higher percentage shots and reduce the effectiveness of a great shot blocker by using the backboard.
11. Great big men can defend.
*They stay very active and keep themselves between the basket and the ball. Rarely do they leave their feet to give up a foul or position. This positioning also allows them to defensively rebound the ball to death!
12. Great big men talk.
*They are excellent communicators. With their back to the basket most of the time, they often have the best vantage point to call out screens and/or potential scoring threats.
13. Great big run the floor.
*Possession after possession, they sprint from block to block and beat their man down the floor. Though they may not always touch the ball, they will always position themselves to do so.
14. Great big men are quick outlets.
*They know the value of making a quick outlet pass (2-seconds or less). They might also utilize a “bust-out” dribble or two.
15. Great big men contest shots.
*They have the ability to block and/or alter shots without fouling. Blocking the shot and keeping it in play is their signature rather than swatting it into the bleachers. They play smart.

So what if they’re tall, we’ll play big!