Which basketball skill is hardest to acquire?

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one_manshow
one_manshow Members Posts: 4,591 ✭✭✭✭
edited November 2011 in From the Cheap Seats
Which basketball skill is the most difficult to master if one hasn't acquired it before they turn pro? For example,Dirk really improved his rebounding rate after his rookie season. Karl Malone improved his FT %. Durant improved his ball-handling skill, somewhat.

I am talking about physical skill set (not the intangible like basketball IQ or court-awareness) that can be potentially improved thru repetition and training.

For those who have played b-ball at the elite level what do you thing is the most difficult skill to acquire?

The list of skill that a young player can potentially improve:
- ball handling
- post game
- shooting (midrange or 3-point)
- free throw shooting
- play-making (passing/court vision)
- rebounding
- defense (man-to-man or rotation)
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  • Beta
    Beta Members Posts: 65,596 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    I wanna say a tie between Play-making and post game. Playmaking requires decision-making and has a mental aspect to it(even though you said only physical skill) And since the post game is almost nonexistent to today's NBA Centers and PF's I would say that too.
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  • Mrslim1
    Mrslim1 Members Posts: 2,614 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    I think play making is more of an intangible than a skill.
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  • wilberdmillz
    wilberdmillz Members Posts: 2,159 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    I.Q.....................
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  • b*braze
    b*braze Members Posts: 8,968 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    jump shot/midrange game
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  • NothingButTheTruth
    NothingButTheTruth Members Posts: 10,850 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    Obviously the jump shot.
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  • lamontbdc
    lamontbdc Members Posts: 18,824 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    when i was young my grandfather would tie my right hand behind my back and i'd dribble a mile. then he'd tie my left hand behind my back and i'd dribble a mile back to the house.

    It all depends on yoru natural skill set. soem guys are just pure shooters and have to just work on range. some guys have that nose for the ball and get boards easy. Some dudes got handle. But a lot of guys only got handle for show. Press them and they crumble.

    Post game is such a lost art due to AAU ball and everybody playing with the ? in their hands facing the basket

    end of the day you will need to always work on your jump shot
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  • Vader_F_Kennedy
    Vader_F_Kennedy Members Posts: 17,715 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    im riding with playmaking!
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  • blakfyahking
    blakfyahking Members Posts: 15,785 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    tie between defense and ballhandling

    playmaking is something you either got or you don't


    you can't practice the instincts that make you a good playmaker
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  • Focal Point
    Focal Point Members Posts: 16,307 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    blakfyahking wrote: »
    tie between defense and ballhandling

    playmaking is something you either got or you don't


    you can't practice the instincts that make you a good playmaker

    good answer
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  • playmaker88
    playmaker88 Members Posts: 67,905 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    Ball handling..

    Thats probably my weakest


    Defense is more of a want to and a desire.. its really not hard to do.. .. to be great at yeah.But giving an effort is easy..
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  • R.D.
    R.D. Members Posts: 20,156 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    playmaker88 wrote: »
    Ball handling..

    Thats probably my weakest


    Defense is more of a want to and a desire.. its really not hard to do.. .. to be great at yeah.But giving an effort is easy..
    this...in particular, the off hand

    Matter of fact, the off hand skills are hardest to acquire
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  • detcatinva
    detcatinva Members Posts: 11,691 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    i gotta go with dribbling. partly because my boy durrell summers who went to MSU had all the skills and talent. was 6'5 with long arms, could jump and had a jumper but could not dribble. thats why his draft stock fell miserably his senior year and he didnt get drafted
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  • blakfyahking
    blakfyahking Members Posts: 15,785 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    playmaker88 wrote: »
    Ball handling..

    Thats probably my weakest


    Defense is more of a want to and a desire.. its really not hard to do.. .. to be great at yeah.But giving an effort is easy..

    I disagree with the bolded

    being an individual defender isn't that hard................but doing it as part of a team can be difficult

    it takes a lot more than just individual effort
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  • R.D.
    R.D. Members Posts: 20,156 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    blakfyahking wrote: »
    I disagree with the bolded

    being an individual defender isn't that hard................but doing it as part of a team can be difficult

    it takes a lot more than just individual effort

    team defending is easier than individual defense
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  • playmaker88
    playmaker88 Members Posts: 67,905 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    rap doctor wrote: »
    team defending is easier than individual defense
    Yeah basically its about communication and just knowing when to drop off and shift.. ? around the way dont understand this.. concept
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  • GettinLo
    GettinLo Members Posts: 8,036 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    For me it's ball handling but that's because when I was younger I was taller than most kids so coaches immediately put me in the post. I seriously never dribbled a ball more than 3 dribbles until I started playing pickup games in college... I was the WOAT 6'3 ? in the world with the rock in open space...
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  • ShawnCoonery
    ShawnCoonery Members Posts: 211
    edited October 2011
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    ball handling imo…
    Playmaking is more of an intangible
    Post game is often more about size than skill in a lot of cases…no matter how high the skill…A great back down guard is going to lose against a bigger stronger forward of avg skill more often than not
    shooting is relatively easy to improve…all u have to do is work on proper technique
    rebounding and defense are more about will than skill i mean outside of timing for boards and a little lateral quickness for perimeter d
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  • detcatinva
    detcatinva Members Posts: 11,691 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    ShawnCoonery wrote: »
    ball handling imo…
    Playmaking is more of an intangible
    Post game is often more about size than skill in a lot of cases…no matter how high the skill…A great back down guard is going to lose against a bigger stronger forward of avg skill more often than not
    shooting is relatively easy to improve…all u have to do is work on proper technique
    rebounding and defense are more about will than skill i mean outside of timing for boards and a little lateral quickness for perimeter d

    naw skill is muh needed in the post. dwight and lebron got all the size in the world and no post game
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  • ShawnCoonery
    ShawnCoonery Members Posts: 211
    edited October 2011
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    detcatinva wrote: »
    naw skill is muh needed in the post. dwight and lebron got all the size in the world and no post game

    so we just gone act like Dwight doesn't dominate in the post with limited post moves/skill just because he's bigger and more athletic than everyone else?
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  • playmaker88
    playmaker88 Members Posts: 67,905 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    detcatinva wrote: »
    naw skill is muh needed in the post. dwight and lebron got all the size in the world and no post game

    Not really.. all you need to do is know how to use your body.. of course in a perfect world you want to have a myriad of moves but a few basic moves will do you wonders.. if yo know how to use your body
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  • blakfyahking
    blakfyahking Members Posts: 15,785 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    rap doctor wrote: »
    team defending is easier than individual defense
    playmaker88 wrote: »
    Yeah basically its about communication and just knowing when to drop off and shift.. ? around the way dont understand this.. concept

    ya'll really think it's is easier than individual defense?

    then why so many zone defenses get humiliated?
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  • ShawnCoonery
    ShawnCoonery Members Posts: 211
    edited October 2011
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    blakfyahking wrote: »
    ya'll really think it's is easier than individual defense?

    then why so many zone defenses get humiliated?

    a team with decent shooters and a decent PG that can drive and kick out to said shooters will dismantle the best of zone Ds ala Duke offense
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  • playmaker88
    playmaker88 Members Posts: 67,905 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    blakfyahking wrote: »
    ya'll really think it's is easier than individual defense?

    then why so many zone defenses get humiliated?
    I dont see many instances where zone get KILLED"

    Great shooting via passing is always the kryptonite for the zone..

    Especially the corners
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  • blakfyahking
    blakfyahking Members Posts: 15,785 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    ShawnCoonery wrote: »
    a team with decent shooters and a decent PG that can drive and kick out to said shooters will dismantle the best of zone Ds ala Duke offense

    exactly my point about team defense being more difficult
    playmaker88 wrote: »
    I dont see many instances where zone get KILLED"

    Great shooting via passing is always the kryptonite for the zone..

    Especially the corners

    exactly, that's why it's more difficult to do team defense than individual IMO


    cause even in man, a really good player can easily break thru a double team................and if you that nice, at least 3 defenders will have to challenge you whenever you touch the ball

    it's hard to coach/teach a team to deal with that
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  • detcatinva
    detcatinva Members Posts: 11,691 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2011
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    ShawnCoonery wrote: »
    so we just gone act like Dwight doesn't dominate in the post with limited post moves/skill just because he's bigger and more athletic than everyone else?

    yea but that is mostly attributed to no other centers in the league as athletic as him. In Lebron's case u have so many athletic wing players to guard him that can stop him in the post because he has no skill on the post
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