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PART two
of building your team is actually about recruiting, and
saying such, it is important to exactly know what you
are looking for. Although we have seen several types of
team offenses evolve throughout the years, the concept
of basketball positions basically remain the same.
This is
particularly true in basketball being played in
communities and schools. The tallest member of the
class, even if he is way off the size of Shaquille O’
Neal, would always be picked as center. The point guard
role would always be reserved for the quickest and often
the smallest person in class.
Basketball coaching nowadays, at least in the
professional level, is starting to veer away from these
stereotypes. Today you’ll see a seven-footer in Dirk
Nowitzki shooting a trey, although this is no surprise
as decades ago, Lakers point guard Magic Johnson even
played center at the time when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar got
injured.
Tall
centers are aplenty in US, European, Middle-East and
Chinese basketball, and this concern hits us even more
in the international area. A typical center in a local
scene stands around 6’5” to 6’6” in the early years,
although a player of that size could now play guard in
the National Basketball Association.
In
recent years, there was the emergence of Filipino
players who are taller than the average but are nowhere
as strong and as talented as their foreign counterparts.
I would like to see the day when a player with the
height of an EJ Feihl move like an Alvin Patrimonio or a
Benjie Paras.
So back
to our topic, what should a coach look for in a center?
Among these are:
Height.
When you are in a league where a tall center is the
norm, then you would necessarily look for a tall player
to fit the bill.
Upper-body strength.
Playing in the shaded lane entails a lot of jostling and
shoving against players of the same size so upper-body
strength is very important.
Rebounding ability.
Is the prospect an aggressive rebounder both
defensively and offensively? Being the tallest player in
the team, this responsibility is automatically hoisted
upon him.
Defensive and shot-blocking ability.
This is related to defense. Does he have the ability to
intimidate and force an opposing player to change his
shot? Does he consider the shaded lane as his exclusive
domain and jealously guard it from enemy intrusion?
Scoring
ability at close and midrange.
His height often gives him the advantage in scoring
position inside and as such, we often see the
bread-and-butter post-up play. A center often uses power
lay-ups, short hooks, jump shots and off-the-glass hits
at pointblank range as his main weapons. Nowadays, a
center could even possess the ability to hit the
three-point shot.
Passing
ability.
Although traditionally the prime option in basketball, a
center must know the game instinctively well to know the
movements of his teammates and know when to pass when he
is contained.
Some
coaches cite strong hands, quickness, athleticism and
jumping ability as necessary, but I think the things
I’ve mentioned above are the most essential.
Now, the
next question is: Do we find all of these abilities in
one individual alone? Sadly not. As mentioned earlier,
most Filipino players do have size but oftentimes lack
the other essential qualities.
So, in
the process, we make do with what we see in scouting
trips. It takes a good eye and perception to know if a
tall player could be developed into a quality center who
befits the position. We have heard of so many project
players but only a few develop their potentials to
become centers to reckon with.
At
worst, tall players without hard work and dedication to
become one just live off their size. Too bad.
*****
THIS
week’s mail came from Josuah T., who wrote:
Dear
coach,
My son,
who is tall, is often designated to play as center.
Could this stump his growth as a cager to play other
positions like guard when he advances in the game
further?
Dear
Josuah,
Tall
players often do get picked as centers because of their
size. But it is important to get your son enrolled in a
basketball facility or be under a capable and patient
coach to teach him fundamentals necessary whatever
position he may play. These days, the ability to play
multiple positions is an advantage. His experience as a
center would give him the idea on how to position for a
rebound and how to score underneath, abilities that
would be a plus when he plays a position other than
center in the future.
Coach E |
