| The Dime Piece: Want to play in the NBA? Insiders Take on Five Things Scouts Look for. |
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| Tuesday, 25 May 2010 01:52 |
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Professional basketball is a numbers game. Many men are called but few are chosen. They're approximately 400 slots available in the NBA for the millions who play basketball across the world so you figure the odds. Think about the best player on your team or region or even the state and figure there's a good chance they won't make the NBA. They're McDonalds All Americans who never play in the NBA. So what must you have to get a legitimate shot to make an NBA roster. An insider's take on five things scouts look for. 1. The Secret Sauce - That something special The McDonalds Big Mac has that special sauce that distinguishes it's sandwich in the marketplace and such is the case with scouting NBA prospects. As I'm told, NBA prospects have to have a special something that makes them standout on a basketball court compared to their peers. It could be extraordinary speed and quickness (Allen Iverson, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo, Monta Ellis, John Wall). It could be explosive leaping ability ( Baron Davis in his prime, Vince Carter, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Derrick Rose). It could be strength and power like a Zach Randolph, Dwight Howard or Shaquille O'Neal. It could also be an exceptional skill set (passing ability, court awarness, shooting and ball handling ability) that sets the player apart from his peers to control his environment and make the game look easy (LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Kevin Durant, Stephon Curry, Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, and Brandon Roy). 2. Must Have a postion Where can they put you? Are you a point guard? Shooting guard? Small Forward? Power Forward or Center? 3. Can You Defend Your Position? 4. Can you create your own shot? 5. Can you eat? These are the intangibles. Do you dive for loose balls. Do you have potential weight issues? Are you disciplined? Do you have character issues? Do you have a strong work ethic? If you aspire to play in the NBA, the key comes down to taking advantage of all opportunities that put you in a position to get noticed like maintaining a good GPA in high school which would make you eligible for a good school. While in college you must work hard to polish your skills and build your body while developing a strong work ethic that scouts can take notice of. Remember, while you're sleeping someone else is working on their game. The Dime Piece is a weekly column on everything basketball. Follow it on dcmetrosports.com weekly in the blog section. |