What skills are lacking most right now?

[BasketballMind]

Posted this question on the boys side as well. What I’ve long thought is that in general, girls are better when it comes to shooting form, talking on defense, and post moves. Most good girls teams have a player that can post up, execute a post move/counter and score. Talking on defense is almost always better on the girls side and their shooting form tends to be a lot more correct. Where I notice girls teams struggle is ball handling, perimeter footwork, and passing. To me that’s why you see a lot of turnovers off of pressing.

Many girls teams that are average in terms of talent, but fast and in shape will win games against teams just as talented, that can’t break a press. I think at times it can hurt teams that win a handful of games every year because they’re spotted 20-30 points off turnovers. More half court offense and execution over the season will help these good teams when they can’t just throw out a press and put a team away in the first half.

The good teams will abandon the press in games they know they’re going to win and run their offense, set plays, and focus on execution.

[airmail]

Teamwork. Sharing the ball. Creating.

Some top tier teams in the state could be pretty incredible if particular players didn't need to get their own stats first. Lots of "individuals" out there - even on some very talented teams.

[BasketballMind]

Teamwork. Sharing the ball. Creating.

Some top tier teams in the state could be pretty incredible if particular players didn't need to get their own stats first. Lots of "individuals" out there - even on some very talented teams.

I can see that on certain teams with one clear-cut star player. What's always interesting to me is the difference in talent level for girls individually within their own team. Especially when it's more common on the girls side for Junior High players to get bumped up to varsity. You'll see within a starting lineup a player that could play basketball at the college level and players that wouldn't start on other teams JV teams. I'm not speaking of a specific team/player at this moment, but over the years I've seen that plenty of times. A player that goes to all the camps, plays summer league, AAU, complete gym rat, etc. Then you have the casual players who don't really improve after 8th/9th grade, but come out for the team for something to do. Completely different mindsets and it shows by watching those teams play offense.

Some of that is on the coaches, but you can tell kids until you're blue in the face that they need to work on X, Y, and Z in the off-season, if they don't do it, there isn't much else you can do. Coaches can't put the ball in their hands and make them work on it. Plenty of kids "go to the lake" in the summer. I love that as an excuse, as if you can't bring a basketball with you and work on ball handling, shooting form, and just go out for a 2-3 mile run once a day to get better. Kids that get it, get it. Kids that don't, don't.