Common Mistakes Beginner Basketball Players Make
You want to dunk like MJ, hit the defense like Leonard, and score better than Durant, Curry, and Lebron combined. Hey, no one became a good basketball player by not dreaming big!
We’ll say this much—the bigger you dream, the harder it’s going to be to achieve your goals. But with a whole lot of grit and by avoiding some of the common mistakes beginner basketball players make, you can shoot for the moon and get the stars thrown in.
Neglecting the Basics
When you see buzzer-beating three-point shots, complicated layups, and backboard shattering slam dunks, it’s hard not to be dazzled. But as impressive as these moves are, you can’t let yourself forget that these players wouldn’t be in a position to make these heart-stopping plays without the boring basics.
As a new player, you should focus your attention on perfecting your foundational skills, such as:
- Pivoting without traveling
- Defensive footwork
- Staying balanced while shooting
- Follow-through
- Keeping your head up while dribbling
- Securing the ball before dribbling
- Basic passing skills
In your quest to build your personal skills, it’s also essential to keep in mind that you are one unit in a team. Building your awareness of your teammates when you’re on the court will make you a better player on any team.
Not Being Coachable
When we see basketball legends, it’s easy to think that they were always the incredible players they were when they won championships. But talent is only one part of the equation. There are some incredibly talented players who never make the team because they never put in the work to grow as players.
But the only way to improve is to admit that you have room to grow. That means accepting criticism from your coach and your teammates. Trust us—the more you listen, the better a player you’ll become.
Not Playing Hard Enough During Training
One of the easiest mistakes to make as a rookie basketball player is falling into the mindset of, “I don’t need to go all out during training. I’ll just pull out the stops during the actual game.”
Here’s the thing about game day—you will be pushing yourself past exhaustion and then some, and your wick will be a lot shorter if you aren’t used to going that hard. If you treat every practice session like it’s the NBA finals, you’ll be able to play at 100 percent capacity for much longer.
Not Listening To Your Body
As important as it is to go hard, that doesn’t mean ignoring all your needs. We all know stories about athletes at the top of their game getting taken out by an injury, and the easiest way to make an injury worse is to play on it.
If you listen to your body, it’s easy to tell the difference between DOMS and an injury. When it’s time to rest, do what you have to do, whether it’s icing your knees or taking CBD for chronic pain. Then you’ll be able to get back on the court.