Professional Basketball Training for Players
Despite what many may believe, professional basketball players train in much the same fashion that amateur players train, only with a higher level of intensity and physical demand. At the professional level, every player is already extremely talented, so learning how to properly shoot a jump shot is not necessarily relevant. Intense practicing with fundamentals such as jump shots, though, becomes necessary to maintain a level of consistency. Having the ability to perform in game situations when the pressure is high, and the stakes higher, is extremely important.
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Ball Control
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Controling the ball is a fundamentally important skill, even for the professional player. Learning to control the ball well, no matter what your skill level, is vital to any basketball player's game. While most amateur players train in basic ball control by learning to dribble with both hands, without looking down at the ball, a professional player might practice the same skill set, only in longer intervals, and under more physical stress. Mimicking game-time stress and pressure is essential to the professional basketball player's training.
Jump Shots
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Practicing jump shots for the professional basketball player is very much similar to the way that he might practice ball control. Just as amateur players train by learning proper jump shot technique, the professional player trains by learning to shoot with the proper technique after extensive amounts of running, jumping and general physical duress. Muscle fatigue in the legs and arms often affects the way a player shoots, even if he knows the proper technique.
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Defensive Training
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Defensive training involves physical endurance and a handful of skills. As with offensive skills, defense is also largely based on physical endurance. Proper defensive technique at the amateur level, in fact, is not extremely complicated, and really only involves a handful of skills to keep in mind. At the professional level, defensive training primarily involves learning to stay alert and on your toes when defending a player, especially in the final minutes of a game, when the outcome is often decided.
Transition Game
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Learning to play both sides of the court in quick transition is vital at the professional level, and is not only a test of endurance and physical strength, but developing an alertness on the court. Professional basketball players develop their transition game by sometimes learning to defend with fewer players than the offensive attack, making more of a demand on defensive court awareness, and understanding where the open space is on the court.
Double-teaming
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Professional and amateur basketball teams often have a "star" player who gets double-teamed. At the professional level, double- and triple-teaming a player often occurs when you have a team with one significantly more talented player than any other. LeBron James as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers is an excellent example of this. Learning to break double and triple teams by moving the ball to open players is a part of the professional basketball player's training. As with transition game training, breaking up a double team is very much about reading the open court and understanding where to move the ball when a player is double- or triple-teamed.
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References
Resources
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