In the game of basketball, there is one ball to be shared amongst five players. In The Origins Basketball Dr James Naismith developed a basketball with laces that wasn’t conducive for dribbling. The original rules stated that you could not move from your spot on the court forcing everyone to share or pass the ball.
As the game evolved through the 1970-2000, dribbling had become the primary way to advance the ball. As positions and roles developed, the point guard was given primary ball-handling responsibilities. That included passing and assisting to the other positions, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center.
Recently, European coaches, with the United States following suit, have found that passing the basketball up and around the court is more effective. Since the change in philosophy, points are up, assist are up, viewership is at an all-time high and players seem to enjoy the game more because everyone gets a chance to touch the ball.
“Offensive basketball encompasses three fundamental areas. Shoot. Pass. Dribble. Most call it the triple threat. I call it the “Go” or “Go Movements.”
Individually, players that can pass the ball that leads directly to a score (assists) are valuable to the game of basketball. Typically when you have great passers on a team you when more.
Being a great passer comes down to a few key traits:
- Unselfishness
- Delivers the ball on time
- Delivers a catchable ball
- Possess great vision
- Struggle to be great shooters
Occasionally, you will find a someone that is a gifted passer who can make his or her teammates better. The best of scenarios would be for all players to have the ability to hit a open man. Its the most infectious play in basketball.
