Most people think basketball is all about getting the physical edge on the competition, but I beg to differ.
I’d rather have the ability to make smart decisions on the court over being physically strong with terrible decision-making skills.
The Power Of Decisions
Every time you step on the basketball court you will have to make decisions. Your performance on the basketball court will be determined by the decisions you make.
Not only do you have to make smart decisions, but you also have to make them quickly and you can’t dwell on a decision once it is made.
You need to be able to react to the defense and you need to be able to force the offense to turn over the ball.
Smart decision-making is the key to winning basketball games. That is why coaches are necessary in organized basketball teams. In most cases, a basketball coach has extremely high basketball IQ and he/she has the ability to make the right decisions under pressure.
Decision Making vs. Athleticism
How is it possible that a non-athletic basketball player can outperform an extremely athletic basketball player?
It all comes down to decision-making.
The better player will always be the one who understands the game of basketball better, and who knows how to use his/her God-given talents to the best of his/her ability.
It doesn’t matter if you are 6’6 and you have a 50 inch vertical. If you don’t have the ability to make intelligent decisions on the basketball court, your game will suffer.
Examples of NBA players who excel despite their lack of athleticism include Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Andre Miller, Zach Randolph. These guys are proof that decision-making is crucial to high performance in the game of basketball.
How To Make Better Decisions On The Basketball Court
If you want to make better decisions on the basketball court, you need to play more basketball. Pay attention to situations where you make bad decisions and address them on your downtime.
If you find yourself turning the ball over every time you drive left, you probably need to develop your left hand dribbling and scoring ability.
Learn from your mistakes (trial and error). Your practice sessions are the best time to try different things, and learn what works and what doesn’t work. Leave your bad decisions for practice, so when it is game time you can be confident in your decision-making.
Learn from the professionals. If you want to start making better decisions, watch videos of the top players in the world. Analyze what the pros do on the basketball court and start doing the same.
