On the way to NBA Success…

There’s no denying environmental factors play a role, but all things equal (physically , technically and environmentally), why does player A find consistent NBA success, while player B struggles?

I’ve been bombarded recently with questions on the distinguishing factors of top players in the NBA.  Of course, top players are able to focus on what’s necessary for success in the moment of exchange. Looking around the league, there are so many players with physical and technical gifts. Why is it that some players – regardless of their talent, find it difficult to have consistent success.

So many  mega-stars lose their luster once they hit the league.   There’s no denying environmental factors play a role, but all things equal  (physically , technically and environmentally), why does player A find consistent NBA success, while player B struggles?

It all comes down to application or execution of skill sets… the A in PTAG (Physical skills, Technical Skills, Application of both, Grit-focus factor).  Physical and technical skills are great if properly applied… period.

Related: PTAG –The Virtual Game of Basketball of Basketball

I’ve said before that many of the top players in the NBA ( and all levels for that matter) do the same things.  I’m going to list the Top 6 defaults most consistently successful players incorporate into their play.

1) Successful  players are “Stay-first” artists, which means they understand the A-B-C’s of play.  The Law of Leadership grants the offensive player the right the be A or first and thus force the defender  to respond to an action as B; then the offensive player gets to “C” what to do and be continuously contrary to manipulate.

2) Top players typically have outstanding ROM (Range-of-motion), with the body and extended ball-side arm. ROM (body) is the range of movement forward with the head and shoulders without committing to actual movement with the feet. This mechanism  slurs the motion of offensives players forward and gives them more time to process the “B” movement of the defenders. ROM (ball) is the range of movement with the arm towards the lane , without committing to the dribble.

3) Top players use “hover” and  “false-leg” maneuvers (off-the-dribble) and quick-sticks and up-fakes (off-the-catch) to stay first and contrary.

4) Top players represent themselves with their shoulders or “Blades” during play and flex on contact.

5) Top players use “fractions-of-steps” to manipulate and play at a moderate to slow pace.  These players are rarely out of control and exploit defensive foibles with explosive and decisive action.

6) Top players have a broad “Scope-of-vision”. This is the ability to see up from the floor and the rim at the same time.  This provides early  vision of the environment and slows the action of the game down (perceptively) making processing and decision-making much easier.

There are optimum defaults for every facet of the game. Make a point to start identifying how certain player “go” (are having success) and how certain situations are handled in the flow. The more you watch, the more you’ll realize what I already know:

OMG (bling, bling)... “they’re all doing the same things”. 

Every step you take may be as important as every breath you take.   Each breath connects you with life on earth.  Each step  connects you with your physical life on earth.

Mathematical precision of movement is necessary for the proper functioning of any machine; otherwise the system would be prone to breakdowns and malfunction.   Human beings are machines, yet so many fail to utilize their bodies in the proper way mechanically.  So many structural ailments of the body can be directly attributed  to how individuals connect to the earth with their feet and subsequently how they function. 

Ideally we connect with emphasis on the front-foot area (pad) , while focusing on moving our  energy forward off the heel.

This promotes proper structure (body symmetry,  balance and stability) and proper body mechanics (torque and fluid movement).  Landing with energy moving back toward the  heel promotes an inward moving butt, which not only creates unhealthy torque on the system , but also  interferes with the natural  flow or transfer of the energy created by the feet.

As a result, movement (based on efficiency) becomes more laborious and moves outside of the natural (mathematical) rhythm of the body.   This promotes  poor posture, symmetry and will lead to physical issues over time.  For athletes, improper structure  diminishes athleticism and makes those in violation more susceptible to injury –especially the knee and back variety.

Everyone should learn to respect the power of every step on earth.  It will change the way you operate (as a machine), the way you look  and the way you feel.

Related: “Foot Mechanics is Quite the Feet” 

I tried to warn  you m@#%f’s (I guess I can say that in a Blog) in” eMPTy Without It“. Maybe you got the  message … maybe you didn’t. Ok. Sorry for the harsh tone, but it seems to be the kind of verbage y’all  can relate to.  I guess it’s true… pimpin ain’t easy.

Everybody seems to have a personal trainer. But… the question is… is he or she a developer (“Gainer”) or like most–a “Maintainer?” Like I said before, “maintainers” have a certain value, only they’re just what the term implies– maintenance people. Can’t have a fancy high-rise without a maintenance plan . The structure would lose its value before its time ( I agree). That’s why Maintainers are great for what they do and necessary for top-level competitors. But who in the world would hire a maintenance person to build an annex, a new floor or even remodel a facility.  Maybe an architect, or developer… but a maintenance person only!?  WTF#@$?!

So I ask. Why are so many top-level players hiring maintenance people for “additions” to their game? I’m curious what the maintainers are saying to these guys and gals to get them to believe they are actually changing skill levels. Unless, it’s the players simply taking advantage of the “luxury” of not having to change too much and being satisfied with where they are (maybe scuurrred….. of work of this type– at least). I understand the reluctance. Being good, outrageous and ridiculous already makes it even harder (psychologically) to initiate change and get better beyond that. Plus, programming new information into your  (brain) and in many cases, over-writing existing programs, is no joke.

On top of that, it seems that too many top-level Maintainers are “Pimps” who have positioned themselves with ridiculous “game” of their own.  I know of one “top flight” maintainer who never played or coached… but he did go to law school and presumably slept at a Holiday Inn?  Maybe that’s when he came up with his workouts and the lyrics needed to sway his faithful following.

So if Trainers or Maintainers are “pimps”, doesn’t that make the players with maintainance people Ho’s? I mean they are giving up that booty and Maintainers do fly around city to city collecting checks. I’d like to get my hands on an audio of one of the sessions…

“Say Mayne… look here! I need you ta dribble down to da blue right der there three times, wit two basketbawls. Ima strap diss here harness around yo sculptid lil waist… hah, hah. Then I want you to make six jumpas wit me holdn owne to da pulley. Nahmean?

Now if you can make jumpas with me hangin on yo ass… you can dam sho make em when it counts in da in the game wid ain’t nobody holdn you ….hanhanhan!!!!! Nahumsayn?”

I don’t understand why so many players accept staying the same or settling for the marginal gains of the common “workout.” If you’re a level 80 player, It IS still possible to get better, and I don’t  just mean in better shape. Getting in better shape will enable you to demonstrate your current skills more easily– perhaps; but it won’t get you to level 85 or beyond in terms of your skill development.

I  hope you haven’t been duped to believe you’re maxed out (skill-wise) and all you have to do is get a little wiser…the 100th percentile of function, across all skill sets, is a long way off— even if your name is Kobe or LeBron. Tragically, convincing most players they’re “there” isn’t that hard since so many players have a higher opinion of themselves than the level they are actually on.

The maintainer swoops in and convinces you they are the answer to keeping you where you are (in the league?) a few years longer? I don’t know. I don’t claim to understand the Pimp game…but it seems to work quite well on the street and in basketball . You would think at some point the Ho would call BS on the arrangement. Yet it remains a thriving industry… for the Pimp.

Is there a solution? Is there anyone  or any model– other than Virtual Play, that verifiably pushes any player to the next level (regardless of what level he or she  may be  on). Most of the time people  pick up a drill here and a drill there…maybe they ‘re even privy to “top-level” workouts. After they’ve collected enough drills, they start calling themselves “Trainers.”  But at the end of the day what they offer is … Yep– a workout.

Either you have a optimization plan to move your game towards the 100th percentile of function (the basketball Matrix) or you don’t!!!!! Any thing short of that is just good “game.” What you really want is a good “Gainer.”

Related: Virtual Training

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER ARTICLES ON THE SIDEBAR UNDER NEW POSTS!

This era of the physical freak has morphed the game of basketball beyond physical recognition. It is becoming more and more difficult to compete on today’s athletic plane. The odds of being the most physically gifted player on the court are quite slim…

Fortunately, in the world of Virtual Play, the measure of performance is determined by the net results of technical actions and not necessarily the physical prowess of the performer…

Related: Sci-Fi or Hi-Sci (Highly Scientific)

This application bridges the gap between the super-freak and the average athlete. Physics, in one form or another is one of the oldest academic disciplines. It seeks to understand very basic concepts such as force, mass, energy and momentum. Through the use of precise movement… you will be able to execute in ways that will produce matrix-like outcomes during play…

Martial art has shown for centuries that there are no mathematical or physical limits to optimizing technique or execution…

The power lies in ultimate focus on applying the basics as an art form. It makes athleticism less of a factor. It allows you to transcend physical deficiencies – if there are any – and negate the physicality of your opponents…

Virtual Play, as you will discover, is the technical and physical model for optimum efficiency in basketball. The more precise you are in applying these principles the more effective you are in your play…

Basketball is one of the few sports in which the offense has the advantage. Unfortunately, many players and teams give theirs away with poor technique and a flawed offensive approach. If all of our movements are in frames – as in motion pictures – and we can learn to control our movement in each frame, then we should then be able to mislead and manipulate opponents with our intentions in early frames of movement…

Therefore, we can control our opponents (regardless of how athletic they are) by proposing an action and being continuously contrary to their responses…

It becomes easy to make necessary changes to exploit and maintain advantage…

Uncovering these truths and absolutes… is the portal to peak performance… for anyone.