What Is The Most Important SKILL In Basketball?

[craftsy21]

And if ballhandling was more important than shooting...guys like Taliek Brown, Ed Cota, Terrell Stokes, etc. all would have had jobs in the NBA...but they didnt. Meanwhile...for example...a guy like Chris Quinn...who isn't HALF as good as those guys handling the ball or passing...has a job because he can shoot the ball.

To excel at either will get you far in basketball... if you want to talk about which is more essential, it's ballhandling.. however, if you're a betterscorer, you might find a role on a team that already has ballhandlers.

Without ballhandling, shooting isn't possible my friend.

 

[grittyman20]

Shooting...and nothing else really can compare. Look at how many dudes have had jobs in the league SIMPLY because they were able to knock down mid/long range shots...regardless of size
There are specialists at every position.

I think dribbling is important because everyone at some point (center might have to bring it up to break a press) should be able to put the basketball on thefloor.
I'm not talking about silly crossover and And-1 moves...just basic dribbling.

I don't think that it's mandatory for everyone to be able to make the midrange jumper.

I agree that it as far as most IMPORTANT skill is concerned that it should depend on the position

 

[jfreak23]

I would have to say Foot work.

 

[theedit]

This is quite simple - SCORING - or the ability to put the ball in the basket is without doubt THE most important skill in all of basketball.
You can't win without scoring period.

 

[brownin187]

^ You can be a mediocre scorer but have intense defense. Defense>All.

The guy who said footwork has a good point too. Thats one of the intangibles that you need, if you aren't coordinated you'll have trouble doinganything mentioned.

 

[guillermo gutierez]

people are sayin IQ, but in Lakers thread i see people sayin that Phil likes Luke Walton cuz of his high bball IQ, but yet he sucks. unless his IQ doesn'treally exist.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

And if ballhandling was more important than shooting...guys like Taliek Brown, Ed Cota, Terrell Stokes, etc. all would have had jobs in the NBA...but they didnt. Meanwhile...for example...a guy like Chris Quinn...who isn't HALF as good as those guys handling the ball or passing...has a job because he can shoot the ball.

My man Don

 

[lnmymind]

Maybe I'm looking at this from a different perspective...meaning that with whatever skill we all say is most important, should a player be good at NOTHINGelse but can do that one thing...he'd still have a job.

That's why I say shooting. There is nobody in the NBA right now who is in the league just because they can handle the ball well. There are people in theleague right now who can do nothing else but shoot.

 

[grittyman20]

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

And if ballhandling was more important than shooting...guys like Taliek Brown, Ed Cota, Terrell Stokes, etc. all would have had jobs in the NBA...but they didnt. Meanwhile...for example...a guy like Chris Quinn...who isn't HALF as good as those guys handling the ball or passing...has a job because he can shoot the ball

That's not a fair argument....we're strictly referring to skills.
Some of those guys didn't make it because of physical limitations such as size, speed, etc...things that made them good college players, but not great.

BTW, Ed Cota's handles were

...@ that high dribble

There is nobody in the NBA right now who is in the league just because they can handle the ball well
Rafer Alston? This guy couldn't throw the ball in the ocean when he first arrived to the league.....but he could handle the rock.
As the years went by he kinda developed a jumper...

Ball handling is more than just being able to dribble....

 

[the lowa]

This might not be the most important but its over looked a lot
Being able to stop on a dime and pull up for a mid-range jump shoot on a fast break and aviod the charge to many people charge on fast breaks becasue they cannot pull up and shoot the ball they want to try and draw a foul instead they charge into the defender.

 

[downtown43]

easily shooting.

look at JJ Redick, Chris Quinn, Adam Morrison, Jason Kapono. those guys cant do much else

 

[acbboyz84]

Shooting and athleticism

 

[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by grittyman20

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

And if ballhandling was more important than shooting...guys like Taliek Brown, Ed Cota, Terrell Stokes, etc. all would have had jobs in the NBA...but they didnt. Meanwhile...for example...a guy like Chris Quinn...who isn't HALF as good as those guys handling the ball or passing...has a job because he can shoot the ball

That's not a fair argument....we're strictly referring to skills.
Some of those guys didn't make it because of physical limitations such as size, speed, etc...things that made them good college players, but not great.

BTW, Ed Cota's handles were

...@ that high dribble

There is nobody in the NBA right now who is in the league just because they can handle the ball well

Rafer Alston? This guy couldn't throw the ball in the ocean when he first arrived to the league.....but he could handle the rock.
As the years went by he kinda developed a jumper...

Ball handling is more than just being able to dribble....

He dropped 18-20 a game on the JUCO level and when he got to Fresno he set the school record for assists...he's not in the NBA JUST because he canhandle the ball.

 

[grittyman20]

Seriously....ball handling is more of a skill than just being able to dribble.

This is a definition that I took from off of the Phoenix Suns website

BALL HANDLING: Refers to dribbling, passing, or receiving the ball.

This skill is definitely more important than just being able to shoot. If you can't handle the basketball you won't even be able to get ashot off.

I bet you Rafer couldn't shoot well in JUCO either, but because he was a great ball handler he was able to be a decent scorer.

There are guys like Rondo, Dooling, Telfair, etc who are in the league because of their ball handling skills and their physical attributes (height, speed,hops, etc)

 

[bullsrepeat3peat]

IQ

 

[gregodensbedpan]

in terms of being able to keep your job, probably spot up shooting. with age, your speed and the ability to elevate decreases so some areas become problematic.for example, defense starts to become a liability when it comes to keeping up with younger players because your lateral quickness is not where it used to be.as well, even if you have good ball handling skills, your ability to blow by defenders will be a bit harder.

 

[acidicality]

scoring the basketball- so shooting....if you are REALLY good at that you can find a spot on a NBA team..because if u can move without the ball and just getopen, you don't even have to handle the ball all that often.

after that i'd say ball handling tho-passing/dribbling etc...moreso passing because more of it (theoretically) should maximize the chance of a good shot.

 

[lnmymind]

Originally Posted by grittyman20

Seriously....ball handling is more of a skill than just being able to dribble.

This is a definition that I took from off of the Phoenix Suns website

BALL HANDLING: Refers to dribbling, passing, or receiving the ball.

This skill is definitely more important than just being able to shoot. If you can't handle the basketball you won't even be able to get a shot off.

I bet you Rafer couldn't shoot well in JUCO either, but because he was a great ball handler he was able to be a decent scorer.

There are guys like Rondo, Dooling, Telfair, etc who are in the league because of their ball handling skills and their physical attributes (height, speed, hops, etc)




You just validated what I'm saying...

You brought up Skip, Rondo, Dooling, and Sebastian...all of whom have OTHER skills besides ball handling. I'm simply saying...if a player to excel inNOTHING else but the two given categories...would they have a job in the league. There are and has been guys in the league who CAN NOT put the ball infloor...or do anything else but they shoot at a high level and that is what had/has them in the league. I'm still waiting for someone to give me a legitexample of someone who couldn't do ANYTHING else but handle the ball.

 

[kobe8is]

Basketball IQ is the most important and the best skill you can have!!

 

[grittyman20]

You brought up Skip, Rondo, Dooling, and Sebastian...all of whom have OTHER skills besides ball handling
And these skills would be? None of them are good shooters, decent at best...

I'm still waiting for someone to give me a legit example of someone who couldn't do ANYTHING else but handle the ball.
Who are some examples of guys who can't do anything but shoot?

There's always a common misconception that just cause you can't take your man or because you're an exceptional shooter that you can't dribble.
For example, someone mentioned JJ Reddick like he has no handles....false. He was very capable of doing so at Duke, it's just in the pros his lack ofathleticism prevents him from getting separation...I watch Sasha Vujacic play for the Lakers and people think he's just a shooter but when he came into theleague he was a pg...so he can clearly handle the rock

 

[drunken cow]

Originally Posted by grittyman20

Originally Posted by lnMyMind

And if ballhandling was more important than shooting...guys like Taliek Brown, Ed Cota, Terrell Stokes, etc. all would have had jobs in the NBA...but they didnt. Meanwhile...for example...a guy like Chris Quinn...who isn't HALF as good as those guys handling the ball or passing...has a job because he can shoot the ball

That's not a fair argument....we're strictly referring to skills.
Some of those guys didn't make it because of physical limitations such as size, speed, etc...things that made them good college players, but not great.

BTW, Ed Cota's handles were

...@ that high dribble

There is nobody in the NBA right now who is in the league just because they can handle the ball well

Rafer Alston? This guy couldn't throw the ball in the ocean when he first arrived to the league.....but he could handle the rock.
As the years went by he kinda developed a jumper...

Ball handling is more than just being able to dribble....







Rafer has been balling as of recent, his three's are more of a threat now then his dribbling.
If rafer still didnt develop a jumper(or whatever hehas) he wouldnt even be surviving in this league. The sole reason he is still on the rockets is because he can knock down three( and cause there is no other pgthe rockets can really pick up)

As for skill, I think being able to pass the ball or looking for that open man. Swinging the ball to the open man > dribbling your way into a potentialcharge, offensive 3 for your big man, etc etc...

 

[grittyman20]

Ball handling = dribbling, passing, catching the basketball

 

[dottsballer5]

Shooting (mid-range)
Agreed. Waaay too many 3's are shot these days. This is a lost art.

 

[barondavis5]

shooting/defense.

 

[srvballer]

IQ