So anyways.....after work some of the guys wanted to play some ball....

[thePoster]

and so we did....

Anyways...

there's this one guy... who says he's the only one that can play ball and so it wouldn't be fair... after we all picked the teams... (he always wants to win)... so we did some trading....

I ended up on his team...

Really, the guy I don't think is good in my opinon.  He's just ok, he can hit threes...and he can take it to the basket... but he only get's lay ups by muscling it in.

I'm more of a "style" point's kinda guy.  I don't really care if I make the shot or not... I just want to look good trying to make the shot!

Anyways... so I'm doing my thing..

I did a couple of poses in the air for lay ups. 

Did the jordan jumpman pose, did the hand behind my head this is to easy pose, and this other one... I don't know how else to describe it but the stretch lay up...


anyways..so that guy that was talking... the truth is, he doesn't have any styles... and it's pretty easy to shut him down, He's got 9 inches on me and I can shut him down... but we're on the same team this time..

Anyways... so he see's me doing my thing and he tries to do his thing... it just don't look right with him... he doesn't have any basketball rythm. 

I'm all about style points! 

I remember this other kid that use to play with us... we'd play 1 on 1...and he'd count the score... but I'd always count my style points!

[thePoster]

Anyways!

More basketball rant!

Today during lunch, played a quick pick up game.

Anyways!  My team mates aren't really that good and they get frustrated easily...

One guy's 6 ft... the other's about 5-8...

And you know what?!?!  They are yelling at me to rebound...

I only come in at about 5.4 on a good day.  Cheezez!!

I'm thinking to myself these guys don't know how to play with their height.

The six footer wants to always run to the three point line and stay there waiting for a pass.    I don't get it.... he should be playing the post down low. 

We play a half court game... if you're tall you don't ever go to the three point line.. you just stay down there in the paint.. that way if we get the defensive rebound  we can just pass it in down there quick and get an easy score... these guys don't know how to play. 

They dont know how to play a smart game...  Plus all they do is want to take three's...

Three's... two's... it all counts the same... 1 point.

The other dude is always mad.. he keeps telling me to stay with my man...then he tells me I need to come over and help D.  Make up your mind.

Plus they have no vision.   When they drive into the paint to the basket... I'm right there cutting in the open lane all they have to do is a quick dish and easy basket.  I'm always wide open...

Whenver I drive I see everyone, I see them on the three point line and kick it to them or if they are in an easy position to score I dish it out to them. 

They were getting mad at me.... but they can't even play themselves.

Maybe we all just have a different style of play.  I've never played with folks who rather settle for jumpers and three's so much in life. 

I was telling a co-worker of mine, back in the day when I was younger all the guys I balled with, it'd always be like, you get the ball you drive it in and go strong to the basket. 

These guys nowadays... want to take three's and jumpers... 

Aint nothing cool about that!!!  Aint nothing flashy about that. 



But yeah... my team mates aren't that good.  I think it's sad when they expect the shortest player to get the boards... and play down in the paint. 

Oh wells! 

But I need to get oppossite team of that 5-8 guy, we got bball beef.  I school him so much, I dont even know why he talks trash to me when we 're on the same team.  It's not like I dont know how to play, he don't know how to play.  HEre let me draw some pictures!!!

[thePoster]

Playing half court is easy... especially 3 on 3 if your team mates know how to play..

the guy that gets the rebound if he's in the paint already.. should stay down there after he kicks it out... and actually, he shouldn't even bring it out... all he gotta do is kick it out quick... usually the other team is a bit relaxed and shifts their focus and follows the ball to the outside where the ball is kicked out too... it's easy pickings.. you just kick the ball back in quick.. the guy down low can fake he's going out but come back in really quick, basically if the defense isn't awake... he can get the ball back for an easy lay.  The whole thing shouldn't take but 2-4 seconds...

But those guys don't do that...


This is another easy day!  usually the D doubles down on drives to the basket...  I'm always cutting in on the open side....  wide wide open... all they have to do is just pass me the ball!  easy basket... but instead they try to force a shot...


For these younger guys... don't know the game...it's a mental game as well.  You have know how the defense will react...  have to know where you people are...

Here's something for you folks to try...

I do it a bit in the game... folks are starting to know it now...

It's not trying to be fancy or and1-ing....  it's just something I've done since back in the day before I even seen and1 mix tapes...

It's the psycology of the game.

Usually when shoot... in pick up games... once you pull up for a shot... everyone will turn towards the basket...  Just a pump fake won't do it... but if they see the ball leave your hand... usually everyone will turn towards the baskett looking for the rebound...

what I do is, and you have to be very careful not to leave both your feet, Make like you are taking the shot, take the shot, make sure the ball leaves your hand, but that it just up in the air like 4-5 inches away above your hands, they will all turn once they see the ball leave your hands, the ball falls back into your hand, since you didn't move your feet, it's not a travel, catch the ball and drive to the basket while everyone is still trying to figure out whats going on.  Sometimes I kick out one feet to look like I really shot it.  Just make sure you don't leave your pivot foot till you catch the ball.

[bulbasaur]

Different courts.  Different players.  Different styles.  Different focus.  Play on a court you like.  Personally, I don't mind specialists.  Shooting specialists.  Defensive specialists.  Rebound specialists.  Isolation specialists.  Etc.  I enjoy them all.  It's not really fair to diss on any particular game. 

It's okay if a guy, regardless of his height, wants to shoot...as long as he can shoot.  It's just sad to see a 6'5 guy shoot 1/7 from 18 ft.

I don't know the guys you play with, but they seem a bit too serious for the court.  It's not good etiquette to tell others how to play or to claim that the teams aren't fair.  Simply play for the team that is picked or shot for. 

As for how a team should play, it all depends on the court.  That being said, it shouldn't take 2-4 seconds for an in-out play off the rebound.  It should be less than a second or just a little more.  Anything more might be considered a reset.  What sloppy defense takes 4 seconds to setup in a half court game?  What sloppy offense can't score against a defense that takes 4 seconds to setup? 

The fake shot trick only works on some courts.  Some people will call it a self-pass or a travel.  If I remember, the NCAA doesn't call it, but the NBA does.  Some courts will call anything a violation if it looks ugly.  Some courts will let anything go if it looks good. 

[thePoster]

Well I don't think they can call travel if your feet doesnt move... becuase it's just the same as if you were standing still and juggling the ball up and down in your hands. 


Anyways, yes they take the game too seriously.  Way to seriously... they get mad, upset over petty things, etc, etc...

Anyways... they play rough too.. I don't think they realize that they need their jobs...  they can't afford getting hurt...  especially over a pick up game... 

Anyways... today we played agian, they came and got me out of the gym... they were down a man. 

I asked what happened to the other guy...  they said he needs stitches.... I walked into the court...and there's blood.. here and there... wowzers... 

they said a guy barely bumped his knee to the other guy..and then wells... his knee opened up.  Oh wells!

I mean these guys are crazy...   

When I challenge a shot or a lay up... I'm never trying to foul the person... I'll give them good D... but I'm not going to foul them or get all over purposely...  If I don't have the angle, well I don't have it.  Oh wells.  When a guy on the other team scored on me... my team mate said to me "remember, you can always foul them, don't let them get the shot".... I thouught to myself in my head "for realz?!  that's how yalls play?"  ... and it's true.. that's how they play..  they will wrap you up, bear hug you to keep you from even getting a shot attempt on a lay up.  A few days ago, I did an awesome pump fake about 5 feet from the basket, the defender bit and jumped and as I proceded to step and extend for a lay up the defender grabbed my arm, pulled me and then with his other arm grabbed my right shoulder pulling my lay up arm down... and he was like "I got him" signaling he fouled me.  Its freaken crazy... that's not basketball.  I've seen the push a guy in mid air lay up.. and like I said... the bear hug wrap.  They are too serious sometimes... way to serious... They don't even go for the ball..  soemtimes it's like... football!!!

Anyways.... I got picked up and we lost... it's a shame... we should've won... 

I got the loose ball in the paint and kicked it out my team mate who was wide open 5 feet away from the basket... it would've been the game winner but he didn't make the shot..they got the ball and well.. they won!  Oh wells!  Not my fault!  And! If everyone would stop calling fouls... we would get more points from my put packs!  I love put backs... Nobody expects them.  The put backs go in but then everyone's saying "foul foul foul..." so there goes the point. 

[VillainousHero]

If I get caught in that kind of a bball game...I'm gonna pulled the kung fu kicks on them....saying I was trick shot putting the ball between my legs.   and his face just ended up meeting my foot.

[thePoster]

Don't get me wrong, these are all nice people... but when they play bball... well... I just don't understand why they play the way they play.

We're not getting paid to play ball.... there's no need to get all serious and play like your life is on the line....

They all think I suck but I just don't want to get hurt or hurt anyone.

When I play for real, it's game over.  As evident with the little unofficial tournament we had last year with an old old old old old old old guy on our team.  We basically played agianst the best team there, a bunch of young guys.  I'm an older guy myself and short, my team mate is a soccer player-he's 34 and wears a knee brace-not actually good in basketball, the other guy is old-i'm talking old like 70+, and then my other team mate who was not that old really I guess, 28 played a little ball in college.  He got mad at me and yelled at me and said "C'mon man! Play for real!"  and so... we won!  I even had the winning shot!  If you're open, I'll find you, if I'm open, it's good, don't worry about the misses, I got the put backs. All day everyday!

Plus! I already took this whole team to school so... yeah...  the mafia to school.  The whole  family... the whole family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really, of all the people that I've played pick up game with, in my opinion, if I beat the mafia... well...  it's a wrap... there's no need to beat or go hard agianst everyone else.

[bulbasaur]

Some people will consider the fake shot illegal because they will consider it an air ball; it's not really because of the position of the feet.  NBA rules don't allow a player to catch his own shot until after it touches something.  Of course, not every court plays by NBA rules.

Only scrubs resort to intentional fouls in a pickup game.  If it is game point, people tend to play a little tougher, but not during the entire game.   The reason why people don't play that rough is because there is nothing to stop the escalation in violence.   

Personally, I don't have a problem with those kinds of players.  I can always shoot them off the court.  Scrubs usually can't shoot or guard shooters. 

Players who play like that usually don't play long.  A couple of years at best, and at their best, they aren't that good.