First, you need to learn how to handle the ball effectively or in other words, how to dribble well.
Dribbling a basketball might seem easy, but to dribble smartly and give your defender a hard time, you have to learn some special tricks and practice diligently.
The best way to make a great pass is to have the dribbling skills to free yourself from your defender to make it easier to hit an open teammate. Your field if vision is that much better when your defender is on his heels and does not know what you next move is or will be.
Use your fingertips, not the palm of your hand
At the end of practice or a game, check your hand. If your palm is clean and your fingers are dirty, it means you’re dribbling correctly.
Do not dribble too much
Do not keep dribbling until you are no longer guarded, you will have wasted valuable time and taken the rest of your teammates out of the flow of the game. You should pass the ball whenever your teammate is open, unless the coach has directed you to hold the ball.
Dribble by do not look
Learn to dribble by feel so that you can always keep your head up to spot defenders and open teammates.
Keep your head low and push the ball hard to the floorQuick defenders can steal the ball at any given time from the moment you push the ball to the floor until it bounces back to your fingertips. Hard dribbles cut into the time that you have no control over the ball and minimize the risk of having him steal the ball.
The Spin
When you are in the open court and the defender has your path to the basket cut off, a spin dribble could be a good alternative. Executing a spin move (if your are right-handed), you need to dribble hard with your right hand at the defender, then stop with your left foot forward and planted.
Make a quick 180-degree pivot off your left foot. Switch hands half-way through the spin and dribble with your left hand instead. As soon as your back faces the defender, do another 180-degree pivot off your right foot and you will be facing the hoop again.
The danger of this: 1.) When spinning, you momentarily cannot see the basket or your teammates. 2.) Other defenders may be able to double team you in your blind spot. 3.) Doing a spin move too fast can throw you off-balance quite easily.
The Sweep
Imagine you are in triple threat position on the wing, and the defender has his left foot forward, which takes away your right-hand dribble. Quickly shift your weight from right to left sweep the ball across your midsection and then move your right foot outside of the defender’s right foot blocking his path, then a hard left-hand power dribble or two.
The dribble can be an effective alternative to lack of speed or size and can allow you to free yourself from a defender and stick a jumper, drive to the hoop and score or dish it off to a teammate for a lay in. All this things make your life easier and your game more complete.