A Key Trait of all Great Scorers:
Learn this and your offensive game will improve

Great scorers, and I mean the players that put up big numbers every game, share a common trait.

What is it?

Concentration. Another word for it is focus.

Great scorers are able to zone in, block out the rest of the world, and knock down shots. Whether it's at home or on the road, with a defender in their face or wide open beyond the 3-point line, great scorers focus in on the basket and get it done.

Notice how I didn't say they "think about the shot", because they don't. Great players don't have to think. They do. They act. They anticipate and react to what is going on around them on the court.

Great scorers (and great players) have worked so hard, practiced so much, and are so confident in their game that they don't have to stop and think about what to do when they're out on the court. They make things happen, and make it look easy.

So, how do you develop concentration and focus?

Practice and work at it every day. Make a conscious decision that you're going to work on, and improve, this area of your game. The simple act of deciding to work on improving your focus and concentration will help you get started in making it happen.

Work on your shot: practice shooting hundreds and hundreds of jumpers so you are confident in knocking down the shot, even with a defender draped all over you. The better you are at shooting the basketball, and the more you practice your shot (in shoot-arounds, but also in practices and games), the better able you'll be to maintain your focus in high-pressure situations, and when the game is on the line.

Also, work hard at becoming a great ball-handler. Work at dribbling the ball until you become a totally confident ball handler with either hand, able to push the ball up the court on a fast break, or drive the ball with quickness past your defender, all the while being in control.

Also, walk out onto the court with unshakeable confidence. Believe, and I mean really believe, that you are unstoppable. Believe that when you lift up for a jumper, or drive down the lane, the shot is going to go in. Then make it happen.

No one can give you a magic potion that will instill you with confidence in your game. Confidence comes from working hard to become a good player, putting yourself in high-pressure situations and playing well in those situations, and then believing in yourself and your abilities.

Basketball isn't about thinking, it's about doing. Put in the time and effort to groove your shot, develop your confidence, and practice enough against good competition so that when you take the floor in a game situation, you're ready to go. You're ready to take it to the opposition. You're ready to dominate.

Then go out and make your defender wish he was guarding someone else. Make your teammates happy they passed you the ball (because you take and make good shots when they get you the ball), and pass the ball back to the when you don't have a good shot. Make your coach happy he put you in the game because you play the game the right way, take it to the opposition, and help your team win games.

Have you ever sat courtside at an NBA game?

It's an interesting experience. You see some of the best athletes in the world taking it at each other, play after play. And the one thing that stands out most after watching an NBA game from close proximity is the amazing athletic ability of the players which sometimes gets lost when watching games on TV, and the incredible level of concentration it takes to play at that level.

A guy will catch the ball on the wing, make an explosive dribble by his defender, cross-over to avoid the weak side help, pull up in the lane, get bumped on his way up for the shot, and lift a soft jumper over the outstretched arm of a 7-footer coming over for the block. And, if they are a good player, they'll knock down the shot after all of that action, after all of that mahem, after having to have made 6 or 7 moves and adjustments. Bottom line: they finish the play because they are focused.

In 3 or 4 seconds, a player will make 6 or 7 moves, all with quickness, aggressiveness, and confidence. Above all, though, this kind of play takes supreme focus and concentration. Great players are focused, and great players finish plays. Period.

Practice against good competition. Work on finishing plays. Work on building your concentration and focus. It'll set you apart from the competition.

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