“I usually just kind of get triggered by something, and then I don't want to get punked out there just because I'm a rookie. So, I try to hold my own... it's just kind of the competitiveness in me.” ~ Olivia Miles

Hey Reader!

You can have a great basketball IQ and still not be able to use it.

You can see the pass before everyone else does, but if you can’t keep your dribble alive and your eyes up long enough to make it, it doesn’t matter.

You can know the defender is leaning one way, but if you don’t have the handle to shift them, reject a screen, or pull the ball back when they cut you off, you can’t make them pay for it.

I recently did a film breakdown for our Hacking Hoops community on Olivia Miles, the number 2 pick by the Minnesota Lynx. You may know her as the point guard with the goggles who plays with a crazy mix of pace, creativity, and control. I’ve known Olivia for a while. I’ve trained with her in the summers, and I’ve seen how much work she’s put into her game.

While breaking down Olivia's game, 2 things stood out to me.

First, the WNBA is way better than the NBA for young players to watch and study if they want to improve their basketball IQ. That’s because athleticism doesn’t overshadow skill and intelligence the same way it can in an NBA game. I'm not saying WNBA players aren’t athletic. They definitely are. But their skill and IQ are at the front of every possession, which is much more similar to a normal high school basketball game.

Second, you can’t become a high-IQ playmaker if you have weak ball-handling skills.

In Olivia's case, she's worked on her handle enough that she doesn’t have to think about it. If there’s a spot on the court she wants to get to, she believes she can get there. If the defense takes one thing away, she has another option.

Having a good handle doesn’t just help you “get by” your defender. It lets you manipulate the defender. It lets you slow down, speed up, change direction, and keep your dribble alive. Being able to dribble at an elite level forces the defense to react to you instead of the other way around.

I assume you are doing all the things to increase your IQ: watching film, studying spacing of the best players, learning how to read help defenders and ball screens and rotations.

But if you’re shaky with the ball in your hands, you won’t be able to use what you see.

So when you work on your handle, don’t just work on moves against cones. Work on keeping your dribble alive under pressure. Work on changing pace without losing control. Work on keeping your eyes up while the defense is trying to speed you up.

Because when you’re in a real game, against a real defender, and you see the right play, your handle has to be good enough to actually make it.

Pro Basketball Player, BNXT League, Brussels

P.S. I'd love to break down your AAU film or a game from last season. No matter what level you're at, I’ll give you feedback on what I see and what you should be working on before your season starts. Details here.

3 Hacks From Me

Hack 1: Stop only working on stationary dribbling

Pounding the ball 100 times in one spot is fine, but that can’t be your whole workout. You need to work on moving with the ball. Change speeds. Change directions. Retreat. Re-attack. Get used to handling the ball while your body is actually moving like it would in a game.

Hack 2: Practice keeping your dribble alive

A lot of players pick up their dribble the second they feel pressure. Instead, work on backing out, retreating, and creating space without killing your dribble. If you can keep the ball alive, you give yourself more time to read the floor.

Hack 3: Try things in games

Your handle will never fully translate if you only use it in workouts. Olivia is willing to try things in real games. That matters. You might turn it over sometimes, but that’s part of learning what works, what doesn’t, and what you can actually do against pressure.

*View all of our past emails at hackinghoops.kit.com/posts​

2 Questions for Growth

1. When pressure comes, do you keep your dribble and stay calm, or do you pick it up too early?
2. Are you training your handle in a way that actually helps you make reads in games, or are you just doing drills that look good in workouts?

Reply to this email and let me know!

1 Video to Watch

Check out my film breakdown of Olivia Miles' game on YouTube:

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