“He never passes me the ball. And he passed me the ball! Kobe passed me the ball!” ~Metta World Peace (Ron Artest)

Hey Reader!

You’re open. Your teammate definitely sees you. And yet, they pass to someone else. Before you blame him (or her) for not setting you up for an open shot, ask yourself: Would you pass you the ball?

I was breaking down film of a player recently who told me his teammates never get him the ball. So I watched his game film and, what do you know, he was right. There were multiple possessions where he was open and they passed somewhere else or even took a contested shot instead of hitting him.

So I asked him: Why do you think they don’t trust you with the ball? Would you pass you the ball?

Most players never ask that. They blame the system, the coach, politics, or “selfish teammates.” And maybe some of that is partly true, but it doesn’t help you get better.

Usually, your teammates don’t pass you the ball for one of two reasons.

First, you’re too passive. You catch the ball and immediately look for someone to give it back to. You don’t shoot. You don’t attack. You don’t force the defense to react. After a while, your teammates stop seeing you as a threat.

Second, they don’t trust your decisions. Maybe you force bad shots or drive into three defenders. Or you just don’t have the skills to make something positive happen. You might think one mistake shouldn’t matter. But when the same mistakes keep happening, your teammates intuitively remember.

I dealt with this last season playing in Spain. I felt like I wasn’t getting the ball enough. After a while, I started getting fewer minutes because I wasn’t impactful when I was on the court. And eventually, I got cut from my team. It would have been so easy for me to blame any number of things for what happened.

But when I watched my film honestly, I saw something I didn’t want to admit. When I did get my opportunities, I wasn’t aggressive or efficient enough with them.

That realization hurt. But it was also useful.

So this summer, go back through your AAU or high school film and be completely honest about your minutes on the court. Track your touches. How many of them led to something positive? Not necessarily a made shot or an assist, but a play that kept momentum going for the team. All of them? Half? A quarter? That number will answer a lot of your questions.

I’m making changes this summer based on what happened last year. But those changes can only come from me being completely honest with myself. Are you? Email me and let me know.

Brussels BNXT Pro League

P.S. If you want help figuring out what your film is actually telling you, send me film from one of your games. I’ll break down what you’re doing well, why certain opportunities are passing you by, and what to work on before high school practices start. Click here to learn more.

3 Hacks From Me

Hack 1: Review Your Last 3 Touches

When a teammate passes you up, go back and watch your previous three touches. Did you make the right play, or did you hesitate, force a shot, or turn it over? Your teammates may be reacting to what happened earlier in the game.

Hack 2: Grade Every Touch

Watch one full game and label each touch green, yellow, or red. Green means you created an advantage or made the right play. Yellow means you were passive or indecisive. Red means you forced something or hurt the possession. Look for a pattern, not one bad play.

Hack 3: See If You’re Actually a Threat

Pause the film every time you catch the ball and look at the defense. Are they closing out hard, or are they barely reacting? If defenders don’t believe you’ll shoot, attack, or create for someone else, your teammates may stop seeing a reason to pass to you.

Pro tip: Count how many times in a game you touch the paint, take an open shot, or create an advantage for a teammate.

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

2 Questions for Growth

1. If you were your teammate, would you trust yourself to make the right play with the ball? Why or why not?
2. When you don’t get the ball, do you immediately blame your teammates, or do you look at what you could have done differently?

Reply to this email and let me know!

1 Video to Watch

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Check out our other free resources at HackingHoops.com.

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