Do you know where the open teammate is going to be?
Do you know where to go to be open on different types of plays?
Do you know what the guy you are guarding is going to do before it happens?
Can you anticipate what is likely to happen next? No one knows exactly what is going to happen, but it pays to be thinking and to be guessing while you are preparing for everything. For example, after a rebound, there is likely to be an outlet pass to the side. There may not be, but anticipating one and being prepared to intercept it is playing smart.
There are all sorts of situations that come up during a basketball game, and the more of them that you can anticipate, the better player you are.
For example, you're defending someone away from the ball, and suddenly the ball is dribbled baseline. Maybe the player with the ball will score a lay-up, or maybe he will pull up and take a jump shot if our help defense gets their feet outside the lane. Chances are that if you've played against the player a lot, you can anticipate what he is going to do with the ball. Most guys are able to do one or two things when they get stopped on a drive.
You should anticipate! You might have to help the help defender. You may read that the passer likes to throw the baseline drift. Maybe he's a guy who shoots every time he drives and you can anticipate where the rebound is going to be. If the driver drops a short bounce pass to an open man in the middle or across the lane, you can intercept it if you anticipate it properly.
No one can anticipate every move in advance, but good players constantly are asking themselves, "Now what's going to happen? Now what are they going to do?"
Do you work on improving your anticipation when you are playing, or are you just running up and down the floor?
adapted from STUFF Good Players Should Know
by Dick DeVenzio
