Mike Neighbors’ Top Basketball Drills to Improve Your Game

Check out Mike Neighbors’ top basketball drills to improve your game These drills are designed to help you improve your shooting ball-handling, and passing.

Introduction

Mike Neighbors is the current head men’s basketball coach at the University of Washington Prior to taking over at Washington, he was the head women’s basketball coach at Xavier University and the University of Arkansas He has also served as an Assistant Coach at the University of Oklahoma and Vanderbilt University In this article, Coach Neighbors shares his top basketball drills to improve your game

The importance of shooting

In basketball, as in any sport, shooting is an important skill to master. A good shooter can be the difference between winning and losing.

Mike Neighbors is a former college and professional basketball coach He has spent his life studying the game and has developed a series of drills that can help any player improve their shooting.

Here are some of Coach Neighbors’ top shooting drills

The importance of dribbling

Dribbling is an important skill for all basketball players to master. It is the primary way of moving the ball up the court and is a vital part of any offensive or defensive play. Dribbling also allows players to create their own space, making it difficult for defenders to steal the ball

There are many different types of dribbles, but the most important thing is to keep the ball under control. A good way to practice dribbling is with a partner. One player starts with the ball at their feet and tries to dribble around the other player while keeping control of the ball. The other player tries to stay in front of the dribbler and block their path. As you get better at this drill, you can increase the speed at which you dribble.

Another important aspect of dribbling is using your body to shield the ball from defenders. This can be done by using your off hand to protect the ball or by using your body to block defenders from getting too close. Remember, it is important to keep your head up when you are dribbling so that you can see where your teammates are and make good passes.

The importance of footwork

In basketball, as in any sport, having Good footwork is extremely important. It allows you to move quickly and efficiently around the court, and gives you a solid foundation to build your other skills on.

There are many different drills that you can do to improve your footwork, but these three are some of the best. Make sure that you warm up before you start any of these drills, and do them regularly to see the biggest improvement in your game.

1. Ladder Drills
ladder drills are a great way to improve your footwork and coordination. Start by setting up a ladder on the ground, then stand at one end of it. Step in and out of the ladder as quickly as you can, making sure that each foot lands inside one of the squares. You can make this drill more difficult by moving sideways as well as forwards and backwards.

2. Defensive Slides
Defensive slides are another great way to improve your footwork. Start in a low defensive stance and slide from side to side, keeping your feet shoulder-width apart. Make sure that you keep your weight balanced so that you can change direction quickly if necessary. As you get better at this drill, try adding a cone in the middle so that you have to circle it as well as sliding around it.

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The importance of passing

In basketball, the ability to pass is one of the most important skills that a player can have. The ability to pass allows a player to keep the ball moving and makes it easier to score.

Mike Neighbors is a former college basketball coach and current ESPN analyst He is also the author of several books on basketball, including “The Basketball Drill Book.”

In this book, Coach Neighbors shares his top drills for improving your passing skills. These drills are designed to help you improve your accuracy, control, and speed when passing the ball.

If you want to become a better passer, then you need to practice these drills on a regular basis.

The importance of rebounding

As a young player Mike Neighbors made a decision that would change his basketball career he decided to become the best rebounder on his team, no matter what position he played. It’s a decision that served him well throughout his career, and one that he still preaches to players today.

“The best way to get better at basketball is to play against better competition,” Neighbors says. “You can only control so much about who you play against, but you can always control how hard you work.”

For Neighbors, that meant focusing on rebounding. He knew that if he could become his team’s best rebounder, he would not only make them better, but he would also force the other team to adjust their gameplan to account for him. And that would give him an opportunity to show off his other skills.

It’s a strategy that has worked for countless players, including some of the game’s greats. Bill Russell is widely considered one of the best rebounders in history, and he credits much of his success to his focus on rebounding. “My thinking was always if I couldn’t be first in points scored I could be first in rebounds,” Russell said. “If I couldn’t be first in rebounds, I could be first in assists…Somehow I had to find a way to be first at something. Rebounding became my niche.

The importance of defense

One area of the game that is often overlooked is defense. This is especially true at the youth level where scoring is often emphasized. However, defense is a critical part of the game and these basketball drills will help improve your team’s defensive prowess.

Neighbors’ top basketball Drill #1 – The Box Drill

This drill emphasizes proper footwork and positioning on defense. It also helps with learning how to defend the pick and roll

Setup: You will need four cones and two balls for this drill. Place two cones on the baseline on either side of the key, about a foot outside of the paint. Place the other two cones at the top of the key, about a foot outside of the three-point line You will also need two players for this drill, one on offense and one on defense.

The drill: The offensive player starts behind one of the baseline cones with the ball. The Defensive Player starts in front of the other baseline cone, facing away from the offensive player On the coach’s signal, the offensive player will dribble around their cone and towards the defender. The defender must Stay in front of their man and force them to use the outside hand. Once the offensive player reaches Half Court they can attempt a shot or pass to their partner who is waiting at one of the top cones. After each attempt, both players should switch roles so that they each get a chance to play Offense and defense

Neighbors’ top basketball Drill #2 – Closeouts

This drill helps players work on proper technique when closing out on shooters. It also helps with learning how to defend jump shots

Setup: You will need four cones and two balls for this drill as well as two baskets positioned near opposite sidelines, about 10-15 feet from each sideline (you can use chairs if you don’t have access to baskets). Place one cone at each Free Throw Line extended on both sides of each basket (4 total). You will also need four players for this drill – two shooters and two defenders. **Note: If you don’t have enough players, you can have multiple shooters per basket**
On each coach’s signal, a shooter will sprint out to one of the wings (top of key) while their defender close outs from behind using proper technique (showing hands, keeping arms extended, not running straight at them but rather perpendicular so they have to change directions). The shooter should then catchand shoot or make one move towards the basket re shooting After each attempt, both players should sprint back to their original spots before going again on another coach’s signal so that everyone gets a chance to play both offense and defense multiple times

The importance of conditioning

No matter how talented a basketball player is, if they don’t have the endurance to run up and down the court for an entire game, their skills will suffer. That’s why it’s important to condition your body to be able to withstand the physical demands of the sport.

One way to do this is by incorporating sprints into your conditioning routine. Sprints not only help you build endurance, but they also improve your speed and agility. To do this drill, start by sprinting for 30 seconds at full speed, then rest for 30 seconds. Repeat this five times.

Another way to improve your conditioning is by playing “flights.” This drill simulates game conditions by having two players start at opposite ends of the court, and then race to see who can reach the other end first. The player who loses each race has to do a set number of push-ups, sit-ups, or jump squats as punishment.

These are just two examples of drills that can help you condition your body for basketball. For more tips on how to improve your game, check out Mike Neighbors’ blog.

The importance of mental toughness

One of the biggest keys to success on the basketball court is Mental Toughness It’s what allows players to push through fatigue, maintain focus, and keep their composure in pressure situations.

“Mental toughness is what separates the good from the Great players ” says Mike Neighbors, Head Coach of the University of Washington’s women’s basketball team “It’s not about being tougher than your opponents; it’s about being tougher than you were yesterday.”

Coach Neighbors should know a thing or two about mental toughness—his team has won back-to-back Pac-12 championships and made two consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament In this video, he shares three of his favorite drills for helping players develop mentally tough mindsets.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed these basketball drills Remember to keep practicing, and most importantly, have fun!