Basketball moves
This is a commonly used variation of the crossover in which the ball-handler bounces the ball off of the floor between their legs and catches it with the other hand on the opposite side of their body.
It is used as a safer way to cross over while directly facing a defender, but requires more slowing of forward momentum than the normal crossover dribble.
[1] This dribble is an especially useful when the offensive player is close to a defender and needs to switch the ball to the opposite hand, but does not have room to use a regular crossover.
If the opponent is taller than you, you can lure them by pretending to bring the ball high and quickly lowering the height of the dribble.
Player then rips the ball to opposite side of their body (behind the back if skilled), takes two steps, and finishes with a reverse layup.
Finger-rolls today have many forms, including the Around the World which involves a complete circle around the player before the layup and a variety of faking in the approach to the rim.
A classic example is a play by former Kings point guard Jason Williams during his time with Sacramento, in which Williams brings the ball behind his back with his right hand, in a fake of a back pass, and then brings it front again with the same hand for the finish (reminiscent of Bob Cousy who pioneered the move).
Typically, this move can be seen by inexperienced players with poor footwork, however, when done intentionally, a wrong-footed layup can deceive a defender into mistiming their block attempt.
Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs relies heavily on the wrong footed layup, largely due to his smaller size and deceptive quickness.
The tear drop, also called a runner or a floater, is a high arcing shot over the reach of taller defenders in the lane.
By releasing the ball quickly and in a higher arc than a normal layup, the tear drop can be effective for shorter players to avoid blocked shots.
Gary Payton and John Stockton during their primes, the former in the mid-to-late 90s and the latter in the early-to-mid 90s were considered to have the best tear drops in the game.
Among the NBA players known for using or having used the bank shot often are Bob Pettit, Sam Jones, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, George Gervin, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Scottie Pippen, and Kobe Bryant.
Bill Russell would use this move during his college days in the mid-1950s[11][12] Josh Smith and Kenyon Martin are more recent users of the putback jam.
On the perimeter, it is useful in creating open lanes to the basket by "showing" the ball enough to entice a defender to attempt to block or steal it, allowing the dribbler to penetrate easily.
Players like DeMar DeRozan, Paul Pierce, James Harden, Kobe Bryant, Damian Lillard, and Dwyane Wade have mastered the art of drawing contact.
[14] Generally used by post players (power forwards and centers), Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin McHale were considered masters of this move.
[21][22] Named after Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon, this move is executed when a post player dribbles alongside the baseline and with one hand under the ball fakes a layup, then pivots to the outside for a jump hook.
This move is widely used by many players in the NBA, including notable stars such as Jerry West, Tracy McGrady, DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James.
Though a fade-away version of this move was perfected by Larry Bird and Dirk Nowitzki, players such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kevin Garnett are also well known for it.
Also you have to kick one leg forward because if you leave both feet pointing down while fading away you might lose balance in shooting the ball or bend your upper body to the side after the shot.
[25] Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Reggie Miller, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Karl Malone, Steve Nash, and DeMar DeRozan are famous for their use of the fadeaway.
Wilt Chamberlain was criticized for his frequent use of the fadeaway jumper, since the follow-through usually carries the shooter away from the basket and out of rebounding position.
[26] The inbound pass or throw-in is used to restart play after the ball has gone out of bounds, after a successful field goal or free throw by the opposing team, or after a non-shooting foul.
After a defensive rebound, a well-thrown overhead, or outlet, pass can allow a breaking offensive player to quickly score without even dribbling by catching the ball near the basket.
The no-look pass has been popularized by players such as Bob Cousy, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Pete Maravich, Larry Bird, Jason Kidd, Rajon Rondo, Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Ricky Rubio, Jason Williams, and Steve Nash.
In the NBA, John Stockton and Karl Malone were a quintessential pick and roll tandem and used this play to great effect in the 1990s.
Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Blake Griffin, and Chris Paul were considered among the best contemporary pick and roll tandems.
From the initial position of the pick-and-roll maneuver, the player who receives the ball has many different options as to whether they pass it, or fake and then go for a jump shot.
[11][12] Point guard Chris Paul, and big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, were known for their spectacular alley-oops; during their shared time with the Los Angeles Clippers their team earned the name "Lob City".
