I'll start by saying I love pickup basketball. It's one of the purest forms of the game. I played pickup ten years into my professional career.
There are a lot of pros playing pickup, but just like anything, there are a lot of cons. Every player's situation is different.
One of the pros is that you get to feel contact in the offseason. You get to work on some of the moves you're practicing in training. You get some cardio if you're playing seriously.
Now for the cons. Pickup has changed. Just like the game of basketball is constantly evolving, pickup basketball has evolved, too. It's evolved for the worst for me. Quick three-point shots, no rebounding, minimal defense, no organization, no real game-like reps, and many more cons.
In the offseason now, I mainly focus on my body and my skillset. Since I have a consistent contract, I use my job to get the pros that I would get from offseason pickup games. As I said, this is a case-by-case basis, and everyone's situation differs. This is what has worked for me. I arrive in shape, and my tools are sharp and ready for a long season.
Leave in the comments what your offseason looks like.
I'll start by saying I love pickup basketball. It's one of the purest forms of the game. I played pickup ten years into my professional career.
There are a lot of pros playing pickup, but just like anything, there are a lot of cons. Every player's situation is different.
One of the pros is that you get to feel contact in the offseason. You get to work on some of the moves you're practicing in training. You get some cardio if you're playing seriously.
Now for the cons. Pickup has changed. Just like the game of basketball is constantly evolving, pickup basketball has evolved, too. It's evolved for the worst for me. Quick three-point shots, no rebounding, minimal defense, no organization, no real game-like reps, and many more cons.
In the offseason now, I mainly focus on my body and my skillset. Since I have a consistent contract, I use my job to get the pros that I would get from offseason pickup games. As I said, this is a case-by-case basis, and everyone's situation differs. This is what has worked for me. I arrive in shape, and my tools are sharp and ready for a long season.
Leave in the comments what your offseason looks like.