What Makes A Great Basketball Team?

There are a lot of components that go into the making of a really good basketball team (or any other sport team, for that matter). It certainly helps if you have some very talented players on the squad. Most teams, if they’re lucky, have one or maybe two exceptional players who are surrounded by the other team members that possess a range of talents and abilities. While many coaches and team managers would no doubt love to assemble a team made up only of superior players, that is not very realistic. You build around your best players and you expect all team members to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.

What is it, though, that makes some teams far better than the rest? Certain teams appear to be relatively evenly matched with the teams they compete against as far as raw talent is concerned but play head and shoulders above most of those teams.

Besides talent, there are other ingredients that must be present in order for a team to really shine. One of those ingredients is cohesiveness. The players have got to share the ball, be able to read one another, to understand their role and be willing to execute their plays. If this doesn’t happen, it does not really matter how talented the individual players are, it doesn’t equate to long-term success.

Energy is another ingredient that is absolutely necessary to a winning team. It’s easy to lose focus when the play is slow and inefficient. The rhythm that seems to be the magic component in winning teams doesn’t happen when there is a lack of energy. It takes energy and hustle to move the ball down the floor quickly and either hand it off to another player who is in a better position to get it to the basketball goal or to be able to make the shot yourself.

Determination and confidence are also essential elements within a winning squad. It’s pretty difficult to play your best ball (or anything else) if you don’t feel like you are going to be successful. You must keep at attitude that you can get the job done even when you might find yourself in a bit of a slump. History has shown that in many instances, individuals and teams have come back from some pretty dismal odds to get the win. While being talented is great, it isn’t enough. To be a successful team there are other elements that need to be in the equation.

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