Trying Out That ‘Big Country’ Style
Okay, so I decided to spend some time on the court working on playing bigger. You know, that old-school ‘Big Country’ vibe. Not that I’m suddenly gonna grow six inches, but you see these guys, guys like Divac back in the day, using their size, their smarts, not just pure speed. I figured, why not try and add some of that to my game? Getting older, you gotta find new ways, right?
So, I hit the local court early one morning. Nobody around, which is just how I like it sometimes. Just me, the ball, and the hoop. First thing I did was focus on just backing someone down. Obviously, there was no one there, so it was mostly shadow boxing under the rim. Imagining some younger guy trying to push me around. I practiced keeping my base wide, using my butt and shoulders – sounds silly, I know, but that’s the game down low.
Getting the Moves Down (or trying to)
- Started with basic drop steps. Left side, right side. Felt clumsy as heck at first. Ball control felt different when you’re trying to protect it with your body that way.
- Tried some baby hook shots. Man, those are harder than they look on TV. Getting the touch right, releasing it high. Most of my first attempts were bricks, clanging off the rim loud in the quiet morning.
- Focused on feeling the imaginary defender. Where would they be? Spin off this way? Fake that way? Lots of visualizing.
Then I moved onto the passing. That was a big part of Divac’s game, right? The passing big man. So, I practiced catching the ball at the high post area, like near the free-throw line, and imagining cutters. Worked on quick passes, bounce passes, even tried a couple of behind-the-back passes just for laughs. Felt ridiculous doing it alone, but hey, gotta practice somehow.
Rebounding and Positioning
You can’t play big without hitting the boards. So, I spent a good chunk of time just throwing the ball off the backboard and working on boxing out. Again, nobody there, but I focused on the motion: find the imaginary opponent, turn, get low, seal them off, then go for the ball. Did drills where I’d tip the rebound to myself a few times before grabbing it strong. Felt my legs burning after a while, which is good, I guess.
What I Figured Out
Well, first off, playing ‘big’ is tiring in a different way. It’s less running up and down maybe, but more wrestling, more short bursts of power. My back felt it afterwards. Second, the footwork is everything. If your feet are slow or clumsy, none of the post moves work. You just get stuck or travel. Third, passing from the post requires seeing the floor differently. You’re often facing away from the basket or getting double-teamed (in theory), so you need that court vision.
Did I suddenly turn into some kind of low-post powerhouse? Nah, not even close. But it was a good session. Made me appreciate those guys who really master that style. It’s a craft. It’s tough work. I felt like I at least got a better feel for using my body, for the importance of footwork down low, and maybe, just maybe, I can surprise someone with a decent pass out of the post next time I play pickup. We’ll see. It beats just jacking up threes all day, anyway.
