**OFFICIAL 2019 NBA OFFSEASON THREAD**

[addict4sneakers]

It is in fact 100% true.

Informal practice has been proven to produce more creativity and dynamism, it's the reason why the Chinese no matter how hard they try can't drill kids into becoming soccer stars, informal practice breeds creativity.

and AAU is informal, and you play a billion games. perfect place for kids to develop that nasty cross over, or that spin move that you can't teach.


an unstructured environment where you have play tons and tons of games is a great place to foster creativity and dynamism on the basketball court.


I watch FIBA youth tournaments every year and it's always the same, euro teams are more structured but lack dynamism and creativity.

Facts

They Chinese under 19 team came to Dallas for a scrimmage and got run out of the gym by some D1 prospects they called they dat before

 

[osh kosh bosh]

While I think Cuban's remarks were to the extreme there is a valid point to be made. I would personally love to see the athletic talent in the U.S. get a solid decade of fundamentals drilled into them before being NBA draft age..

I think this is a terrible idea man, you can teach guys to be more disciplined. when they get to the NBA.

Like people think Jokic learned that vision at some academy? That’s 100% a gift

exactly, honestly it's insult to Jokic and Luka to think there is some fat guy in spain, who yelled at them untill they were genius passers.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

This is a study identifying informal practice as the reason why Brazil produces so many creative offensive players.

https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/JoE_2018_1_3_Uehara_earlyview.pdf

 

[User 15002]

The assumption that the super athletic aren’t skilled is baffling. Of course there are going to be ultra athletic guys that are just that but that isn’t anything new.

AAU surely isn’t perfect but kids are getting the required skill development and it’s showing in the league

IMO it is leaving alot of kids on the short end of the stick with development. Any hustler can start up an AAU squad and go try to drum up sponsorship. These teams aren't equal in coaching and/or development. Lot of kids slipping through the cracks.

 

[everysingletime]

Aau is not a developmental system lol

It's just kids playing basketball and the natural talent rising to the top and everyone else getting left behind

 

[sk33termcg33]

It's funny because AAU is both great and terrible - the top level teams and prospects get great skill development, but that's like what, 50 players getting that? The mid to lower level AAU leagues and circuits have some AWFUL coaching and have parental influencing on playing times, etc. I know because I used to work at a skills academy that has their own AAU team. Premier team was incredible, but lower leagues had some terrible coaching. If you identify talent early and put them in a minor league/farm system, which is essentially what the european leagues do, imagine what some of the kids could turn out to be like that do not have the proper training/coaching from a young age on. Hero ball in AAU is rampant, but I will say the top talent get extremely solid development now - the only thing is the money hungry agents and sneaker reps trying to get in with the families early on. That won't ever change, but the idea that we try to make these kids students first, and not just at the collegiate level - in MS and HS, for those who are super talented, is hilarious. They should be able to hone their craft and make money off it like kids in Euro leagues do.

 

[don ramon]

While I think Cuban's remarks were to the extreme there is a valid point to be made. I would personally love to see the athletic talent in the U.S. get a solid decade of fundamentals drilled into them before being NBA draft age. We've all seen amazing athletes wash out because of not being able to actually play the game of basketball. For every one we could name that made the draft and then was gone within two years there are thousands that didn't even get that far in the process because of not having a solid foundation.

Tons of kids out there who have crews of people close to them telling them they have it all and not making them practice. Then when it's time to put the rubber to the road the kids are not far enough in their development and it is too late to catch up for most of them.

The day we put in an academy system here look out.

that's the ncaa's fault, not the fault of the players. the ncaa seems more than happy to profit from the players while giving very little back in the form of basketball skill that will prepare them for the nba or education/life skills (for those who don't make it into the nba)

 

[addict4sneakers]

IMO it is leaving alot of kids on the short end of the stick with development. Any hustler can start up an AAU squad and go try to drum up sponsorship. These teams aren't equal in coaching and/or development. Lot of kids slipping through the cracks.

Aau is not a developmental system lol

It's just kids playing basketball and the natural talent rising to the top and everyone else getting left behind

But y’all think these kids play AAU games and don’t do individual skill work? Every single kid is getting skills drilled into them that play high level AAU basketball. You can’t name a top 50 player in the NBA that isn’t highly skilled.

 

[P C H]

Only thing that will help WPG is time. We’re 4 years removed from PG’s injury and he looks like he’s finally back to peak form.

I don’t think WPG will look normal until 2 seasons from now. He’ll have random spurts this season but he’s reacclimating and getting his timing back.

BPG isn't returning to peak form, he wasn't this good pre leg injury.

To be honest w/you, in terms of returning to form, he returned to form a whileee ago

 

[osh kosh bosh]

The main problem with the AAU to college system is the fact that the kids can't be paid, so you are creating a black market which naturally attracts criminals and huxters.

Canada produces hockey, not because of our minor league system, it's because kids here learn to skate about 2 days after they learn to walk, and kids grow up playing street hockey, pick up hockey, parents have hockey rinks in their back yards where we play.

Informal practice is indispensable, learn the fundamentals later.

 

[P C H]

Aau is not a developmental system lol

It's just kids playing basketball and the natural talent rising to the top and everyone else getting left behind

This makes no sense. AAU programs, especially the big ones, do focus on development.

 

[everysingletime]

Whenever I've seen hs kids do skill work it's stuff they're doing on their own time with their peoples, and not a part of the Aau

 

[sk33termcg33]

Thats the problem though - it's usually only the big, well-known, prominent premier teams.

 

[P C H]

The main problem with the AAU to college system is the fact that the kids can't be paid, so you are creating a black market which naturally attracts criminals and huxters.

Canada produces hockey, not because of our minor league system, it's because kids here learn to skate about 2 days after they learn to walk, and kids grow up playing street hockey, pick up hockey, parents have hockey rinks in their back yards where we play.

Informal practice is indispensable, learn the fundamentals later.

I agree. What you're alluding to is the instinctual aspect that American ball players have, that overseas guys don't because they're just hooping, and have been hooping unregulated since they came out the womb.

When you are poor, and the only thing you have to look forward to is hooping with your friends on the black top, you pick up sauce that can't be taught once you hit 15, 16 years of age or even younger.

 

[P C H]

Thats the problem though - it's usually only the big, well-known, prominent premier teams.

Nope, not necessarily true either. It only appears this way because the guys who benefit the most from skill work are the guys who are innately and intrinsically talented to begin with, for the most part.

Skill work is being done. MOST programs are not putting together teams and saying forget practice, just go out there and play.

 

[addict4sneakers]

Nope, not necessarily true either. It only appears this way because the guys who benefit the most from skill work are the guys who are innately and intrinsically talented to begin with, for the most part.

Skill work is being done. MOST programs are not putting together teams and saying forget practice, just go out there and play.

That’s how you lose sponsorship and funding. Skill work is being done. The assumption that you aren’t skilled because you have a 40 inch vertical is dumb

 

[Maximus Meridius]

While I think Cuban's remarks were to the extreme there is a valid point to be made. I would personally love to see the athletic talent in the U.S. get a solid decade of fundamentals drilled into them before being NBA draft age. We've all seen amazing athletes wash out because of not being able to actually play the game of basketball. For every one we could name that made the draft and then was gone within two years there are thousands that didn't even get that far in the process because of not having a solid foundation.

Tons of kids out there who have crews of people close to them telling them they have it all and not making them practice. Then when it's time to put the rubber to the road the kids are not far enough in their development and it is too late to catch up for most of them.

The day we put in an academy system here look out.

 

[everysingletime]

The assumption that you aren’t skilled because you have a 40 inch vertical is dumb

Literally no one has said this. No one is saying kids aren't growing up skilled. At least I'm not. I'm just not going to credit some imaginary developmental system.

 

[P C H]

That’s how you lose sponsorship and funding. Skill work is being done. The assumption that you aren’t skilled because you have a 40 inch vertical is dumb

Which quietly has a racial undertone that felt weird in the first place. He wanted to say that these black kids are dumb, and only know how to run and jump and have no skill.

Because there are white kids who play basketball in the AAU circuit too, but he isn't talking about them obviously...

 

[P C H]

Literally no one has said this. No one is saying kids aren't growing up skilled. At least I'm not. I'm just not going to credit some imaginary developmental system.

Cuban basically said it. It's a tired stereotype that Cuban is alluding to. That black kids don't get taught the fundamentals of hoop growing up, and that all they do is run and jump, w/no formal training which is ridiculous

 

[addict4sneakers]

Literally no one has said this. No one is saying kids aren't growing up skilled. At least I'm not. I'm just not going to credit some imaginary developmental system.

AAU basketball isn’t a development system though and was never meant to be. At least not developing the fundamentals. At the highest level, it’s iron sharpening iron

 

[User 15002]

So several of you made the point. The top end of AAU is getting the development work. I’m more interested in the next tiers of players getting the opportunities. You know the late-bloomers, the ones without access or means. I’m talking about this being done BEFORE college age.

Talent will always rise. Creativity will still shine. Is there any doubt Kyrie wasn’t doing drills from the time he could walk? Didn’t hurt his ability to improvise. Most likely it was enhanced by this.

AAU could be the system that could do it if regulated from top end all the way down. Same with all of these pop up prep schools.

 

[nick.]

 

[addict4sneakers]

The funny thing about Luka is that his pet move is something he learned watching Americans play basketball.

Dirk became dirk after he played 1 on 1 after practice everyday with Steve Nash. His patented one legged move was an accident.

Creativity >>>>>

 

[everysingletime]

So several of you made the point. The top end of AAU is getting the development work. I’m more interested in the next tiers of players getting the opportunities. You know the late-bloomers, the ones without access or means. I’m talking about this being done BEFORE college age.

Talent will always rise. Creativity will still shine. Is there any doubt Kyrie wasn’t doing drills from the time he could walk? Didn’t hurt his ability to improvise. Most likely it was enhanced by this.

AAU could be the system that could do it if regulated from top end all the way down. Same with all of these pop up prep schools.

Yea.. The kind of kids in the US getting any kind of formal training are already good. And if they're already good, it's a combination of talent and whatever work they were putting in on their own.
There's no such thing as any top down developmental system anywhere.