Having post players who can affect the game in multiple ways is a huge asset for any team. Most teams have big men who are either fast and mobile, strong and physical, or perceptive and skilled – but the real gold mine is a player who has all of these talents. And the only way you’ll ever have a player who even approaches that level of play, is to make sure to work on all the skills they might ever need.
Two post skills that will make your offense run like a well-oiled machine are flashing after set screens, and an accurate mid-range jumper. When your posts remember to flash, to either open spots on the floor or to the basket, it punishes the defense when they send the post’s defender out into extended help – a well-timed slip can often lead to lay-ups and wide-open jumpers. That’s why they need to be good mid-range shooters as well, it opens up lanes in the paint for the guards, and will get the posts easy baskets.
11
One of my favorite drills for working on these particular skills, is one that I call ‘11’. Have two post players setup, one on each block. You’ll need a passer set up on the wing, and a pass at the top of the key. The strong side post player will screen the weak side, who is curling up top to the foul line area for a jumpshot. The screener is going to flash back to the same post he started at, and go up strong for a layup.
The players will switch spots after every shot, and the idea is to make it a competition, with the first to score 11 winning the game. Either a set of sprints or pushups should be the penalty for a loss.