Expected Value and Points Per Possession
Expected value (EV) quantifies the average point output of a shot type given its likelihood of conversion and point value.
Individual Skills
Advanced Ball Handling
A single move (crossover, between-the-legs, hesitation) creates a momentary advantage but rarely converts that advantage into a scoring opportunity.
Direct answer
What is Advanced Ball Handling?
A single move (crossover, between-the-legs, hesitation) creates a momentary advantage but rarely converts that advantage into a scoring opportunity.
Quick facts
| Category | Individual Skills |
|---|---|
| Source volume | Basketball Knowledge Vault/vol2_intermediate_building_your_game.md |
What it is
- A single move (crossover, between-the-legs, hesitation) creates a momentary advantage but rarely converts that advantage into a scoring opportunity.
How it works
- Elite ball handlers chain moves together, using one move to set up the defender for the next.
- A basic chain: crossover (force the defender to shift weight) → between-the-legs (take advantage of the defender's shifted weight and wider stance) → hesitation or pull-up (the defender is now off-balance and the handler has space).
- The key principle is cause and effect: the first move must create a specific defensive vulnerability that the second move exploits.
- A crossover that doesn't widen the defender's stance doesn't create an opportunity for a between-the-legs; a between-the-legs that doesn't shift the defender's hips doesn't set up an open pull-up.
- Advanced handlers read the defender's response to each touch and chain moves accordingly.
Bilingual terms
| English | Advanced Ball Handling |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 高级运球技术 |
| Traditional Chinese | 先進的控球能力 |
Learn before and after
These graph neighbors help place Advanced Ball Handling in the larger basketball map.
Ball Handling Fundamentals
Dribbling is the foundation of ball movement without passing.
Related concepts
Ball Handling Fundamentals
Dribbling is the foundation of ball movement without passing.
Pick-and-Roll Basics (Ball Handler)
The effectiveness of a pick-and-roll is determined partly by initial setup: how well the ball handler has positioned the defender before using the screen.
Pushing the Ball Middle vs. Sideline
Once the outlet pass is made, the outlet receiver must decide whether to push the ball up the middle of the court or along the sideline.
Using Ball Screens as a Handler
A ball screen (on-ball screen) is an off-ball player setting a legal screen for the ball handler.
Double Screen (Off-Ball)
An Off-Ball Double Screen involves two offensive players setting simultaneous screens for one cutter — not in sequence (that is a stagger), but at the same time, side by side.
3v2 Break: Ball in Middle, Attack Top Defender
When there's a three-on-two fast break with the ball in the middle lane, the optimal attack strategy involves the ball handler attacking the top defender (the defender furthest from the basket).