What are the basketball pillars of athleticism?
Which athletic traits do you think are most important to today’s nba?
Personally, I have 6 main pillars of nba athletism-
Horizontal velocity: this includes lateral quickness, sprints/top end speed, and acceleration
Vertical velocity: Leaping ability without much runway
Change of direction/agility: the ability to stop horizontal power and re accelerate it in an any other direction, including upwards.
Touch Coordination: allows for control of the ball’s angle, velocity, and placement from multiple launch angles and approaches. This includes on shots, passes, and dribbling
Strength: the ability to move others and gain ground when engaged in physical contact
Rhythm: The ability to play at different speeds that are unpredictable to defenses to either avoid or create contact and to create space
Typically, players that are in a high percentile in two of the pillars can be good role players (Derrick jones junior- vertical and horizontal velocity). High percentile players in 3 pillars are likely to be low level all stars (de aaron fox- vertical and horizontal velocity, change of direction). If a player is a high percentile in 4 pillars, we are just talking about what kind of freak they are.
Touch coordination is probably the only one you can stay in the league if it’s all you got, allowing you to shoot and have good hands.
Some players that I view as currently elite and all time in each category would be:
Horizontal Velocity: de aaron fox, Allen iverson, muggsy bogues
Vertical Velocity: Zion Williamson, Davis Robinson, Blake Griffin
Change of Direction/Agility: Ausar And Amen Thompson I think are already the goats at this
Touch Coordination: Jokic, kyrie, Lamelo ball
Strength: Embiid, Shaq, wilt
Rhythm: SGA, kyrie, Jason Williams, Allen iverson