This topic contains 6 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by AvatarAvatar mikeyvthedon 12 years, 11 months ago.

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  • #27985
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    mikeyvthedon
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    http://www.flagrantfouls.com/2011/04/agame-250-test-kevin-pangos-scores-218/

     

    Nice video from Flagrant Fouls.com which shows future Gonzaga guard (and a subject of NoMoney’s article on the Hoop Summit) Kevin Pangos going through a 250 point conditioning test. I know people here always ask about ways to improve your game, and this definitely shows a few. Not to mention, conditioning is maybe one of the most underrated assets when looking at basketball players. Motor is a term that gets thrown around a lot right now, a players energy level, and I think conditioning is a major part of it. It does encompass focus and mind set as well, but outside of professional or college level players, for the person looking to get better personally, you need to work on building your stamina, as it gives you a huge advantage.

    Their are a lot of players in the league who put up big statistics in limited minutes, and one of the reasons they do not get more is due to their inability to contain this production through extended minutes. Really, if you stop playing for a few months or even a few days, your conditioning is the hardest thing to maintain. This is what separates the mediocre players from the great players, and this is a big reason why certain players do not have the motor of others. 

    Kevin scores a very respectable 218 of 250, and he does indeed look like a good player who could have a nice career at Gonzaga, but I posted this as more of a way to show people a really smart way of training as a basketball player, which is not only improving your conditioning, but learning how to play when you are tired. If you play a 40 minute game, it is bound to happen, and it will effect you on both ends of the court. In particularly, it KILLS my defense when I am tired. But, the best way to prevent these things from happening is to train and to be the best you can be in these situations. That is what Kevin Pangos and Henry Tan are doing in this video, and these are examples of what the best players you see do to maintain and improve in this incredibly valuable aspect of basketball.

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  • #521284
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    Anton123
    Participant

     Why is kevin wearing the funny-looking mittens?

     

    Other than that – thanks, this could be really helpful

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  • #521315
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    OhCanada-
    Participant

    I really think this is going to become a new piece of not only scouting and evaluation process amongst highschool players, but also somewhat a rite of passage. Truely is a wise move by Flagrant Fouls to incorporate this into their website. I do however see major prospects attempting to avoid this type of test, as not to fail.

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  • #521318
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    HotSnot
    Participant

    @mikeyvthedon

    I couldn’t agree more.  I’m an older player (33) and although I’m just as explosive as I ever was, my meat an patatoes is my conditioning.  I’ll meet college guys who want to show me how its done and they might hang with me the first 5 minutes, but then they start to slow down and get soft.  After 30 minutes they are dead and I’ve just started to warm up.  Its like playing with little kids at that point.  I can blow by them effortlessly, easily out jump them for rebounds and shove them around the block… its really quite a joke.  If you can’t get up an down the court effectively why even play?

    I suffered a very severe high ankle sprain in feb… (Man, I wish dudes would just get outta the way when your in the air) and I haven’t fully healed after 9 weeks.  Even when I do heal up there’s no way I’ll have the stamina to do what I want.  I’ve got no wind anymore.  I’ll have to spend a month on the rowing machine and then another month on 2.4 km runs and sprints before even stepping on the court again.  At my age if I’m not in great shape i’ll just break apart trying to play ball hard.

    The proof is in the pudding.  Here’s how you know a guy is in amazing shape if he’s under 6ft3.  Your in the game and there is a long series of up and down action with out a stop in play.  Maybe 2 minutes of hard running,cutting and lockdown defense… and after all that he gets a steal and still has enough gas in the tank to sprint back down the court to throw one down. 

    Anyone can learn to dunk one handed.  It seems like everyone and there brother is trying to dunk.  It takes 3 steps and a few seconds.  Get those same dudes to do 2 sets of suicides and then get them to finish with a dunk… they won’t even get the ball over the rim. 

    Train to be a machine…

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  • #521319
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    JoeWolf1

     @Hotsnot

    I’ll be 29 in June and I’m in the same boat.  I’ve always loved training, so when my sporting career was over I never really stopped, and at one point last year I thought I was starting to lose some explosiveness because I couldn’t dunk as easily as I used to, so I started to tailor a new routine with more plyometrics, hang cleans, and squats and not only have I regained that explosiveness, but my jump endurance is as high as it ever was.

     It always baffles me when young guys in college and the NBA don’t keep their body in good shape and try to play.  Being in great, not just good shape can help seperate you from your competition as the game goes on.

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  • #521336
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    HotSnot
    Participant

    @joewolf

    You speak the truth.  Good is never enough.  If you don’t have the mentality that you want to physically destroy your opponent then whats the point?  You can’t get there without putting in the work.

    Guys like Eddy Curry make me mad just thinking about what they’re throwing away.  I would have killed for that type of opportunity.  I read Curry was trying to hook up with the Heat before the playoffs.  He went to Grovers for a month trying to get into shape. My question is… why wasn’t he already in good shape?  Wasn’t he getting paid all this time? 

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  • #521365
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    mikeyvthedon
    Participant

    HotSnot (charming nickname, but you speak the truth) and Joe Wolf (who tends to be an awesome voice of reason on most occasions). I find it very hard to say why certain players do not stay in condition, and their may indeed be psychological aspects at play. I for one have never been 6’11 or 7 feet, I have no idea what their metabolism is and I have no idea how hard it is to motivate yourself to train such a body. I guess that is what separates the good and great players, especially those who maintain their careers over a long period of time. It is easier to say what you would do in a situation, but everyone is different and until you have dealt with the particulars that these players have been through, I find it very hard to say "this is what I would be doing in their shoes".

    You can try to help them, mentor them, even try to change their diet, but in the end, it is really up to them on the choices they make, and if we have watched shows on A&E we know that the mental condition sometimes does not just make it as easy as saying "Well, I have to do this and drop everything else." I am not saying it is an addiction in Curry’s case, but it has to be difficult when you get to a certain point, when you have certain expectations and you go through certain lulls. I think that their was a reason that Eddy was not in good shape, and that is that he is human. It must be a struggle to maintain himself, and that he finally just was overcome in this struggle, whether it was from malaise due to signing his contract or other factors that were surely present. But, not everyone is a self starter, and conditioning is a struggle that I think a great many people tend to deal with. Once you get in a rut, it is not always easy to get out. This is just hopefully a nice reminder of steps you could take to being in the best condition possible.

    @OhCanada: I do not think it was a pass/fail situation, I just think it was meant as an example of good ways to stay in shape. I am sure other players might not want you taping their results in this type of setting, but I personally think that a vast majority tend to go through similar tests on the regular. When they talk about all the work they put in, this is just some of what they mean. Also, I think Kevin Pangos just happened to do incredibly well in this test scenario, though I think I know who was training him and I am sure this is not the first time he has gone through these rigorous and ultimately beneficial drills. But, a rite of passage for any elite basketball player is to spend countless hours playing the game and improving your skills, I think that goes without saying. Whether it is in a test format or not, these guys have all had to put in work man, even if it seems like some are more naturally gifted than others.

    @Anton: The "funny looking mittens" were I believe were a way to provide even more difficulty to the drills. When you can not feel the ball, it definitely provides an extra challenge, and I know that Pete Maravich and I am sure countless others used to train wearing gloves. However, once you take the gloves off, things become so much easier and it just really is an aid to the senses. Sort of like wearing weight jackets, or even losing weight, your movement becomes that much more natural. It is really a good way to challenge yourself and it is a hinderance that eventually becomes a huge help.

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