HoopsHype.com Columns

Improving strength, a pre-requisite to enter the NBA
by Michael Wood / April 14, 2002

Today's athletes are coming out of college and entering the NBA bigger, stronger and faster than ever before. One of the reasons for this is because the players are now working with strength and conditioning coaches on the college and even the high school level. Many Division I schools have full-time strength coaches who work with athletes on improving not only their skill level but also on increasing their strength and power. If you can increase an athlete’s strength you subsequently will improve their power output and this will ultimately translate into a more explosive athlete. Improving power in the legs and hips will determine how explosively the basketball specific skills are performed.

Power and strength are needed for skills such as rebounding, shot-blocking, dunking and even taking a jump-shot. From a physiological standpoint, the peak time to develop strength in an athlete is from 18-22 years of age. If they are looking to get bigger and stronger, that's the best time to do it. By the time they enter the NBA, they are usually familiar with various Olympic-type lifts, plyometric drills and strength training principles and this is then taken to a new level in the league.

Players coming into the NBA, like Jared Jeffries as well as rookies like Pau Gasol obviously have the skills to play in the league but the question is, can their lean body types last through a grueling 82-game schedule? The stronger a player is at the start of the season the less likely they are to get injured and the stronger (both mentally and physically) they will be at the end when it comes down to crunch time. Training will increase muscle strength as well as connective tissue (ligaments and tendons) and will decrease the chance of injuries (i.e. strains and sprains).

A well planned and thought out strength and conditioning program in addition to proper nutritional guidance will help the athlete add valuable muscle to their frame. This in turn will help keep the player as strong at the end of the game as he was at the start of it. Picture an Alonzo Mourning going up against a leaner player. He can basically do what he wants with that player by posting him down low and using his strength as an advantage.

Athletes are always looking for that competitive edge that will help them separate from their competitors. A stronger athlete will have the upper hand against someone who is not at the same level physically and this becomes evident as the game progresses. The player who is not as well-conditioned is often seen bending over with their hands on their knees trying to catch their breath. Once this is seen by the opposing player, he intuitively knows that at any time he wants he can blow by them offensively, player better defensively and simply stop on a dime and shoot right over the top of them, all because player A is stronger and in better shape than player B. If you want strong athletes who can run faster and jump higher, and more importantly, do this when the game is on the line – then you better get them into the weight room.

Athletes who strength train year round and are involved in basketball specific conditioning programs throughout the year will be mentally and physically ready for the rigors of the NBA season and will have found that competitive edge they were looking for.

Michael Wood is the Director of the Sports Performance Group (www.woodspg.com) and an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Connecticut

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