The Basketball Jump Stop

A few weeks ago we talked about the most ridiculous "fundamental" of the game. And last week I saw the result of this archaic thinking come to the fore. It could have cost someone a game. Here's what happened:

A kid got a steal and broke free on the dribble. There was one defender back. The dribbler had help on his left wing. There was a defender running right behind the dribbler. It was going to be a bang-bang play, but the offense had a 2 on 1 going and they should score out of it. I would have been tough, but a good team should make this work.

So the dribbler came down to about the free throw line and his wing was a couple of steps ahead of him. The dribbler came to a jump stop at the free throw line - JUST AS HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT - from first grade until now, a varsity player. Remember when I first broached the subject of the jump stop? I wrote that when one does this one becomes immediately weaker. His defender, splitting the difference between the dribbler and the wing, instinctively knew this. He dropped down to guard the cutting wing. And the guy behind the dribbler caught up to the play and stuck a hand into the passing lane and knocked it away. Turnover. What should have been 2 points turned into a turnover.

Because someone along the way taught him the jump stop because he had been taught it before by his coach who had been taught it before by his coach.

Here's my guide: if you jump stop, you had better be shooting.