(CRAFT)[A TEACHING MOMENT]

My balance, as a young player, is off.

Just look at the dichotomy between us, starting with posture. Michael is standing straight from the waist up. He’s not leaning in either direction, and because of that he is balanced and centered. He is in control of his body, and the play.

Compare all that to my defense. Now, I’m using my forearm to thrust weight into his back, just like they teach it. Unfortunately, that’s about all I’m doing right. I’m leaning forward, which is a major no-no, and putting too much pressure on him. That alone, by dint of gravity, causes me to be off-balance. As a result, one move by Michael, one decisive spin right or feint left, would throw me off and give him room to either shoot or spin off of me. This defense is definitely no bueno.

Thankfully, I actually saw this photo back in 1998. After studying it, I corrected my posture and balance. After that, it was a lot harder to operate against me in the post.