What Type of Player are You?
Figure out which type of qualities you possess
Most people evaluate the type of basketball player you are by evaluating you as either being good, average, or below average. While this may be a good system to judge the skill a player possess in the game of basketball, it does not include every aspect of a player. It leaves out certain components that make up a basketball player like teamwork, leadership, work ethic, and determination. The most effective way to rate a player involves three different classifications: scared, tentative, and confident.
This system of rating can be used not only on the basketball court, but also in different aspects of life. When you really break everything down, almost every individual you encounter falls into one of these three categories. This means a person can be confident in one situation, but scared in a different set of circumstances.
In basketball, a scared player is an individual who is not comfortable on the court. They usually have not worked hard enough to gain the comfort needed to upscale to a tentative player. This does not mean that all newcomers to basketball are scared. Even a newcomer that has not had the opportunity to learn the game of basketball in its entirety can still play at a tentative level. A beginner playing at a tentative level knows they are a beginner and only attempts to perform at their highest skill on the court; making every attempt to not go beyond their skill range. A scared player makes attempt to do it all, without having learned the proper basketball skills needed to complete the tasks.
A tentative player is one who knows their limits. There are two different classifications of a tentative player. A beginning tentative player is the type of player we described above; they know their limits. They do not try to do too much, but still try to use what skills they have to help the team, and not hurt the team. Most beginning tentative players skip the scared player level, and advance to the confident player level without going through the advanced tentative player level.
An advanced tentative player has a number of skills needed to play the game of basketball, but lacks the knowledge to use them effectively. These players need assurance for their play on the court. They often seek assurance by taunting or screaming on the basketball court. These individuals know they have not paid the price needed to be excellent at the game.
A confident player is one who holds all the skill needed to play the game effectively and knows they possess all the tools necessary to play the game correctly. They know they hold these skills and tools and do not need the assurance of teammates or opponents. These players are the leaders on a team, and generally lead by example.
Knowing this viewpoint on the three different types of basketball players allows you to decide which type of player and path you want to follow to the confident level. We recommend the two-step process of skipping the scared and advanced tentative levels, because it is the most fulfilling and promising.