Basketball Terms

                Today I will be talking about a few basic basketball terms. One very famous term is dribble. Dribbling means to bounce the basketball, which is what you have to do to play. If you do not dribble the ball and move more than one step it is called traveling. If you travel, then the basketball will be given to the other team. A steal is when you take the ball from a player on the opposing team. It is possible to steal the ball when the player from the opposite team is dribbling the ball, or it can be intercepted when you steal the ball while it is being passed. Another common term is a foul. A foul is a violation between two players, which occurs very often during a game. There are many different types of fouls, but the most common one is reaching, when a player tries to steal the ball while hitting the other player.

                Some other basketball terms are air ball, back-court violation, double dribble, rebound, and jump shot. An air ball is when a player shoots the ball, but comes short without touching the rim of the basket. Back-court violation is when you pass your half of the court while dribbling the ball, and then you step back passing the half-court line. Once the ball has passed to the other side of the court, you can't go back to your side of the court unless the opposing team steals the ball from you. A double dribble is when you stop dribbling and hold the ball, but then start dribbling again. This is not allowed when playing. Once you hold the ball you either have to shoot or pass to a teammate, but can not dribble again. A rebound is when you shoot the ball and miss, but you still retrieve the ball again and gain possession of it. Finally a jump shot is when a player jumps up then shoots the ball. These are some of the many basketball terms used when playing. Next time you play basketball make sure you use these words to describe the violations or techniques of basketball.

Warriors V.S. Lakers

              Yesterday on October 17, 2015, the L.A. Lakers and the Golden State Warriors were battling out a preseason basketball game. It took place in the San Diego Valley View Casino Center Arena, on Saturday night. The Lakers beat the champs 85-70, but while only playing three quarters of the game. The game was shortened due to some dangerous floor conditions in the San Diego Arena. There had appeared to be some wet spots on the hardwood floor which caused the game to end right before the third quarter ended. After announcing that the game was canceled, many fans were upset and demanded a re-fund. The official Lakers's Twitter account stated that all fans will be getting a re-fund. The Lakers and Warriors will play another game this Thursday October 22 to make up for yesterday's game.
               It was too bad that the game was shortened because it was a really good game. If the game kept on going, I think that the Warriors still had a chance to catch up and win the game. It would have been great if they kept on playing, but it was for safety reasons and luckily no one got hurt. Save the date on Thursday October 22 at 7:00 p.m. to watch the Warriors and Lakers play.

Nothing But Net

            Today I will be talking about the different types of basketball shots. The five shots I will be talking about are free throws, three pointers, half court, lay-ups and slam dunks. A free throw shot is worth two points, and is located at the free throw line. A free throw shot is very common when the opposing team commits a foul on your team. You usually get two attempts to shoot a free throw and end up having a total of four points unless you get fouled at the three point line, in which you get three attempts to shoot. A three pointer is worth three points, and is located at the three pointer line. You can try to shoot a three pointer any time in the game, usually if you are open and have a clear shot. A half court shot is also worth three points, and is located on the half court line which is literally in the middle of the court. You can also shoot a half court any time in the game, but it is very rare that a player attempts this. You would have to have great aiming skills, and be able to throw really far. Players usually attempt this shot when there is only seconds left on the clock. The following picture demonstrates where the three shooting lines are:
           

         Lay-up shots are worth two points, and can occur any time in a game. These shots are very common when playing. To make a lay-up shot you usually have to be next to the hoop, and make sure that the ball hits the target on the backboard. The ball will bounce off the backboard and into the hoop. A slam dunk is a very famous shot. It is worth two points, and can also be done any time during the game. To make a slam dunk, players usually run towards the basket and jump right before passing it. Once the player jumps up, they slam the ball into the hoop with one or two hands and hang there. While the player hangs there they are showing a sign of victory, then jump back down. Now that you know about these shots, you can practice them until it's nothing but net.

Basketball Season!

   


              Basketball season is right around the corner! The NBA preseason games started on Friday October 2, and ends on October 23. The regular basketball season starts on October 27 with three games that day. All teams are getting prepared for the 2015-2016 basketball season. The Golden State Warriors have a big possibility of winning this season's championship again, but there are also lots of other good teams that can win as well.
              I read an article in bleacher report on the 2015-2016 NBA team predictions, on both Western and Eastern Conferences. The top five teams that have a good chance in making it to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and the Chicago Bulls. ( In order from best chance of winning.) I'm not really a big fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but I have to admit that they are a really good team along with the other four teams mentioned.
              In the Western Conference the top five teams to make it to the playoffs are the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Houston Rockets.( In order from best chance of winning.)  Based on these predictions, I think that the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers have a big chance of winning. The Golden State Warriors have one of the best players in the league, Stephen Curry, but so does the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James. The only way to see who is going to win the championship is to keep track of the season, and keep watching the games. To read more about the 2015-2016 NBA team predictions go to, m.bleacherreport.com/articles/2528043-nba-schedule-2015-16-team-by-team-record-predictions-and-playoff-odds .