Elite Ball Handlers 101

Sep 22 2015
Isaiah Thomas
Guard / Boston Celtics

Throwing down a monster dunk, swatting somebodys shot or beating the

buzzer is usually a pretty good way to make it into the SportCenter Top 10.
But lets be real: It aint a highlight reel until someones ankles get broken.

Basketball is all about instincts and anticipation, especially when it comes to

point guards who have to put the ball on the floor and create for themselves
and their teammates. Its about knowing your opponent, and knowing that
your opponent knows you. You have to be deceptive. You have to be
unpredictable. And those are the things they dont have drills for. You cant practice that. You can only
develop your game and let the instincts take over when it comes time to make a play.

There are no sleepers here. You know all these guys. But Im going to tell you why you know them and
what makes them the NBAs elite ball-handlers.

Jamal Crawford

Full disclosure: J. Crossover is my man. Hes like my big brother. We play together a lot in the
offseason in Pro-Ams, and he comes out to my annual Memorial Day Zeke-End tournament in my
hometown of Tacoma, Washington, too. So I know Jamal better than any of the guys on this list.

But thats not why I included him. Hes on this list because hes doesnt get mentioned enough among
the best ball handlers in the game, and he should be.

Jamal is a straight streetballer. He doesnt have a signature or go-to move. Hes always doing something
different depending on the situation, and hes always trying crazy new stuff. Hes just so gifted that I
dont think he even knows what hes going to do sometimes. He just does it, and everyone says Wow
He has a combination of instinct and a crazy natural ability to control the ball.

Like back when he was with the Knicks and he put a move on Deron Williams where he dribbled behind
his back, then kept the ball there and went back behind his back for the lay-up.

Its one of the best moves Ive ever seen.

The craziest part is that he was doing that move over the summer in the Pro-Ams, but youd never think
hed pull it out in a real game. Thats what separates Jamal from the rest of the guys on this list, and
really from most of the guys in the NBA. The way he plays in Pro-Ams is the way he plays in NBA
games. Most of the time you see guys in the summer and youre like, That guy is good. Why doesnt he
play like that during the season? But Jamal? It doesnt matter if hes at the Staples Center or LA
Fitness. He plays the same way every day.

And lets not forget how he earned the name J. Crossover.

Behind the back, between the legs or just a straight cross, Jamal has one of the best crossovers in the
game. Hes made more than a few guys hit the floor.

Steph Curry

With Steph, youre always guessing. Thats what makes him so dangerous.

First off, you gotta respect the three, cause if you dont, hell light you up from the outside. Thats where
everything starts for him.

Steph plays like hes a wide receiver in football running an option route on every play. Everything he
does depends on what the defender is doing. So when hes coming at you, if youre afraid of the three
which you should be and you give him too much space, hell knock it down. If you play too far up on
the three, hell take you off the dribble. If he beats you on the first step because you were playing too far
up, say goodbye. Hes already gone. If you sink back with him, he has the shiftiness and the quick
release to step back and shoot.

And the worst part is that hes such a good passer, nobodys leaving their man to step up and help.
Youre on your own.

I dont think he ever goes down the court thinking Im pulling up or Im taking it to the basket. He
reads the court so well that he doesnt need a plan. He can just rely on his instincts and react to the
defense, and he can do it all, so he takes whatever you give him.

You cant tell me he planned this:

He uses the pick to split the defense, then runs into two bigs who stepped up. Between the legs, behind
the back, step back, bucket. Four defenders within arms reach, and theyre still no match for Steph.

Youve all seen this one, too:

You have to really sell it if youre gonna get a guy to bite on the move to the basket, and even then, you
gotta have the quickness and control to stop on a dime to create that separation.

Chris Paul is one of the best defenders in the NBA not just at point guard, but period. And Steph put
him on skates because when he went behind his back and faked baseline, he sold it, and CP3 had to
respect it. As soon as CP3 committed, Steph knew he had him, and he had the quickness and ball control
to pull the ball back behind his back and create the shot.

A lot of guys have a skill set that includes the ability to drive, pass and shoot. But not a lot of those guys
also have the handles to do everything in between and create any of the three for themselves.

Steph does.
Chris Paul

Since he was on the wrong end of both Steph Curry highlights, lets give CP3 some love. Hes one of
the craftiest guards in the NBA on his own right. Hes not flashy, he just has the right moves to get
where he wants to go. He always pulls the right move out at the right time because hes so smart. Hes a
real student of the game.

If theres one move I could point to that is textbook Chris Paul, it would be a move called the
Shammgod. Its when you start your dribble in one direction, but instead of crossing back over with the
same hand, you bring your other hand across your body and snatch it back. Its a move a lot of guys use
to get the defender turned around so they can drive to the basket, and really, its a pretty basic move.

But CP3 does it differently. He uses it off the pick-n-roll, and it always gets the big leaning to give him
the separation for his mid-range shot.

Only CP3 takes a move like the Shammgod that everyone uses and throws it in between two
fundamental moves like the pick-and-roll and the mid-range jumper to make them even more effective.
He makes it look so easy, but it takes a lot of quickness and ball control to go off the pick, throw the ball
out there on a string and pull it back with the other hand like he does. It all comes together in one long,
fluid motion.

Like I said, nothing flashy. Just crafty, smart basketball.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie lives laterally. He goes side to side at such a high level its hard for defenders to keep up. Hes
right in front of you, then hes not, and it all starts with the crossover. Its the same move every point
guard has in his arsenal.

His is just better.

Dont get me wrong, he has a lot of other moves, too. Hes kind of like Jamal Crawford in that you
never really know what hes gonna pull out. But when it comes to being in isolation, if youre guarding
him, you can count on seeing that crossover more than a few times. Its his bread and butter.

Throw in the fact that he can shoot at a high level or finish at the basket as good as anybody, and youre
definitely ending up in a highlight reel when youre guarding Kyrie, because you will get crossed.

Good luck.

James Harden

I dont know why its so hard to guard lefties. I think its just because so many guys are right-handed
that when you see a lefty, its just not normal. But theres more to James Harden than just being left-
handed. Hes creative, shifty and very deceiving.

He has a lot of east and west in his game. A lot of guys can go north and south, but when hes going
downhill towards the basket, he has the ability to go east and west without losing momentum.
Thats why his Euro step is so effective. He comes down the lane so fast that you have to play on your
heels a little, and when he throws that first step at you, if you go with him, he has the ability to change
direction with that second step without slowing down, and that little hesitation on the defenders part is
enough to give him the space he needs to finish at the basket.

Hes got people on their heels the whole game.

Here, he basically puts the ball behind his back and between his legs while hes going full speed, mid-
Euro step, which takes a crazy amount of ball control. The Euro step can be hard enough to defend by
itself with a guy like Harden, but throw in his ability to mix in other moves makes it almost impossible
sometimes.

Hell take you in the half court off the dribble, too. There are a few times hes embarrassed guys in one-
on-one situations because his hands are so quick, and sometimes it doesnt even look like he did
anything crazy, but he drops guys on the floor, like he did to Ricky Rubio this past season:

Damn lefties.

Bonus: Isaiah Thomas

You didnt really think I was gonna break down the best ball handlers in the NBA and not get in on it,
did you?

Lucky for me, its hard to guard small guys. That gives me an advantage on my ball handling, and also
because Im able to change direction faster than a lot of guys. So with me, a straight crossover usually
gives me the space and separation I need to get my shot off or make a play.

But I also have another move I go to when I know I need separation or I need to create a lane to the
basket. Its just a right hesitation, like a fake spin, and it usually gets me to where I want to go.

I remember using it back when I was with the Kings my rookie year. We were playing the Jazz, and I
used that hesitation at the free-throw line and froze the whole defense.

But since were talking handles, I gotta throw in the shot I hit back when I was with the Kings and Steph
Curry was guarding me.

I went to my crossover and he stumbled back a little, and when he fell, he tripped me, so I went down
with him. But I was able to keep my dribble even after I hit the ground, get back up and throw up a shot
off one foot, and it went off the glass.

Thats probably my favorite highlight because I had to keep control of the ball going to the ground and
then cap it off with the circus shot. It was also one of my favorite crossovers because I had Steph beat if
I didnt get tangled with him.

And thats all Im gonna give you on me. I cant give away all my secrets.

If you want more, you know where YouTubes at.