Basketball has changed...

Basketball has been changing for years.
Over the past 10-15 years’ players have become faster, leaner, more athletic, more skilled.
We see less typical centers and more combo guards or stretch 3's or stretch 4's... It is not uncommon for point guards to set screens and for centers to shoot 3's.

It is a trend that I have been familiar with for years due to growing up and living in Europe. Europe has produced some of the most versatile players in the NBA over the years. From Sabonis bask in the 90' through Nowicki in the 2000's to Jokić and Doncic now.

The reason for that is very simple. We don't train players based on their current size, or current abilities. Basketball training is all about their holistic growth.

Youth players must be able (in this exact order) to dribble, pass, shoot, make basic decisions (go left or right based on the first line defense) as well as have proper fundamental footwork (cross step; open step; jump stop; 1,2 stop; reverse pivot; gallop).
Once athletes master the fundamentals then we can get into setting screens and basic screen actions without and later with defense.

In this video, Savannah is working on transitioning from playing face to the basket to back to the basket with an option to pass the ball to a teammate and then chase.

I have been a part of Savannah's development for over 5 years. I never felt the need to rush her development or to push any complicated concepts on her - there's time for everything. She is now playing on an elite Nike team and is one of the best scorers in Brevard.