A good post player is solid underneath the hoop.
He has good hands, can take a hit and remain standing, doesn't complain about the contact nor does he get vindictive about it, and above all else, he's aggressive.
And that really is what you need most out of an inside player - someone capable of getting the rebounds and putting them back up.
But if you want your post player to be a scoring threat when your team is setting up, he has to have some moves.
The good thing about offensive moves in the post is that your players only need three moves to become very effective offensive players.
These are the three offensive moves post players need to be able to execute if they want to be considered offensive threats: 1.
Drop Step A good drop step makes contact.
When the offensive player gets the ball, with the defensive player on his hip, he steps back, puts the ball on the floor, pivots and drops his weight, all at the same time.
And in the process, he makes solid contact with the defensive player's thigh, momentarily freezing him, so that the offensive player has a clean shot at the hoop.
2.
Baby Hook Magic Johnson used it to win the NBA championships back in the early eighties.
A move that doesn't garner as much contact as the drop step, the baby hook requires a light touch, and is very difficult to block since it is released high and a good body width away from the defensive player.
It takes practice, but once mastered it is a very effective shot.
3.
Turnaround Jumper A good shot for any player to know, but especially the inside players, since they are so often cutting to the high post in set plays.
Honing the ability to pivot and shoot quick, or pivot, fake the shot, and then drive, will open up all kinds of scoring opportunities for your post players.
These three moves are all inside players need to know in order to be good offensive threats.
But they require lots of practice, and each requires its own focus.
The drop step is a move done in traffic, with a guy on your back.
To do this well in the game, the offensive player needs to be very aggressive, willing to use the contact he is making, and accept that he will likely be hit and the hit will likely not be called by the ref.
To execute the drop step, the inside player needs to play tough and determined.
The baby hook is more of a finesse shot, requiring lots of arc and a good feel for where everything is on the court - the player often begins the shot with his back to the basket, so he needs to know where the basket is as he is turning.
As it is a finesse move, it requires plenty of practice to get it perfect, but will be very difficult to stop once the player has a handle on it.
One nice thing about the drop step and baby hook is that they complement each other - if the defensive player is over playing the baseline side of the post player, the post player can use the baby hook; if the defense is overplaying the key side, the post player can use the drop step.
No matter what the defense tries to do, if the offensive player can perform both moves, he can beat the defense every time.
The turnaround jumper requires two things above all else - a quick release and good court vision.
A quick release to turn and get the shot off while the defensive man is charging through the key, but also good court vision so that the offensive player is able to decide whether it would be best to shoot or to fake and drive.
If the post player becomes good at making that decision, and develops a decent shot, he'll put lots of points on the board.
Three moves to make your inside players scoring threats against any team.
For more explanation and practice drills for these moves, check out the Post Moves page on my website.