What kind of specific drills would you see at an NBA tryout?
Drills for any professional sport will not differ too much from drills that amateur athletes would participate in. Drills are used to improve skills, once you begin practicing the basics you never stop. The more routine a specific act becomes, the easier it is to do it right in a game. Professional coaches spend more time dealing with defensive and offensive concepts, they help player learn their specific jobs in the teams system.
Different coaches will use different drills; some coaches will even use drills of their own design. The drills at a Lakers tryout would not be the same as the drills at a Knick tryout, but they would both be drills that measure a player’s ability to perform the fundamentals of the sport.
Scrimmages are a much better way for coaches to measure the talent and discipline level of their potential players. Scrimmages allow the coach to view the player in game form; they can measure quick thinking and adaptability that drills cannot measure.
If you’re interested in learning some new drills, or are looking to run your own practice, here’s a link that should provide you with enough drills to keep any basketball coach happy for years.
http://www.coachesclipboard.net/BasketballDrills.html
