More Considerations: Playing Big
Thanks, Coach. It is probably mental and physical. He doesn't look for opportunities to take the ball to the hoop as much as he used to. That is probably due to a lack of confidence. He seems content to sit on the outside and shoot the 3-pointer. I told him that if he wants to be a "complete" player, he needs to develop other parts of his game. He says he wants to, but his actions speak otherwise.
As far as physical, he seems very weak when he gets around other players. He has good hands and good moves around the basket, but that doesn't seem to help. I personally think he should be more aggressive, but that's easy for me to say. He gives up on the ball too early, and he seems a tad slow in reacting to where the ball is compared to his counterparts. He has quick feet and quick hands, but his reaction seems slow. How do you teach more quick reaction? I frequently see "slower" kids "out-quick" him to the ball, particularly around the basket.
From my vantage point, I see a couple of things that he can work on:
1. Weight room (bulk up some)
2. Leaping ability
I don't see that these things will solve the problem because he still reacts slowly, and he doesn't appear to like contact around the basket, though he doesn't shy away from contact on the open floor with loose balls, taking the charge, etc.
Thanks for your help!