Rebounding like Rodman | Syracusefan.com

Rebounding like Rodman

swish7

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In a thread the other day, someone commented that the players should watch a video of Rodman and learn to rebound like him.

So, I YouTubed a few videos which discuss Rodman's techniques and strategy. Note: its a little more than just boxing out.
  • Study individual shooters and how much spin they put on the ball. More spin might be a shorter rebound. Low spin might be a longer rebound.
  • React to the individual shot arc. High arc might be a shorter rebound. Flat arc might be a longer rebound.
  • A shot from the right side, the rebound will be on the left, and vice versa
  • Move to the optimal position on the court based on the factors above
  • Clear space to give yourself as much space in that optimal position. In some cases, he would pin his man (sit on their legs) under the hoop so they were a) out of position and b) couldn't themselves jump.
  • As he got older, he would lock their arms up so they couldn't even raise their arms
  • Sometimes, he would tip the ball multiple times to himself so that he could eventually gather the ball
  • A tidbit I had never heard was that Rodman was apparently a world class runner and would have won a gold if he had competed in the 400. This superior athleticism also manifested in an ability to double-jump at a greater rate than his opponent.
I rewatched the UVA game, a game where we theoretically rebounded 'well'.

Man, these cats are so far removed from rebounding like Rodman it is not even funny. Some of them do not even react to the shot. They watch it and literally do not move. We all know they do not box out. Even Maliq who had 8 boards, I noticed a few times him doing nothing when the shot was in the air. Meanwhile, the opponents were doing some of these things.

I know the stuff is a lot harder in real life, but I don't think JB needs to be too mystified as to why they are not rebounding. Maybe be mystified why they are not doing what they should be taught.

Putting in the effort on rebounds seems like a much easier path to getting PT than becoming a great scorer.
 
Rodman is a rebounding genius. Even laying out the things he did as well as you did... even other great basketball players can't fully mimic it.

I do agree that there's some delta between good rebounding technique and what we ask our guys to do. Seems like they come in as naturally good rebounders and perform well, and some guys improve, but jumps like we're seeing from Jesse this season are rare.
 
In a thread the other day, someone commented that the players should watch a video of Rodman and learn to rebound like him.

So, I YouTubed a few videos which discuss Rodman's techniques and strategy. Note: its a little more than just boxing out.
  • Study individual shooters and how much spin they put on the ball. More spin might be a shorter rebound. Low spin might be a longer rebound.
  • React to the individual shot arc. High arc might be a shorter rebound. Flat arc might be a longer rebound.
  • A shot from the right side, the rebound will be on the left, and vice versa
  • Move to the optimal position on the court based on the factors above
  • Clear space to give yourself as much space in that optimal position. In some cases, he would pin his man (sit on their legs) under the hoop so they were a) out of position and b) couldn't themselves jump.
  • As he got older, he would lock their arms up so they couldn't even raise their arms
  • Sometimes, he would tip the ball multiple times to himself so that he could eventually gather the ball
  • A tidbit I had never heard was that Rodman was apparently a world class runner and would have won a gold if he had competed in the 400. This superior athleticism also manifested in an ability to double-jump at a greater rate than his opponent.
I rewatched the UVA game, a game where we theoretically rebounded 'well'.

Man, these cats are so far removed from rebounding like Rodman it is not even funny. Some of them do not even react to the shot. They watch it and literally do not move. We all know they do not box out. Even Maliq who had 8 boards, I noticed a few times him doing nothing when the shot was in the air. Meanwhile, the opponents were doing some of these things.

I know the stuff is a lot harder in real life, but I don't think JB needs to be too mystified as to why they are not rebounding. Maybe be mystified why they are not doing what they should be taught.

Putting in the effort on rebounds seems like a much easier path to getting PT than becoming a great scorer.
IMO - your last bullet point was the key to Rodman's ability. His second jump was almost superhuman. In a world of freak athletes, he was off the ground much quicker than all of them.
 
The answer is obvious!

Our guys don't move because they're always already in the perfect spot for the rebound!

Seriously though, I think JGIII probably moves to get into position more than any of them. At least, in the last handful of games.
 
In a thread the other day, someone commented that the players should watch a video of Rodman and learn to rebound like him.

So, I YouTubed a few videos which discuss Rodman's techniques and strategy. Note: its a little more than just boxing out.
  • Study individual shooters and how much spin they put on the ball. More spin might be a shorter rebound. Low spin might be a longer rebound.
  • React to the individual shot arc. High arc might be a shorter rebound. Flat arc might be a longer rebound.
  • A shot from the right side, the rebound will be on the left, and vice versa
  • Move to the optimal position on the court based on the factors above
  • Clear space to give yourself as much space in that optimal position. In some cases, he would pin his man (sit on their legs) under the hoop so they were a) out of position and b) couldn't themselves jump.
  • As he got older, he would lock their arms up so they couldn't even raise their arms
  • Sometimes, he would tip the ball multiple times to himself so that he could eventually gather the ball
  • A tidbit I had never heard was that Rodman was apparently a world class runner and would have won a gold if he had competed in the 400. This superior athleticism also manifested in an ability to double-jump at a greater rate than his opponent.
I rewatched the UVA game, a game where we theoretically rebounded 'well'.

Man, these cats are so far removed from rebounding like Rodman it is not even funny. Some of them do not even react to the shot. They watch it and literally do not move. We all know they do not box out. Even Maliq who had 8 boards, I noticed a few times him doing nothing when the shot was in the air. Meanwhile, the opponents were doing some of these things.

I know the stuff is a lot harder in real life, but I don't think JB needs to be too mystified as to why they are not rebounding. Maybe be mystified why they are not doing what they should be taught.

Putting in the effort on rebounds seems like a much easier path to getting PT than becoming a great scorer.
Yes, they fail in every instance to react to the shot, they rebound about the same as statues placed on the floor. Coaching if done is certainly not emphasizing rebounding techniques.
You may not be physically capable of rebounding like Rodman, but you definitely can use better technique to increase your own results.
 
Rebounding goes back to the type of recruits JB is recruiting. Very little aggressiveness or toughness. Skinny, lanky players who are just plain soft. The Colemans, Owens and Wallace’s are long gone. I watched Providence the other night and they physically manhandled UCONN. The Huskies might be better skilled, but they were just out-toughed by Providence.
 
The answer is obvious!

Our guys don't move because they're always already in the perfect spot for the rebound!

Seriously though, I think JGIII probably moves to get into position more than any of them. At least, in the last handful of games.
JGIII has really good rebounding instincts for a guard, even more impressive how well he does at his size.
 
Rodman's ability as a rebounder is akin to Stephs ability to shoot the 3ball. There is just a combination of athleticism, skill, coordination, repetition and programing yourself that delivers an ability that goes unmatched.
 
I still believe it's his high school football experience. Helps him track the ball and allows to stick his nose in where others may not.
Could be.
 
I think Tiger Woods’ dad said Tiger could have been an Olympic caliber runner. Interesting.
 
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We have never once had a player that was nearly as athletic in terms of rebounding, as Rodman.

It wasn’t just that he studied it and focused on it, it wasn’t just the insane motor….he was a GREAT athlete that was tailor made for rebounding. It’s more than just trying hard. Chris Bell is skinny, weak, reacts slow, has shaky hands, and no timing. He can try harder than everyone and he’ll still suck at rebounding as a freshman.
 
Rebounding, its like pocket awareness. Some guys just have it. Also you have to want it and you need to be tough. Sy Hima Brown Joe Judah Copeland will mix it up. Benny sometimes. Taylor seems willing. I think the issue is the zone. Its a non aggressive D. Doesn't lend itself to good Rebounding.
 
We have never once had a player that was nearly as athletic in terms of rebounding, as Rodman.

It wasn’t just that he studied it and focused on it, it wasn’t just the insane motor….he was a GREAT athlete that was tailor made for rebounding. It’s more than just trying hard. Chris Bell is skinny, weak, reacts slow, has shaky hands, and no timing. He can try harder than everyone and he’ll still suck at rebounding as a freshman.
Our players are not trying hard enough.

You do not need to be constructed like Rodman to apply some of his techniques.

Just like you do not need to be constructed like Curry to apply some of his techniques.

Our players could track the ball in the air and move to a better position and attempt to pin their man. They could vary positioning based on shot distance, ball arc, the spin, and even the shooter.

Maybe they cannot jump as high, as quickly, or have his relentless determination, but they can do these other technique and strategy things.
 
Rebounding, its like pocket awareness. Some guys just have it. Also you have to want it and you need to be tough. Sy Hima Brown Joe Judah Copeland will mix it up. Benny sometimes. Taylor seems willing. I think the issue is the zone. Its a non aggressive D. Doesn't lend itself to good Rebounding.
A lack of awareness has to be a factor.

I guess an unwillingness (conscious or not) to apply the techniques they are being taught is what is frustrating Boeheim.
 
Rodman was a tremendous rebounder - desire, athleticism, focus and to be fair the freedom to worry about doing nothing else. I also think the myth of Rodman has elevated his status and level of greatness that his game didn't meet. The history of basketball has had many outstanding rebounders.

Rodman's best season was 18 a game slightly better than Andre Drummond's career high of 16. Different eras for sure but the names ahead of Rodman on the rebounding list are legendary and forgotten. Wilt and Russell dominate but Thurmond, Unsleld, Elgin etc also had to score.

Jerry Lucas nearly posted 20/20 his first 3 years in the league and was 17/16 for his career. He in no way would be confused with Rodman the athlete, but blew him away as a basketball player. Point is there are many ways to be an effective, let alone great, rebounder. However it happens we need to find our way.
 
Our players are not trying hard enough.

You do not need to be constructed like Rodman to apply some of his techniques.

Just like you do not need to be constructed like Curry to apply some of his techniques.

Our players could track the ball in the air and move to a better position and attempt to pin their man. They could vary positioning based on shot distance, ball arc, the spin, and even the shooter.

Maybe they cannot jump as high, as quickly, or have his relentless determination, but they can do these other technique and strategy things.


Smh, I almost threw in that “people will say that if JG3 just shoots with a little more arc, he could be Curry!”

SMH. No. None of our guys can be Curry. Curry wasn’t even Curry until he was like 25. He’s one of the best basketball players and shooters of all time.

I never said our guys can’t improve or that playing harder wouldn’t help. Bringing up the greatest players of all time is not necessary and kinda ridiculous though.
 
We have never once had a player that was nearly as athletic in terms of rebounding, as Rodman.

It wasn’t just that he studied it and focused on it, it wasn’t just the insane motor….he was a GREAT athlete that was tailor made for rebounding. It’s more than just trying hard. Chris Bell is skinny, weak, reacts slow, has shaky hands, and no timing. He can try harder than everyone and he’ll still suck at rebounding as a freshman.

Dude was also a god-level defender when his head was focused.

We're talking an all time great on the defensive end and rebounding. There is real science and fundamentals that are more than just effort and desire.

All due respect to our guys, but this is like asking why Joe isn't shooting like Steph Curry.

There are zero people on our roster that have any ability, innate or developed, like Rodman as it pertains to rebounding or on-ball defense. That dude bodied guys that had 30+ pounds on him one on one and then would beat them out for rebounds.
 
While we're at it can we get Judah to pass like Stockton and Jesse to be physical like Shaq?

And just for comical value give JBA the sexual prowess of Wilt Chamberlain.
If Maliq works really hard on his low post footwork, I see no reason why he can’t be Kevin McHale.

If Taylor does a lot of squats and jump rope and lower posterior chain training, he should be able to dunk like Vince Carter.
 

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