FreeStyle Street Basketball Winning Guide

FreeStyle Street Basketball Winning Guide by NikoSF

I decided to make this guide to help players not with just one position, but with general game play tips to help all of you play winning basketball.

This guide was meant to help add to what you already know, and to help tweak your mental approach to the game. This will not teach you how to play any specific position, but it will help your overall knowledge, and tweak your game play towards winning, and away from stat padding.

The very first thing you need to do if you want to be a winning player, is check your ego. What i mean by this, is that you have to be a willing team player to win in this game. Just like in real basketball, you will not win in this game if you try to do everything on your own. No matter how great of an individual talent you are, if you do not take advantage of your teammates, you can, and will be stopped against good teams.

Here are a few general tips to help you understand what it is to be a team player.

Look to pass first 
The position that I see failing to do this the most is SG. Every SG in this game thinks they should score every point for their team, and that just should not be the way you play. When you get the ball, you cannot look to score every time. You have to make quick decisions, and when your first option is always to score, you will miss opportunity’s to get your teammates easy baskets.

I will be adding a video example of this soon.

This is a perfect example of being a pass first player. Notice when I get the ball, i do not pump fake looking to score, but instead i pass as soon as i get the ball when i see the double team. If i had pump faked, it would’ve given the Center enough time to get back to his man on D, and we wouldn’t have gotten the easy bucket. Something as small as pump faking can be the difference between scoring and not scoring. Also, if you pump fake after you receive every pass, you will always pass back to your center, which is UNBELIEVABLE aggravating for your other teammate, who 9 times out of 10 is standing wide open, but you cannot pass to him. Once you pump fake, you cannot choose who you pass to, instead you are forced to pass to the person in front of you. Make sure you look to see if another teammate is open before you decide to pump fake.

Learn to use your chest pass 
This is very important for every position to learn. It may seem like a small thing, but doing a chest pass instead of doing any other pass has an advantage. If you notice, chest passes have the quickest motion. This means that you can move quicker after your pass than any other pass. The pass also arrives sooner to your teammate, and in general has a higher chance of getting pass bonus.If you are trying to get open, every millisecond counts. Also, if you consistently do a chest pass, your teammates can count on the same timing to your passes, making it easier for them 2 get open and read your passes.

To do a chest pass, hit the arrow keys in the direction of the person you are passing to and hit S. If you are off with your arrow keys, you will not do the correct pass. It sounds simple but it is something that takes practice to do correctly every time, especially in game situations. Go into freecourt with your friends and run around the court trying to do only chests passes as soon as u catch a pass, it is very good practice, and probably harder than you think it is.

Pass out of double teams 
I don’t really need to explain this, just do it. It is frustrating to your teammates when you refuse to pass out of a double team. If 2 people are on you, there is someone open, find them. I will list examples of situations this tends to happen in, so keep looking for this situation in the rest of this guide.

Set screens for your teammates 
I find it pretty amusing when people complain about screens in this game. Moving screens is a whole different subject, but a legal screen is a perfectly legit way of getting a teammate open, and it creates pressure for the defense to deal with. Setting a screen can do one of two things.

1. It can get your defender off your teammate for a good look to score.
2. It can make a second defender go to the ball handler, leaving someone else open.

Simply put, setting screens is just another way of putting pressure on the defense. Pick and rolls are a very effective, just like they are in real basketball, but only if you are willing to use them correctly. If you see that your defender is running to the person you set the screen for, run to an open spot on the floor for a good look. If the defender stays with you, get away from the person your setting the screen for so they can have the open look. Also, if you get the pass after a pick and roll, don’t be afraid to pass if you are doubled.

The MAIN GOAL of offense is to get your team the highest % shot possible. Do not force the ball to any one player just because they are the traditional scorer.

Understanding pass bonus 
Pass bonus is a very key component for any scorer. It can be the difference between making and missing a shot. When you hear the announcer say “Nice pass” or “Wide Open” when receiving a pass, this means the pass had “bonus”. This just means that you received a good pass, and increases your chances of making the shot. As a PG, the best way to give pass bonus is to make sure there is a clear passing lane between you and the person you are passing to. Just hitting Q and hoping your teammate will work his magic is not going to cut it. Try and find an open lane before you pass. This will also help avoid air steals. Also, watch your distance between you and the person you are passing to. If you are too far away, you are much less likely to give a pass with bonus.

*note* Pass bonus WILL NOT make you make every shot. It is a % game, so remember that it cannot work every time.

Understanding Air Steals
This is something I am pretty sure most of you have never realized before, but air steals are not just completely random. No, there is no way to get an air steal every time, but there are FOR SURE situations where they occur more often than others. For example, if you receive a pass from a player with pass bonus and you are open, and you pass out of that good shot, the chances of you throwing a ball to an air steal go up SIGNIFICANTLY. I have noticed that whenever you make an incorrect basketball play, air steals happen much more often. If a player is in the passing lane when you pass, it is more likley to be stolen. If you pass to a player who is not open when there is another player wide open, the chances of an air steal go up significantly also.

A good way to get air steals on defense is to hold W *face up* in the passing lanes when you see a pass coming. Shot check also has the same effect, so i assume disturbing defense has a higher % of air steals as well, but that I can’t be sure of. You might think I’m crazy, but try doing it in game, i bet you will get one or two in a game this way.

Centers who score are not noobs
I am not sure where this thought process came from, or why anyone wuold think this, but Centers can score to. In fact, they can have the highest shooting % in the game with their low post scoring. Anyone who doesn’t use their C to score is missing out on a very important part of their offense, and makes themselves very vulnerable. They have a wide variety of moves in the post, and can also be very good passers when people double team them down low. Just ask Hogan.

Communicate with your team
If there is something about the way you play that is key to your success, tell that to your team. I have a few things about the way i receive passes that make me the most effective, so when i play with a new PG, i tell them before we start. If they do not understand, I take a minute or two to go to free court and show them what i mean. There is no reason to get frustrated with someone because they cannot read your mind, lol. Also, don’t be afraid to make adjustments mid game. If you want to switch on defense, say so in game chat. If you want to get an easy bucket down low, tell your team what your going to try to do before a play. You’ll be amazed how much more effective you are if you just communicate with your teammates.

Do not force the ball down low on a last second shot
I cannot count the amount of losses I have because people just force the ball to the Center for a last second shot. Anyone who doesn’t blow will be able to stop this from going in.
There isn’t some sort of magic that makes a Centers shot go in even though all three defenders are in his face just because the clock is winding down. The same rules apply in the last moments of the game as any other moment. Move the ball, and try to get the best look you can. Force the defense to move to you and get in your face, and look for the best shot.

Play situational basketball
Just like in real basketball, make decisions based on the score, time, and the defensive strategy being played by the other team. If you are up by 4+ points with under a minute left, there is no reason to force a quick shot, nor is there any reason to be jacking up 3’s. If you are wide open, that is one thing, but try to be a little more careful in a situation like this. Take good solid 2’s, and try to use as much of a shot clock up as possible, while still taking any good looks you may get.

I can’t run through every situation, but just use your common sense, and pay attention to the situation. Remember your goal is to win, not to get stats.
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Defense
If you are a good defensive player, and are a willing passer, it will make up for any offensive deficiencies you may have. Defense is the best way to get inside your opponents head. It can make them force shots they wouldnt’ normally take, or pass up good looks because they are second guessing if you are going to swat their shit into the stands. Good defense isn’t all about getting blocks either, it is about stopping your opponent from scoring, which are two different things entierly. Even if you block somebody, if nobody is there to get the loose ball, its anybodys game.

Here are some tips for playing solid defense.

Stay between your man and the basket
This sounds obvious, but you have to take this literally, and exactly. When i say stay between your man and the basket, i mean EXACTLY between your man and the basket. If you give someone even a little breathing room, they can take you to the rim, or get an open shot in your face. Stay as close and as centered as you possibly can AT ALL TIMES. Do not get lazy on defense and just be sorta close.

A general rule of defense to live by is

“Dont let the offensive player go where he wants to go”

This means trying to stop the player from getting where hes strongest being. Here are some tips for doing this position by position.

How to D SG – D the 3pt line and force him to move elsewhere to beat you. If you want a better explanation of guarding dribbles, look at Legendary3pts guide to dribbles, and look in my How to play SF guide for my dribbles video *youtube.com/club9fs*

How to D PF -, Don’t let him get into the paint. From the very start of the possession, get in his face, and stop him from getting close to the basket. PFs *good ones* will also try to use pillar. The best way to combat this is to make sure the C doesn’t get in front of his PF. Try to use your face up 2 squeeze in between the C and the pF to minimize the pillars effectiveness. A big mistake i see teams making is just doubling the 3pt shooter on a team and just allowing the PF to roam free wherever he wants. You are not doing yourself any favors on defense by doing this. ONLY do this if your C has very very good paint D, or if the G your playing is just torching you from beyond the arc.

How to D PG  – , Don’t let them get too close too their teammates. A PG’s strongest asset is his passing ability, so if you can get in between the passing lanes, and keep him away from his teammates, you limit his abilities.

How to D SF – Just don’t allow him to move at all. Run into him as much as you possibly can, and do not allow him to run to the open parts of the court. SF’s can score from anywhere, but they are somewhat limited when they have the ball. Get in their face and don’t let them move.
If the SF is getting free *which some good ones will still be able to do* try isolating them into one area of the court. Use your inside position to your advantage and try to keep them a good distance away from their PG. This will make the PGs passes ineffective, and it will force the SF to put the ball on the floor and beat you from there, which is not most SF’s strong suit.

Team Defense
This is a bit hard to explain without a video, so i will be adding one soon. But i will do my best to explain it without one. Team defense is about helping your teammates when they are in trouble, but still staying disciplined and making sure you are covering your responsibilities. If the person with the ball is on the far right of the court, and you are guarding a player on the far left of the court, there is no need for you to be on in the face of your assignment. Instead, you should be halfway between your assignment and the player to your right. What this does is allow you to rotate if any of your teammates gets beat. You should always be in a position to play help defense, but don’t cheat too far, or you will leave your assignment open. This is not something you will get right every time, even the best of players over or under play at times, but its about finding the right balance. This is the perfect example of defense not being all about blocks.

THE MAIN GOAL of defense is to force your opponent into taking the lowest % shot you can get them to take, not to just try and be the hero and block everyone. Team defense will help you accomplish this.
 
But, there’s a reason its called “team defense”. You need teammates who also understand this concept to execute it effectively.

If you do not quite understand this concept i apologize, it is hard to explain without a video. I will be making one and adding it to this guide soon.
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Ok i wrote all of this in like 30 minutes tonight, and i will be adding to it as i go. There is a lot that i want to add to this, but i have been very busy latley. Keep checking periodically for updates. I will be posting on here letting you guys know when i’ve added videos/more sections etc.

Remember, this is just a guide to help add to whatever you already know, and to help tweak your mental approach to the game. This is less of a technical “how to” guide, and more of a “How to win” guide.

Thanks for reading, I hope this helps.
NikoSF/SGNiko/NlkoPG/you get the idea

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1 Response

  1. Anonymous says:

    Thank you:) Most useful guide I found online that isn't so technical is scares away noobs. It's all true and reinforces the basics which is everything in this game.

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