PCTI Basketball Training: Spotlight

On average, how often do you play? 

I play twice a week (3x if my wife is out of town) in two hour pickup games that are organized so you never sit more than one game. Games are all 1s to 7 so they go pretty quick even if you have to sit one. I'm usually playing in one men's league as well, though I'm taking off the current season because I was out of the country for a month and it's expensive as FUCK. So generally minimum 3x/wk, occasionally 4x/wk.

How did you get involved in the game(s)? How does it get put together?

indoorhoops.com, the greatest thing that's happened to the world since me and Beas joined PCTI, and then ABC Hoops men's league in NYC. For those who missed Dan the (Lady)Boy's POST, indoorhoops is a website that organizes about 5-10 pickup games around the city every day. You can register for one of fifteen spot(light)s per game, usually costs $10 or $12 bucks to reserve you a spotlight. The system won't allow more than 15 people to register per game, which is why you're never off the court more than one game at a time.

Whats the make up of the group? Age, skill, size, etc. 

indoorhoops.com can be hit or miss on quality, though I've learned what the best gyms are and for the most part how to find the best games. It's built on a self-rating system, where you rate yourself from 1.0-4.5, with 4.5 supposed to be the best players registered. I'm registered as a 3.5, and I registered Danny as a 3.5 when he was in NYC. When you're selecting games, you can see the skill level range of everyone who is registered for the game you selected, something like 2.0-3.5 for example. EVERYONE overrates themselves, obvi. I've been to games that have 4.0 and 4.5 players registered when I'm clearly the best player in the gym, and I've also been to games that are like 2.0-3.0 registered players when I'm not even in the top 5 best players in the gym. For the most part, I'd say I've gotten it down to a point where I generally get the following demographic in games I'm registered for: 8 or 9 white guys 5'10 - 6'2", 1 or 2 black guys, 2 or 3 Latin or Asian guys, 1 other (old or fat or weird, etc.). There's usually 2 or 3 big men, though rarely actual bigs who play like bigs, usually 6'2" or 6'3"ish guys who play like bigs because they can't dribble or shoot, or 6'5"ish guys who play like guards and only shoot threes or try to go one on one. I literally want to kill every last one of that last group. 

As for the men's league, it's decent, usually four or five good teams, 2 or 3 average teams (I'll be generous and include mine here), 2 or 3 complete shit teams. Lot of legit big guys, which is nice, one team of all Asian guys that's really good, one team of all Aussies that' really good, and one team of all black guys that's REALLY good.

What is your role in these games? How does that differ from your role in PCTI?

indoorhoops I'm usually a primary scorer. If my squad has a good PG my role is pretty similar to PCTI, constant movement on O gets me a lot of open shots, which I hit at a high percentage, lot of back cuts lead to layups and assists, etc. If my squad doesn't have a PG then I'll handle the ball, and usually that ends with me shooting before I make a pass or maybe running a pick and roll that leads to me shooting or straight line driving, or passing out of it and never actually looking at the roll man. On defense I don't even pretend to try, so very similar to PCTI actually. My men's league team is horrible, so I mostly just jack up bad shots, or watch our one other good player jack up shots (more this than the former, he's really good). Over the course of about 16 games that I've made it to, my career averages for the men's league are 10 PPG, 4 RPG, 2 APG, 1 SPG, 41% FG, 31% 3FG, 68% FT (barf), career high points 26, career high rebounds 10 (eat a dick Danny), career high 3P FG in one game is oddly only three. Underwhelming is prolly the best way to describe that line. 

What is one thing you love about it? What is something you don't like?

Cost is a bitch in NYC, the men's league is $250 for 8 games guaranteed, which is fucking nuts, and the referees RUIN just about every game (I've been Td up 5x that I can remember in 16 games that I've played in), so I have no clue why I do it. Mostly cuz they keep stats and take pictures like the one I've attached here, where I'm clearly getting cleanly blocked by two under-athletic white guys, and somehow ended up at the line for two free throws, of which I of course only made one. I'm also sick of playing white guys in general, so PCTI should be GREAT.

Editor's Note: Spot did a great job with this and gave great insight to his hoop life. Playing 3+ times a week is how this old man seems to get better (honestly it's probably him staying the same and everyone else declining). I love hearing he's been T'd up multiple times. Welp, this concludes the series and one of my favorite things I have written about on the blog. Thanks to everyone for sending me this info. We are very close to Game 1 tip!