Watch an NBA pre-game warm-up and you’ll see it all, dunks, deep threes, tight handles. But every now and then a different kind of clip goes viral. Recently, Rudy Gobert, one of the world’s best defenders, was caught on video looking awkward in a dribbling routine.
It was funny. But it was also powerful.
It showed a truth every young player and parent needs to hear: if you box kids in by size too early, you cut their future short.
At ProBall, we don’t believe in “you’re the big man, stay under the basket.” We believe in training EVERY skill for EVERY player.
This post breaks down why, and how we build complete ballers here in Sydney.
The Myth of the “Youth Big Man”
Too often, the tallest kid gets told: “stand in the paint, rebound, put it back in.” They don’t dribble. They don’t shoot. They don’t run the floor.
That might win a U10 game, but it ruins long-term development.
Because guess what? Kids grow at different rates. That “center” in Year 4 might be average height in Year 9. If they never learned guard skills, they’ll be years behind.
Growth Spurts Change Everything
NBA history is full of players who grew late, and became dominant because they had guard skills first:
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Anthony Davis was a 6’2” guard before shooting up to 6’10”. His guard skills made him unstoppable.
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CJ McCollum was 5’2” as a freshman. He had to become crafty. Then he grew nearly a foot, and kept his guard bag.
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David Robinson had a massive growth spurt late. His all-around game came from not being boxed in.
The lesson? You can’t predict size. But you can build skill.
Building Positionless Players
Modern basketball is positionless. Jokic runs the break. Luka posts up guards. Everyone shoots, dribbles, passes.
At ProBall, we train every kid like that:
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Ball handling: every player dribbles with both hands, eyes up, under pressure.
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Shooting: all ages, all heights, all ranges. Form, footwork, consistency.
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Passing: everyone learns reads, angles, and decision-making.
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Defense & rebounding: guards learn to box out, bigs learn to defend on the perimeter.
No shortcuts. No pigeonholes. Just real development.
A Safe Space to Fail
The Gobert clip matters because it shows a pro working on weakness, and not being scared to fail.
At ProBall, we want kids to TRY. To make mistakes. To test themselves. Because failure is just part of the reps.
When a tall kid dribbles coast-to-coast and loses the ball, that’s not failure. That’s learning.
We teach kids it’s okay to look awkward now, so they can look elite later.
For Coaches and Parents
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Coaches: Rotate positions. Let “bigs” bring the ball up, let “guards” work the post. Praise effort, not just outcomes.
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Parents: Encourage backyard skill work. Don’t tie your love to stats or wins. Build joy, resilience, and confidence first.
The Payoff: Confidence + Versatility
When kids learn all the skills, they don’t just become better basketball players, they become confident humans.
They won’t fear being put in a new situation, because they’ve been trained for it. Basketball becomes an open world of possibilities, not a box to fit in.
And that’s why at ProBall, we don’t just make “big men” or “point guards.” We make ballers. Complete players. Built Different.
🔥 Want your child to experience REAL development?
👉 Join ProBall, Sydney’s fastest-growing basketball club.
📍 Learn more at www.proball.com