You know, when I watch a game like the one Jason Perkins just had for Phoenix—dropping 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting to snap a losing streak—it’s not just the scoring that catches my eye. It’s the how. The way he likely created those shots, the quick cuts to get open, the explosive first step to beat his defender. That’s the product of speed and agility, the unsung heroes of basketball mastery. It’s one thing to be able to shoot; it’s another to create the time and space to get that shot off against tenacious defense. Over my years coaching and playing, I’ve seen too many players focus solely on skill work, neglecting the engine that makes those skills effective: their body’s ability to move fast, change direction on a dime, and recover. Today, I want to cut through the noise and share seven drills I genuinely swear by, the ones that translate directly from the practice floor to those game-winning moments Perkins just exemplified.
Let’s start with the foundation: linear speed. Basketball isn’t a 100-meter dash, but the ability to sprint the floor in transition is a weapon. My go-to here is resisted sprints. I’m a big believer in overloading. Using a light resistance band, have a partner provide gentle tension as you drive forward for 15-20 yards. The key is maintaining proper form—powerful arm drive, knees up, on the balls of your feet. Once the band releases, that feeling of explosive freedom is what you’re after. It teaches your nervous system to recruit muscle fibers faster. I’d pair this with flying 10s. Mark out 30 yards. Build up speed over the first 20, then time yourself only through the final 10-yard “fly zone.” This mimics accelerating into open space on a fast break, exactly how you’d beat your man down the court for an easy bucket. I’ve found doing 4-6 reps of each, with full recovery, twice a week, yields noticeable gains in just a few weeks.
Now, agility is where the real art lies. Basketball is a game of angles and deception. My favorite drill for this is the 3-cone, or “L-Drill.” Set three cones in an L-shape, five yards apart. Start at the first cone, sprint to the second, touch it, shuffle back to the first, then sprint around the second cone to the third, backpedal around the second, and finally sprint through the finish at the first cone. Phew. It sounds complex, but it trains acceleration, deceleration, lateral shuffling, and hip turning—all in one brutal sequence. I love it because it’s chaotic, like a real defensive scramble. For a more reactive drill, nothing beats partner mirror drills. Face a partner in an athletic stance in the key. They lead with random lateral, forward, and backward movements; you mirror them as if you’re glued. Try this for 20-30 second bursts. It forces you to read and react, not just memorize a pattern. This is the drill that builds the footwork to stay in front of a shifty guard or to close out on a shooter like Perkins, who’s looking for that split-second of daylight.
But speed and agility are useless without control. That’s where deceleration and change-of-direction drills come in. I’m partial to the “Box Drill” with a focus on the stop. Use four cones in a square, 10 yards apart. Sprint from cone 1 to 2, then come to a complete, balanced stop in two steps. Don’t just drift. From there, shuffle to cone 3, stop, backpedal to cone 4, stop, and finally shuffle back to the start. The emphasis is on that controlled, violent stop. It’s the most under-trained skill in the game. The ability to stop faster than your opponent allows you to create separation for a pull-up jumper—think of how many of Perkins’ 12 attempts probably came from a hard stop after a drive. Another killer is the “Zig-Zag Shuffle with a Sprint Out.” Set up 6 cones in a zig-zag pattern down the court. Shuffle from cone to cone, touching the floor at each, but at the final cone, explode into a full sprint to the baseline. This trains your body to transition from a defensive, lateral position to an offensive, linear burst. I’d do 3-5 sets of these, and trust me, your lungs will burn, but your game will thank you.
Finally, we have to integrate these qualities. Basketball isn’t played in isolated drills. So my seventh non-negotiable is the “Conditioning Scrimmage with Constraints.” This is where I get creative. Run a 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 half-court scrimmage, but with a rule: every possession must start with a touch at the half-court line, forcing a full sprint into offense. Or, mandate that every screen must be followed by a hard, game-speed cut. This contextualizes the fitness. You’re not just running laps; you’re practicing speed and agility within the framework of decision-making and skill. It’s exhausting, but it’s the closest thing to the real pressure of a game, like the fourth quarter of a tight contest where Perkins’ energy and quickness helped seal that first win.
Look, I’ll be honest. These drills aren’t glamorous. You won’t see them go viral on social media like a crazy crossover. But they are the bedrock. When you see a player efficiently put up 19 points on 50% shooting in a crucial game, you’re seeing the culmination of this kind of work. It’s the extra step they get on a closeout, the quick recovery to contest a shot, the explosive jump for a key rebound. Speed and agility aren’t just about being fast; they’re about being efficiently fast, conserving energy for the game’s decisive moments. Incorporate these seven drills consistently, focus on the quality of each movement over mindless repetition, and you’ll start to feel the court shrink. You’ll create space where there was none, and that, more than anything, is what separates good players from impactful winners.
