Damon Deteso: How Amateur Basketball Players Can Make an Impact Without Scoring
Damon Deteso is a diagnostic radiologist who has practiced at Millennium Medical Imaging in Saratoga Springs, New York, since 2004, bringing more than two decades of experience in medical imaging technologies such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray, and nuclear medicine to five regional hospitals, including Saratoga Hospital. He earned his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, completed cross-sectional imaging training at the University of California, San Francisco, and holds a physics degree from Holy Cross University, where he was inducted into the Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honor Society. He also spent three years as a medical advisor with Imagen Technologies, focusing on AI interpretation of X-ray images. Outside medicine, Deteso enjoys recreational basketball, an interest that mirrors the attentiveness to teamwork and fundamentals highlighted in discussions of how amateur players can shape a game’s outcome without ever taking a shot.
With more than 28 million players throughout the United States, basketball ranks as the nation’s most popular team sport by participation. Athletes play basketball in a variety of settings, from games at school to pick-up games at public courts.
While many amateur and recreational basketball players want to impact the game with their offensive output, the fact is not every person is a skilled shooter. Fortunately, recreational players can leave their mark on the game in many additional ways.
To start, successful amateur basketball teams often rely on superior communication skills. This is especially true during pick-up games, when five or more strangers come together to form a team. As is the case with most team sports, active communication is critical to basketball success.
On offense, players should help passers to identify open teammates, yell “Shot” whenever the ball goes up, and call out “Screen right” or “Screen left” when opposing defenses set up a screen (which involves a player setting their feet and essentially creating a wall for a teammate to dribble behind, allowing them to create space between their defender). On defense, meanwhile, individuals should declare who it is they are guarding, announce when they are providing defense support, and call for a switch if they need help navigating a screen (which is also known as a pick).
Movement is key to playing effective basketball, especially for players who do not excel as spot-up shooters. Even if a person is a skilled shooter, three or four defending players standing motionless around the perimeter does not make for a winning strategy.
In addition to circling the perimeter, players can make cuts through the painted section of the floor under the basket (known as the key), move to the opposite corner, then make a move to the basket or continue along the sideline while keeping their hands up in anticipation of a pass. Amateur basketball players can help facilitate a fluid offense without ever touching the ball.
Setting an on- or off-ball screen, for example, is a great way to get several other players involved in the offense. Ball screens make it easier for ball handlers to elude defenders and cut to the basket or take an open shot, while off-ball screens help free shooters up to receive open passes.
Players can deceive opponents by spotting up in the corner, then cutting to the basket and finally setting a back screen for a teammate in the opposite corner. This action can cause chaos for opposing defenders, and the offensive players involved never need to handle the ball or attempt a shot.
Of course, players should not fear the ball, even if they intend to limit the shots they take during a game. For example, ball-handlers can drive to the hoop rather than shoot from a distance.
In these situations, players do not have to settle for a reckless charge at the basket. Instead, they can adjust their speed and pass out to the perimeter, find a teammate cutting through the middle, or execute a handoff followed by an on-ball screen. If players choose to continue at the basket while driving, they should try to stay as close to their defender as possible, making it difficult for opponents to stay in front or benefit from help defense.
Finally, very few amateur teams feature multiple skilled shooters, which means teams need to effectively rebound the ball. Recreational players can improve their rebounding skills by anticipating how the ball will bounce off the rim or backboard, properly boxing out opponents, and remaining aggressive for the entirety of the game.
About Damon Deteso
Damon Deteso is a diagnostic radiologist who has served Millennium Medical Imaging in Saratoga Springs, New York, since 2004, supporting five regional hospitals with expertise across CT, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray, and nuclear medicine. He earned his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed advanced imaging training at the University of California, San Francisco. A Holy Cross University physics graduate, Deteso also spent three years as a medical advisor with Imagen Technologies, focusing on AI-assisted X-ray interpretation.
