Keywords
basketball skills
tactical development
physical abilities
players
How to Cite
Abstract
This narrative review examines the main criteria used for talent selection in basketball, highlighting the multifactorial nature of talent identification and development. Physical attributes, including height, body mass, agility, speed, endurance capacity, and lower limb power, are commonly used as initial screening indicators of potential. However, physical characteristics alone are insufficient to predict future success. Technical competencies such as shooting, passing, dribbling, screening, and defensive skills represent fundamental components that differentiate players and contribute substantially to performance. In addition, cognitive factors, particularly tactical understanding and reaction time, play a crucial role in a sport that requires rapid decision-making under dynamic and unpredictable conditions. The review also emphasizes the importance of growth potential, encompassing physical maturation, skill acquisition, tactical development, and psychological progression. Current evidence suggests that successful talent selection requires an integrated assessment of physical, technical, cognitive, and developmental characteristics rather than reliance on isolated indicators. Despite considerable advances in talent identification research, there remains a need for more comprehensive, objective, and reliable evaluation frameworks. The findings of this review provide practical insights for coaches, scouts, researchers, and
practitioners involved in the identification and development of basketball talent.
References
Bangsbo, J. (2019). The physiology of soccer–with special reference to intense intermittent exercise. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. Supplementum, 619, 1-155.
Barrera-Domínguez, F. J., Almagro, B. J., & Molina-López, J. (2024). The Influence of Functional Movement and Strength upon Linear and Change of Direction Speed in Male and Female Basketball Players. Journal of Human Kinetics, 92, 147–159. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/177313
Brown, T., & Miller, B. (2008). Basketball: Steps to Success. Human Kinetics.
Ben Abdelkrim, N., Castagna, C., Jabri, I., Battikh, T., El Fazaa, S., & El Ati, J. (2010). Activity profile and physiological requirements of junior elite basketball players in relation to aerobic-anaerobic fitness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(9), 2330.
Bjørndal, C. T., & Ronglan, L. T. (2019). Engaging with uncertainty in athlete development – orchestrating talent development through incremental leadership. Sport, Education and Society, 26(1), 104–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2019.1695198
Böer, N. T., Weigelt, M., Schütz, C., & Güldenpenning, I. (2024). Practice reduces the costs of producing head fakes in basketball. Psychological Research, 88(2), 523–534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-023-01885-x
Bonal, J., Jiménez, S. L., & Lorenzo, A. (2020). The talent development pathway for elite basketball players in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), 5110. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17145110
Cabarkapa, D., Eserhaut, D. A., Fry, A. C., Cabarkapa, D. V., Philipp, N. M., Whiting, S. M., & Downey, G. G. (2022). Relationship between Upper and Lower Body Strength and Basketball Shooting Performance. Sports, 10(10), 139. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports10100139
Cárdenas, D., Ortega, E., Llorca, J., Courel, J., Sánchez-Delgado, G., & Piñar, M. I. (2015). Motor characteristics of fast break in high level basketball. Kinesiology, 47(2), 208-214.
Collins, D. J., Abbott, A., & Richards, H. (Eds.). (2011). Performance Psychology E-Book: A Practitioner's Guide. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Conte, D., Favero, T. G., Lupo, C., Francioni, F. M., Capranica, L., & Tessitore, A. (2015). Time-motion analysis of Italian elite women's basketball games: individual and team analyses. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 29(1), 144-150. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000633
Conte, D., Favero, T., Niederhausen, M., Capranica, L., & Tessitore, A. (2017). Determinants of the effectiveness of fast break actions in elite and sub-elite Italian men’s basketball games. Biology of Sport, 34(2), 177-183. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2017.65337
Courel-Ibáñez, J., McRobert, A. P., Toro, E. O., & Vélez, D. C. (2016). Inside pass predicts ball possession effectiveness in NBA basketball. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 16(2), 711-725. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2016.11868918
Csapo, P., Avugos, S., Raab, M., & Bar-Eli, M. (2015). How should “hot” players in basketball be defended? The use of fast-and-frugal heuristics by basketball coaches and players in response to streakiness. Journal of Sports Sciences, 33(15), 1580-1588. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2014.999251
Dean, H. L., Martí, D., Tsui, E., Rinzel, J. & Pesaran, B. (2011). Reaction Time Correlations during Eye–Hand Coordination: Behavior and Modeling. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(7) 2399-2412. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4591-10.2011
Drinkwater, E. J., Hopkins, W. G., McKenna, M. J., Hunt, P. H., & Pyne, D. B. (2008). Modelling age and secular differences in fitness between basketball players. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 7(3), 321.
Drinkwater, E. J., Pyne, D. B., & McKenna, M. J. (2008b). Design and interpretation of anthropometric and fitness testing of basketball players. Sports Medicine, 38(7), 565-578.
Erčulj, F., & Štrumbelj, E. (2015) Basketball shot types and shot success in different levels of competitive basketball. PLoS ONE 10(6): e0128885. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0128885
Fragoso, I., Ramos, S., Teles, J., Volossovitch, A., Ferreira, A. P., & Massuça, L. M. (2021). The study of maturational timing effect in elite Portuguese adolescent basketball players: Anthropometric, functional and game performance implications. Applied Sciences, 11(21), 9894. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11219894
Gabbett, T., Kelly, J., & Sheppard, J. (2008). Speed, change of direction speed, and reactive agility of rugby league players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22(1), 174-181.
Gál-Pottyondy, A.; Petró, B.; Czétényi, A.; Négyesi, J.; Nagatomi, R.; & Kiss, R.M. (2021). Field Testing Protocols for Talent Identification and Development in Basketball—A Systematic Review. Applied Sciences, 11, 4340. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104340
García, J., Ibáñez, S. J., De Santos, R. M., Leite, N., & Sampaio, J. (2013). Identifying basketball performance indicators in regular season and playoff games. Journal of Human Kinetics, 36, 161–168. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2013-0016
García-Gil, M., Torres-Unda, J., Esain, I., Duñabeitia, I., Gil, S. M., Gil, J., & Irazusta, J. (2018). Anthropometric Parameters, Age, and Agility as Performance Predictors in Elite Female Basketball Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(6), 1723–1730. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002043
Goffena, J. D. (2020). The Development and Transfer of Self-Regulation During Motor Skill Acquisition: A Social Cognitive Perspective. Doctoral dissertation, George Mason University.
Gómez, M. Á, Battaglia, O., Lorenzo, A., Lorenzo, J., Jiménez, S., & Sampaio, J. (2015). Effectiveness during ball screens in elite basketball games. Journal of Sports Sciences, 33(17), 1844-1852. http://doi.org.10.3389/10.1080/02640414.2015.1014829
Guimarães, E., Baxter-Jones, A. D., Williams, A. M., Tavares, F., Janeira, M. A., & Maia, J. (2021). The role of growth, maturation and sporting environment on the development of performance and technical and tactical skills in youth basketball players: The INEX study. Journal of Sports Sciences, 39(9), 979-991. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1853334
Han, M., Gómez-Ruano, M. Á., Lorenzo-Calvo, A., & Lorenzo Calvo, J. (2023) Basketball talent identification: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the anthropometric, physiological and physical performance factors. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 14.
Hay, J. G. (1993). The biomechanics of sports techniques. New York: Prentice-Hall Englewood Cliffs.
Inbar, O., Bar-Or, O., & Skinner, J. S. (1996). The Wingate anaerobic test. Human Kinetics.
Izquierdo, J. M., Pedauga, L. E., Pardo, A., & Redondo, J. C. (2021). Marginal contribution of game statistics to probability of playing playoff at elite basketball leagues. Cultura, Ciencia y Deporte, 16(49). https://doi.org/10.12800/ccd.v16i49.1586
Izquierdo, J. M., & Redondo, J. C. (2021). Quantitative assessment of the effects of official match on physical performance factors on under-16 and under-18 female basketball players at national league level. European Journal of Human Movement, 46, 16-27. https://doi.org/10.21134/eurjhm.2021.46.594
Izquierdo, J. M., Redondo, J. C., Marqués-Jiménez, D., Zarauz-Moreno, A., & Fernández-Lázaro, D. (2024). How hormones, vertical jump and perceived exertion change in clutch time. A season case study of an amateur basketball team. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 24(2), 158-169. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2023.2277627
Johnson, D., & Nelson, K. (2007). Practical Measurements for Evaluation in Physical Education. Macmillan Publishing Co.
Jones, P., Bampouras, T. M., & Marrin, K. (2009). An investigation into the physical determinants of change of direction speed. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27(3), 257-265.
Kalén, A, Padrón-Cabo, A, Lundkvist, E, Rey, E, & Pérez-Ferreirós, A. (2021) Talent Selection Strategies and Relationship With Success in European Basketball National Team Programs. Frontiers in Psychology. 11(12):666839. http://doi.org.10.3389/fpsyg.2021.666839
Knapp, B. (2024). Skill in sport: the attainment of proficiency. Taylor & Francis.
Krustrup, P., Mohr, M., Amstrup, T., Rysgaard, T., Johansen, J., Steensberg, A., … & Bangsbo, J. (2003). The yo-yo intermittent recovery test: physiological response, reliability, and validity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35(4), 697-705.
Lamas, L., Junior, D. D. R., Santana, F., Rostaiser, E., Negretti, L., & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2011). Space creation dynamics in basketball offence: validation and evaluation of elite teams. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 11(1), 71-84. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2011.11868530
Lin, D. (2013). Analysis of reaction time between high performance basketball player and ordinary basketball player. In Informatics and Management Science VI (pp. 761-768). Springer London.
Lloyd, R. S., Oliver, J. L., Hughes, M. G., & Williams, C. A. (2015). The effects of 4-weeks of plyometric training on reactive strength index and leg stiffness in male youths. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2817-2824.
Lorenzo, A., Gómez, M. Á., Ortega, E., Ibáñez, S. J., & Sampaio, J. (2010). Game related statistics which discriminate between winning and losing under-16 male basketball games. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 9(4), 664.
Low, W. R., Freeman, P., Butt, J., Stoker, M., & Maynard, I. (2023). The role and creation of pressure in training: Perspectives of athletes and sport psychologists. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 35(4), 710-730. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2022.2061637
Markovic, G., Dizdar, D., Jukic, I., & Cardinale, M. (2004). Reliability and factorial validity of squat and countermovement jump tests. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(3), 551-555.
Marmarinos, C., Apostolidis, N., Kostopoulos, N., & Apostolidis, A. (2016). Efficacy of the "pick and roll" offense in top level European basketball teams. Journal of Human Kinetics, 51, 121–129. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2015-0176
McInnes, S. E., Carlson, J. S., Jones, C. J., & McKenna, M. J. (1995). The physiological load imposed on basketball players during competition. Journal of Sports Sciences, 13(5), 387-397.
Meckel, Y., Gottlieb, R., & Eliakim, A. (2009). Repeated sprint tests in young basketball players at different game stages. European journal of applied physiology, 107(3), 273–279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1120-8
Lockie, R. G., Jeffriess, M. D., McGann, T. S., Callaghan, S. J., & Schultz, A. B. (2014). Planned and reactive agility performance in semiprofessional and amateur basketball players. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 9(5), 766–771. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2013-0324
Ortega, E., Cárdenas, D., Sainz de Baranda, P., & Palao, J. M. (2006). Differences between winning and losing teams in youth basketball games (14-16 years old). International Journal of Applied Sport Sciences, 18(2), 1.
Ostojic, S. M., Mazic, S., & Dikic, N. (2006). Profiling in basketball: physical and physiological characteristics of elite players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20(4), 740–744. https://doi.org/10.1519/R-15944.1
Pérez-Toledano, M. Á., Rodriguez, F. J., García-Rubio, J., & Ibañez SJ (2019) Players’ selection for basketball teams, through Performance Index Rating, using multiobjective evolutionary algorithms. PLoS ONE 14(9): e0221258.
Romarís, I. U., Refoyo, I., & Coterón, J. (2012). La finalización de las posesiones en baloncesto: estudio de la acción de finalización. Cuadernos de Psicología del Deporte, 12(1). 45-50.
Sampaio, J., Ibáñez, S., Lorenzo, A., & Gómez, M. (2006). Discriminative game-related statistics between basketball starters and nonstarters when related to team quality and game outcome. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 103(2), 486-494. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.103.2.486-49
Sanders, G. J., Turner, Z., Boos, B., Peacock, C. A., Peveler, W., & Lipping, A. (2017). Aerobic Capacity is Related to Repeated Sprint Ability with Sprint Distances Less Than 40 Meters. International Journal of Exercise Science, 10(2), 197–204.
Sarlis, V., & Tjortjis, C. (2020). Sports analytics—Evaluation of basketball players and team performance. Information Systems, 93, 101562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.is.2020.101562
Sassi, R. H., Dardouri, W., Yahmed, M. H., Gmada, N., Mahfoudhi, M. E., & Gharbi, Z. (2009). Relative and absolute reliability of a modified agility T-test and its relationship with vertical jump and straight sprint. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(6), 1644-1651.
Scanlan, A., Humphries, B., Tucker, P. S., & Dalbo, V. (2014). The influence of physical and cognitive factors on reactive agility performance in men basketball players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 32(4), 367-374. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2013.825730
Scanlan, A. T., Dascombe, B. J., Kidcaff, A. P., Peucker, J. L., & Dalbo, V. J. (2015a). Gender-specific activity demands experienced during semiprofessional basketball game play. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 10(5), 618-625. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2014-0407
Scanlan, A. T., Tucker, P. S., Dascombe, B. J., Berkelmans, D. M., Hiskens, M. I., & Dalbo, V. J. (2015b). Fluctuations in activity demands across game quarters in professional and semiprofessional male basketball. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 29(11), 3006-3015. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000967
Sekulic, D., Krolo, A., Spasic, M., Uljevic, O., & Peric, M. (2014). The development of a new stop'n'go reactive-agility test. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(11), 3306–3312. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000000515
Sheppard, J. M., & Young, W. B. (2006). Agility literature review: classifications, training and testing. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(9), 919-932. http://doi.org.10.1080/02640410500457109
Šimonek, J., Horička, P., and Hianik, J. (2017). The differences in acceleration, maximal speed and agility between soccer, basketball, volleyball and handball players. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 12, 73–82. https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2017.121.06
Sisic, N., Jelicic, M., Pehar, M., Spasic, M., & Sekulic, D. (2016). Agility performance in high-level junior basketball players: the predictive value of anthropometrics and power qualities. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 56(7-8), 884-893.
Smith, H. (2004). Basketball: Multiple Offense and Defense. Allyn and Bacon.
Stojanović, E., Stojiljković, N., Scanlan, A. T., Dalbo, V. J., Berkelmans, D. M., & Milanović, Z. (2018). The Activity Demands and Physiological Responses Encountered During Basketball Match-Play: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine, 48(1), 111–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0794-z
Sutton, L., Scott, M., Wallace, J., & Reilly, T. (2009). Body composition of English Premier League soccer players: influence of playing position, international status, and ethnicity. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27(10), 1019-1026.
Tomlin, D. L., & Wenger, H. A. (2001). The relationship between aerobic fitness and recovery from high intensity intermittent exercise. Sports Medicine, 31(1), 1-11.
Torres-Unda, J., Zarrazquin, I., Gravina, L., Zubero, J., Seco, J., Gil, S. M., ... & Irazusta, J. (2016). Basketball performance is related to maturity and relative age in elite adolescent players. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 30(5), 1325-1332. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001224
Vaeyens, R., Lenoir, M., Williams, A. M., & Philippaerts, R. M. (2008). Talent identification and development programmes in sport: current models and future directions. Sports Medicine, 38, 703-714. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200838090-00001
Vaquera, A., García-Tormo, J. V., Gómez-Ruano, M. A., & Morante, J. C. (2016). An exploration of ball screen effectiveness on elite basketball teams. International Journal of Performance and Analysis in Sport 16, 475–485. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2016.11868902
Vélez, D. C., & López, F. A. (2010). Conocer el juego en baloncesto para jugar de forma inteligente [Knowing the game in basketball to play smart]. Ed. Wanceulen EF Dig. 6, 52–72.
Young, W. B., Dawson, B., & Henry, G. J. (2015). Agility and change-of-direction speed are independent skills: implications for training for agility in invasion sports. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 10(1), 159-169.
Zhang, S., Lorenzo, A., Gómez, M. A., Mateus, N., Gonçalves, B., & Sampaio, J. (2018). Clustering performances in the NBA according to players' anthropometric attributes and playing experience. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(22), 2511–2520. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1466493
Ziv, G., & Lidor, R. (2009). Physical attributes, physiological characteristics, on-court performances and nutritional strategies of female and male basketball players. Sports Medicine, 39(7), 547-568.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Creative Commons Attribution License