If you have been a basketball fan for a while now, you have probably come across the term “hesi” and wondered, “what is a hesi in basketball?”
Well, hesi is a popular basketball move. Its intricate style makes it really thrilling and smart. Executing a hesi move is tricky, and this makes the move interesting.
Hesi is a simple yet unpredictable move. This makes this move unstoppable. The sudden alteration of pace and the abrupt pause changes the trajectory of the game.
What is The Hesi Move?
Hesi move, simply put, is the sudden change of speed. In case you are wondering about the origin of the word, ‘hesi’ is simply short for hesitation.
Basically, when a player is moving fast and then abruptly pauses for a beat only to continue in the next moment, it is called a hesi move or a ‘hesitation move’. The purpose of this pause is to confuse and trick the defender. As a result of this movement, the defender thinks the player is slowing down. Thus, the defender takes on a different defensive stance, which fails because the player changes their move immediately.
This move also gives the offense a bit of time to dribble past the defender. The slight pause helps the player build some momentum as well for the next move. Overall, it provides an edge that can change the game completely.
How to Perform a Hesi Move?
There are a lot of mechanisms and physical movements that go into a hesi move. The body changes pace and moves toward unpredictable directions. Here’s a simple step-by-step description of how a player performs a hesi move:
• Dribbling to hold the speed
• Suddenly pausing by quickly slowing down the speed
• Floating the ball
• Making the read
• Faking a drive by dropping the hips and shoulder
• Taking the shot
When to Perform a Hesi Move?
As you can probably tell, a hesi move is not for every moment of the game. A player will not just dribble and suddenly pull a hesi out of the blue. There are a few game moments that demand a hesi move.
Defender’s Overcommitment:
When the defender becomes overly aggressive or tends to lunge at the offensive player, a hesi move can take advantage of the situation by ruining the balance and momentum of the defender.
Closed Stance:
If the defender has a closed or narrow defensive stance, it is possible to exploit the lack of lateral mobility in a hesi move. This makes it easier for the offensive player to change direction and simply drive past.
Defender’s Anticipation:
With time, players grow a sense to almost accurately anticipate the offensive player’s moves. When the defender has demonstrated the strength of their intuition, a hesi move can throw them off guard. It’ll easily disrupt their timing and force them to react to a sudden change in speed.
Mismatch in Speed:
In case the offensive player is quicker than the defender, it is really simple to make it harder for the defender to catch up with a simple hesi move. It’ll keep the offensive player out of the defender’s reach.
Transition Opportunities:
A hesi move works really great to catch defenders off guard, especially during fast breaks or transition plays. They may be backpedaling or recovering from a defensive play, hence lacking the agility to deal with the hesi move.
Isolation Situations:
A hesi move can create separation, opening up driving lanes for the offensive player during a one-on-one situation. This is especially a potential option, especially on the perimeter.
Pick and Roll:
The defense can be broken down with a hesi move. How so? A hesi move is effective in creating uncertainty for both the player setting the screen and the defender guarding the ball handler. As a result, the defense is broken.
Late-Closeout Situations:
Think of the situation when the defender is closing out late on a shooter. In such instances, a hesi move can compel the defender to commit. As a result, the offensive player gets the opportunity to either drive to the basket or take the shot.
Fake Shot:
A hesi move can be combined with a fake shot to create the ultimate deception for the defenders. In such situations, the defenders cannot determine whether the offensive player will drive or shoot.
Baseline Drives:
A hesi move is effective to get out of the limited spaces of the baseline. How does it work? Well, a hesi move basically freezes the opponent, creating an opening for the offender to escape through.
Post Moves:
A hesi move works great to disrupt the defender’s timing and balance when a player is planning to attack from the wing or corner against a close defender. A hesi move here basically provides an opportunity to attack the basket.
Passing Space:
A hesi move is a common strategy adapted to create enough space between confused players to pass the ball through. In such instances, the separation facilitates enough space to make a clean delivery without the threat of a deflection of the pass.
What Are The Different Types of Hesi?
Some may categorize hesi as simply hesi, shot hesi, and pull-up hesi. But actually, there are different kinds of hesi shots popular in the arena of basketball. Here, we will take a look at those types.
Basic Hesi:
A basic hesi is a fundamental hesitation move where the player uses a quick and controlled pause to fake a shot immediately before changing the direction. This kind of hesi is effective during one-on-one situations to easily catch the defenders off guard and create an opening for jump shots and drives.
Double Hesi:
This is basically two back-to-back basic hesi moves. Such a move creates additional confusion for the defender. If the defensive team got habituated to the hesi move, the offensive player could perform a double hesi move to create ultimate confusion. Such a move is useful, especially during tight situations.
Hesi Crossover:
Simply put, it’s a combination of a hesi move and a crossover dribble. This is effective in altering direction and creating separation to make a shot or pass. Such a move is commonly used on the perimeter to set up drives or pull-up jumpers. You’ll see this kind of hesi especially against defenders expecting a straight-line drive.
Hesi Step-Back:
When a hesi move is followed by a step-back, it creates space for a jump shot or a secondary move. This is ideal for perimeter players looking to create a gap for a three-pointer or a mid-range jump shot.
Hesi Behind-the-Back:
This is not that much of a popular name yet it’s a common move. Here, the player hesitates and suddenly executes an abrupt behind-the-back dribble to quickly alter direction and protect the ball. Players utilize such a strategy to break down a defender while keeping control of the ball. You’ll commonly see guards using this move in isolation situations.
Some Popular Signature Hesi Moves in the History of NBA
It’s important to make one thing clear at this point. The hesi move is not the name of a specific move. Rather, it’s the name of a specific type of move that confuses the opponents with a hesitant stance. Players utilize this move in different ways and come up with their signature hesi moves. Here’s a brief account of some of the most popular signature hesi moves by the legends.
Kyrie Irving’s “Kyrie Stepback”:
This trademark move is basically a full-speed drive followed by a sudden stutter step. It often comes with a change of direction and a pull-up jump shot. It’s particularly impressive because of Kyrie’s amazing ball handling and his ability to control defenders’ momentum for a clean shot.
James Harden’s “Euro Step with Hesi”:
Harden perfected this move by combining a hesitation dribble into a euro step. This creates space, and using his body to shield the ball, Harden can easily pass through and dribble towards the basket.
Damian Lillard’s “Rip-Through Hesi”:
Lillard’s trademark move is simply a mixture of hesitation with a powerful rip-through motion. Lillard uses his upper body strength to create separation from defenders and drive to the basket.
Kobe Bryant’s “Fadeaway with Hesi”:
Kobe’s fadeaway is already notoriously lethal. Adding a hesi to it makes it even more unpredictable. Just a slight pause moments before this signature shot can throw off defenders’ timing, and instantly leave them flat-footed. This creates an opening through which Bryant can drain the basket.
Tim Duncan’s “One-legged Post-Up Hesi”:
The move is as complicated as the name itself. But it’s really beautiful. This move involves a subtle hop on Duncan’s pivot foot, which disrupts the defender’s momentum. This hesitation creates space for Duncan to execute a turnaround jump shot, spin move, or drop step. Such dynamism makes Duncan unpredictable and a dominant force in the low post even though he uses fundamental footwork instead of flashy dribbling.
Final Words:
The beauty of hesi moves lies in their versatility and adaptability. Legendary players incorporate hesi moves and add thrill to the game. Such moves are a pleasure to witness, yet they are clever enough to secure winning scores. The hesi move is an open field, offering endless opportunities. This is why it’s an ever-evolving tool in basketball. Players are utilizing this simple yet effective tool in all of their games. In the contemporary sports scene, you’ll rarely find an NBA match without a hesi move.