The importance of open- and closed-skill agility for team selection in adult male basketball players

Aim: Open-skill agility qualities have yet to be described in adult male basketball players. Further, the importance of open- and closed-skill agility for team selection remains unknown. Thus, this study aimed to (i) describe the open- and closed-skill agility of adult male basketball players and (ii) compare these properties between starting and non-starting players. Methods: A cross-sectional between-group design was used. Six starting (playing time: 30.1 ± 8.8 min; age: 30.5 ± 4.8 yr; height: 192.1 ± 7.7 cm; body mass: 100.5 ± 15.0 kg; VO2max: 48.4 ± 6.6 mL∙kg-1∙min-1) and six non-starting (4.3 ± 3.6 min; 21.3 ± 5.0 yr; 185.7 ± 7.4 cm; 94.4 ± 17.9 kg; 50.6 ± 3.9 mL∙kg-1∙min-1) state-level basketball players completed multiple trials for the Change of Direction Speed Test (CODST) and Reactive Agility Test (RAT). Results: No statistically significant between-group differences were evident for CODST movement time (starters: 1.652 ± 0.047 s; non-starters: 1.626 ± 0.040 s, P = 0.68), RAT response time (starters: 307.5 ± 100.5 s; non-starters: 426.5 ± 140.7 ms, P = 0.12), and RAT decision-making time (starters: 110.7 ± 11.0 ms; non-starters: 147.3 ± 14.2 ms, P = 0.08). However, starters (2.001 ± 0.051 s) possessed significantly (P = 0.02) faster RAT total movement times than non-starters (2.182 ± 0.040 s). Conclusion: These data support the utility of perceptual and cognitive components of agility performance in distinguishing starting from non-starting players in basketball. Consequently, basketball coaching and conditioning staff should incorporate sport-specific reactive training drills for all players during the annual conditioning plan.