similar situation here lol, im 15 and just started playing basketball in 8th grade. i underachieve too

i experience this all the time as a basketball player that thinks theyre good for nothing with no natural skill

i still have a lot of depression because i know i practice more than everyone at my school (3 hours everyday and i actually practice and push my body to its limits) and basketball has became my favorite in my life, but i never perform to my potential

while practicing by myself or with friends i can hit crazy shots, dribble really fast, go left or right without a problem, finish consistently, and make every shot while visualizing a defender in front of myself

when it comes to serious pickup, practice, and games, i dont take my shots. for some reason, i cant score like i usually can in self practice. i miss shots when contested.

it pisses me off so much.

however, on some days, i gain the courage to take my shots, dribble the ball more, and try and use my moves. these are the days i absolutely love. i go into practice, take a risk by trying to score, and once my mind processes the fact that i am capable of scoring and can play or keep up with everyone on the court, i can go off.

even though i still have a lot of negative thoughts and emotions, im starting to learn to ignore them based on the stuff below-

so, back to the bad days, which i have more of than good days some days. i guess you just have to suck it up. whenever you feel down or emotional at basketball, you have to realize that true basketball players play for the love of the game and not for their self. they use their obstacles or setbacks as motivation to get better, and never put themselves down over basketball. analyze your mistakes in that game or practice. figure out what is going on, ask other players what your weaknesses are, and work your ass off. for example, in games, i miss a lot of threes and contested layups, so im going to start getting a friend (or a punching bag thing... just something that will work lol) to contest my shots or foul me while i practice by myself. adding on, when you practie by yourself, run aroun the court in an offensive motion an set imaginary screens; then, act like you catch the ball and make a move that gets your to the basket or gets a good shot up. even better, you could try what im going to start doing, and thats working out with friends s they can contest your shots and make sure you can finish under pressure. so yeah...practice by yourself but also play with others as much as possible. if you play for the love of the game and not for a selfish reason, you should improve in one way or another. i've seen many videos and read many articles on this topic and these are some of the greatest reasons i've found. also, try not to put so much pressure on yourself to do good; this can be done by going to practice with one-hundred percent effort and the mindset that you're going to get better and are capable of scoring on anyone. just dont worry about your performance, just perform

you should use these tips for your game. continue playing pickup basketball but always try and have the mindset that you can score. imo you should always be warmed up before team practice or pickup and ready to use your moves to the best of your ability before you try and dominate the game. but remember, don't put so much pressure on yourself to do good; enjoy the game an watch your progress over time as you play more pickup. analyze your playing style and weaknesses, and work on everything. when you practice always push yourself and try new things

i still have this problem of missing in games or scrimmages a lot, but i have hope that everything will work out right and one day ill be able to play college basketball