Basketball is played on the fingertips and the balls of your feet. Everything you do involves correct footwork. Some players are naturally quicker than others. But a player's effective quickness can be greatly enhanced if he/she uses proper footwork.
A naturally quick player who lacks good footwork skills can be beaten (or contained) by a player with sound footwork fundamentals. Watch the Villanova men's team play... they have probably the best footwork of any team in the nation.