Never Confuse "Simple" Basketball with Easy

Which is easier, doing one thing well or doing five? Students learn the alphabet before studying Shakespeare. There's a progression.

Coach Don Meyer said that coaching had three phases - blind enthusiasm, sophisticated complexity, and mature simplicity.

A great offensive player like KD doesn't trick people. Establish catch-and-shoot, then work on a handful that become second nature. 

Do simple well. Organize, prepare, execute. 

1) Handle pressure defense. Be able to separate in isolation full court. Be able to back-dribble crossover or pass early to nullify the double team. 

2) Good > Great. Great is the enemy of good. Efficiency in the ordinary beats occasional excellence. 

3) Do well what you do a lot. Play and defend in the half-court. Stop transition attacks. Execute and defend the PnR. If you're a shooter, extend your range.  

4) Grow your game. Regardless of our domain, we're either advancing our skillset or falling behind. What one skill you can add? What current skills can we enhance? 

5) What is your skill? What gets you and keeps you on the court? Consult your coaches if you're not sure. Any good coach will tell you to earn trust to earn more playing time. 

6) Study the game. "The WHY is everything." Study video. Study basketball teaching videos (YouTube, FIBA, trainers (Hanlen, Brickley, Kelbick), coaches (Popovich, Etorre Messina, Krzyzewski, Auriemma, Obradovic). 

7) Connect. Some of you have played together and attended school together for years. Strengthen those ties. Share. 

8) Keep a notebook. Write down what you learn. The act of handwriting improves retention. If you learn three new basketball concepts a day, that's over a thousand a year. 

9) Work out together. Shared experience builds skill, competitiveness, and  connection. Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer had the 10-80-10 concept, that players sort into the top 10%, middle 80%, and bottom 10%. He insisted that top 10%ers bring someone in the middle to training. "Drag them" into the top 10%. 

10) Want to be great. What makes exceptional coaches? Exceptional players. Do not fear greatness. 

One of my favorite basketball teammates played on the freshman "B" team. He asked Coach how he could improve. Coach said, "Play a lot." John became an ML All-Star, outplayed a future Celtics draft choice in Boston Garden, played at Tufts, and had a wonderful career in the petroleum industry.  

11) Never tire of the little things. Coach Wooden attributed Bill Walton's greatness to his will to excel and never to tire of working on "the little things," like his impeccable footwork. You can't be "too good" at fundamental skills. 

12) Believe. Ted Lasso's "fourth thing" was BELIEVE. Belief helps you make a play "in the moment." The 2005 team lost the third set in the State semis and won the fourth something like 25-8. The 2012 State Champions won the fourth and final set 25-10. Excellence has no doubt and leaves none. 

Lagniappe. This volleyball post contains many hoop truths.

 

Basketball - "Not a Game of Perfect" Part One

Leverage the power of the mind. Bob Rotella earned a reputation for elevating performance through his consulting practice. 

"A person with great dreams can achieve great things."

See yourself as a winner. 

"Play one shot at a time." 

"We've got to find a new dream, 'What's next?'"

"I am not a shrink; I am an enlarger."

"A golfer has to learn to enjoy the process."

Make everyday the chance to chase our dreams. 

Champions have strong will, dreams, and a long-term commitment. 

The difference between the consistent and erratic player is the ability to control our thoughts and channel them into consistency. 

"You have to choose to think well."

"Winners and losers are self-determined, but only the winners are willing to admit it." - John Wooden

The player who fears failure starts to focus on mechanics instead of playing 'freely'

The only place to worry about mechanics is practice.

"Trusting is not easy or instinctive."

"Work at developing thoughts and habits that promote trust."

"The hot streak represents a golfer's true capability." 

Staying out of our way means dismissing doubt that interferes with our game (and our game can be relationships, business, or sport)

Lagniappe. Process, confidence, freedom. AI Assist

1. Focus on Process, Not Outcome

“The smaller your target, the sharper your focus.”

Golf: The best players narrow their attention to one shot, one swing, one target. They don’t think about scorecards or leaderboards.

Volleyball/Basketball Crossover:

• Focus on the next play, not the scoreboard or the last error.

• Build consistent routines—from serve receive to free throws—so athletes can anchor their minds in the process.

• Encourage players to “win the rally” or “win the possession,” not to chase the big picture.

Coach’s cue: “Play the next point.”
Teams that play one possession at a time sustain emotional control and outperform more talented, anxious teams.

2. Confidence is a Choice

“You have to train your mind to see what you want to happen, not what you fear might happen.”

Golf: Rotella teaches visualization and belief. Great golfers picture success, not hazards.

Volleyball/Basketball Crossover:

• Replace “don’t miss this serve” with “attack your spot.”

• Confidence comes from repetition plus belief. Players must practice pressure situations (serving at 24–23, shooting with 10 seconds left).

• Coaches model confidence through calm body language and tone, even when the game tightens.

Coach’s cue: “Confidence is preparation plus imagination.”
You train both the skill and the story in your athlete’s mind.

3. Accept Imperfection and Let Go

“The mark of a great player is not how good his good shots are. It’s how good his bad shots are.”

Golf: Every round includes misses. Champions recover faster and don’t compound errors.

Volleyball/Basketball Crossover:

• Everyone shanks a pass, misses a layup, or mishits a swing. Great teams respond, don’t react.

• Teach athletes to “flush” mistakes—physical reset (breath, posture, eye contact), then refocus.

• Perfectionism creates paralysis. Allow mistakes within aggressive, smart play.

Coach’s cue: “Next ball, next play, next possession.”
Mental recovery is the separator between good and elite teams.

Summary Table

Rotella Principle	Golf Lesson	Volleyball/Basketball Translation	Coaching Cue
Focus on Process	One shot at a time	One play at a time	“Win this rally.”
Confidence is a Choice	Believe before you see	Rehearse success, not failure	“Attack your target.”
Let Go of Imperfection	Bad shots happen	Flush mistakes, reset	“Next play.”

Lagniappe 2. We don't have to be Newell, Wooden, Smith, or Knight. The best version of ourselves can inform excellence. 

Coach Scheyer’s advice for aspiring coaches:

Be authentic. Find your own way of doing things. Don’t try to be someone else. It’s not about right or wrong, it’s about being you.

Have a true identity. You’ll see what works for others, but trying to be everything to everyone won’t… pic.twitter.com/oGSTEiwFIk

— Blue Devil Voices (@DukeEchoes) October 31, 2025

Basketball - Inside the Numbers, An Early Look

First, I don't gamble. Study numbers to understand the game. As a Celtics fan, I'm not optimistic, not because of management or coaching, but because of the talent drain from finances and injury.

Let's look at the Four Factors differentials for Boston after a handful of games. Sample size deserves mention as a limitation. 

These do not include the Celtics shooting 11-51 on threes last night or their being outrebounded by 19. 

EFG% differential

"Just because I want you on the floor, doesn't mean I want you to shoot." - Bob Knight

• 25th in effective field goal percentage
• 6th in opponent effective field goal percentage
• 25th in three-point percentage (32.6 %) seven teams are shooting over 40 percent early in 2025
• First in three pointers attempted per game

Rebounding differential 

"Get me the ball, Danny." - Gene Hackman, "The Replacements"

• 27th in defensive rebounding percentage 
• 7th in offensive rebounding percentage
• 20th in overall rebounding percentage

Turnovers

"The ball is gold." - Coach Sonny Lane

• First in fewest turnovers (likely relates to perimeter orientation)
• 13th in forced turnovers

Portland is the high forced (21+), high own turnovers (16+) team

Free throws  

“...and you will make your second shot” - Gene Hackman, in "Hoosiers"

• 30th in free throws attempted per game (17.6)
• 25th in opponent free throws per game (29.6) 

Allowing 12 more free throws per game is one indictment, although indirect, of rim protection

Some will say, "the only stat that matters is the scoreboard." Hard to refute that. The top teams necessarily master key areas. The basketball venue is the Court of Truth. 

Lagniappe. Pop wisdom. 

📚 Best Nuggets From Coaching Books

This one comes from The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle — one of the most underlined and highlighted books in my library.

The section I’m posting a picture of is about the Spurs and Gregg Popovich.
“One misconception about highly successful… pic.twitter.com/E2yO4JcfMV

— Mike Jagacki (@Mike_Jagacki) November 2, 2025

Basketball - "Advice"

Back words up with meaning. "There is nothing cheaper than free advice" and "never give advice that you can't take."

1. "Don't miss twice." James Clear's best seller Atomic Habits includes the importance of sustaining good habits. In addition to making good habits easier (the exercise cycle is in the corner of the family room, perfect for watching sports while pedaling. 

2. "Make every part of practice impact winning." Dr. Fergus Connolly is a Human Performance Expert who has worked with great teams and great coaches and programs such as Jim Harbaugh, Chip Kelly, and the US Special Operations Command. Simple warmup activities such as dribble tag inside the arc build skill and competition. 

3. "Teams that can't shoot free throws last as long in the playoffs as dogs that chase cars." Each practice we shot four rounds of ten with a partner. The daily winner challenged the coach for the right not to run sprints. Success translated to a sectional championship in the top division in Massachusetts. 

4. "Toughness is a skill." Brad Stevens says, "The game honors toughness." Reward toughness - setting screens, containing the ball, fighting through screens, taking charges - with minutes. Minutes are educators. 

5. "Fouls negate hustle." Don't reward opponents with bad technique, retaliation fouls, fouling perimeter shots, or bail out late shot clock situations. 

6. "No laps, no lines, no lectures." Sport rewards efficiency. Brian McCormick means that none of the above are efficient. A UCONN practice runs like Swiss watches under Geno Auriemma. Brad Stevens said that watching Bill Belichick's practices made his practices better. Squeeze every second possible out of practice. 

7. "Shot quality scoring." Dean Smith's scrimmages sometimes used scoring based on shot quality - layups or jumpers two, contested shots less and turnovers negative. Coaches create our universe and make the rules. Carolina usually led the ACC in shooting percentage as Smith emphasized shot quality. 

8. "Utilize strengths, attack weaknesses." - Sun Tzu  Do more of what works and less of what doesn't. Be good at what you do a lot. 

9. "Every battle is won before it is fought." - Sun Tzu  It's harder to evaluate a team from the 'outside view'. When we have the privilege of seeing practice, the teaching and the priorities, it provides an analytical framework. 

10."When conducting individual meetings it has become critically important that the head coach not be alone in the room with the player when the conversation happens." - Carl Pierson in The Politics of Coaching  Coaching is hard and dissatisfaction will happen sometimes. 

Lagniappe. "Don't be a blame guy." 

👀👀👀 https://t.co/y9SqSAwRjf

— Mark Freeman (@coachmarkf) November 1, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Cream from Crean. 

The higher the pressure, the higher the Ball screen.

The more the pressure, the more you need to back cut.

The slower the Bigs, the more you run the floor.

The more physical the defense , the more you attack the closeouts.

The better the player , the more u change the D.

— Tom Crean (@TomCrean) October 14, 2025

Basketball - Visualization

Visualization, "see it and become it," works when blended with physical practice.

In "Ten Minute Toughness" Jason Selk advocated for a "highlight reel" as part of daily mental practice. 

An AI take:

There’s solid evidence that visualization (mental imagery) improves sport performance.

What the research shows (high level)

• Meta-analyses consistently find that imagery boosts performance across skills and sports, and works best combined with physical practice (not as a replacement). ResearchGate+2ScienceDirect+2

• Recent systematic reviews/meta-analyses focused on motor imagery in sport likewise report positive, reliable effects on execution quality and outcomes. MDPI+1

• Sport-specific syntheses show gains in targeted skills (e.g., service accuracy in racket sports). PMC

• Randomized trials document improvements in speed/agility/reaction or technical execution when imagery is added to normal training. PubMed

A few practical takeaways you can use with athletes

• Pair imagery with physical reps (e.g., brief pre-practice or pre-point “highlight reel”), rather than doing imagery alone. Effects are larger in combo. ResearchGate

• Keep it brief and frequent (e.g., ~3–10 minutes, several times weekly). Some newer syntheses suggest total weekly “dose” matters, but brevity plus consistency is workable in team settings. MDPI+1

• Script process cues (footwork, timing, breathing) rather than outcomes (“win the possession”). This aligns with how imagery most often helps performance under pressure. MDPI

• Train imagery skill (vividness, controllability); athletes with stronger imagery ability benefit more, but ability itself can be improved with practice.

What belongs in our playing and our coaching highlight reels? 

The "Core Four" development areas are skill, strategy, physicality, and psychology/resilience training. Most coaches have unequal experience among those four elements. 

When we aren't as skilled in one area, we can "outsource" parts by finding assistants with complementary skills or outsource (e.g. strength and conditioning) to specialists. 

Lagniappe. Former long-time Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most often described a player as "fiddling and diddling" with the ball. Jay Wright explains why that's a failing strategy. 

Really good stuff here from Jay Wright

“The most open you will ever be is when you first catch the ball….The habits of most players is to catch and dribble or catch and hold”

Great teaching point

(Via @Coach_PatCasey 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/x0503UbgY2

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) October 27, 2025

Basketball - What Mistakes Are You Willing to Tolerate?

Read and study across domains. Ray Dalio, formerly of Bridgewater is famous for his task-oriented approach and rigid accountability. He emphasizes what might be called "mission critical" mistakes.

The problem for basketball coaches and players is that about a third of games are decided by two or fewer possessions. That creates a small margin of error and a large need for accountability. 

Where do coaches 'recover' from errors, two or three scoring possessions that help win close games? Return to the Four Factors. 

• Avoid "shot turnovers." They're "no hope" shots. My coach labeled them "sh** shots" over fifty years ago. 
• DME (defensive mistakes and errors) such as beaten in transition Example
• Reduce turnovers (zero percent possessions) and live-ball turnovers that cause high points/possession chances. Example
• Stop failed or non-existent blockouts. Second shots score 50 percent and third shots 80 percent. Not blocking out the first possession of the game counts as much as the final. One coach claimed that stationing a guard at the free throw line averages three rebounds a game. Example
• Bad fouls (perimeter shots, poor technique, retaliation fouls, late shot clock fouls that bail out opponents) Example
• Prioritize free throw shooting. Practice under fatigue and pressure (we used partner shooting with verbal harassment of the shooter.) 

Highlight videos generally don't show "stupid shots", "bad fouls", "lack of effort" or "bad turnovers, e.g. driving or passing into traffic." Watch film of youth or high school games and the decision-making is dramatically worse...some of which is not in the coach's control. 

"Stamping out bad basketball" includes attention to detail, knowing your job, and execution. 

Lagniappe. Leaders drive culture. 

It’s the leader that must drive the culture.

[ PG 16 from “The Power of Positive Leadership” ] pic.twitter.com/thWSQ8Nocj

— Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11) October 27, 2025

Lagniappe 2. "It's our universe." Add constraints in practice.  

CONSTRAINT SCRIMMAGING
Really love what @CoachPalicki does to put players in game like situations, while challenging them to adapt.

Here are a few ideas he shared with me the idea that are gold!

Give them a shot!#GetBetterEveryDay #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/JG6qlb1ptW

— Coach DeMarco, EdD (@Coach_DeMarco) October 15, 2025

Basketball - Perception, Action, Will

Coaching and playing basketball mean overcoming obstacles. Everyone needs to overcome something.

Ryan Holiday's "The Obstacle Is the Way" divides into three sections:

• Perception
• Action
• Will

Holiday shares numerous examples about how historical figures transformed themselves or situations using these elements. 

Perception is in the eye of the beholder. 

"I'm a good coach but I don't have the talent. I don't have the feeder program. I don't have the facilities or the practice time. This isn't a basketball town." Look at it as an outsider.

• What have we invested in learning and applying player development?
• How have we connected with the community and youth programs? Did we meet with the coaches, share ideas, and seek integration?"
• "It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools."

Actions change directions. 

• Are we leading or managing? What have we done?
• Attended and reached out to youth coaches?
• Established a strength and conditioning program?
• Conducted free clinics?

Whose will is it anyway?

• "Deo volente." It's in God's hands. If we didn't get the hay into the barn, that part is on us. 
• Teams reflect the coach's will. Do we teach preparation, resilience, and selflessness?
• Will to win has less bearing than will to prepare. Did we have the will to prepare? 
• "The best time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining." - John F. Kennedy

Our "will" represents us as the smartest, the most skilled, the most beautiful. Maybe we should wish to be the hardest working or the kindest. We have a modicum of control of the latter. 

Three quotes from "The Obstacle Is the Way"

- "The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition."

 

- "What matters most is not what these obstacles are; but how we see them, react to them, and whether we keep our composure."

 
- "Failure shows us the way—by showing us what isn’t the way."

Lagniappe. Amor Fati: Love your fate. Don’t just endure it — embrace it.

Coaching blends creativity with execution. Both matter. Both reveal us.  

Lagniappe 2. Coaching blends creativity and execution. 

Jon Scheyer is quietly one of the best offensive coordinators out there.

Duke’s playbook is legit gorgeous and layered. Scheyer uses non-shooters to create space so well, too. https://t.co/VaJR264a7N

— Isaac Trotter (@Isaac__Trotter) October 27, 2025

"Make a Basketball Play"

"The game rewards the right plays." - Brad Stevens

Everyone knows what a "basketball play" is. Or not. Basketball plays separate extraordinary from "other."

The Celtics just made one as Hauser got a pass on a corner cut and immediately flipped into the cutting Garza cutting down the lane. In that instance, it was "superior ball movement."

Examples illustrate the point: 

• Draw two and pass to an open teammate.
• Hit the roller on the short roll for an open shot or pass for an open perimeter shot.
• Corner crash for an offensive rebound.
• Basket attack off of a jab step, negative step, or stampede catch on the move.
• Getting extra possessions via snaring a loose ball or taking a charge.
• Finding a cutter for a layup...plus/minus the "hockey assist."
• Exceptional screening, e.g. 'screen assists'

There's no "universal definition." The sense is that it's a higher IQ play that leads to finishing. 

Here, Garza sets a slot ball screen, then screens to seal a second defender for a Hauser three. "Great offense is multiple actions." 

AI Consult: 

1. The Spirit

A basketball play is an action rooted in sound fundamentals, good intent, and awareness of context.
It means doing what the situation and the game demand — not what ego or impulse want.

“Making a basketball play” is the intersection of decision, timing, and unselfishness.

It’s the opposite of a selfish heat check, a bailout foul, or a wild drive into traffic. It’s the right read - whether or not it ends in a bucket.

2. The Components

A. Read and React

A basketball play begins with reading the floor — spacing, defenders, matchups, time, and score — and then reacting with a skilled, intelligent choice.

Examples:

• Kicking out to an open shooter instead of forcing a contested layup.

• Rotating early on defense to take a charge.

• Using a two-for-one opportunity before the quarter ends.

It’s what the game calls for in that moment.

B. Technique Over Luck

Fundamentals elevate the action from random to repeatable:

• Jump stop, pivot, on-time/on-target pass.

• Proper closeout angle.

• Shot off one’s strong foot, not a circus attempt.

A basketball play is one you could teach - because it’s built on technique, not happenstance.

C. Team Intent

Even when individual brilliance shines, it serves the group.
When coaches say “He made a basketball play,” they mean he trusted the team concept.

Think Draymond Green passing up a shot to hit a cutter,
or Jayson Tatum drawing two and finding the open man.

It’s team intelligence expressed through individual execution.

3. The Contrast

A “non-basketball play” is often a shortcut or selfish reaction:

• Grabbing an opponent instead of moving your feet.

• Flopping for a call instead of contesting.

• Forcing a highlight instead of finishing the possession properly.

The NBA even uses “non-basketball move” in officiating to describe unnatural contact meant to draw fouls — another sign the phrase has moral undertones: Play the game honestly.

4. The Broader Meaning

To make a basketball play is to align instinct, skill, and purpose.
It’s a phrase coaches use to teach clarity under pressure:

“Don’t pre-decide. Don’t guess. Read the defense and make a basketball play.”

In short:

• Read the situation.

• Trust your training.

• Serve the team.

That’s a basketball play.

Here's a Cavaliers example. 

 

 

Storytelling - What Stories Do Our Players Hear?

Players and coaches accumulate a lifetime of stories. Humans are "the storytelling animal." 

The most valuable stories borrow from experience and teach lessons worth sharing. Good stories stick. 

The Heath Brothers share elements that capture attention via the acronym SUCCESS -

S - simple 

U - unexpected

C - concrete

C - credible

E - emotional 

S - stories 

Share your stories:

1. Don't put yourself in a position to hear sad songs. 

In the 1972 Olympics, Doug Collins was part of the team that lost to the Soviet Union in a controversial "three chances" finish. The Americans never accepted the silver medal. Some had it written into their wills that no family member would ever accept. The last song Collins heard coming out of the locker room was Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?"

As a counselor, I drove Collins from Logan Airport to Sam Jones's basketball camp in Easton, MA. 

2. Do. Not. Quit. 

In the top division Sectional semis in 1973, Wakefield High School faced top-seeded (22-0) St. John's Prep, basketball royalty with five future D1 players (I'm told). We trailed 26-12 early in the second quarter. We changed defenses to the UCLA 2-2-1 three-quarter court press and went on a 23-0 run over 8:35. Their best player was a future Celtics draft choice. We were nobodies who never quit. 

3. Never be "less than."

Win the "Mental Game." Mental toughness is a skill. Raise the bar. Set high standards. Teach players to play "harder for longer" and make "competitive character" their ethos. Never played college basketball or coached high school basketball? Those who can't do, teach? I have two former players, Cecilia Kay (St. Joseph's) and Samantha Dewey (Richmond) on scholarship in the A-10. Don't be "less than" anybody. 

I always told coworkers, never say, "I'm just the unit secretary" or "I'm just a nurse." Be proud of your best at what you do. 

4. The Bad Loss. 

Every coach has bad losses...without exception. Red Auerbach shared that he got his coaching Prep players in D.C. Leading by one under their own basket late, the inbounder chose to throw a behind-the-back pass which was stolen and converted. Never presume that players know what not to do. Get everyone on the same page. Give and get feedback. And develop a reliable inbounder. 

5. Academics matter. 

As the ad says, most players will never be professionals in sports. Your points-per-game won't follow you around in business, education, or medicine. Your ability to think and to communicate well will. I've coached multiple valedictorians, multiple D1 athletes, multiple All-State players, a Naval Academy graduate, and a former player graduates from veterinary school in a couple of months. Take care of business in class. Inspiration and perspiration lead to amazing achievements. 

6. Keep it simple.

We attended Celtics practice in Waltham before the C's moved to their new facility. My brother-in-law, a Princeton classmate of Wyc Grousbeck, hosted us. The Celtics were preparing for Toronto with Lowry, DeRozan at al. Coach Brad Stevens had the Celtics "go through" off-ball screens to try to limit threes. Youngsters Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown worked on their threes. 

Coach Stevens asked my wife what she did. She explained that she had a background in aerospace engines and rocket science. He said, "Basketball isn't rocket science." 

Simplify the game for our players, to help them understand, execute, and do their jobs. Don't make it rocket science. 

7. Champions don't cut corners. At UCONN women's practice in Storrs, we watched Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck, and others work. When the women took two laps after having done individual warmups and stretching, nobody cut a corner. If the team that won four consecutive NCAA titles doesn't, why should ours? "Little things make big things happen." 

Closing Thoughts

Tell better stories that resonate and stick. You don't have to be an elite player or an elite coach to share winning lessons. 

Lagniappe. Make outcomes our first priority. Hours invested don't always translate to the best results. Dave Kline's piece makes the point in spades. 

Lagniappe 2. Obradovic is one of the best coaches in the world. Movement kills defenses. Learn from him. 

Zeljko Obradovic is WIDELY regarded as one of, if not the greatest offensive mind ever.

Greg Popovich is directly quoted as saying ‘I steal ALOT of plays from him.’

So many staples in today’s game were being ran by Obradovic 10 + years ago.

He teaches very conceptually… pic.twitter.com/j1sASOZBwj

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) October 16, 2025

Basketball - The Confidence Game

"Confidence comes from proven success." - Bill Parcells

High performance requires high sustained confidence. In every domain, crises arise, and our response impacts results.

Coaching imparts a degree of "know that." Playing experience teaches us "know how." 

Every coaches experiences moments where a player makes a mistake and then looks to the bench and says, "I know, I know." Does the coach say nothing, brooding silently, reply "then do it," or respond, "focus and make the next play." 

Success demands balance. Confidence balances arrogance and doubt. Coaching can raise, maintain, or shatter confidence. Performance blends decision-making and execution. In baseball hitting, outcomes link to timing and "getting your pitch." Conversely, the pitcher succeeds, by working fast, throwing strikes, and changing speeds - disrupting timing. 

Ted Williams's chart illustrates. Former Red Sox pitcher Gary Peters explained his struggles, "I was wild in the strike zone." 

The same issues arise in basketball. 

• Shot selection. ROB shots - in range, open, balanced.
• Defensive contestedness. Open shots are better shots.
• Communication. Communication energizes and intimidates.
• Risk taking. Gambling defenses expose opportunities. 
• Effort is a choice. Low effort defense increases opponent confidence.

How can coaches build confidence? 

• Speak greatness. "That was good AND" is better than "that was good BUT...
• Catch players in the act of doing something right.
• Use video to reinforce positive actions. 
• Expand playing time according to better play. 
• Share praise via team leaders, assistants, and the media.
• Clarify expectations and standards; praise meeting both. 

Confidence building doesn't exclude correction. Coach Shawanda Brown reminded players who took a bad shot or didn't pass to the open teammate, "That is not how we play." 

  "Water the flowers and pull the weeds." 

Lagniappe. The great teammate... 

I asked a 10-year NBA veteran who never had a losing season to define GREAT TEAMMATE…

"Unselfish, doesn’t turn his back on you, has faith in you...legit faith. Not fake, holds others accountable. Cares!"

— Phil Beckner (@PhilBeckner) October 16, 2025

Lagniappe 2. AI input from Peter Atwater's "The Confidence Map"

1. Confidence is contextual, not constant.

Atwater argues that confidence isn’t a trait we “have” but a state we move through.

• It’s situational — shaped by control (our sense of agency) and clarity (how predictable our environment feels).

• A person may feel supremely confident as a coach in practice (high control, high clarity) yet uneasy as an investor during market volatility (low control, low clarity).

• Confidence rises when we can anticipate outcomes and influence them; it collapses when we feel powerless and confused.
  Lesson: build systems that expand clarity and reinforce agency — structure, communication, routines — so confidence can regenerate.

2. The Confidence Map: control × clarity

Atwater maps confidence on two axes:

• Control (high ↔ low)

• Clarity (high ↔ low)

This yields four quadrants:

Quadrant	Control	Clarity	Emotional State	Behavior Tendency
The Comfort Zone	High	High	Confident, calm	Take thoughtful risks, collaborate
The Launch Zone	High	Low	Curious, optimistic	Experiment, innovate, “ready–fire–aim”
The Stress Zone	Low	High	Fearful, risk-averse	Overcontrol, micromanage
The Crisis Zone	Low	Low	Panicked, paralyzed	Freeze, blame, retreat

We constantly move among these quadrants. Leaders’ job: help people back toward comfort or launch, away from stress or crisis.

3. Confidence drives collective behavior — and markets.

Atwater, a behavioral economist by training, links confidence cycles to herd behavior and asset prices:

• When collective confidence is high, people extrapolate good times forever (bubbles, over-optimism).

• When confidence collapses, even strong fundamentals can’t overcome fear (crashes, retrenchment).

• Market sentiment, consumer spending, and political tone all follow the same psychological tides.
  Application: As a coach or investor, watch the emotional climate, not just the metrics. Momentum, morale, and valuation all mirror confidence swings.

4. Storytelling restores clarity.

When confidence breaks down, information alone rarely repairs it. What rebuilds clarity is narrative coherence — a believable story explaining what happened and what’s next.

• During uncertainty, people crave meaning as much as control.

• Leaders who articulate a simple, truthful story (“Here’s where we are, why it matters, and how we’ll move forward”) re-anchor groups.
  Coaching parallel: after a tough loss, athletes regain footing through a shared story — “We learned who we are under pressure” — not through a stat sheet.

5. Confidence begets generosity; fear breeds self-interest.

Atwater closes with a moral and social insight:

• In high-confidence states, people tend to collaborate, share credit, and take long-term views.

• In low-confidence states, they hoard, blame, and focus narrowly on survival.
  This applies from teams to societies. Confidence expands the circle of “we.”
  Lesson: building team confidence isn’t just psychological hygiene — it’s the foundation of unselfish play, trust, and long-term resilience.

In short

Atwater’s map isn’t about ego; it’s about navigation. Confidence isn’t arrogance — it’s the alignment of clarity and control. Leaders who restore those two variables don’t just calm the storm; they change its direction.

Basketball - Proven Tips for Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Basketball lives in the public domain. Growth demands work. Excellence doesn't flow from trickery. Learn and share insights that create advantage when regularly applied. 

1. Sleep more and better. Shakespeare wrote, "Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care." He wasn't exaggerating. 

A Stanford study in basketball players who extended sleep showed sprint times reduced by an average 4.5%. Both free-throw and 3-point shot accuracy significantly improved by 9% and 9.2%, respectively. Sleep better, play faster and better. 

2. Improve your habits. James Clear is the habit guru, author of Atomic Habits. Here's a link to a summary.  Key points:

• Make good habits easier and bad ones harder. 
• One percent improvement compounded daily raises performance over 37 times. 
• "Don't miss twice." Maintain habits by doing. 

3. Develop a mindfulness practice. It is apolitical and non-religious. It takes about ten minutes a day. It improves sleep, focus, and immunity. It helps memory, reduces anxiety and depression. The UCLA Mindfulness site provides free, short mindfulness scripts. Professional teams and Olympians champion mindfulness training. 

4. Read. What? Consider starting with "Game Changer: The Art of Sports Science" by Dr. Fergus Connolly, Human Performance expert. Sounds dry. It's not. "The difference between who we are now and whom we become in five years are the people we meet and the books we read." 

5. Journal. Write down your thoughts regularly, especially adding something that makes you think or question a previous belief. The great Don Meyer kept one notebook for basketball, another for general information, and one for appreciation for his wife. You don't have to share and it only takes a few minutes a day. 

6. Keep a "rethinking scorecard," as suggested by Adam Grant in Think Again. For example, I thought the Celtics might win 35-40 games this year. Even with a small sample size, there's a glaring weakness...defensive rebounding. They're far below the MVP (minimum viable product). 

7. Teach leadership directly. Leadership has many elements and all of us can coach better and benefit from coaching. 

• Model excellence.
• Focus on communication. 
• Find leadership examples. A parent recently noted how he appreciated how my volleyball blog gave a 'shout out' to a reserve player (not his child) who cheers relentlessly. 
• Speak greatness. Be positive and praise the praiseworthy. 
• Become a storyteller. Stories stick. Develop a portfolio of worthy stories. Before the Civil War, Ulysses Grant was selling firewood on the streets of St. Louis. All he did was save the Union. Perhaps unfairly, Winston Churchill was blamed for the failures at Gallipoli during WWI. All he did in WW2 was help save Western Civilization. 

8. Study greatness - coaches, great players, and player development. Study your role models' role models. Usher studied James Brown and Gene Kelly, two of Michael Jackson's role models. Two of my coach's role models were John Wooden and Dean Smith, certainly worthy of study. 

Lagniappe. Habits and discipline... 

The 7 habits of self-discipline: pic.twitter.com/sVPEJXbFhF

— Mindset Matter (@Mindsetmatter_) October 19, 2025