Basketball Friday 1-3-1 shares a drill, three concepts, and a play, preferably one with several options.
Drill: Michigan Intensity Layups (I can't recall who gave me this, apologies)
We cannot practice finishing enough. Concepts: 1) Learn a new language, Basketball." Teams have unique nomenclature but players must acquire 'standard terms'. Learn to separate with the ball and without via cutting or screens. This review from HoopStudent.com covers over twenty-five types of screens. 2) A "Ram Screen" employs a player getting a screen into setting a screen.
3) An "Elbow Get" brings the opposite post across to screen for his counterpart at the elbow.
Play: Many NBA teams run an early offense "Pistol action" which simplified is a dribble handoff with a trailing screen or can be a pick and roll. Here's a helpful article with video. Some teams run it with only two players ball side and look for more action off the helpside.
Lagniappe: We're both here for the same reason, to learn. There's only one rocket scientist in my family (my wife). You wouldn't know it from the ECF, but the Celtics sometimes run actions including pistol. They often run it with two players ballside.
Brad Stevens has a saying, "what does my team need now?" Restate that as how can I add value today? Uncertainty surrounding the basketball season complicates the situation. 1. Dave Smart's growth mindset, "Every day is development day."
Understand the game through video study and reading. "See the game."
Physical training to build strength and quickness.
Skill building at all three levels (inside, middle, perimeter) for "four ways to score"
The best players I've coached have been students of the game.
2. Incremental gains. Learn "something" every day...like the Jokic Short Roll Game, the epitome of good decisions and patience.
"Little things make big things happen." - John Wooden 3. Separate skill and luck. "Every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser." - Kenny Rogers Good teams don't beat themselves. Stop beating ourselves. Players, organize thoughts around offense, defense, and conversion. The priority shouldn't be on results but on constantly evolving process. These are FIVE COMMANDMENTS.
Take better shots.
Reduce turnovers.
Contain the ball. The inverse means layups and free throws.
Avoid unnecessary fouls leading to the highest points/possession allowed.
Stop transition scoring.
4. Teach great stories. "Never give up."
Carolina overcomes an eight point deficit in the final seventeen seconds and wins in overtime. Never give up. During the State Tournament in 1973, we (19-3) trailed a 22-0 team 26-12 in the second quarter. We scored the next 23 points over 8:35 and won 47-41 in the pre-shot clock era. Never give up. It doesn't always go in your favor. I heard Doug Collins discuss the last song that he heard on the radio coming out of the locker room before the fateful Olympic loss to Russia.
The US never accepted the silver medals. Never give in. 5. Live with joy and gratitude. Excellent teams are a joy to be around. It no paradox that shared sacrifice brings joy. Have a stable of gratitude techniques.
A gratitude walk allows us to contemplate what we're grateful for.
Shawn Achor has a 21-day gratitude exercise where we write down three things we're thankful for each evening.
I want to support our guys. I want to give them belief. I want to inspire them. I want to love them so they can play the best basketball that they’re capable of.”
"You can invest your time, or you can spend your time. Spending time accomplishes nothing." - Nick Saban Computers do not multitask. Their processor switches rapidly between jobs, so they execute each quickly and accurately. When people multitask, we are neither fast nor accurate. Multitasking makes mediocrity. Players cannot focus on their friends or families in the stands and the game. More attention to baserunners leads to less on the hitter. Worrying about officiating takes concentration off the game. Rehashing the last play distracts from "be here now." TIME management is better expressed as ITEM management, taking care of the business at hand - family time, study, or basketball. TIME management is better expressed as I MET management as we focus on our individual and group relationships. TIME management is better expressed as "ME IT management" as we control our project management using David Cottrell's "do it now" philosophy. Coach Wooden said, "if you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"
The pandemic forced us from our normal routines, but blessed us with additional time to invest or spend. I've certainly spent too much on distractions. I could have spent more time:
Reading or re-reading
Watching Coaching Clinics online
Studying video
Updating my "teaching video" spreadsheet
Refining practice plans
Updating my drill book
Finishing writing my second basketball book
Practicing mindfulness
It's not about time management but self-management. Summary: - Invest our time, don't spend it. - Multitasking makes mediocrity. - Managing time is self-management. - "Be here now." - "Manage one ITEM. Do it now."
Lagniappe: from Teachhoops.com
I've talked about the Ration sisters, the big sisters Prepa Ration and Perspi Ration and the little sisters, Aspi Ration and Inspi Ration. Lagniappe 2: Heat Iverson Pinch
Miami transformed Iverson cut action into post entry and a back screen. If it's not there, especially with a switch, 1 cuts through and 3 has a mismatch.
BBallBreakdown shares what the Cavs did with their Iverson series, including the look above.
Basketball evolves with the players, the rules, and proven results (e.g. analytics). Traditional teaching emphasized inside, middle, and perimeter scoring. Choosing threes, layups, and free throws as our 'targets' are fine but you can't always get what you want. We may lack the size, skill, or athleticism to get the "favored" shots.
Find "four ways to score" among the many possibilities. Scoring in the mid-range (not always long 2s) has the advantage of being in range for younger players and often available with extensive zone defense played at all levels. Many say the "middle game" disappeared from today's players. In a Xavier newsletter (2006-2007), Coach Larry Brown said the same. NBA players with an elite middle game include DeMar DeRozan, Chris Paul, and Kawhi Leonard. Coach Castellaw breaks down the DeRozan middle game.
One-dribble pullups (emphasis on pound dribble)
Getting separation (e.g. stepbacks with low center of gravity)
The next video (above) breaks down more DeRozan action noting the small step back and the large side-step. The slow-motion video illustrates his footwork. Practice versus theory. Tates Locke "box drills" with defense provide a good framework to practice these moves. "Wing series" development in the style of Jay Wright also applies for the middle game. For the player with ambitions to be a CLEANER, practice "game winning" scoring moves toward the end of each workout when you're tired.
Lagniappe: Coach Chris Oliver reminds us to open gaps for drivers.
Create a double gap for a drive to score possibility for a match-up using this simple zipper clear action from the Washington Mystics Learn more about double and single gaps here https://t.co/bmUXaFS0C1pic.twitter.com/L1Kp3iEdl4
We don't teach basketball; basketball teaches us. Basketball instills lessons about ourselves, relationships, teamwork, and shared sacrifice. How we play or coach mirrors how we live. At its best, a team brings order from chaos. Coaches help players go places they can't go alone. Sport reveals purpose, self-discovery, knowledge, and innovation. It brings joy and sadness, frustration and redemption, generosity and selfishness.
Embrace and excel in your role. "All men are created equal," says the US Constitution. All basketball players are not. Pete Carril spoke of "lightbulbs," players who radiated enthusiasm. Bob Knight reminded some, "Just because I want you on the floor doesn't mean that I want you to shoot." And Eric Spoelstra tells us that at every level including the NBA, "There is always a pecking order. Most players are role players." Are you a singer (head coach) or a song-writer (assistant)? Do you enjoy the competition and the teaching, strategy management, and substitution? I don't like to rob Pietra to pay Paula. I love practice over games, teaching kids over testing them. Are we prepared for today's challenge? Have we done our homework - reading, video study, practice preparation, game planning? Do we have winning habits - daily routines with study, sleep, nutrition, exercise? High performers often have winning routines, as outlined in Tim Ferriss' Tools of Titans and James Clear's Atomic Habits. "Winners and losers set the same goals." - James Clear If that's true, then goals should be secondary to systems/process. Ask players what they're reading and share what books we're reading.
It's better to read a great book multiple times than ten poor books.
"The differences between who we are today and whom we become in five years are the people we meet and the books we read."
Abandon reading a bad book.
Lagniappe: Watch without sound. Focus on a few elements.
Notice the spacing. NBA spacing is exceptional.
Is the defense close to the ball on the catch?
Study how players get individual and collaborative separation.
Defining skill narrowly as 'technical basketball activities' misses the mark. Other skills translate for successful, impactful players. Today's blog shares five critical elements that coaches value in possession to possession evaluation.
TOUGHNESS
COACHABILITY
HARD WORK
COMMUNICATION
LEADERSHIP
TOUGHNESS. "The game honors toughness." Toughness blends the physical and mental. It describes the ability to make "tough plays" and to maintain high performance over longer stretches of play. Good teams do not quit. In his classic ESPN "Toughness" article (and eponymous book), Jay Bilas catalogs over thirty toughness musts, including Get on the floor. "The first player to get to the floor is usually the one to come up with any loose ball. Close out under control: It is too easy to fly at a shooter and think you are a tough defender. A tough defender closes out under control, takes away a straight line drive and takes away the shot. A tough player has a sense of urgency but has the discipline to do it the right way." Overtime, excavated from 1973, Boston Garden, sectional championship game. Forced a held ball and won the tap, not a "typical" career highlight. In my +/- performance rating system, that would be +2, invisible in the box score.
COACHABILITY. Coachable players focus, listen, and embrace their role. Their only agendas are finding ways to make teammates better and win. "Inversion" is relevant here, as uncoachable players have agendas, selfishness, or worst - apathy. Bill Belichick said, "At this point in my career, I want to coach guys I like. I want to coach guys I want to be around and that’s it." He added the desire for tough, smart, and dependable players. HARD WORK - We have skill players, effort players, and the total package. Coaches value players who never take plays off and "don't cheat the drill." The jockey can't continuously apply the whip. The horse has to want to run.
COMMUNICATION. "Silent teams lose." Talk is underrated and intimidates opponents. It begins in practice. Eye contact is communication. How players interact non-verbally is communication. Bills Coach Sean McDermott gets it:
Effective talk is part of deserving success. LEADERSHIP. Leadership blends multiple traits - character, humility, accountability, integrity, relatability, and others. Without willing followers, there are no leaders. Leaders model process excellence which doesn't guarantee results. Player leaders help coaches take the pulse of the team. Leaders speak hard truths that deserve attention and like Caesar's wife have a higher level of responsibility. Consider adding an "intangibles checklist" and reviewing its value with our teams. Lagniappe: Players, watch more video to learn about timing, defensive rotation, and angles. Don Kelbick's "think shot first" mantra works in this Radius Athletics video.
The analysis includes "dos and don't" (e.g. don't help off the ballside corner) that separate winners from wishers.
Tomek Kordylewski shares some video. Here's my take. Clip 1. Siakam in the block. The Celtics do not want Siakam spinning back/pivoting into the short one-hander off the glass. Brown forces him into the middle with Theis as help. Clip 2. Siakam drives middle, Brown has minimal help. Tatum helps off the corner because unlikely for a left-handed hook pass. Siakam has size but no left-handed hook to overcome Brown's quickness for the block.
Clip 3. Siakam backs Brown down from the wing. He gets great position but doesn't use a shot fake, fallaway, or up and under and Brown blocks him again. Not sure this was great defense as much as Siakam still developing offensively. Clip 4. Brown has two teammates available to help (Smart and Theis) and times the poke well to get a steal started. As Brown and Tatum continue their association, their passing to each other continues to grow.
Coaches teach problem solving. Do it better. David Cottrell in Tuesday Morning Coaching presents a framework for problem solving. It has broad application. 1. What is the problem as you see it? 2. What is its impact? 3. What is our desired "end state?" 4. Why does the problem exist? 5. What are a range of possible solutions? Let's examine a common basketball problem and thresh it through this prism. "We are allowing too many points in transition." 1. Transition opportunities are often high quality with limited "contest." Teams should set a low threshold for acceptable points in transition (e.g. three hoops per game). 2. Many games are decided by six or fewer points (two possessions). Allowing easy baskets is one way to beat yourself. 3. The "end state" is to protect the basket, force the extra pass, and allow the team to set its defense by disallowing "early clock" open shots. 4. Poor transition can result from poor effort, poor awareness, misunderstanding of assignments (how many to the glass, who gets back?), and from turnovers setting up transition. Coaching contributions can be lack of emphasis and lack of practice. (see Coach Stevens' notes in Lagniappe) 5. Kevin Eastman says, "do it better (technique), do it harder (effort), change personnel." Change could also mean an emphasis on turnover reduction that trigger the running game.
Sprinting not running (beat your guy to half court)
Protect the basket
Stop the ball to allow defense to get back
Lagniappe 3: FIBA Transition Clinic (Andrej Lemanis) - "Communication is a skill."
"Adjust all your rules to your team...anybody has anybody." Lagniappe 4: Statistical anomaly and win. The Celtics went 40/23/56 (10 missed free throws) and scored four points in the final five minutes but escaped with a win.
Discussing offensive fundamentals, we probably think first of shooting, ball handling, passing, rebounding, and pivoting/footwork. Teach players to cut better because "basketball is a game of separation." "Every day is a development day." Outstanding players are their best through UNREQUIRED WORK. They also study the game to find sustainable competitive edges. Basketball Friday shares at least one DRILL, three CONCEPTS, and a PLAY. Drill: Via Michigan Developmental Drills
Concepts: Crafty cutting yields high quality scoring chances. Cutting plays have the highest points per possession among common NBA actions. Today's missive shares minor variations on common actions. 1) Separate through change of direction and/or change of pace. "Explode out of the cut." Usually that means sticking a foot in the ground and cutting opposite.
Rarely, an athlete makes an "Edelman Cut" by reverse pivoting to get separation, planting feet perpendicular to scrimmage to back pivot and seal. Click through to view. 2) A back cut goes "to the ball then away from the ball." But it doesn't require a direct pass.
Manu Ginobili shows this via a hockey assist. 3) Look for cutters out of the baseline drive.
Many defenses force drivers baseline and look for help. The driver should be looking for the open player on the basket cut as the help leaves. Set Play: "Stagger Roll"
The "Stagger Roll" can generate a shot, drive, or pass for the 2 coming out of the staggered screens. Lagniappe ("and then some"): When we think of great cutters, who comes to mind? Many will think of Dwayne Wade, Rip Hamilton, Klay Thompson and others.
But Avery Bradley, known for his defense, had a strong cutting game. Lagniappe 2: Coach Daniel shows the power of "multiple actions."
Success never goes out of style. He shows the "flare slip" where the screener cuts after or even before setting the flare. He shows how teams run it plus options ball side, help side, and defensive strategies.
To earn success in our field, give Star Treatment. Every day. The actor knows his lines "off book." The reporter gets "the best version of the truth." The newspaper delivery person puts the paper inside the screen door. In Tuesday Morning Coaching, David Cottrell reminds us, “Complacency is the root of mediocrity.” Great players exceed expectations despite defensive attention. They figure it out - by winning in space, drawing two and passing, impacting the game by ways other than scoring if their touch is off. They don't rest on defense. Develop a winning formula. Cab driver Gerald Stokes had a laminated card on his visor:
Gerald Stokes Star Formula : Q + A = C
Quality of Service plus Attitude equalled his Compensation. He came sharply attired with black pants, white shirt, and black tie. He served coffee from a Thermos, brought multiple newspapers, and hosted a menu of music or alternative choices. Most of his business came by appointment. "Star Treatment" quadrupled his income.
Compensation comes in many forms, including satisfaction from adding value. For players, minutes are part of compensation. Kevin Eastman says, "you own your paycheck." Work for constant improvement. Remember, "Nobody in the office regrets when a poor worker is released." As we returned on an Atlanta flight, the Flight Attendant let us know half a dozen times, "If you need something let me know."
Give Star Treatment
B+ (be positive).
Communicate positive to negative feedback at least 3:1 (5:1 in marriage)
Commit to a culture of sharing and accountability
Individual attention
Recognition (credit publicly). Everyone likes to see their name in print.
When players feel valued they are more likely to add value.
Summary:
- Give Star Treatment every day.
- Star Effort is at the core of Star Treatment. Star treatment gets reciprocity.
- "Complacency is the root of mediocrity."
- "You own your paycheck."
- "Q + A = C"
Lagniappe: (Hat tip, Brook Kohlheim)
The simulations have been excellent for our staff to think outside the box on schemes and defensive rotations. In this clip we work on defending the down pin. https://t.co/VnvdQDP84ppic.twitter.com/N9WyeQSRon
— Arkansas Basketball Recruiting (@RazorbackMBBRec) September 1, 2020
Use elite level basketball to demonstrate proper technique. EDIR5 - Coach Wooden (explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition x 5)
Lagniappe 2: Know what's important.
Lagniappe 3: Be authentic.
MasterClass subheading, Reba McEntire, "Building a Visual Brand." Be comfortable with your identity. I'm kind of the Pete Carril "disorganized" look.
Advance our players' careers. That encompasses more than teaching, inspiring, and giving accurate feedback. It means writing recommendations, sharing video, and helping them to help themselves. Here are tips for getting them started on resume writing or bettering their current one. "It ain't bragging if you can do it." - Baseball Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean
Learn to tell your story through interviews, resume', and video highlights. It's never too soon to start. Include identifying information (address, email, phone number), education (including additional coursework like online courses), work history, special skills (e.g. foreign languages, computer skills), leadership experience, achievements and awards.
If you're emphasizing sport, consider including sport-related goals, highlights, and achievements. Some applicants use a video resume for both innovation and information.
Share relevant extracurricular activities. If you've done something noteworthy (e.g. had something published), include it. Many sites provide helpful tips. Review an example of a student resume' here. Sell yourself. If you have a high GPA or standardized test scores, include them. How long should it be? Young people won't have a lengthy resume. But if you do, limit it to two pages, knowing that many employers use scanning software.
Your social media history follows you. Embarrassing photos, sexist, racist, or homophobic contents will appear on an Admissions Department or employer search. Expect that they will do a background check on you. If you need your profile scrubbed, get on it. Build a portfolio of references (teachers, employers, coaches) who will vouch for your character and skills. Networking is vital to career growth. If you have performed well in a class or job, ask your supervisor if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. It's helpful if your performance allows them to share specific insights about you.
Make your narrative great. Nobody will care more about your future than you. Lagniappe: "And Then Some" is the title of the second chapter of David Cottrell's Tuesday Morning Coaching. Make providing UNREQUIRED WORK your calling card as you build your educational, athletic, and work experience.
"Foul for profit." - Kevin Sivils Dean Oliver's 'four factors' include shooting, turnovers, rebounding, and free throws. The trend toward analytics hasn't diminished the importance of free throws and by extension, fouling.
Offensively, drawing fouls adds value via high points/possession and getting opponents in foul trouble. During the comeback game it also allows scoring without the clock running. It's horrifying to fail because of thoughtless fouling and missing free throws. Good players foul selectively not habitually. Good defense includes avoiding unnecessary fouling. Brian Scalabrine adds, "When you play hard defensively, the basketball gods take care of you."
Avoid Needless Fouls
Defense starts with your head. Lazy defense fouls.
Don't reach in. "Show your hands." If it looks like a foul, it will likely be a foul.
Move your feet. Get legal guarding position. Don't 'body' players off their line.
Stay vertical. Don't chop down.
Play under control. After a bad offensive play, don't double down by fouling. Mature players don't make these mistakes.
Never foul jump shots and never, ever foul three-point shots.
Stan Van Gundy mentioned the truism, "fouling negates hustle." As great defense is multiple efforts, fouling is the cancel culture of winning.
Good players learn to play with fouls. During development, there is a role for allowing players to learn to play with fouls.
Strategic Fouling
Hack-a-Shaq... fouling a team's poor shooter
Fouling to approach the limit strategically
Fouling to stop the clock.
Fouls to protect a three-point lead with two free throws
Mediocre teams tend to foul indiscriminately. Summary: Foul for profit. Foul selectively not habitually. "Fouling negates hustle." Show your hands. "When you play hard defensively, the basketball gods take care of you." Don't DOUBLE DOWN with retaliation fouls. Teach players to play with fouls during development.
Lagniappe: ...a game of separation
The mid-range game lives in the NBA... Chris Paul, DeMar DeRozan, Kawhi, and Kemba Walker excel by creating space. The Celtics start with a horns-like look, that becomes a high ball screen, and then a stepback.
Jayson Tatum shows another way players separate with a "push through" dribble as takes a page from Kyrie Irving and pushes the ball ahead of him to get driving separation.
Toronto varies their defenses but gets victimized by ball reversal. Lowry traps Tatum who passes to Smart. VanVleet rotates to cover the "expected" pass but Smart finds Brown in the corner. Lowry (I think they call this X-out) can't get there. Lagniappe 2: David Cottrell shares leadership strategies in Tuesday Morning Coaching. His character needs coaching to bust a slump and the mentor asks for four promises:
Show up on time.
Do your homework.
Tell the truth.
Be willing to make changes. (Try something different)
Wikipedia lists stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. We have a vision of "good defense" but getting there is another matter. As coaches, get players on the same page with our philosophy. That requires teaching and feedback using data and/or video. Huge gaps separate know that and know how. Thomas Crane called that "performance-focused, feedback-rich" coaching. Teach basketball symmetry. What offenses want (separation, open quality shots) defenses limit. Just as turnovers kill offensive possessions, defensive lapses like poor ball pressure, slow help or rotation, lack of recovery, and poor shot contests kill defensive possessions.
Show what good defense looks like (above). Defense begins with philosophy, from general to specific:
deny quality shots
"one bad shot" (implies strong defensive rebounding)
"hard 2s" (incorporates understanding of analytics)
no easy shots
"Good teams do not beat themselves." LIMIT BAD FOULS.
Player development is more than offense.
Need defenders who can win individual battles.
"Win this possession" equals "get stops" equals "stops make runs."
What pace do we want to play?
Do we play containment defense or denial defense?
How do WE defend ball screens and off ball screens?
Do we front the post? (If we can't pressure the ball, we likely can't front the post).
Do we trap aggressively or strategically?
Man defense is primary. When do we change (e.g. zone) and how much?
"Know thyself." If we can't rotate on time and consistently, we can't double the post (above). We couldn't contain the ball, so had to change defense (zone and combinations) to have protection.
What are easy shots? (What do we disallow?)
free throws
low contest layups
transition "numbers"
putbacks
open threes* (depends on age and level of competition)
What is required of the best defenses? Higher scoring teams get paint touches and ball reversal. Is good technique obvious to limit these?
ball pressure ("there is no substitute")
"at a glance" - proximity...defenders are close to the ball on the catch
limit penetration (including post entry)
limit ball reversal
"contestedness" (challenge shots without fouling)
excellent defenses have superior physical conditioning
What commonly is bad defense? Good teams exploit bad defense. Anything that leads to higher points per position is bad defense. During halftime of a recent Celtics game, Coach Stevens admonished the team that most of Toronto's points came off transition and putbacks. How quickly (if ever) do we diagnose and solve the problem?
Poor ball pressure ("dead man's defense" - six feet under)
Allowing give-and-go by not jumping to the ball
Bad transition
Confusion on pick-and-roll coverage
Undisciplined fouling
Unchallenged shots
Poor closeouts
Lack of blockouts
No help
Driving coaches crazy on defense (beating yourself)
Poor effort
Bad transition defense
Not playing in a stance
Confusion over assignment
Fouling perimeter shots and "terrible shots"
No help ("The ball scores." or "My girl didn't score")
"Double down" fouls - bad offense leads to retaliation foul
Lagniappe: via @Coach_DeMarco
Coach DeMarco shares 1-4 low BOB actions from his weekly letter. Lagniappe 2: As a player, what are you prepared to sacrifice to be part of winning?
Time for studying the game, video, and your team playbook
Shots. Is it about you or the team?
Credit. Are you a giver or a taker?
Strength and conditioning work.
Taking hits - hard screens, going to the floor, charges, blocking out
Minutes. Players play; coaches coach.
Lagniappe 3: Effort and knowledge can't always overcome flaws: lack of size and athleticism.
