Two Letter Words - WE, GO, DO, BE, UP, NO

I love Scrabble. It’s like basketball - competitive with elements of math, its own vocabulary, offense, and defense. Playing the fully-committed defender frustrates high-scoring players. 

Strong players average over thirty points per turn. Like basketball it’s about quality possessions. And knowing two-letter words like KA, KI, KY, JA, JO, QI, XI, XU, ZA, and ZO separate 500 point games from losses.  

Basketball has valuable two-letter words, too. Make them your players'. 

WE  

• The African proverb says, "Alone, we go faster but together we go further."
• Prioritize WE. Make the TEAM better. 

GO

• Score in transition before defenses are set. 
• Basketball symmetry says to take away opponent transition. Set a goal such as allow no more than three transition hoops/game.

DO

• Sport rewards aggressiveness. 
• DO is the equivalent of Bob Woodward's FAA - "focus, act aggressively"
• "DO more to become more; become more to DO more." You define your minutes, role, and recognition. 

BE

• BE more by making those around you better. 

UP

• UP equals extending the defense. 
• UP raises the intensity level. 

NO (What are our absolutes?)

• "Know your NOs."
• NO middle
• NO direct drives
• NO second shots
• NO unchallenged shots
• NO bad fouls

Lagniappe (something extra). Focus on teaching. 

Lagniappe 2. I'm not looking for a basketball job. But if I were, I'd be revising my "lookbook"

What is our coaching going to look like. It contains an introduction, core values and philosophy, drill book, my Google Presentations video teaching links, playbook elements, and "tone and style." The Duffer Brothers, writers/directors of Stranger Things recommend a "sizzle reel" or "fake trailer."

 

I've shown mine before. It's cheesy and not so slick but "for gawd's sake Jim, I'm a doctor not a film editor."