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Thursday, October 13, 2022

Crazy: Let Players Know What Drives You Crazy

The small children were giving their Mom a hard day. She said, "You're driving me crazy." They answered, "Can we come?"

As coaches, we board that crazy train, too. Share actions that will make us crazy, because we don't want to go there. 

1. Lack of engagement. Be fully engaged mentally and physically. Dean Smith told players, "I don't coach effort." 

2. Giveaways (points and turnovers). Live ball turnovers are especially frustrating as they lead to much higher points per possession. When a player travels 30 feet from the hoop, we lose possession without forging a scoring threat. 

3. "My turn" shots. The team led by eight with 0:55 left, a thirty-second shot clock, and the ball at mid-court on the side. The ball was inbounded to a guard who jacked up a three-point shot with 0:50 left. 


Even if you were the greatest shooter in history, the shot was not situationally appropriate. There is no my turn. 

4. Dead man's defense. Defense demands ball containment and ball pressure. Teach players to get "nose on the chest" or "crawl up into them." But "area code defense" (same area code) or "dead man's defense" (six feet under) are maddening. 

5. Reverse mismatch. Forcing mismatches is great. But creating reverse mismatches with little guards going into the trees? These 5'2" guards getting stuffed in the paint because they think they're Ja Morant...not cool. 

6. Drawn and quartered. Excellent players "draw 2" and dish. Mediocre players draw a crowd and turn the ball over. "Win in space." 

Lagniappe. Young coaches face one challenge above all. 

Lagniappe 2. Responsible. 

Lagniappe 3. This Stanford BOB stretches the 2-3 getting four on the baseline and the X cut. They drag the inbounder into the corner to get a modification of "America's Play."  

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