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Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Basketball: Fast Five - Prices Paid to Become a Star and a Trio of Extras (Lagniappe)

Legends build upon a scaffold of work. You may not buy into the '10,000 Hours' mantra, but achievers separate themselves with an equation:

ACHIEVEMENT = PERFORMANCE x TIME

'Performance' includes both practice and games. 

"Champions do extra." - James Kerr, Legacy

"The magic is in the work." 

"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." 

"Repetitions make reputations." 

"Winners do the UNREQUIRED WORK." 

Failure is a staircase to success. Edison built his lightbulb learning "999 ways how not to make a lightbulb." An Olympic figure skating gold medal means "the ability to fall 20,000 times." 

How do we arrive at an elevated destination?  

1. The first price is paying attention. Pay attention longer and harder. What is the teacher saying? How can I apply it? Use critical thinking. How can I do this better? 

2. EDIRx5 Wooden taught via explanation, demonstration, imitation, and repetition. On a late summer evening on the Horace Mann School asphalt, I demonstrated baseline driving reverse layups to the only player in attendance for a voluntary workout. She struggled to get the footwork and finish right that evening. The following Sunday, Cecilia did it better than I could. 

3. Study great players and coaches. Associate concepts and philosophies with each and engrave those in our consciousness. Examples:

  • Pete Newell - footwork, balance, maneuvering speed 
  • Dwayne Wade - opportunistic cutting 

Cutters see the game, their defender, and the passer and finish on either side of the hoop with either hand. 

4. Strength and Conditioning. There's no one way. Some condition by playing. Others invest in themselves in the training and weight room. 


5. The Truth Machine. Video is 'the truth machine'. What was a team's intention to execute and how did their opponent intend to stop them? What went well or poorly and why? Here are just a few selected highlights. For example, at 2:10, notice the handoff screen-and-roll action out of '5 out' spacing. At 3:21 a live-ball turnover translates into high points/possession transition. At 3:54 watch classic side-dribble separation for a Grant Williams three. At 5:58 great corner cutting for OKC. At 9:09 SGA with a great hesi into a goofy-foot extended layup. 


In every game, see team and individual actions of finding and denying separation. Highlight reels are efficient teachers. 

Lagniappe (something extra). Detroit Coach Larry Brown takes a timeout to allow the crowd to recognize Reggie Miller's final court moments after an eighteen year career. 

Lagniappe 2. Don't blame the coach for your minutes. 

Lagniappe 3. Shooting drill. If you're younger, start closer. Drill adds a time constraint as you seek your PB (Personal best). 

 


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