Basketball - One Time

What's our approach to the "one time" situations that decide wins and losses? 

1) Throw your best pitch. Whether it's sealing personal (a no-hitter) or winning a league title, don't get beat with secondary stuff. That's the rationale between final moment isolation plays. It also immunizes coaches who "go with our best." 

2) Use time-honored lessons such as those from "The Art of War." Study both ourselves and our opponents. Knowing an opponent's favorite BOBs or SLOBs can provide a critical edge. 

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

3) Get time on our side. Use timeouts intentionally. Practice time and score-based situations so players become accustomed to them. Coach Knight explained, "basketball is a game of mistakes." 

4) "Trust but verify." The most painful losses come from mental mistakes - blown assignments, coaching ignored, thoughtless turnovers and bad shot selection. Give and get feedback before a crisis.

5) Get favorable matchups. It's no secret that most quality coaches switch when games are close and late. Use that to your advantage. Whether you want big on small or quickness versus less, "plan your trade and trade your plan." 

6) "Speak greatness." In a close game where players might feel pressure, Dean Smith would say, "isn't it great that we can be in this situation?" Turn anxiety into enthusiasm. 

7) "Possession enders." Develop possession enders, the 'guys' who get scores and stops. If you have a closer, get them practice for their "go to" and "counter" move in crunch time. 

8) Start fast. It's hard to win the game in the first frame but you can lose the game with sluggish starts. Be ready from the tip.

9) Be relentless. Never quit. Impossible comebacks happen. Momentum can change unpredictably. Most comebacks require 1) scoring from multiple levels and 2) stops. "Stops make runs." 

10) "Win this possession." Play harder for longer with both focus and effort. Attention is a trainable skill. Whether you call it "next play" or "be here now" or "play present," attention is a winning skill. 

Lagniappe. Better defense. 

BE A GOOD DEFENDER WITH SLOW FEET

Being slow isn’t an excuse for being a bad defender. You need to still compete with energy and effort… but also have a plan when guarding quicker players. 

Being able to close out to make the offense out the ball on the floor, and then having… pic.twitter.com/fiHfBUSr6d

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) March 20, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Diana Taurasi on selfishness...