"More like a guideline than a rule…" - Pirates of the Caribbean
Hubris, thy name is coaching. It takes remarkable hubris to believe that my way is the best way. Coaching is adjustment…or at times, no adjustment.
Everyone finds principles that work for them.
1. “Do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.”
2. “Fall in love with easy…especially finding ‘easy’ shots.” The more we ask players to remember, the less likely they'll remember everything.
3. With superior talent, “the game is meant to be played fast.” Wooden's quote worked for him because he had great talent.
4. “Win this possession…over and over.” If you could play a game of chance and win $1.50 for heads and lose $1.00 for tails. You should play this game as hard as you can because of favorable expectancy.
5. Find or develop possession enders, the players who get “scores and stops.” If you’re not an offensive player, you better be a rebounder or a stopper. As Geno Auriemma says, "You have to contribute something."
6. Getting your defense set shifts advantage towards you. Another great reason to stop transition.
7. Have a reliable inbounder. Failure to do so will bite you in a key moment.
8. Train ball security. Turnovers are zero percent possessions.
9. The quickest path to improvement runs through shot selection.
10.Team reading - Jay Bilas’s Toughness - make it mandatory. "It's not your shot, it's our shot."
11.”Stamp out bad basketball” including selfishness, softness, and sloth.
12.Get everyone on the same page. Failure to do so will cost us at the biggest moment.
14.Everyone has value. Disallow “kiss up” and “kick down.”
15.Learn to play at different tempos because you can’t always control tempo...plus adjust tempo (play slower to shorten the game and faster to lengthen it.
Lagniappe. All closeouts are not equal.
I went back through all 366 threes from the NBA Finals and found some crazy stats!
Early hand closeouts : 23.1% Late hand closeouts : 48.0%
Most people 'think' they evaluate players objectively. When we hear "performance improvement plan," most people think 'sub-par performance'.
Consultant Dave Kline looks at this differently. "17 leaders scored the same employee. 7 said below expectations. 6 said at. 4 said above. Here's what their disagreement actually revealed."
Immediately, you might think, "what does this have to do with basketball?"
In Kline's analysis, evaluators assessed employees on three dimensions:
Volume
Quality
Cost
If you're selling T-shirts, a quality reduction with enhanced volume and stable cost might win. In healthcare, quality reductions might mean lives lost. A low-quality surgeon or nurse gets cut.
In basketball, we seen lists of "Top Players" or "MVP candidates" all the time. Based on what or based on "the eyeball test?"
Wins above replacement
Individual offensive metrics
Individual defensive metrics
Team offense
Team defense
I remember reading a local paper about a high school game. "So-and-so" led her team with ten points. It didn't say that she had seven turnovers or played abysmal defense or that it took her 15 shots to get ten points. One might infer that "So-and-so" was star of the game. That wasn't reality.
As an evaluator, want to evaluate a player on her ability to improve the team, to improve players around you, and to impact winning. Those three parameters, per se, are not specific.
Back in the day, I modified Lee Rose's system and used it to track performance...calling it the RPS (Ratings Performance System). It rewarded possessions and efficiency. By no means does it capture everything that happens, especially defensively.
Kline adds context:
Written expectations. Specific measures. A defined bar for success. A scheduled review cadence. A record of what changed and when.
You just put every person on that team on a performance improvement plan. In January. Before anyone was failing. And no one even realized it.
We don't hold sportswriters, columnists, and broadcasters to those standards. And bloggers? It's the Wild West.
Tracking team turnovers and team shooting percentage for middle schoolers reduced turnovers and bad shots. We never reported individual stats, but players knew they were accountable.
Former Bill Belichick assistant Ernie Adams kept a sign on his desk, "STAMP OUT BAD FOOTBALL." The point was clear - bad football loses games and the NFL is a "bottom line" business.
The next time we read "MVP candidates," at the very least we might ask, "says who" and "by what criteria?"
An ill-conceived strategy (e.g. coming out pressing with inferior talent) can expose our limitations before impacting our opponent. Coaches have to read the game, too.
2. Protect your king.
Many games are lost not won because of ill-constructed defenses. Exceptional teams invariably balance excellent defenses to complement strong attack.
3. A pawn can become a queen.
Each player has strategic value and deserves special consideration. That could be on a "press team" or creating a matchup on defense.
4. The pieces work together.
You cannot win with just a "strong bishop" or a "powerful knight." As in Misaeng, a piece that "has not come into play" can change the game. Work to become that piece.
5. Learn from and love our losses.
Every loss teaches us lessons if we are curious, open, and thoughtful.
6. Don't believe you're "the smartest guy in the room."
Chess taught us that machines (e.g. Deep Blue) could defeat the strongest play. It also taught us that the combination of "man and machine" in Centaur Chess could produce even greater strength. Don't ignore or belittle technology. It is here to help us.
7. Be on the lookout.
Watch how our thoughts become words, words become actions, and actions become habits. "Begin with the end in mind" - creating better habits results in better versions of ourselves.
Lagniappe. Every program benefits from developing its language.
Examples of STICKY LANGUAGE in tactical/technical culture 👇🏼
- Ball handling is creation and protection
- Shooting is rhythm and balance
- Finishing is timing, touch and angles
- Rebounding is leverage and anticipation
- POA defense is neutralize, contain, contest and…
Being a sports parent isn't easy and there's no "secret sauce" to it. Here are ten lessons that might reduce "hate and discontent."
1. "I get it." In Star Trek, the Prime Directive was non-interference with developing civilizations. Parents' Prime Directive is "the well-being of my child comes first." That includes the "Holy Triad" of minutes, role, and recognition.
Years ago, the Boston Herald Coach of the Decade got lambasted by parents because some felt that she didn't do enough to promote their child. Four state championships and regular articles about their program weren't enough. No coach is immune.
2. "The players make out the lineup." In 2004, we (parents) attended the AAU Nationals at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC. Our twin daughters were in the bottom 25 percent of players. There's no shame in the truth, they were solid players playing amidst many excellent and some exceptional players. The best players played more. That's generally how it works.
3. Hard conversations always involve at least two adults. That doesn't eliminate the chance of "misinterpretation" of the conversation. For example, if a coach says "you need to increase your defensive effort" that doesn't mean, "Coach says 'I stink'."
4. An abundance of politics inhabits coaching. Strongly advise all coaches and sports parents to read Carl Pierson's "The Politics of Coaching."
5. Let parents and players know that you are a networking resource although that to maintain credibility, you will tell the truth about players. Nothing I ever told a coach ever earned them a scholarship. However, a letter I wrote to a Congresswoman helped a player get a nomination to a service academy.
6. I will never discuss a player on the team with the parent who wants to say, "Well, my daughter should be playing ahead of so-and-so." One of the reasons I had a total transparency policy was that if parents came to practice, they'd see who could play best and where their child fit in. As Erik Spoelstra said, "There is always a pecking order."
7. "I'm here to help." I held twice weekly offseason (late May through September) skill development sessions. Not many players attended, which is fine. The one who came the most benefited the most and she's still playing in the Atlantic-10 on scholarship.
8. It's about the experience. "Never be a child's last coach." I encouraged players to approach the transition to high school as an opportunity to compete for a chance to contribute. I didn't tell players who were less skilled that they had a chance to be an immediate contributor, just to keep working.
If you're unhappy with the experience, then diplomatically let the coach know the often legitimate reasons. Most coaches won't discuss strategy or the game results until there's a cooling off period. "Sleep on it."
9. Coaches have favorites. We like players who work hard, compete, follow directions (coachability), absorb the information, and function as good teammates. I've had excellent players who also excelled academically and academically exceptional students who struggled on the court. But they struggled because they put in the effort and didn't always get the results they wanted. I respect those kids a lot.
10.It's a calling. I was a volunteer who invested time, resources (entered teams into preseason tournaments, catered breakup dinners), and some networking (e.g. with area media) to serve the players. Coaches aren't seeking fame or fortune. Most want to help your children succeed and see them become more.
The court is our laboratory, our world where we define the rules. Constraints are invaluable.
Constraints are not new. In 1973 after a devastating loss, we practiced five versus seven, full court press break, no dribble, until we couldn't be pressed.
It was one form of "advantage-disadvantage" practice. Constraints can include many alternatives:
Must score in the paint
Must score outside the paint
Practice with shot selection scoring (Dean Smith)
Advantage-disadvantage (classical Bob Knight)
Offense must have paint touch and ball reversal before shots (Kirby Scheff)
Other 'conventional' approaches:
Scrimmage winner must "confirm victory" with a made free throw
Defense must get a stop to get off the floor
Shooting practice with time constraints (for target number of makes)
Shooting must make consecutive shots to advance to next spot
Dribble tag within the arc (can add constraints like non-dominant hand dribbling)
Potentially useful constraints:
Reduced spacing (e.g. 3-on-3 inside the split)
Adding defenders in the half court
Time and score practice with variable time on clock, with or without timeouts
Time and score practice, e.g. trail by six, 90 seconds remaining, etc.
Constraints amplify the theme of making practice hard so that games are easier.
Coaches don't grow the beans. We find and refine them - grinding and filtering. Some excel at grinding and others at filtering.
What beans can you harvest?
How do you roast and grind them?
How does the refined, filtered, and presented product taste?
Some coaches have special expertise at finding the beans (Jerry Tarkanian).
Others excel at the roasting and grinding (e.g. Drew Hanlen, Chris Brickley, Don Kelbick).
Filters foster a different skill - ones often celebrated - Bee, McLendon, Wooden, Newell, Auerbach, Smith, Knight, Auriemma, Summitt, Krzyzewski, Jackson, and more.
Authors can describe the entirety of the process yet cannot do so without attribution to the history of the game.
Sometimes we focus on the beans
Sometimes we focus on the grind
Sometimes we focus on the filtration
If you want a great cup of coffee, you need to understand and standardize the process.
Everyone won't agree on the quality of the beans, the grind, or the refinement. But most relish a great cup of coffee.
Imagining that "any idiot" can find a bean, roast and grind it, and prepare it to perfection makes as much sense as "any idiot with a whistle can coach."
Lagniappe. Protect your kings. Understand and promote pieces working together. Know that a pawn can become a queen. Love and learn from our losses.
Summary: "Be your best, daily, at practice with maximum focus and attention to detail."
Be prepared and conditioned. In December 1972, we had practice at six P.M. Normally my father gave me a ride at 5:30. No Dad. No cellphone comms. 5:40 and two miles to the gym. I grabbed my gym bag and ran to practice and arrived a few minutes early. And then practiced...
That's the kind of conditioning we had. Nothing heroic. Show up on time.
There's a saying that contemporary kids are "car athletes," kids arrive by car. If that's true, it's because we made it so.
Create your practice truths:
1. Show up on time, ready to go.
2. Make everything impact winning.
3. EVERY SECOND COUNTS.
4. Condition with a ball. We 'warmed up' to start practice with five minutes of jumping rope. I've never been in better shape.
5. "Every day is player improvement day."
6. Compete for your teammates not against your teammates.
Every practice we had four rounds of ten free throws (tracked). At the end of the day, the winner had a shootoff with the coach to limit sprints. It usually took 38 or more to win.
In the 1973 Sectional Finals in Boston Garden against the defending State Champion, we went 10/10 in the fourth quarter to force overtime. At least as I remember it. It's been awhile.
7. Be a great teammate.
8. Find opportunities to lead. Lead the drill, communicate, model excellence.
9. The court is your laboratory - an extension of home and the classroom. Never miss an opportunity for teachable moments.
10.Love practice and share that love with your team.
Enjoy the ride.
Lagniappe. BOBs worthy of study.
Not EVERYTHING always needs to be a 3
Here are 10 Unstoppable Baseline Out of Bounds sets that are designed to get a shot at the rim
We are "incomplete" because every day offers us opportunities to improve our attitude, choices, and effort.
I'm a "Thursday's child." The saying, "Thursday's child has far to go," can mean either great achievement or much room for improvement. I choose to believe it means both.
Here are twenty coaching and life reminders from Misaeng: Incomplete Life. I encourage all coaches to study it.
1. Competence precedes confidence
Bill Parcells said, "Confidence comes from proven success."
We can't manufacture, bottle, or sell confidence. We earn it through preparation, repetition, and solving difficult problems.
2. Every task matters
"Every day is showtime." We have to show up and keep bringing receipts. The court is our laboratory. Practice is our experiment.
Excellence begins with ordinary work done extraordinarily well.
3. Character is revealed under pressure
How do we perform under stress? That defines us as parents, workers, students, and teammates.
4. Separate the person from the performance
Athletes make bad plays and coaches make poor decisions. Neither makes them bad people.
Stories about coaches telling players, "You're worthless," say far more about the coach than the player.
Great coaches criticize behaviors, not identities.
5. A title creates authority, not respect
A title doesn't create value or earn respect. Leadership, performance, compassion, and wisdom aren't bestowed by position.
Authority differs from behavior, judgment, and character.
6. Teach judgment, not dependence
When asked about his team, Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg reportedly said, "Ask me in twenty years and I'll be able to give you a better answer."
Leaders develop leaders. Judge coaches by the quality of the people who emerge from their program.
7. Teams succeed through complementary strengths
Seek contribution, not recognition. Performance on game day reflects people, strategy, and execution - much of it shaped in practice.
Reserve players and assistant coaches are essential to success. Leaders who claim credit and distribute blame miss the point.
8. Quiet consistency beats loud talent
"An empty barrel makes the most noise." Flowing water carves great canyons not by force but by relentless persistence.
Show up every day.
9. Preparation is an act of respect
Listening respects others. Internalizing coaching honors the time, experience, and knowledge of teachers and coaches.
10. Integrity has compound interest
The magic of compounding transforms one percent daily improvement into extraordinary long-term growth.
Character compounds in much the same way. Consider the story of the grain of rice and the chessboard.
11. The best leaders absorb pressure
"Pressure is a privilege."
Weak teams rarely experience meaningful pressure because expectations are low. Strong teams earn the privilege of playing meaningful games.
12. Learn before demanding recognition
"The best way to get respect is to give it." The loudest critics often have the fewest accomplishments.
Credibility precedes recognition.
13. There is courage in perseverance
Do not quit. Sometimes courage simply means quietly continuing despite uncertainty. Persist.
14. Every move matters
Drawing on the game of Go, Misaeng reminds us that victories are built from hundreds of seemingly insignificant moves.
Attention to detail separates good from great.
15. Reflection improves decisions
Clear your head.Take a deep breath. Create cognitive space. Leaders make better decisions when they take time to think.
16. Every organization has two structures
There is the organizational chart. There is also the relationship chart. Life and coaching depend upon both. Ignoring either creates blind spots.
17. Every person wants to matter
Everyone wants to be seen, heard, and valued.
Two coaching reminders stand out:
"Never be a child's last coach."
"How does it feel to play for me?"
18. Reputation is accumulated, not announced
Trust is earned quietly through repeated actions. You don't earn playing time with speeches, slogans, or gestures.
Reliability earns trust.
19. The road is made by walking
One of Misaeng's enduring metaphors is this:A road is not merely found - it is created by those who keep walking.
Footwork, attack, shooting, defense, rebounding, and leadership are all developed one day at a time.
Progress is traveled, not imagined.
20. We are all "Misaeng"
The title itself captures both the vision and the mission.
In the game of Go, Misaeng refers to an incomplete life or an unsettled group - not yet secure, not yet fully alive. Its message is profound:
None of us is finished. Every one of us is still becoming more.
Words don't move the needle. "We're good. We have talent. We're rising."
There's a progression in programs:
Beat bad teams at home
Beat bad teams on the road.
Beat good teams at home.
Beat good teams on the road.
If you rarely win on the road, can't beat .500 teams, and don't make the playoffs, as Bill Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are."
What separates the winners?
Smarts
Toughness
Discipline
How does each show up in the context of consistent winning?
Smart
Smart teams don't beat themselves with bad shots, mental mistakes (e.g. missed assignments, fouls, turnovers), and inability to control the running game (transition) and stop teams in the half-court.
Toughness
Tough teams get at least 75 percent of defensive rebounds, win more than their share of 50-50 balls, contain the ball, contest shots without fouling, set solid screens and take charges.
Discipline
Disciplined teams "stick to the plan." When Wooden said, "Basketball is a game meant to be played fast," he implied that UCLA had more talent and experience and would win games with more possessions (playing fast). Disciplined teams allow "one bad shot" and "get more and better shots than opponents." They apply Knight's "Power of Negative Thinking" and do ordinary things extraordinarily well (cutting, passing on time-on target, finishing at the rim).
The Truth Machine
Winners watch more video especially of their team. Less successful teams have worse spacing, worse ball containment, worse communication, worse help, worse shot selection, and worse ability to close out games (offensive and defensive delay). Brad Steven watch the end of more than a thousand games to understand what went right or wrong.
Be a Tracker
Track what you think is important to you. You know best. "Good shooters" have good stats - i.e. effective field goal percentage. Good teams "foul for profit" (Kevin Sivils term). Good teams commit fewer bad fouls. Winners are trackers.
Good scorers don't have low points/usage rate ratio. Good players don't have low assist/turnover ratios. Good players don't take "my turn" or "me, too" shots. Good players don't reveal poor plus/minus ratings. Good players make plays not excuses.
Good coaches are truth seekers and good players want to hear the truth to improve. "We are what are record says we are."
Lagniappe. Find offensive chances you want.
🚨 Sticky Words Sunday 🚨
Desired outcomes of ALL offense actions:
1. Layup/FTs 2. Catch and Shoot 3 3. Double Gap 4. Mismatch
- All other outcomes are net negatives for the offense
