Basketball - Think Better

Study and apply the tools taught by great thinkers. Learn every day. 

First, a repost about the late Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's partner.  

Thinking tools and basketball uses:

• Inversion
• Incentives
• Circle of Competence
• Avoiding stupidity
• Compounding
• Latticework of mental models
• Avoid envy

Inversion

Apply the wisdom of mathematician Carl Jacobi. "Invert, always invert." Approach a problem differently. 

 John Wooden said that basketball was a game meant to be played fast. With superior talent, that's spot on. But the underdog should slow the pace. Better possessions, fewer mistakes. In the 1973 playoffs, we faced a team which had won 17 consecutive games. Our first possession, we passed the ball 22 times and then made the shot. We only took 42 shots, making 23, beating the favorite 58-38. 

 Incentives

People's behavior often aligns with incentives. They follow the pathways that 'rewards' them. 

The Oklahoma Sooners womens' team had a problem. They had a 'selfish' player whose play and shot selection didn't fit their culture. The coach and team confronted her after a game and she broke down in tears. She said that her father wouldn't talk to her unless she scored. 

Identify the "root problem" and apply solutions. 

Circle of Competence

"Stay in your lane." Specialization exists because nobody can know everything. Get help via a consultant, outside review, or artificial intelligence. Surrounding ourselves with great people is a "win-win."

Basketball coaches wear many hats - recruiter, public relations, organizer, fundraiser, player development expert, strength and conditioning, film reviewer,  etc. Find complementary assistants who help fill in the gaps - while expanding our basketball knowledge. 

Avoiding Stupidity

Bobby Knight said, "Basketball is a game of mistakes." Munger and Buffett made billions of dollars by avoiding unforced errors. 

Mistakes often distill to "character" or "competence" problems. Character problems show up in behavior issues - academics, relationships, substance abuse, money problems, lack of effort. Competence flaws appear in every aspect of the game - shot selection, turnovers, undisciplined fouling, inability to block out or defend. 

Compounding

A coaching philosophy of "teamwork, improvement, and accountability" worked for compounding. 

"One bad apple can spoil the barrel." One percent daily improvement compounds to 37 times better over a year. That's why teaching, focus, and discipline separate excellent from good. Accountability limits "backsliding" or "slippage." 

Latticework of Mental Models

Thinking becomes more than the sum of the parts. Generalists can outperform specialists when the problems - and solutions - extend beyond their domain. 

Basketball requires an understanding of offense, defense, conversion, and transition. It rewards spacing, player and ball movement, and possession enders who thrive in the "scoring moment." 

Performance and popularity are not the same. Winning basketball demands "playing harder for longer" and playing both ends of the court. There's nowhere to hide on the court. 

Avoid Envy

The most popular radio station is WII-FM - "What's in it for me?" Envy doesn't build our character or competence. It's one of those traits that believes that "drinking poison will cause the other person to die." 

Teams and players are better with "Ubuntu" (I am because we are) or "Mudita" (Your joy is my joy). Learn to celebrate the success of others rather than feeling diminished. 

Coaches are teachers. Teaching changes behaviors. Change behaviors to change lives.  

Lagniappe. Two extraordinary women at the top of their game. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basketball - Solution-Oriented

Arnold Schwarzenegger's No Complaining Rule: “No complaining about a situation unless you're prepared to do something to make it better. If you see a problem and you don't come to the table with a potential solution, I don't want to hear your whining about how bad it is. It couldn't be that bad if it hasn't motivated you to try to fix it.”

— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) October 11, 2026

Arnold Schwarzenegger always worked hard. And he knew that he wouldn't be the "smartest guy in the room."

He surrounded himself with associates and aides who complemented his leadership and presence with problem-solving skills.

Part of Coach Mike Krzyzewski's advice was to "surround yourself with great people." 

Develop a "solution-oriented" style. Most of you will say, "everyone knows that." And yet, we all see "bad basketball." 

Chart created by ChatGPT Plus

I used a "mental" framework for rapid screening of possible diagnoses (always incomplete).

For basketball purposes, return to a pair of exceptional coaches:

1) Bobby Knight - "The Power of Negative Thinking" - reduce mistakes such as bad shot selection, turnovers, failed blockouts, undisciplined fouling

2) Kevin Eastman 

• Do it better
• Do it harder
• Change personnel
• "$#*@ it ain't working" - change strategies

Players usually think about "this is how we play. Play well and we'll be fine."

Coaches think, "This is what we must do to succeed. This is what we have to stop doing." 

Those are radically different approaches. The latter is solution-focused.

Some coaches overthink solutions. You might advise a young coach:

• Take better shots. You can't take 40% threes and make 20%. The numbers don't work because you don't have NBA players. 
• Value the ball. You can't have 65 possessions and 20 turnovers. That's too many "zero percent" possessions.
• Get "stops" - kills are three consecutive stops. That starts with one stop. A last place team scored on five consecutive possessions. "Stops make runs." 

Lagniappe. Think like Munger, including "inverting," do the opposite from losing strategies. 

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Learning from Watching Other Coaches

Attending other coaches' practices opens a dialogue between the "outside view" to the "inside view." Watching the Celtics practice under Brad Stevens and UCONN operate with Geno Auriemma opened eyes. 

Close observation refines "big picture" and "fine detail" (granular) perspective. 

Big Picture

Efficiency - coaches set "professional standards." Practice informs how. Organization, emphasis, focus, "deliberate practice" on needs (especially shooting), and correction are serious business. 

Tempo - get more done, eliminate distractions, and transition rapidly among teaching, stations, drills, and scrimmage. 

Expectations - define standards and continually monitor meeting them. Tracking consecutive makes ensures maintaining standards. "Winners are trackers." 

Tone - Be positive. Coaching is not criticism. Players need to know operations are done and responsibilities met. 

Composition - practice against men raised the demands for the UCONN women. The women played against a hand-picked men's team who afforded intense competition. 

Assistance - assistants and managers tracked schedules and performance during each competitive segment. For example, during the four-minute shooting drill (from the elbows), the starters made 150 shots. During free throw practice, players achieved 92 percent makes.  

Granular Detail 

Your shots from your spots - The Celtics regulars and reserves worked on shooting 'their' shots with plenty of rebounders/trainers. 

Defending opposition plays - the Celtics reviewed how they wanted to defend Raptors' stars like DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. 

Defending specific actions - assistants reviewed their preferred choice of defending off-ball screens. 

Communication - teams carry practice habits into games. Defensive players talk in practice to develop winning habits.  

Public relations - coaches realize they "leave an impression" with visitors. Brad Stevens had a conversation with my wife, the former aerospace engineer. He said, "Basketball is not rocket science." 

Geno Auriemma took questions after practice and acknowledged that times had changed and he changed with them. Values did not change, but he softened his tone while communicating with players. 

Lagniappe. Player, team, and coaching development all rely on curiosity and openness.  

QOTD: https://t.co/6KrSe9Qydk

— Allistair McCaw (@AllistairMcCaw) September 19, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Become the Standard*

*Experimental post constructed substantially with AI assistance and then edited extensively.

Prompt: Create a post using my basketball and volleyball posts, in my voice, about "becoming the standard." That means regarding leadership, communication, adding value, and living with empathy.

Teams talk about standards.

Work hard. Be a good teammate. Compete. Communicate. Lead. “What does the standard look like?”

Can people see the standard when they watch you?

Leadership isn't a title gifted by a coach, captain's vote, or seniority. Leadership appears as behavior repeated often enough that other people begin to trust it.

You arrive early. You know the job. You communicate. You compete whether you're starting, sitting, winning, losing, tired, or frustrated. 

Eventually people notice. You don't talk about the standard. You become it.

Leadership

Leadership begins with responsibility. Great leaders don't ask, “What's in it for me?” They ask, “What does the team need from me?” and "What does the game need from me?"

Sometimes that's twenty points or fifteen kills. Sometimes it's defending the opponent's best player, taking a charge, or chasing a ball into the bleachers.

And sometimes leadership means accepting fewer minutes with full-throated support of the teammate who replaced you. "Attitude reflects leadership."

Feelings are real. So are responsibilities. Leaders learn the difference. Nobody needs perfection. Everyone needs reliability. Coaches need guys they trust. 

Communication

Teams cannot function without communication. Basketball and volleyball are invasion games played at speed. Information expires. Rapidly. 

“Screen!”

“Help!”

“Short!”

Calling it three seconds late announces the rain after everyone is soaked. Good communication is early, loud, and often. But communication extends beyond the court.

Listen. Ask questions. Tell teammates what they need to know...in a way that gets them to listen. And understand that sarcasm, criticism, and humor echo. The question isn't merely what you intended. The question is how the other person felt.

Great communication creates understanding.

Add Value

Every player should ask: "How do I make this team better?"

Stars add obvious value. The offensive engine scores. The setter directs the attack. The point guard organizes traffic. The libero reshapes impending disaster into a playable ball.

Contribution isn't limited to stars. Raise the practice level. Become an elite communicator.

Maybe you're the first teammate off the bench to celebrate someone else's success. Maybe you notice the freshman sitting alone. Maybe you see parts of the scouting report that matter more. 

Maybe you're the player who hits the floor for a loose ball like a starving man attacking a Christmas ham.

Talent has value. So do energy, preparation, toughness, encouragement, and reliability.

Empathy

Empathy gets less attention. Intangibles usually do. We never fully know the baggage that teammates carry into the gym.

A teammate may struggle academically. Her parents may be divorcing. Someone she loves may be sick. She may have lost confidence, sleep, a friendship, or something more important than basketball.

The distracted player may not need a lecture. She might need someone to care.

Empathy isn't lowering standards. It's understanding context while maintaining them.

Coaches sometimes confuse hardness with strength. Players sometimes confuse indifference with toughness. Neither is required. You can demand excellence and still treat people with dignity and respect.

The best leaders do.

Become That Guy

Culture is not what appears on the locker-room wall. Culture is what happens when nobody stops it. Standards work that way.

Want a team that communicates? Communicate.

Want toughness? Compete.

Want unselfishness? Pass the ball.

Want accountability? Own your mistakes.

Want empathy? Pay attention to people. 

The strongest standard is not what you demand from somebody else.

It's your consistent behavior which others choose to repeat. 

Don't point toward the standard. Become the standard.

NBA Lessons

Preseason games reveal reasons for encouragement and learning opportunities. Many here will say, "Everyone knows that." Watch any high school or college game and see that knowledge is not the same as action.  

Navigating the pick-and-roll is NBA 101. The Celtics trap the ball screen ineffectively and the Cavaliers earn a passing grade. 

The Celtics return the favor. The Cavs go into 'drop coverage' and Schierman takes advantage.

 

Layups, threes, and free throws. Mobley earns two with effort as the Celtics transition defense is lacking. 

The defense "cheats" looking for a steal and the passer finds a filled corner for a wide open three for Hugo Gonzalez. 

SLOB into a high ball screen. Urgent cutting (rolling) earns the Cavs a three point play. 

NBA fundamentals. Gonzalez "draws two and dishes" and a wide-open three follows.

 

Excellent players "win in space." Your parents told you, "Don't play in the traffic." Walsh drives into traffic and commits a live-ball turnover...resulting in a high points-per-possession chance for the Cavs. It's one of those 15 plays the Sons of Joe Mazzulla want to have over.

 

Simple basketball wins. A hard cut with an on-time, on-target pass earns the Cavs a deuce. Basket cuts are one of the high points-per-possession scoring plays in the NBA. 

Do We Explain Our Expectation About Being a Good Teammate?

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Every coach knows the need for "attention to detail." This is how we set ball screens or this is how I expect your defensive stance. 

Former SEAL Jocko Willink, author of Extreme Ownership, explained that an operator told him to give him three things to do - because "I won't remember more than that." 

Tell players to "be a good teammate" and use examples. Some relate to game play and others extend through life. 

1. "Help your teammates." 

Communicate. Help and recover. Cover "one and a half" players off the ball. Know your assignment and theirs. Provide emotional support when they struggle and motivate when they need more. 

2. "It's not your shot; it's our shot." - Jay Bilas, in Toughness  

Basketball isn't tennis singles. If you want to rip a shot down the line that exceeds your ability, it's on you. "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining." Our play impacts our teammates and the best players favorably impact both teammates and winning. 

If our behavior brought ridicule on teammates, that matters. 

3. Follow the Silver Rule.

Everyone knows the "Golden Rule." Fewer know Nassim Taleb's "Silver Rule." "Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you."

Silence can mean someone being "blown up" by a screen. Our bad pass lowers their shooting percentage. Our lazy defense puts them into a bad defensive choice. Our poor cutting leaves them with fewer choices. The list goes on and on. 

Be specific. Model excellence. Repeat everything that matters. Use the best advice from our mentors. Do it again and again. That's Wooden's EDIRx5 - explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition x 5. 

Lagniappe. Practice to exploit analytics. 

 

 

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Hard Coaching

What is "hard coaching?"

After a bad (JV) loss in 1971, Coach had us run for two hours. Didn't touch a ball, didn't play basketball. That wasn't hard coaching. It was dumb coaching. We lost because our opponents were better and we couldn't break their press. Punishing players for lack of skill or team coordination reflects primarily on the coach. 

After a UCONN practice, Geno Auriemma took questions. One was, "Were you nice to the 'girls' (including Breanna Stewart) because there were fans here?" He said, "I'm nice because they are babies. If I yell at them, they'll say, "Coach hates me.""

Everyone has their own definition of hard coaching. 

• Yelling. 
• More conditioning.
• Physicality during practice. 
• Task-oriented versus relationship-oriented coaching. 
• Truth telling 

Coaching well means effective problem solving. Coaching well impacts behavior, "compete level" and putting teams in the best position to win.

The psychological term is "deliberate practice." Here's an AI Assist:

“Deliberate practice” comes from the work of psychologist K. Anders Ericsson and colleagues, especially their 1993 paper on expert performance.

Ericsson used the term much more narrowly than it is commonly used today. It did not simply mean practicing hard, practicing often, or repeating a skill.

A good original-definition version is:

Deliberate practice is highly structured training specifically designed to improve performance by working on weaknesses just beyond one’s current ability, with immediate feedback, correction, and repeated refinement.

Its defining elements are:

• A specific improvement target. Not “work on shooting,” but perhaps “improve left-hand finishes against contact.”
• Tasks deliberately chosen to stretch present ability.
• Full attention and effort. Ericsson emphasized that this kind of practice is mentally demanding and cannot be sustained indefinitely.
• Immediate or rapid feedback.
• Correction and repetition. The performer modifies the action based on the feedback.
• Often a teacher or coach designs the work. This was important in Ericsson’s original conception because novices often cannot accurately identify their own deficiencies.
• Practice is primarily for improvement, not enjoyment or competition. Ericsson explicitly distinguished deliberate practice from play and from simply performing the activity.

That last distinction is useful in basketball. Playing five-on-five for two hours isn't necessarily deliberate practice. Nor is taking 500 comfortable shots from familiar spots.

A player who struggles to finish left-handed might instead spend a concentrated block attacking from one specific angle, receiving immediate feedback about footwork and release, progressively increasing defensive pressure, and repeatedly correcting errors. That is much closer to Ericsson's deliberate practice. 

One Sunday night, I showed Cecilia Kay (a rising eighth grader, the only player who showed up for extra training), reverse layups. She struggled with the footwork and didn't make many. 

The following Sunday, she made most of them on corner drives, from either side of the hoop. 

In the state championship against a team that dominated her team twice, she made two reverse layups, and her team lost by four, within two points in the final minute. 

Hard coaching impacts player development, preparation, and winning. Hard coaching isn't about "ego repair" because the coach's feelings were hurt or because she didn't have the team ready to play. 

Solve problems. Do your job. 

Lagniappe. "I'm here for all the smoke." 

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Best Basketball Metaphors

Metaphors abound, figures of speech where a word or phrase showing one thing shows another, making a direct comparison. Simplified, two distinct entities are stated as "x is y." Think "a bear of a man." 

Metaphors can move us. "Our offense thrived when we faced defenses that were sieves." 

After a loss, we welcomed the media in the locker room about as eagerly as we enjoyed "ants at a picnic." 

A plague of injuries descended as "teardrops in an ocean of sorrow."

Before long she became "The Franchise." 

The team's shot selection was no better than that of a blind monkey. 

Was the coach vaccinated with a phonograph needle? They called her “T” short for TMI - too much information. 

Not playmakers, the team's guards hoarded the basketball with Scrooge-like passion. 

The walk from the parking lot to the gym was about a five-dollar cab ride. 

Bad bounces became the norm, waves in a season drowning with bad luck.

Players absorbed her coaching with the attitude of energized toddlers told that it was nap time. 

"If brains were gunpowder, his team traveled light."

The coach decided to bypass a film session as he couldn't decide whether it was "Looney Toons" or Greek tragedy.  

She accepted her fewer minutes with the goodwill of a shark being robbed of a meal. 

His idea of shot selection never strayed. “The shot was available. Whether it was advisable was another matter.”

Confidence and performance differ. “Her confidence often arrived several possessions before the evidence.”

Mike's role of "foul machine" filled a need we had no use for. 

To paraphrase Churchill, "Wins are unreachable destination if you stop and throw stones at every barking dog." 

“She never met a shot she didn't like.”

Hit the floor like a starving man on a Christmas ham.

She played with so joyfully that we called her "Disney." 

Metaphors aren't necessary but they help us get our point across. 

Lagniappe. Find things to steal. 

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Basketball - Hard Times

“If it’s hard to write, then it’s probably worth writing.” - Neal Allen and Anne Lamott in “Good Writing”

Kara Lawson says, “Handle hard better.” Truth can be hard to tell, to take, or to write.  

Winning a Trade.

"Experts" grade deals immediately. Media and fans lose their minds overnight as they think another GM has fleeced theirs. Results often take years to reveal who 'won'. In "Never Split the Difference," Chris Voss wrote, "Negotiation is not an act of battle; it’s a process of discovery. The goal is to uncover as much information as possible."

Maybe trading Jaylen Brown dooms the Celtics to mediocrity. Maybe it will take awhile to know.  

“The Know-Nothing Party”

Some feel that Bird, Magic, and Jordan saved the NBA. There is always a crisis to resolve. In the late 1850s, the "Know-Nothing Party" arose as anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic. The US slavery crisis overwhelmed the former and the Know-Nothings disappeared. Knowing-Nothing shapes a weak ideology. 

“Who Died and Made You King?”

Mom used to say, "Who died and made you king?" In the television hit "Cheers," Cliff Claven was a "know-it-all" postman with thankfully "little known facts." New basketball fans share their imagined wisdom. And one "pundit" described a WNBA star as the "white Steph Curry." Do better.  

“Doubting Thomas”

"Seeing is believing." A potent argument for skepticism arises from a lack of skepticism. Sometimes a sun is the center of a planetary system. Sometimes it's complicated. After Indiana was eliminated, some said the WNBA interest was done. What if "disconfirming evidence" appears? 

“People only pack arenas in the WNBA because of Caitlin Clark” Atlanta in game 1 of the semifinals. https://t.co/c5qF95H3Ov

— We Here Now 😎 (@AngeShedeway) October 4, 2026

Our experience and knowledge, however great, still result in uncertainty and misjudgments. 

Lagniappe. Clear a side and exploit it with the SLOB. 

SLOB Blind Pig A special call to look for a sneaky bucket Empty the back side and time up the hard curl to hit it on the fly https://t.co/PcOPQU5Gi8

— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) September 21, 2026

Basketball - Are You a Better Coach?

What have you done to become a better coach? 

Like General Hal Moore, "Find one more thing..." 

Experience shapes our coaches, sometimes negative experience. "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."  

Experience the Whole League

Ironically, basketball throws us "softballs" and right hooks. What percentage of games are won mostly because one team shows up prepared and fully engaged and the other something less? 

With the talent in the NBA, if a team could show up fully 'juiced' every night, could they win thirty-five games? 

Areas to Improve Upon

Mazzulla's concept of learning from the 10-15 bad possessions each night, if embraced and seldom repeated, would make all the difference in the world. Coach's say over and over:

Find quality shots, take care of the ball, allow only "hard twos" and let's foul intelligently. And it's hard to get the message across.  

Whom Do I Want to Become?

Seek contribution, not validation. I've written Picasso's words fifty times, "Good artists borrow; great artists steal." Be eclectic and steal something great wherever you can. 

A Product of the Experiences That You Go Through

Life brings joy and sadness, exhilaration and misery. Share what worked and what brought excruciating pain to you as a player and as a coach. Support players when the "worst play ever" happens. 

More Experiences 

Learn better teaching methods. Study player development, psychology, and strength and conditioning. That doesn't mean we have to be the Mighty Oz. Use the resources available to make others and ourselves better. 

I knew a doctor assigned to a high value operation. He was smart, well-trained, and arrogant. "I can keep anyone alive for 24 hours." That works until it doesn't, in war zones, industrial accidents, and critical illness. There are only two kinds of people - humble and those who will be. 

Lagniappe. This sounds about right. And difficult and not entertaining, because defense means work, pain, and suffering. 

 

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Ten Best Lessons from Basketball Losses

Learn from every experience. Losses often teach more. Compile your lessons as a coach and as a player.

1. "Control what you can control." If a player "goes off" and 'shoots the lights out', did we adjust by trying to deny her the ball, keep her from her 'spots', and contest the shots without fouling? 

2. Stay positive. "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater." Build on the positives, while recognizing needs. 

3. Be accountable. Never allow results to become, "winning reflects coaching and losing results from playing." 

4. Toughness is a skill. Train players via the weight room and physical practice to meet the challenge of physical teams. "How you play reflects how you live your life."

5. "Be on the same page." Losing a game because of confusion about our principles (e.g. PnR coverage) causes lasting psychological pain. As coaches, we are accountable. 

6. Shot selection is not a suggestion. Players need to know and adhere to what good shots are for them. As Bilas says, "It's not your shot, it's our shot." 

7. "Don't be in a rush to win" out of the box. Being in a rush to force pressure or transition when an opponent has physical advantages or preparation can cause quick deficits. Play uphill against strong teams at your risk. 

8. "Foul for profit." - Kevin Sivils  Fouling perimeter shots, threes, late shot clock, bad shots, or frustration fouls are unacceptable. 

9. "Watch more video." Reduce failed pattern recognition and low basketball basketball IQ. Keep a "video library" in a journal or electronic media like a spreadsheet. 

10.Make sportsmanship an entree not an occasional side dish. How players and coaches conduct themselves on the court impacts how they live. "How you do anything is how you do everything." 

Lagniappe. "The quality of the shot relates to the quality of the pass." - Pete Carril   There's data. In shooting drills, emphasize pass quality. 

NBA catch-and-shoot threes went in at 42% off a strike-zone pass and 29% off a bad one.

That made me think about something we rarely talk about: the defender who affects the shot might not be the one closing out.

New newsletter: https://t.co/DtdoSN5FQv pic.twitter.com/QMWDX2neSu

— Mike Jagacki (@Mike_Jagacki) September 29, 2026

Basketball Cliches

What we don't know can hurt us. 

Everyone has heard 'the first rule of medicine' - "Do no harm." Ever heard of rule 1b? "Never dump work on your coworker." 

“Defense wins championships.”

Or does excellent basketball win championships? You cannot win a game 0-0. And you won't make your high school team as a defensive demon with the offensive skills of an octopus. They say you have to play both ends, but the news disputes that. 

“Take what the defense gives you.”

That's works until they give you nothing. As Mike Tyson said, "Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth." 

“Play one possession at a time.”

Taken literally, what alternative do you have? Never has anyone described game planning, "one possession planning." There's a line in The Transformers (1986), “Would you like to beg for your lives? It sometimes helps… but not often.” Preparation beats false hope. 

“The ball has energy.”

The ball does not. Players create energy by moving the ball before the defense can recover. 

“Good teams find a way to win.”

Sometimes. Bad teams find a way to lose. Sometimes bad teams find a way to win..or two bad teams play each other.

“You can't teach size.”

Size, athleticism, and skill are raw materials. Meatloaf sang, "Two out of three ain't bad."

“It's a make-or-miss game.”

Ignores everything the where, when, and by whom those shots arise. "Bad shooters are always open."

“Feed the hot hand.”

The Hot Hand Theory has supporters. Then the "heat check" results in the cool hand. 

“Players make plays.”

Coach K said it another way (loaded with talent) - "Basketball isn't about running plays; it's about making plays."

 
“We need to want it more.”

The worst broadcasters say, "It's all about which team wants it more." That's a load of hoarse manure. Find players who want to screen, sprint back, box out, communicate, and make the extra pass.

 
“Leave it all on the floor.”

Playing hard won't hurt. Without enough talent, you'll be more fun to watch and lose a lot. 

“Control what you can control.”

Yogi Berra would love this foundational principle of Stoicism. "Their guys better not control more than we can." If you have players that confuse back door with screen (door), then it's a long winter. 

“Trust the process.”

Only if the process deserves trust. Repeating a flawed process with conviction doesn't cut the mustard. 

"Success Is a Choice." 

I'm picking on Coach Pitino's book title because coaching at a school without football is a choice, allowing you to pay your guys more. He practices what he preaches. 

Lagniappe. Dean Smith met with players regularly. Cody Royle shares details. 

Developing a Basketball Ecosystem - "What Everyone Knows"

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Chinese Proverb

Basketball offenses evolved with rules changes, concept changes, and player development.

New and experienced coaches can benefit from rethinking ideas and approaches. There is not always an analogy. In Golf Is not a Game of Perfect, Dr. Bob Rotella recommends walking the course backwards from hole to tee to plan course management. That won't work "rim to top." 

Coaches often hear, "everyone knows that." Everyone knows to take good shots, limit turnovers, win the rebounding battle, limit transition hoops, deny direct drives, don't commit dumb fouls, allow "one bad shot." And in every game, what everyone knows gets ignored or forgotten. 

Share concepts:

• Player development
• Creating advantage
• Understanding the 'chain' of offense
• Exploiting defensive mistakes 
• A favored ecosystem

Player Development

Each player could envision "four ways to score" from among offensive rebounding, free throws, drives, shooting, cutting to name a few. 

That applies to 'common plays' such as PnR ballhandler, PnR roller, give-and-go, and individual actions from the wing and post. 

Among those individual actions, each player should develop a "go to" and "counter" move. The player has to have them in "their bag."  

 Creating Advantage

Advantage comes from separation and finishing. 

Separation is with or without the dribble, with cutting and/or screening. Screeners adopt "the screener is the second cutter." 

The Chain of Offense

The chain links spacing, to player and ball movement, to the "scoring moment." Contemporary basketball emphasizes layups, threes, and free throws as the "high velocity scoring moments."  

Exploiting Defensive Mistakes

In "Why the Best Are the Best" Kevin Eastman explained that the 2008 NBA Champion Celtics allowed 32 points in a game against the Lakers because of defensive mistakes and errors. Do we believe that high schoolers will make fewer mistakes? 

Common mistakes are missed assignments, poor communication, unchallenged shots, lack of help, poor defensive rebounding, and undisciplined fouling.  

Inhabiting Your Ecosystem 

Explain clearly to your team your expectations with specifics (examples)

• "Playing hard" means ball containment, no middle, limiting transition via specifics
• Sending 2 or 3 to the offensive boards (your choice, not theirs)
• "Greenlighting" specific players taking three-pointers
• Specifying pick-and-roll coverages  
• Observers should have a clear idea about offensive and defensive intent. If they can't, is it a clarity of purpose issue or execution?  

Patriots special assistant Ernie Adams kept a sign on his desk, "Stamp out bad football." A sign isn't necessary, but make the intent so. 

Lagniappe. Coach Hoiberg focuses on preparing his team for what they will see the most. 

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Lagniappe 2. A Hollywood analogy from Coach Chiesa 

A successful team is similar to a "hit" movie. Each template has 1) talented stars 2) skilled supporting cast 3) behind the scene contributions 4) inspiring director. All the components working in selfless harmony on set. #OscarNight

— Gordon Chiesa (@gchiesaohmy) March 15, 2026