Studying Failure

Failure in basketball assumes many forms, but distills to decision-making and execution. There's much to learn from failure. Edison learned what didn't work with a thousand misses designing the lightbulb. Henry Ford failed twice before getting the Model A into production. Abraham Lincoln's election defeats far outnumbered his eventual Presidential success.

Initially, players don't know what to do or how to do it. This progresses to better ken of what but still flawed execution. Better still is good judgment and inconsistent execution. Eventually, for some players, consistent judgment and execution emerge.

But what repeatable choice and play errors must we exorcise? The problems facing players in the highest arc of the basketball universe overlap but differ from newbies. Not knowing or covering your assignment as middle schooler differs qualitatively from reflexively helping off Steph Curry, giving him an open corner three. But the results align.

Create. In a game of cutting and passing, standing around becomes the first error (omission). You can't create or prevent separation as a totem pole.

"This is how we play...not."

Move. The game honors moving the basketball, not holding it.



You are most open the moment you catch the ball. Holding it allows defenders to close, rotate, and help. Exposing the basketball creates turnovers and held balls. Shorter "touch times" (less than two seconds) attacks the defense and gets higher percentage shots.

From Stephen Shea, Ph.D.

 

 

Play with purpose.

 

Offensively, move with purpose (not porpoise). The porpoise doesn't put the ball on the floor immediately and automatically. Players who immediately 'ground' the ball limit themselves. Defensively, ball pressure stresses defenses.

 

Don't lose your mind. Concentrate. "The ball scores." What is the most likely path to score or prevent scoring?

 

CARE. Concentrate-anticipate-react-execute. A games is the sum of a finite number of possessions. Failed concentration in any area means more opportunities for failure. Failure to see an open man deprives you of quality shots; failure to see defensive breakdown permits easy shots.

 

Avoid the traffic. Your parents, from your youngest days insist, "don't play in the traffic."

 

 

Great players get separation and play in space. Dribbling into traffic or passing into traffic bakes turnovers not baskets. Great defensive coaches teach defenses to get deflections, steals, turnovers, blocks, and poor shots by collapsing the traffic.

 

"Make the bad man stop." Take better shots. The quickest route to better scoring is better shots. "Better ingredients, better pizza?" Doc Rivers calls bad shots, "shot turnovers." Know your range and that of your teammates.

 

 

Yes, a 'lottery ticket' shot can go in. But it won't happen often. Force your opponent to get "one bad shot" and they'll be buying the lottery tickets.

 

Burn these dos and don'ts into your (or your players') heads...

 

 

Don't stand (player movement)

 

Move the basketball (touch time)

 

Play with purpose

 

CARE

 

Avoid the traffic

 

Take better shots