I know a few coaches who seem content to do ten things in a mediocre way rather than a couple really well. We can't allow that to happen.
Again referencing Brian Hines' magnificent First, Fast, and Fearless, I share his approach to accomplishing the mission.
- Establish a clear purpose. We play the highest quality basketball that we can. We commit to playing one style of play. We get more and better shots than our opponent.
- Establish intermediate tasks. Stay on task. We pressure the ball everywhere. We attack the basket offensively. We convert immediately from defense to offense and offense to defense.
- Clarify the 'end state'. We play fast. We move the basketball. We pass and cut.
- Give guidance but encourage initiative. "Basketball is about making plays, not running plays." Take intelligent risks. A high-risk pass should lead to an easy basket. A high-risk defensive play should lead to a steal.
- Define priorities. This is what's important. What we do a lot, we must do well.
Catch players in the act of doing things right. Yesterday, we had a player who does a lot of things well score two baskets simply because she passed, cut, got return passes (from two separate players), and finished with a layup. It's far easier and more productive to make a give-and-go basketball play and a layup than drain eighteen footers. Simple is better.
The efficient basketball play (such as the give-and-go) makes three people happy - the scorer, the passer, and the coach.
In the first half yesterday, we put up forty-one shots and (because of pressing rules) we had sixty-six for the game. When we can play our game for thirty-two minutes, I see us getting eighty shots and making over thirty. I want every action in practice translating into game play to meet that vision.
