"You can observe a lot by just watching." - Yogi Berra
Looking isn't enough. You need to retrain yourself to watch the "big picture", the small picture (how individual players set up and execute moves), and action away from the ball.
Pete Newell says the coach's greatest job is to help players "see the game." That really means to see the game "through coaches' eyes." Remember, "the eyes are the windows of the soul."
Identify "the other side of the trade." Forget about what you want, your family sees, and your friends say. What actions, behaviors, and values does the coach need to get you on the floor?
Listen better. How do we "see" more? We see more when we talk less. We learn with open ears and closed mouths.
Respond better.The first price is to pay attention. Early in the season, I do a test asking "I need a volunteer..." to see how players respond.
Play better defense. Coaches look for stoppers. Stoppers play in a stance, with good position, communication, deny penetration via ball pressure and containment, denial of cuts, challenge shots without fouling, block out, help and recover. Coaches eyes open wide when we see elite defense.
Move better. Remind players that it's a game of "cutting and passing." It's a game of creating and preventing separation. I've shown this video before, Dwayne Wade cuts. Summarizing:
Blind cuts (head-turning or defender error)
Back cuts (with or without a screen)
Curl cuts (defender locked and trailing)
Shoot better. Coaches demand quality shot selection. Nothing drives coaches crazier than what Doc Rivers calls "shot turnovers".
The immediate path to improvement is to take better shots. Each player should know what a good shot is for them and every player on the team. Jay Bilas writes in Toughness, "It's not your shot, it's our shot." Some players have a clock in their head that rings, "time to shoot." Get that out of your head. There is no "My Turn".
Become the player that coaches want to see. Show me.