Monday, July 24, 2017

Fast Five: Staying in Your Lane



My son, Conor, is a portfolio manager and columnist for Bloomberg. He is exceptional at what he does, although sometimes frustrating to talk to. Because he always shares a lesson about 'staying in your lane' in what he invests or writes. 

Maintain discipline

This reminds me of Warren Buffett being asked if he wanted to risk ten dollars to win ten thousand in a celebrity golf tournament if he got a hole in one. He declined. "If I am not disciplined in the small things, how can I expect to be disciplined in the big ones?" 

Basic training

That certainly applies to coaching and especially to developmental coaching. We can't "go back to basics." We have to live there. 


Many of the players today were not familiar with the "Shivek" drill (Arik Shivek, Israeli National Team). It demands passing and cutting, setting up your cut, passing on time and on target, and closing out and finishing. It teaches and exposes. One player asked if I went to Israel for that...I explained I went to FIBA YouTube. 

We can never leave form shooting. Excellent shooters are obsessed with their form, footwork, balance, setup, quickness with consistency, follow-through. But they hone technique "warming up their shot." What decent player goes out and starts jacking up threes? Nobody. 

Preach attention to detail



Reviewing "blind pig" is a good example. The post player receives the ball with the outside foot closer to the baseline (corrected by Gabe THANKS!). This improves the passing angle (footwork). If the wing doesn't get the ball, then the 1 can consider a handoff, cut off the post, or the 5 can go isolation. Everyone needs to understand where to be and where not to be. 

Write it down

Encourage players to write down what they learn in a notebook or diary. Handwriting improves learning. 

Own it

We reviewed the learning process - explanation, demonstration, imitation, and repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition. Whether it's Mikan, Reverse Mikan, power (two-footed) layups, or Beat the Pro, everything is designed to be refined at Camp Driveway. Take it home and make it yours

"There is an old expression: You know a workman by the chips they leave. It’s true. To judge your progress properly, just take a look at the floor." - Ryan Holiday in Ego is the Enemy