We all see the world differently. We have an 'automatic' (System 1, reflexive) processor and a contemplating (System 2, reflective) processor. Change arrives by choosing an open framework of belief to analyze new information on merit. If we don't wish to change or be open to change, then spending time on it makes no sense.
We consume information emotionally. "That really makes me mad." Is it because it's wrong or because it's right? Or we hear information from someone we don't like and dismiss it on sourcing.
Did any recent messages resonate?
1. Be mindful of the story. The game is the story. The players are the story. Teamwork is the story. The coach isn't the story. Don't block the story.
2. "Was your work good enough that you would sign your name to it?" Do good better.
3. Build an offensive palette of concepts, for example:
- Isolation (1 on 1)
- Two man-game (2 on 2)...includes pick-and-roll
- Three on three inside the split
- Back door actions
- Single-screening actions
- Staggered screens (including Iverson cuts)
- Screen-the-screener
- Screen-the-roller (Spain pick-and-roll)
4. "Whatever our role...elevate our game, be at the top of our game to advance the story." Excel in our role.
5. "Create a world on the basketball court. Build a story. Define the rules." To improve players or simulate reality, add constraints.
6. "The team that makes the most layups wins." Fall in love with easy.
7. "Can you play one-on-one and get stops?" (via Chris Oliver) Learn to win individual battles.
8. "General feedback is a hindrance to learning." (Chris Oliver) Details define destiny.
9. Keep a catalog of your best actions (man offense, zone offense, BOB, SLOB, ATOs) and regularly update it.
10. "Make the gnocchi." - Chef Thomas Keller. Repetition informs excellence. The '10,000 hours' bashers miss the point. The magic is in the work.
Lagniappe: (via Chris Oliver)
Lagniappe: (via Chris Oliver)
Bonus idea. Every team needs a metronome, steady, reliable, unwavering. What's your tempo?Speed layups for warm-up via the Lithuania team at the #JonesCup. I like it because most of warm-up IMO is about getting shots as we shoot more than we get layups in games...the other part is a short burst of energy & enthusiasm so this would take care of that. pic.twitter.com/UQXy7w1Ozg— Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) July 29, 2018
I'm weak at remembering poetry. But I got this in a 13th birthday card...
"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heav'n in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour."
-William Blake
Blake tells us to appreciate the world and the time available to us. Find the bits that make a difference today.