"There's always another test." Once I saw a twenty-something salesperson who came for shortness of breath. They worked on commission, had a taxing travel schedule, and previous extensive testing (x-ray, breathing tests, lab) were all unrevealing (normal). Their physical examination was unremarkable.
I told the patient my provisional diagnosis and wrote a prescription for one dose of a pill, saying this won't solve your problem but likely will diagnose it.
They sheepishly called me the next day and said, "I'm fine. The medication totally relieved my symptoms." It was a Valium. Stress does a number on us.
We can always find another drill. There's always another exercise or motivational phrase.
Playwright David Mamet studied Brazilian jujitsu. He said that if you mastered the five things they taught in the first month, nobody could defeat you. What are OUR five tasks?
1. Win the defensive one-on-one battles. Master Newell's footwork, balance, maneuvering speed. Contain the dribble, deny the cuts, contest shots without fouling. When we can't contain our individual assignments, we have no shot at success.
2. Move without the ball. If defense is about denying separation (and resultant open shots), then offense demands separating in space and time.
3. Move the ball. "Movement kills defense." Great teams know that defense withers under the stress of player and ball movement. The 1986 Celtics and the Spurs of recent years made memories with movement.
4. Make quality shots. Be accountable to your teammates for the shots you take. "Non-shooters are always open." Living on a prayer doesn't work. This "summer shooting" post is one of my most popular messages. Track everything.
5. Get me the ball. We need possession. Value the ball. "The ball is gold." Take care of the ball on offense and get me the ball (defense and rebounding). The ball is the smartest thing on the court. It finds the best players.
Lagniappe:
The podcast emphasizes the combination of decision-making and skill. Skill development via small sided games promotes better decision and execution with extra touches relative to five-on-five play. Many of us 'learned' to play not via youth practice but playing the game at a playground. "If you don't have a defender, then you don't have a decision."Always great stuff from @BBallImmersion...— Al Baker (@coach_al_baker) August 18, 2018
“I think in North America our coaching culture is play hard and be physical and be tough and all those things are great but at the youth level getting skilled on offense is the most important thing”
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