WINNING
Winners keep winning. He reveals Bill Parcells "rule of 23*," that elite quarterbacks won at least 23 games in college. He explains that Jameis Winston was 26-1, Marcus Mariota 36-5, and Kirk Cousins 27-12. Tom Brady played behind Brian Griese for two years at Michigan, but was 20-5 as a starter in his final two seasons.
Does winning in college transfer to the NBA level? With the one-and-done phenomenon, the sample size is usually prohibitive. The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis shared that college program, individual success, and draft age best projected pro players.
A THICK SKIN
He examines key players' response to adversity. Do they keep fighting, get conservative, or fold their tent? Do they play better or worse in crunch time (e.g. the fourth quarter)? He contrasts Deshaun Watson who flourished under pressure and Mitch Trubisky who struggled against better opponents and under pressure.
WORK ETHIC
"Your star...needs to be a gym rat." Lombardi shares that teams believe that they can change a player's ethos...usually wrong. But he also acknowledges the exception in Brett Favre, who conquered alcohol problems and became a star after the trade to Green Bay.
FOOTBALL SMARTS
Coaches love players with high sport-specific IQ. Better understanding allows players to play faster. It's not enough to see where the defender is playing the receiver, you need to understand how the help is playing. They may tip off the quarterback/point guard by 'cheating' their location, tipping off the double team. In youth ball, watch the front of the zone. The players seldom disguise their intent.
INNATE ABILITY
Skill matters. Developing youth players, I am biased toward finding athletes and developing them over a more skilled but lesser athlete. Subconsciously (and perhaps unfairly), I'm projecting whom a player can become if they have drive and persistence. Lombardi distinguishes innate ability comparing Deshaun Watson and Ryan Tannehill. Watson has it. On third down, Tannehill's completion percentage falls, his yards per pass fall, and he throws interceptions.
CARRIAGE
We communicate verbally but especially non-verbally. Lombardi illustrates this with Jay Cutler's indifference. Great players inspire. He cites Geno Auriemma's sitting star players with bad bench demeanor. If you're not INTO THE GAME then you won't get into the game.
LEADERSHIP
Leaders 'command the room' and 'command the message'. Effective "next level" administrators and coaches check with teammates (anonymously) to gauge a prospect's leadership. Of Patriots former backup Jimmy Garoppolo, he writes, "he was a great worker, his football smarts were off the charts, and he carried himself like a leader at all times."
The face of your team must live the part and live the truth.
Lagniappe: SPO!
Miami Heat End of Game Inverted Pick & Roll to a Double Hammer. This is AWESOME! pic.twitter.com/US5Eb8qYe1— Half Court Hoops (@HalfCourtHoops) September 15, 2018
Clever design and phenomenal execution by the Heat...