We continued preseason Holiday Tournament play and got our heads handed to us. First, do not traffic in excuses. Next, learn from mistakes and weaknesses. The analysis should be "close to the bone" as Bob Woodward says. I know our struggles are not unique.
What went well?
Little approached adequate except when we had the will to attack the basket.
What went poorly?
Against better teams, raising intensity is an absolute. Welcome the chance to compete and deny easy scores. Defense reveals intensity, particularly in transition, as does rebounding. Alertness (focus) and awareness (response) aren't electives in the Basketball major. Don't be deer in the headlights, a real phenomenon.
Tournament rules change the game. With few timeouts, you can't stop momentum and rescue your team. Figure it out.
Value the ball. If we tracked turnovers, we exceeded forty. Open floor advancement (dribbling, passing, and catching can't be apocalyptic. The officials didn't even call some inbound violations after baskets where passers were inbounds. Pass with purpose. Passes can't go through defenders; we pitched a plethora at phantoms. That reflects nerves. Opposing ball hawks abused us.
Find the blue sky? Small guards shouldn't set up near the paint. That dog won't hunt. In a horns set (above) high pick-and-roll, when corner defenders help, the ball can move to the corners to set up shots or closeouts for drives or mid-range shots. If becoming a scorer is your priority, then match your skills to those opportunities. Defensive range increases each year for youths, so separation becomes ever more critical.
What can we do differently?
Space to score. Want the ball? "The ball is a camera." Relocate to open passing lanes; passers must look off defenders (see below).
See the basket. Find the right balance between playmaking and shooting. An open shot, even early in possession is far better than a turnover.
Conceal your intent. Most of my players have never even heard of a telegraph...but we're telegraphing passes. Willie Sutton wouldn't rob banks because we handed him the money. Unforced turnovers murder a modicum of momentum.
Sprint in defensive transition. The downside of guaranteed playing time is there's no consequence for poor execution. You must beat your player to halfcourt. 1s and 2s have to be back first.
Help and Rotation. When we practice shell drill (above), it teaches help and rotation to deny penetration recognizing THE BALL SCORES. If we don't do it, I own it...bad coaching.
What are the enduring lessons?
"If you want to run with the big dogs, then you have to get off the porch." Don't allow frustration and failed focus to degrade your play. The cooking analogy is braising, transformational for certain meats like pot roast or pork shoulder. When you are figuratively hit in the mouth, respond with toughness and resilience. Taking your lumps is part of the process; accepting it isn't. Everything needs to be better, starting with coaching.
Lagniappe:
Top Shooting Drills from FastModel Sports.
Sample:
