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Thursday, February 14, 2019

Basketball: A Five Act Play

Consider a basketball game as a series of connected acts, each of which communicates with the 'audience'. Explain.

Act 1. First quarter. Establish tempo. See how your opponent intends to wear you down - pressure, changing defense, transition, zone defense. Prosecute the Greek influence trio - ethos (who are we?), logos (logic, what do we do?), pathos (emotion, how intense are we?). 

Act 2. New characters arrive on scene. Make an impact. Can they enhance the story or do they add complexity with struggles? 

Act 3. Halftime adjustments. Orange slices shared in the best possible world. Recap. Correct. Plan. 

Act 4. Second half begins. Acceleration/deceleration risk. Coach Bob Knight emphasized first five minutes of the second half. Who has to be stopped? How? Where is our edge? 

Act 5. Final act. Denouement. Take advantage of superior conditioning, mental toughness, and reveal something different that gives you an edge. Stops and scores. What has to work? The big four have played out (analytics of shooting percentage, rebounding, turnovers, and free throw attempts) and the Best Four - Man and Zone sets, BOBs and SLOBs. "It's not who starts but who finishes."  Your play reveals your character and the game reveals truths about commitment and connection. 


Lagniappe: