To paraphrase Bill Parcells, "Coaches are the most selfish people; we want players out there who make us look good."
Being off book means knowing your lines, not reading the script. Basketball requires creativity AND you need to know the lines. You can't advance the story if you don't know your part.
I've had teams where we seldom ran any plays because players couldn't or didn't apply themselves to know the plays. If you're in the right place at the right time and don't know your lines, you're done.
Don't mindlessly run back on defense ignoring your assignment. Who are you covering, what's your responsibility? When you have no clue, how can the coach keep you out there, sabotaging your team?
"Trust but verify." The starters didn't know the plays. A high school coach gave his players a test. He told everyone, if you don't learn the playbook, then you won't play. They learned because they wanted to play. It's...not...hieroglyphics.
Being off book means understanding your team's basketball philosophy, culture, and identity. It embodies clarity about offensive and defensive intent...the know that and know how. Opportunity doesn't come around all the time. Take advantage of your chance when it arrives.
If your job is setting an off-ball screen, know time and space and technique, and that as the screener, you become the second cutter. "Stand around and then sit next to me."
Knowing your lines means knowing what's a good shot for you and for teammates. You might be a capable practice shooter, but take nothing but bad shots. So the director (coach) subs in another actor. You gave her no choice. That's show biz.
Lagniappe 1: Kevin Eastman talks trust
Eastman explains how you know there's no trust. You don't return to basics; you never leave. "If you're open for a good shot, but somebody else is open for a great shot, do you make that pass?"
Lagniappe 2: Discipline means doing what you don't want to do today so that you can do what you want to do tomorrow.