This is your team. My ideal team consists of self-aware and “team-aware” players who manage and play the game with minimal inputs.
Awhile ago, I listened to a Brendan Suhr podcast and his guest remark on the incredible collaboration among NBA teams. Of course, the Association assembles great skill and understanding. Low basketball IQ players seldom have long careers.
Collaboration occurs among the coaching staff (Portland’s bow ties a notable find), coaches and players, and players themselves. Harnessing necessary egos to complete basketball puzzles challenges coaches at many levels.
The great players realize greatness comes by making others better. Setting superb screens, defending the pick and roll, and fierce rebounding don’t fill up the scoresheet just the win column.
Coaching is not criticism. Prolific author Atul Gawande (Checklist Manifesto, Being Mortal) enlisted a coach to evaluate and improve his surgical technique. Outstanding professionals show great humility and empower assistants with openness to alternatives. Matt Chatham wrote recently in The Athletic how in a year where 8 of the first 100 choices were tight ends, the Patriots took none despite ‘graduating’ Rob Gronkowski. Coaching champions doesn’t worship cookie cutting.
How to know what we don’t know? Study mentors and their mentors. Read, read, read. Set aside thinking time to ask questions. Presume that we are wrong and ask why and why not?
I would like to have a run-and-jump pressure alternative. But when I tried to implement it, I saw that our team didn’t have the vision or schema internalized. Better to move on and do what we do reasonably well better.
Ask how would I play us? I’d double our best player and force others to score. I’d attack the basket when she’s out of the game. I’d make us make outside shots. I’d run isolation against small guards or set up cross screens for mismatches.
But in a development setting,we need to make everyone better and not be overly concerned with winning. That is a legitimate criticism of my process. What added value is winning versus teaching?
Criticize me for not caring enough about winning, not for caring too little about players.
