1. "Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson
Our capacity to collaborate at high levels separates Sapiens from the our hominid predecessors and the animal world. Be ready to say, "YES" when others need help. Be a great sharer. "Share something great."
Set a goal not to be the best, but to become our better version every day. Invest in ourselves.
2. "Do well what you do a lot."
Defend. Defeat pressure. Score. Refine our 'man' defense, work on press breaking 20 percent of practice, and layups and shooting about 35 percent of practice.
3. "What does our team need now?"
Middle school creates drama. We need more team-building, connection, and communication. There's never enough practice time. More muscle won't fall from the sky.
4. "The quality of passing defines the quality of the shot." - Pete Carril
Three-on-three and four-on-four (no dribble) demand pass-and-cut mentality. We're best scoring on cuts.
5. Decide how to wear down your opponent.
Choose among infantry (power game), cavalry (speed game, control the middle of the court), or artillery (long range shooting).
We have more speed than size, so we should play fast offensively. When our high school team won ten consecutive league titles, an opposing coach told me, "it's hard to find five girls willing to run full out full time."
6. Run more actions that you have trouble defending.
If you struggle defending the pick-and-roll, off-ball screens, or backdoor cuts, then they belong in your arsenal. Coach Matt Dennis shares his thoughts. With the de-emphasis on post play, if you have a skilled post player, you have gold.
7. If you're off your best skill, what fallback position do you have?
Defense and rebounding should be constants, as they are effort-dependent and intelligence-dependent.
8. The game is symmetrical.
9. Practice at a high tempo.
Good teams are efficient at practice, on offense, defense, and conversion.
10. Do more of what works and less of what doesn't.
"Kill your darlings." The coach is the keeper of the story. If something doesn't make you better, abandon it. Condition within drills. Make layups and free throws and don't surrender as many of them. No lines. Teach in sound bytes.
Lagniappe: Steal great ideas. Via @BBallImmersion
So many great actions from the Princeton offense. I especially enjoy seeing them sped up & used as quick hitters like this example where the elbow screen and reject cut create an advantage. pic.twitter.com/bgvP7xQoSI— Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) December 16, 2019
We have a '5' with the skills of a 2 or 3. She can post-up, take you off the bounce, pass, rebound, and hit the perimeter shot.
Lagniappe 2: "Transition from No to How"
"The key to negotiation is deference." In his MasterClass on Negotiation, former FBI negotiator Chris Voss shares the key is knocking down obstacles and putting in safety valves to smooth the process.
"I want more playing time." Everyone wants more playing time. First, I believe the question is, "how can I earn more playing time." Create a pathway, not necessarily an easy one...skill, conditioning, attitude, effort, demonstrated success during current minutes that the player could follow if they have the commitment to get there.
Lagniappe 3. Get after it. Choose "I will" not "I can't."