Basketball: Playoff Mentality, Rule Number 6, and Playbook Leftovers

The playoffs are coming. What limits us in the regular season ends us in the postseason. We've improved because we're doing more of what we do well (offensive rebounding) and less of what we don't (pressing allowing layups, getting beaten off the dribble). We have to rein in lower quality shots - out of range, out of rhythm, forced shots.

Understand what opponents want to do. If we can't stop it, limit it. 
- Take away layups, uncontested threes, bad fouls yielding free throws. 
- Take care of the ball against pressure. Turnovers kill offense. 

Have better quality offensive possessions. Be hard to play against.
- "Movement kills defenses." "The ball is a camera." "Fall in love with easy shots."  
- Quality shots are beautiful. "It's not your shot, it's our shot." 
- Emphasize hard to defend actions - pick-and-roll, pass-and-cut, mismatches.
- Take advantage of special situations (BOBs and SLOBs)

Practice what you believe in. Ball movement beats pressure. Too many players don't see while dribbling. Practice "advantage-disadvantage" (5 vs 7) with no dribbling. Force cut and pass basketball. 

Summary:

- Edit out what isn't working.
- Take away opponent "go to" actions. 
- Value the ball. 
- "Fall in love with easy shots."
- Practice core values. 

Lagniappe: Rule Number 6

His aide screamed, "Rule Number 6" calming down the Prime Minister. His colleague asked, "What's Rule Number 6?" "Don't take yourself so g__damn seriously." "And what are the other rules?" "There aren't any." (adapted from Zander and Zander, The Art of Possibility)




Lagniappe 2: Don't make assumptions. 

Lagniappe 3: Dusting off the playbook 

Iverson cut backscreen

Wing ball screen with weak side action

We run numerous SLOB actions off the zipper cut. Get everyone involved.