Saturday, February 22, 2020

Basketball: Quotes from "Atomic Habits" and a Barrel of Bonuses

"We make our habits and our habits make us." 

James Clear's Atomic Habits is outstanding. Here are a few quotes:

"Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become." Are our habits consistent with our identity? 

"I'm the kind of teacher who stands up for her students." 

"There are three levels of change: outcome change, process change, and identity change. The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on whom you wish to become." Who > how > what

"The primary reason the brain remembers is to better predict what will work in the future." Do more of what works and less of what doesn't.

"The human brain is a prediction machine...with enough practice, you can pick up on the cues that predict certain outcomes without thinking about it." Consider how coaches use timeouts to reframe situations.

"The first step to changing bad habits is to be on the lookout for them." Where are our investments versus expenditures of time? 

"Many people think that the lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity." 

(On craving) "This gap between your current state and your desired state provides a reason to act." Am I who I want to be? 

"The key to finding and fixing the causes of your bad habits is to reframe the associations you have about them." Is this behavior consistent with my core values?

"Every (bad) habit is just an obstacle to getting what you really want. Dieting is an obstacle to getting fit. Meditation is an obstacle to feeling calm. Journaling is an obstacle to thinking clearly." 

"What is rewarded is repeated. What is punished is avoided." 

Lagniappe: WNBA decision-making from Courtney Vandersloot




The initial spacing is a bit weird, but the follow-on action makes up for it. 

Lagniappe 2: Hesitation-crossover breakdown. 




Develop a handful of excellent moves not a truckload of mediocre ones. We can teach too many actions. Great tips on hand, foot, and head positions. Basic crossover, hesitation, and combinations may not be flashy, just filthy. 

Lagniappe 3: Lagniappe 3: Celtics SLOB with backcut on the help side. 



One of multiple options. Sometimes they run as a flare screen or a downscreen (preferred). 

Lagniappe 4: Ball handling tips (I was never great but became adequate)...

a) Practice while wearing gloves (e.g. those stretchy one-size-fits-all
b) Kyrie Irving tip - put the ball in a plastic bag! 
c) Dribble blindfolded in the basement around the furniture (don't wreck the lamps)