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Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Updating "Go To" Basketball Twitter Feeds

"Curiosity killed the cat; information brought him back." 

 The Internet shares a wealth of content. Surfing the Net accesses great information and piles of trash. Which is not to say I don't enjoy a great dog video (@RexChapman). 
Twitter has many great feeds. There are no "top ten" only feeds that drop knowledge, video, or inspiration on us...and these are absolutely in no particular order. Some are well known, others less so. Share your "Go To" feeds.

 @GentsCoachD (Chris Dorsey)
@BBallImmersion (Chris Oliver) with video on Twitter, YouTube, and elsewehere

@Coach DeMarco (Coach DeMarco, EdD)
@BBallBreakdown (Coach Nick)

 @PickAndPopNet (Zak Boisvert)

 @CoachDaniel (Coach Daniel) Often links to his YouTube Channel



 @AlanSteinJr (Alan Stein, Jr) - inspirational thoughts and quotes
@John_Leonzo (John Leonzo)
@JonGordon11 (Jon Gordon) - leadership 
@Spinella14 (Adam Spinella)

@HalfCourtHoops (Gibson Pyper)

 @EuroBasket (FIBA EuroBasket)
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Monday, June 29, 2020

Basketball - Coaching Notes: Mano Watsa, What Great Coaches Don't Do

"Elementary, my dear Watsa?" You know the drill. Notes to help us honor the process from Mano Watsa's presentation, sponsored by Basketball Immersion in the Cross Canada Coaches Clinic. 
FIVE THINGS GREAT COACHES DON'T DO IN PRACTICES

MISS OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE
HINDER THE LEARNING PROCESS
GO FROM DRILL TO DRILL
DON'T MAJOR IN THE MINORS
NEGLECT THE CULTURE
Compete with consequences (consequences are not punishment...use a ball.)

 Starts with six groups of two where the first group with two swishes wins. 
They have one minute shooting competitions, with the first group to win three the winner. 

 They stagger competitions so that the fastest players can't always win. Might start slower players at the three-point line in a double up-and-back sprint. Might start faster players in the pushup position while also at a distance disadvantage. (This also adds value to winning.)

 "Competing is a taking a small step to gain an advantage." - Mike McKay 

 "Competing > Hard work"

 Get players more reps. (Brian McCormick's no lines, no lectures, no laps)
- Fewer lines. 
- Limit talking.
- Don't routinely stop drills for individual criticism (unless everyone making the error) 
- Must be "game like." Dribbing and ballhandling are not identical. 
- "Never let the defender stay in your space...create space or blow by." 

 Drills are not the same as challenged play (e.g. layups). After learning technique, finishing involves fakes or powering up (defender varies technique). They may add constraints like catch and shoot or drive and finish (no pullups). 

 "Make practices your playground..." mistakes help you grow (if you don't repeat them)

 "Teaching scrimmages versus competing scrimmages." Players appreciate the difference. 

 "Don't major in the minors."  Do well what you do a lot. "Spend time on the things that happen most in the game." Players get better faster...

 "Foster and demand energy rich practices." Great coaches fight for their culture. 
FIVE THINGS GREAT COACHES DON'T DO IN PRACTICES

MISS OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE
HINDER THE LEARNING PROCESS
GO FROM DRILL TO DRILL
DON'T MAJOR IN THE MINORS
NEGLECT THE CULTURE

If you look at business, music, or other master teachers, you don't hear bosses yelling and cursing at employees. 

 Lagniappe: Take a few minutes to redesign and refine some of our practice activities. For example, I stopped running a highly competitive layup drill because I feared player injury. 

The offensive player has a half-step advantage (defender with two feet outside the arc). Offensive player snatches the ball and attacks. I still think that the most competitive players are too "at risk." 

Lagniappe 2: Great stuff from @GentsCoachD













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Sunday, June 28, 2020

Basketball: The Mess Is Your Message (Robin Roberts)

Our message defines us. A parent attended the introductory session with the coach, asked, "what is your philosophy?" The coach answered, "I don't have one." The parent knew problems lay ahead.

In her MasterClass, Robin Roberts discusses communication, the need for authenticity and clear messaging.  

What is our message? How do our priorities reflect the message? Every coach has a different message, just as each has a unique personality. If the coaching message conflicts with the expectations of the group or individuals, address it early.

Share powerful messages:

"Excellence is our only agenda." - Anson Dorrance, UNC Women's Soccer Coach, 23 National Championships

"Do your job." - Bill Belichick, 6 Super Bowl Titles as Head Coach, 2 as Coordinator

"Be the change that you want to see in the world." - Gandhi

"Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson

"We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are." - Max Depree

 "LATTE." - Starbucks (Listen, acknowledge, thank the customer, take care of it, share.)

 "FAA" "Focus and act aggressively." - Bob Woodward, Investigative Journalist

"Never be a child's last coach."

"Everyone can't be a great player. Everyone can be a great teammate."

 “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” - James Clear

Our playing experience reveals many different coaching styles and substances.  Coaches tend to be "task-oriented" or "relationship-oriented" but nobody succeeds without elements of both.

The people that our players become are our greatest contribution. 

 Lagniappe: Separate yourself when nobody is watching. 

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Basketball Coaching Notes: Adam Spinella (Xs and Os)

"Steal something great." Our coaching tells a story. Steal what you like and let the rest go. 

 Find clinical pearls from Coach Adam Spinella (Virtual Coaches Clinic) who shares his work on ATO principles. For example, sticky concepts include:

 - Do we design generic or team-specific attacks?
- Create highly efficient shots out of ATOs.
- Do we target primary scorers or get a secondary scorer going?

 We have a love-hate relationship with Xs and Os, as Coach K notes, "you have to make plays, not run plays." 

The origins of offense...

(We always spent 15-20 minutes per practice on Special Situations during an O-D-O segment.)

("It depends." Unpracticed actions require higher BBIQ which isn't suitable for every group.

(No excuses...we practiced that.)

Adam points out that adaptation increases BBIQ (maybe). If we give players more freedom, as coaches "own it." 

We can't copy GSW because we don't have that talent. "Get the most efficient shot." He points out that disguise has value against good scouting. 

It doesn't have to be rocket science. The Jazz set a backscreen/UCLA action for a Gobert dunk (above the key)... Adam points out that it also would work out of Princeton "Chin" type sets. 
 

He shows a wrinkle to disguise the action out of elbow entry. 


Obviously you can set up the stagger in different ways. But the timing is critical for the corner backdoor cut. 5 runs a fake DHO as part of the deception. 


The Grizzlies use a staggered screen into a pass back against the grain to set up Ja Morant for a backdoor cut. 

Spinella's YouTube Channel has high quality video.

Here they disguise backdoor action out of an Iverson cut with an elbow entry. Note how Morant's hard cuts establishes separation. 

Defending the ATOs correlates with winning. 

Utah excelled at defending the ATO, by far the best in the NBA. 

 Adam Spinella YouTube channel
Adam Spinella Twitter @Spinella14

Lagniappe: Teams will "look" for your best player. Change it up. 


Elite players draw a crowd. In this ATO BOB, the LION (screener) slips and scores. Everyone collapses on 24. 


The design gives the screener choice over whom to screen. We went three for three on ATOs in this game, a three-point win. 

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Saturday, June 27, 2020

Basketball: "Micro" management, Two and Under


Basketball requires quick decisions. And that means preparedness to change. 

 But first, "what is your NBA skill?" In baseball, coaches ask "what is your out pitch" or "where is the hole in his swing?" Teams will attack weaknesses until fixed. Every player needs an OUT pitch. 


1. NBA success stories begin with a GO TO and COUNTER. Two seconds. 


Here's the original. 

 2. "Draw 2." Excellent players "draw 2" defenders and then find the open player. 


Even in youth basketball, drive the gap, pass and corner 3. 

 3. Cover 1.5 (one and a half). 

"The ball scores." Don't say, "my guy didn't score." Be in position to prevent the opponent from scoring, not just yours. Cover yours plus half of another player. 1.5 defense. 

 4. "Two-second rule." Abbreviate the decision-making. Don Kelbick says, 


"Your first threat is shot." I've watched this half a dozen times. "SHOT is A in your basketball alphabet." 

 5. 0.5 second basketball (via Alabama Coach Nate Oats). 
Summary: 

1. Your "out pitch" - GO TO and COUNTER
2. Draw 2. 
3. Cover 1.5
4. Think shot 
5. 0.5 seconds

Lagniappe: Zero Seconds. Chris Oliver preaches fun, freedom, focus. 


Lagniappe 2: The 0.5 Offense theme is spreading..."play fast, they move the ball, they shot threes." 

Phoenix clocked in at 14 in the 2019-20 season at 112.6 ppg. They are 19th in three point percentage but 3rd in free throws per game. They lead the league in free throw percentage and assists per game. Bottom line...they were 13th in the Western Conference standings.

 Unfortunately for them, they were 19th in defensive rating, in the bottom ten of points in the paint, third lowest in blocks, and 25th in defensive EFG%. I'm surprised their interior defense isn't better with Aron Baynes and DeAndre Ayton. 

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Friday, June 26, 2020

Basketball Friday 1-3-1. Drill, Concepts, Play. Episode 9. Performance Rating System

"Measure a thousand times, but cut only once." - Turkish Proverb

 It's the Friday 1-3-1, sharing a drill, at least three concepts, and a play...and more. 

No one number defines excellence. Find ways to measure and trend performance. As a child, I rated baseball players simply, "Runs + RBI - Homeruns." I didn't need a computer. 

My formula yielded these 1965 NL numbers. 

 Mays - 178
Aaron - 166
Williams - 189
Robinson - 189
McCovey - 146
Santo - 166
Allen - 158
Torre - 121
Johnson - 190
Callison - 162
White - 131
Wynn - 141
Pinson - 169
Stargell - 148
Rose - 187

The "usual suspects" appear on most lists. Good players have good stats. We'll get to that in the Concepts section. 

Drill. Play 2-on-2 with space and dribbling constraints. It develops pick-and-roll and other key actions. 

Concepts. 1. Lee Rose developed his Performance Rating System (PRS) to promote objective evaluation, competition, and fairness. Positive actions add points and negatives subtract. 

 2. I used my own modifications/simplifications. I'm not saying they're the best way, just one that worked for me. I charted them real time. 

The higher your score, the better. The best middle school score I charted as an assistant was 26. Scores in the teens indicate a strong overall performance. Last season I had a player who routinely accumulated PRS scores in the mid to high twenties. 

 Players contribute in big ways without scoring. Coaches know it when we see it. Sometimes film review surprises us when we see "quiet contributions" that gain possessions or lead to scores (e.g. hockey assists). 

 I never shared individual statistics with middle school players but emphasized team statistics like improving field goal percentage and reducing turnovers. 

 3. Players who are not "scorers" earn points in many ways. Effective players often pile up rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. The surest negatives follow turnovers and poor quality shots. 

 Play. SLOB Curls Fake Handoff

This SLOB sets up multiple possibilities. 

 Lagniappe: Coach Mason Waters breaks down Luka Doncic actions. Young players can learn a lot by studying the fundamentals, vision, and execution in his videos. 

I

Is asking a player to spend 15-20 minutes on a video too much? They decide how important investing in their game is. 
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Thursday, June 25, 2020

Coaching: Fill in the Blanks - Connected from Practice to Crunch Time

Connection wins. Disconnection fails. Communication only counts if we listen. Coach or play long enough and disconnection bites us. 

Focus without distractions. Disconnects and distractions blow up our best plans. 
"Discipline creates freedom." "We're gonna miss you." Work we do today allows choices for our free time. Coach Wooden had grooming standards. Nobody became a distraction. In another era, no haircut, no practice. 

 Young players unsure of role sometimes try to define themselves as high volume shooters. A freshman takes nine threes in his first game, making one. Selfishness, confusion, or lack of understanding of role? Tell players what behaviors give the team the best chance to succeed. "Just because I want you on the floor doesn't mean I want you to shoot." Turn the shot clock in your head off. "There are no my turn shots." 

 Fill in the blank. Basketball is __________________

 - "Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson 
- "Basketball is a mental game."
- "Basketball is a game of mistakes." 
- "Basketball is a game of cutting and passing."
- "Basketball is a game of player and ball movement." 
- "Basketball is a game of getting and preventing separation."
- "Basketball is a sprinting game."
- "Basketball is about getting more and better shots than your opponent." - Pete Newell

 Disconnected teams find the opposites. They're selfish, make bad decisions, and execute poorly. They stand around, cut poorly and lack athleticism or effort. They take poor shots. Good teams fill in the blanks well; bad teams have blank stares. 

 Chuck Daly knew players cared about money, minutes, and shots ("48 million, 48 minutes, and 48 shots"). When players bring individual agendas, collaboration becomes impossible. Most players at EVERY level are role players. Disconnected teams have a team full of wannabe stars. 

 You've heard "play the game, not the scoreboard." Decisions matter in the context of time, score, and situation. Disconnects happen when players ignore the situation. They turn down two for one or hold for one situations. Shorten the game by using the clock, yet a player shoots early in the shot clock in hero ball mode. Practice situational basketball. 

 We had a team with a 15-7 lead in a sectional championship with the ball in the final fifteen seconds of the quarter. The team took an early shot and missed and the opponents scored a late three and the first hoop of the second quarter. A possible double digit lead vaporized into a mere three point edge. Half a minute turned connection into defeat. 

Be on the same page. We disconnect with lack of clarity about core concepts leading to easy baskets. Who goes to the offensive board? How do we defend transition? How do we cover the pick-and-roll and off ball screens? The pandemic era will challenge younger teams who have less time to get everyone pulling in the same direction. 

 Summary: 

 - Connect. 
- "Discipline creates freedom." 
- Teach players to fill in the blanks.
- Connected teams understand time, tempo, and decisions. 
- Be on the same page. 

Lagniappe: Chris Oliver @BBallImmersion shows actions off the Princeton "Chin Series"


I like the wing DHO into second pick-and-roll. The problem with "getting your feet wet" is that slip-ups happen. 
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Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Coaching and Cooking: What Makes a Great Team Culture Great?

Great teams don't always get along famously. 
Casey Stengel understood that.

In professional and college sports, winning is the bottom line. Great culture and losses spell replacement. 

How teams collaborate reminds me of the role of temperature of butter in dough. Ice-cold butter in dough releases steam and creates layers in puff pastry, pie crust, and biscuits. Melted butter adds flavor and moisture but has little effect on structure. But softened butter inhibits the development of gluten keeping your product "tender." You get what you blend. 

But at lower levels, what solidifies culture? What words and behavior belong?
Communication
Collaboration
Respect 
Fairness
Empathy 
Trust

 Communication. Communication means clarity, listening, and feedback. "Readback" studies teach that about 1 in 8 messages are misunderstood. Coach Knight would take a timeout in practice, explain a play, and hand out pencil and paper to see if players heard and understood. "Trust but verify." We've all seen championships lost through miscommunication about assignments.

 Collaboration. Being on a team isn't equal to working for the team. It's the old "name on the front of the jersey or on the back." Collaboration means sacrifice and suppression of ego. "Never criticize a teammate." 

 Respect. "The best way to get respect is to give it." Respect each other's commitment.  Respect the game, the officials, and opponents. In our second game of the playoffs this season, we were outclassed and outplayed. In my opinion, pressing our reserves with starters, up fifteen points in the final two minutes disrespected the game.

 Fairness. Fairness means opportunity. It doesn't mean everyone gets equal minutes. The player who shows up (often alone) all summer and works to become her best earns more minutes and got more touches. 

 Empathy. Understand the emotions, needs, and perspective of others. "Negotiation" becomes finding deals that work for both sides. Great empathy doesn't seek domination.

 Trust. In Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek writes, "Trust is like lubrication. It reduces friction and creates conditions much more conducive to performance." Trust flows from character and competence. Players want the truth, but truth isn't abusive. 

 What do the participants (coaches, players, families) want from the experience? If we want to know, then we have to ask. 

 Is the experience fulfilling any or some of those needs? If it's not, can we do better?  With middle school girls, problems are just around the next corner. 
How can we reduce friction in an organization? Stay on the basics - communication, feedback, positivity. There is no frictionless surface. 

Lagniappe: We know great basketball when we see it...ball and player movement with unselfishness. Via @John_Leonzo 
Lagniappe 2: Cooking and coaching combine flavors and structure. As mentioned above, fat adds both as a cooking medium (e.g. frying), component (dough), or garnish (e.g. sauce). Coaches use all purpose players and specialty players; so do chefs. 

Last night I made vegetarian quesadillas (roasted, diced sweet potato, spinach, mushrooms), with olive oil in the saute', a blend of Mexican and Parmesan cheese in the filling, and a garnish of seasoned sour cream (salt, pepper, paprika). Three separate fats flavored. Samin Nosrat's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is one of my playbooks. Coaches look for combinations of scorers, passers, and screeners. Cooking is easier. 

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Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Basketball Clinic Notes: Dave Smart



Global pandemic produced an explosion of coaching pearls as a by-product. I share Dave Smart notes from a recent YouTube Canadian Basketball clinic with Basketball Immersion and Chris Oliver. 

 From Wikipedia, "In the 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018 seasons, Smart was awarded the Stewart W. Aberdeen Memorial Trophy, as the top men's basketball coach in Canadian university sports." 

 He starts by championing success and sustainability.

 "We don't run much (stuff)." (Simplify) "We've gotten better at the details." (Reads are better. Execution is better. Think the Lombardi Packers.)

 "We have to develop our players (for sustainability)." 

During practice, his defense can do whatever they want (e.g.) to cover ball screens. "Have a plan that is thought out and understood." That approach allows guys to play anywhere (e.g. national team tryouts). 

 "Every day is a player development day...every player gets better." 

 "We seldom talk about team goals...we talk about individual development goals." 

 "Is this the best stuff defensively and offensively for this group?" But he finds that more system-oriented play detracts from reads. 

High level development allows for more interchangeable players and accountability (you can sit a better player because the next guy will step up). 

 "Earn your opportunity." Pouting will never allow you to reach your goals. Leadership is hard because it leads to confrontation (difficult conversations). 

 "If you stop listening, you're going to get lost." 

 Ball screens - we want to force uncomfortable switches. With a non-shooter, they set screens at the elbow extended. If opponents push the ball middle they set it 3 feet outside. If they 'down' it, they screen inside the elbow. If blitz or switch, non-shooter rolls hard. On the 'down' coverage, they are attacking the top foot. Other players are also reading...on a blitz they are coming to the ball. (In the video, note how the screener is facing the basket.)

"An assistant watches the ball (while Smart watches action off the ball) in practice." 

 If the slot defender is dropping, then the corner 3 may be open or available for a cut back door (a lagniappe recent featured Scott Morrison on NBA cutting). The ball handler may (Villanova-like) finish off the jump stop. 

 They use different rules with a shooting post. If the post is a shooter, the screen is set near the nail to allow for pick-and-pop action. He wants the guard to make the coverage believe he is using the screen but be prepared to reject the screen. 

 "Gaining the half-step edge is the key to winning championships." (It may not matter against poor opponents.) 

 "If you're sloppy against well-coached teams, you're not scoring." 

 "Focus on the details  (I reorganized to emphasize symmetry)
- Transition D
- Transition must dos
- Ball screen D
- Ball screen must dos
- Quarter court must dos

 Redefine fun: decide what your fun is (hard work, watching film). What type of player do you want to become? "Here's what you need to do." We'll reevaluate you after 5-6 days. Are we trying to get better? (Last summer I showed our top player how to do reverse layups. She struggled initially that practice. A week later, she could do them better than I can. That's the player you need and want.)

 "Whomever I think is better will earn that role." Competition is good for the coach. 

 Summary: 

 - We don't run much.
- Have a plan that is thought out and understood.
- Every day is a player development day. 
- Earn your opportunity.
- Focus on the details. 

Lagniappe: Carleton Basketball examples



Lagniappe 2: via @John_Leonzo








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