Basketball: Focus on Your Top Priorities

"He is everything you want in a player." That invites a fall from grace. 

When Red Auerbach went to scout Dave Cowens, he left early, signaling a lack of interest. "Red Auerbach went down to watch him play one day and liked what he saw. Liked what he saw so much that he threw down his program and walked out at halftime in disgust, just so the other scouts wouldn't think he was interested in the player who later became the fieriest in the NBA." Nothing was further from truth. 


Here's a list (left behind by an NBA scout): 

NBA SCOUTS–PLAYER ATTRIBUTES

1.Does he “fight back” or have resiliency as a competitor?
2.Does he come from a winning background or culture?
3.Can he defend multiple positions?
4.Does he cut hard?
5.How does he take a screen? How does he set a screen?
6.Basketball IQ: Feel and understanding of the game?
7.How does he attack a close-out off the dribble?
8.Is he consistent and reliable night-in and night-out?
9.How does he bounce back from a poor performance?
10.Is he “comfortable being uncomfortable?” A pressure player?
11.Is he a quality teammate?
12.How does he impact and affect winning?
13.Can he remember plays and take instruction?
14.Is he around the ball? Does he try to rebound defensively?
15.Does he shy away from contact?
16.Is he a whiner and complainer?
17.Can he “pull and kick?”
18.Does he have an edge? Have something to prove?
19.Does he approach the game as a professional?
20.Can he play his game at a top speed?

We rarely get that guy (or girl). Size, athleticism, and skill attract the scouts. But it takes more to close the deal. 

This returns us to Buffett's 25-5 rule. Make a list of your top twenty-five priorities. Highlight your top five. Buffett advises us to focus on our top concerns.  

Author David Mamet repeats it another way, "A man distracted is a man defeated." It's both burden and opportunity to ask young people to be professional. It means commitment, discipline, and sacrifice beyond that of peers. 

We decide who we are as a coach, player, and person. 

Summary: 

- Remember the Buffett 25-5 rule - Know what evaluators are looking for in a player. 
- Decide whether you can pay that price. 
- What does professional mean at your level? 
- Stay focused on your top priorities. 
- Never regret being a great teammate. 

Lagniappe: Development is not just kid stuff. 

“I think so many times with a lot of young players they want to come for development and they just want to focus on their offense. They’re going to be on defense way, way more than they’re going to be handling and shooting." - Billy Donovan

Lagniappe 2: Defending Cross Screens




Communication triggers excellent defense.