Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Basketball: Collaboration, Communication, and Bandwidth



We don't coach in a vacuum. We don't score, defend, or rebound. Coaches help young men and women go where they cannot go alone. And coaches help each other. 

To collaborate and communicate, we create unity and conflict. 
I've discussed Aerosmith's "Dare to Suck" meetings, Wehrner von Braun's Monday Notes, Eric Spoelstra's collaborative conflict, and Alfred P. Sloan's concern about consensus. 

General Stanley McChrystal ran O&I (Operations and Intelligence) meetings six days a week battling Al Qaeda in Iraq. Amidst withering criticism, he invited both local and overseas agencies into the meetings to expedite transparency and communication, breaking barriers and discouraging data silos. 

Sometimes we study the "textbook way" and get schooled. Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs shared his experience about being wrong during a segment on neutering lambs (from about 2 minutes to 5:30). 




When we share knowledge and different approaches everyone wins. It's not personal. "We do it this way" doesn't mean that it's the only way or even the best way. Nobody likes to hear or say our coaching wasn't good enough that day.

Our bandwidth comes from global coaching input. Feedback from coaches from multiple countries and continents makes us better. 

Get more layups during warmups. 
But a "layup" is not a layup, not a yellow, No.2 'school pencil' out of the box. 
A layup comes in more flavors than Baskin Robbins ice cream. 
Increase our bandwidth. 

Lagniappe: What the playoffs teach us. 

Bucks simple pass and screen away offense (below).



Markelle Fultz in the pick-and-roll, rejecting the screen and scoring mid-range. 

 


Fronting the post? The Bucks do better than "swing and seal." 

 


Lagniappe 2: "Horns" version...Fake DHO, Backdoor



Lagniappe 3: Mason Waters shares WNBA reads of DeWanna Bonner 



Her first step quickness often gets her the separation to score.