MasterClass translates ideas across disciplines. Cooking is a great example. In one of the latest classes, Niki Nakayama teaches Japanese cooking. What shared principles work for basketball?
We'll never have a great meal without quality ingredients. But an ingredient, unprepared, doesn't make a meal. The chef (coach) changes the flavor profile with surrounding ingredients, spices, and cooking techniques.
Let's consider the perfect cheese steak. Envision a soft, brioche bun, the perfectly sliced and cooked beef, caramelized onion, and Swiss cheese. But then up your game, with wagyu beef ($75/lb.), foie gras mousse and truffle butter, and Caciotta al Tartufo cheese. That's a $120 cheesesteak, complete with champagne at Barclay Prime restaurant.
Craft those ingredients, or die trying, with great practice plans!
What cooking techniques or tactics might make us better coaches?
Tools of refinement...from the "Strike zone" to deception
Locally available ingredients (versus recruiting out-of-area products). Keeping talented players in your system separates winning from losing. It's not easy. They need to know they get added value by staying home.
Develop expertise in a few techniques. Ask a player what are her four ways to score. What is your GO TO and COUNTER move? As a player, have you worked on box drills, post moves, wing series moves? As a team, what are your strengths? Every solid team:
- Disallows transition scoring.
- Defends in the half court.
- Scores in the half court.
- Defends the ball screen.
- Has multiple ways to score off the ball screen.
Do more of what works and less of what doesn't (addition by subtraction). If you can't score with a given offense (or lack coherent offense), change. I've seen some "unscoutable" teams because they don't do anything. Every team needs more easy baskets and to disallow opposition easy baskets. For example, the Celtics when resorting to solely perimeter play, don't get enough easy baskets. When they're attacking the rim, they're better.
Refine OUR palate (use offensive actions that are intrinsically hard to defend).
- Pick and roll
- Back door cuts
- Staggered screens (e.g. Iverson actions)
- DHO with additional actions (e.g. second ball screen)
- Spain pick and roll (screen the roller)
- Screen the screener (including Flex)
- Small screens big (for full switching defense)
"It's always, on some level, listening to the ingredient." "Help each ingredient to shine." With more sophisticated teams, encourage more player input. The best teams have "player-driven" leadership. "It's your team."
Lagniappe. When Less is More, Laying Off (from Coach Daniel)
Lagniappe 2. How are you going to "beat" your assignment, wear them down over the full game? Will you outthink them, out-quick them, outmuscle them, out-hustle them, out-execute them?
Outthink - requires superior game understanding. Read, study, watch film.
Out-quick - develop your quickness and footwork
Outmuscle - spend more time in the weight room
Out-hustle - "play longer and harder" in the "mental game"
Out-execute - convert know that into know how. Play a lot of 2 v 2, 3 v 3.