There's no one way or best way. Every day, we see coaches ask for the best offense or the best defense. That's like asking, "what's the most useful tool or the best ingredient for cooking?"
What helps programs roll? It's not one ingredient but a blend of talent, teamwork, toughness, and resilience with player-driven leadership.
To construct a team, what elements belong?
Personnel.
- Character. "The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." Character caveats, red flags, are headaches organizations don't want.
- Personal qualities. The best players have at least two of the following three - size, athleticism, and skill. Coaches can work with the former to get the latter. Think of players as "lottery picks", first rounders, second rounders, and free agents. Nobody wins with none of the former and all of the latter.
- Work ethic. Organizations want people committed to their craft at every level from coaches, to players, and support staff.
Strategy.
- Have a catalog of hard to defend actions. There are many more from screen-the-screener, staggered screens, to Spain pick-and-roll, and DHOs.
- Clarify and practice transition, pick-and-roll, half-court defense and offense.
- Inform your "best" actions - ATO, BOB, SLOB, man offense, zone offense.
Operations.
- Leadership has Extreme Ownership. "Taking E.O. requires that you put aside your own ego and review what you must do differently as a leader to create success. This involves accepting criticisms, securing resources, winning hearts and minds, building clarity and processes, etc."
- The organization has clear vision and a plan to achieve its goal.
- Education and training. Employee/player development including strength and conditioning, skill building, and teaching game knowledge. We execute to the level of our training.
- Focus. "Pick, stick, and check" progress metrics the factors that END POSSESSIONS (differentials of EFG%, Turnovers, Rebounds, and Free throws)
Drill. You need exceptional athletes and extraordinary effort to run this drill well. Kentucky two-pass layups.
Set play. Butler Horns backdoor or dribble handoff.
Well-executed simplicity is a winning strategy.
Lagniappe. Dribble separation moves to consider.
Lagniappe 2. The NCAA responds to criticism over "Bush League" setup of the Women's Volleyball tournament. Sound familiar?