"Good artists borrow; great artists steal." - Picasso
Get inside their heads. Say it, say it again, repeat it. My French teacher, Monsieur Benoit said, "ecoute' et repete' (listen and repeat)."
Coach Sonny Lane preached before analytics, "the ball is gold" and "no shit shots." A pinch of profanity got results. That advanced us to the state Division I semifinals, shooting 23 of 42 (pre-shot clock) to win a playoff game against a team that had won 18 straight. Cinderella stories arise by avoiding giving games away, making opponents work extra, and finding ways to score.
Our opening possession got a hoop after twenty-two passes.
Goliath doesn't always win.
"Don't back up." Attack the ballhandler. Be the aggressor at both ends. Aggression balances timidity and recklessness.
"No middle; no paint." Dictate where offense isn't going.
"(The ball is a) Camera." If you want the ball, it has to see you. Get open via 'the 95' (the 95% of time you don't have the ball.
"Sprint." "Basketball is not a running game; it is a sprinting game."
"(Put 'em in a) Glass box." Trap without fouling in an imaginary glass box.
"Foul for profit." Kevin Sivils' saying is timeless. Mindless fouling gives games away. Avoiding bad fouls became part of the Loyola of Chicago way.
"That's not how we play." Selfishness is almost never okay (rebound selfishly).
"Pinch." Have a unique and unifying language. Pinch means full denial on a dead dribble. Fire means full pressure man-to-man. Red means full ball pressure while fronting the post.
"Find mentors." The only shortcut to excellence is mentoring. Coach Cal has his "Personal Board of Directors." Championship Coach Kristen McDonnell participates in coaching "Fireside Chats." Steve Kerr's triad of methods includes mentors, mindset, and culture. Better process, better outcomes.
"I believe in you." No four words mean more.
None of it matters unless we listen and embrace messaging.
Summary:
- "The ball is gold."
- "No paint; no middle."
- "Don't back up."
- "Foul for profit."
- "That's not how we play."
- Find mentors.
- "I believe in you."
Lagniappe. "Slappin' Glass" shares its latest mega-issue including Crunch Time with G-League coach Ryan Pannone. They include "provoking switches" and Ghost (early slipping) screens.
And their "best sets" feature includes this I'll call "Give and You-Go" action.
