"Success leaves footprints." - Kevin Eastman
Coaches stamp our ethos and personality onto our team's play. If we saw a Nolan Richardson or John Thompson team play, they look different than a Pete Carril team.
Examine how a team intends to press its strengths and exploit the opponent's weaknesses. We need a plan to wear down opponents. If we can't discern the intent, that's a problem.
Years ago as a middle school team, without our best player, we went into the first place team's gym and quickly fell behind 7-2. We got a couple of stops and scored off pick-and-roll three times in a row. The other coach called a time out and changed to zone defense. Coaches' adjustments show us who they are.
Late in the game, we led by one with five seconds remaining and a SLOB at midcourt. I knew that the opponent would switch everything, so designed a simple play to get the ball into a big to run out the clock or get fouled.
1. Get the ball in safely.
2. Have a receiver with good hands who was a reasonable free throw shooter.
3. Run clock.
4. If we turn the ball over, make the opponent go the full court in a few seconds... nothing magical or tricky, just expressing logic.
What expressive fingerprint do you want to project?
Offense.
- Play fast when possible to decrease defensive organization
- Space and create additional space (below)
- Be unselfish
- Take intelligent shots
- Take care of the ball (reduce turnovers)
- Create edges in special situation
SLOB "Corner Rip" GSW action
- Condense space (invert offensive principle, shrink spots)
- Win in transition (get back)
- React on the pass ("color on color" at a glance)
- Communicate ("the ball scores")
- Be cohesive (be on the same page)
- Do not commit bad fouls (show your hands, do not swipe down, do not reach in)
- Have a plan to wear down opponents.
- The plan should have observable edges.
- Space and create additional space.
- Defensively shrink space (inversion).
- Be cohesive.
- Have an edge in special situations.
- Give and get feedback.