Basketball: The Tension Between Steak and Sizzle

There's inevitable tension between steak (tactics) and sizzle (technique). We see the latest offense and get distracted from player development.

At our best, we help players become their best version and it's not usually by installing more offense. This headline greeted me in Wednesday's Boston Globe online.

Cecilia Kay, Bishop Fenwick — In a signature 70-66 Bishop Fenwick win over Bishop Feehan, the sophomore forward from Melrose logged 22 points and 20 rebounds. She also contributed 23 points in a 74-29 win against Beverly. 

How did she earn this? 

"You never graduate from a skill." - Don Showalter

• Unrequired Work: Came to 90% of offseason workouts, sometimes as the only player. 
• Worked hard on every activity - ball handling, post play, perimeter shooting. 
• Never complained when things didn't go her way. 
• Worked hard to finish with either hand from either side of the basket - she was queen of the 'box drills' (above)
• Shot almost 80% on 10 free throws/game as a freshman All-Scholastic
• Studied video to identify areas of improvement. 
• Was coachable at all times to impact winning and make teammates better
• Got additional coaching from a former NCAA Final Four player (Ted Cottrell)
• Worked hard on weight training and conditioning during the offseason
• Constant learning. I recently shared how Coach Obradovic has bigs set some screens with back to mid-court for better vision. I saw her do this on film. 
• Working to edit shot selection to improve efficiency. 
• Stays humble and was never aloof or arrogant
• Maintained elite academic status Qualifies at any college

But tactics are seductive. Adding tactics helps players capable of executing them...like Chicago action - downscreens into DHO with multiple actions. And here's the distraction. 

Here's another via FastModel from Wes Kosel. 

As Coach Pitino wrote, "Success Is a Choice." Make the choice to make a difference, remembering that "every day is player development day." 

Lagniappe. The Celtics ran a well-designed Zipper action ball side and backscreen for a lob on the help side. Adjust personnel to suit your players.

Lagniappe 2. Here are three more lessons from Adam Grant's Think Again:

And here's another summary, and a quote: “…biases don’t just prevent us from applying our intelligence. They can actually contort our intelligence into a weapon against the truth.” Humility, curiosity, and conscious effort help us get more right and less wrong.