"Oblique Strategies" are concepts to help us reset or solve problems that we can't disentangle.
Imagine what would work for you. Apply our experience, depth, and study.
- "What would Dean Smith do?"
- What would guarantee failure?
- What's next?
- Repeat, just better.
- How can everyone get a win from this discussion?
- What does the other side really want?
- Be unpredictable.
- Simplify.
- Restate the problem.
- Make something hard easy.
David Mamet speaks of the "speaking teacher" (the audience) and the "silent teacher" (the blank page). The speaking teacher could be defeat that gives us feedback about our coaching. The silent teacher is the practice or game planning ahead.
6 Words. From David Allen's Getting Things Done... Does it help get things done?
Dean Smith. What comes to mind when you think of him? Michael Jordan. Blue and white team. Thank the passer. Four corners. Passing game offense. Shuffle cut. Quality of shot-based scoring. "Good artists borrow; great artists steal."
Guarantee failure: do the opposite (invert)
Repeat, just better. Excellent effort may not always win because execution just wasn't good enough. The devil is in the details. "Repetitions make reputations."
Be unpredictable. Sometimes excellent coaches become predictable. Leading by one with the ball late, we played an undefeated team. I "knew" they would switch everything and called an inbounds play where we'd have a big receiving against a small. In a similar close and late game, the opposition expected us to screen for our star and we scored on a slip instead.
Simplify. "Do well what you do a lot" and "do more of what works and less of what doesn't." When we ask young players to do more, sometimes we sow confusion. Reduce the number of offenses and special situation plays. Teach similar actions out of different formations and different actions out of the same formations.
Set Play. Horns, pin down, and roll.
Drill. DHO reads.
Lagniappe. Don Meyer practice wisdom...
- Coach Bob Knight was asked if he had an hour to practice, would he practice defense or offense? He answered, "both" (use combination drills).
- Need competition? Play short games to 2 baskets.
- You have to believe in what you're doing.
Lagniappe 2. Two person shooting drills.