Basketball: When Less Is More

Make 'less' more. Reduction analogies lift results in many settings.

• Chefs reduce sauces to concentrate flavor. I've discussed cooking and basketball "tools of refinement" here. 
• Comedians 'shave syllables' to improve jokes. What were Washington's final words before crossing the Delaware...(pause)..."get in the boat." 
• Editors know, "the film is made in the cutting room."
• Students process multiple choice questions using elimination.
• Weight loss decreases blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. 

1. Too many plays. Just because we have more plays doesn't mean we should use them all. I probably have a hundred BOBs in my FastModel playbook. In some games, we used one again and again because the opponent couldn't stop it. 

This "inside pick-and-roll" action pressures the defense. 

This SLOB uses a cross screen for entry then, instead of a diagonal screen for 3, an elevator screen frees the point guard for a three. 

Keep lists of your 'best' actions, tracked by effectiveness, e.g. points/possession. 

2. Too many moves. Have players explain their "GO TO" and "COUNTER" moves while they add more tools. Scorers need "FOUR WAYS" to score among the many - three level scoring, offensive rebounding, transition, PnR, free throws, etc. 

Get an edge. Teach the ability to read the defender quickly and attack. Learning microskills (playing low, protecting the ball, explosion) separates elite offensive players.  
 

3. Too many voices. The primary voice comes from your coach. I heard someone tell a player before a key game, "you're every bit as good...get your shots." Turning off distractions from the mission matters. 

4. Too many turnovers. Over and over we heard, "the ball is gold." Turnovers cancel winning.

5. Too many bad shots. Take ROB shots...range, open, balanced that are situationally appropriate. Match shot selection to time and score. Use clock to our advantage. No "my turn" shots...

6. Too many minutes. "A man has to know his limitations." Players get worn down and need rest, recovery, and sleep. Muscle recovery and healing of minor injuries take time. 

7. Too many players. Minutes don't grow on trees. Dissatisfaction with minutes, role, and recognition fractures teams. 

8. Too many dribbles. Be economical with the dribble. Make it take you somewhere. "Good players need two dribbles, excellent players one, and great players sometimes need none." Teach players to attack the basket from the 'spacing line' (three-point line) with one dribble. 

9. Too many priorities. Focus on too many, lose sight of the most important. If development is our top priority then winning can't be, too. To win, teams shorten rotations, reducing minutes and roles for some. Dissatisfaction over minutes, roles, and recognition fuels frustration and anger. 

We can't have too much skill, too many rebounds, too much effort, or too many great teammates. 

Key Takeaways:

• Reduction works across domain.
• "One band, one sound." (Avoid too many voices.)
• Too many plays reduces efficiency.
• Too many moves reduces quality. 
• Too many turnovers cancel winning. 
• Too many bad shots kill offense. 

Lagniappe. Skills for small guards (good for others as well). 

• Good with contact
• Defense
• Decision making
• Shotmaking
• Mentality