Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Basketball IQ: Print and Save Edition

Amos Tversky told a Nobel Laureate pontificating about everything at a party, “there’s nobody in the world as smart as you think you are.” - from The Undoing Project, by Michael Lewis

Coaches value Basketball IQ. That's nonspecific. Coach Kevin Sutton laid out his criteria: 

  1. having the ability to process information at game speed
  2. reading the flow of the game and determine if it needs to be changed
  3. the understanding of the importance of time and score
  4. the understanding of shot selection
  5. the understanding of his teammates strength’s and weaknesses
  6. knowing and developing an understanding of the scouting report/game plan
  7. developing a relationship with the coaching staff so to better understand the system
  8. knowing your opponents
  9. watching tapes of your team, of yourself, of the opposing team and the person you will defend
  10. listening to knowledgeable people, reading about the game, studying the game.
  11. having the ability to understand what was drawn/discussed in the timeout, execute it on the floor and being able to make the proper “basketball reads” if the play isn’t there. This is especially important in late game situations.

That's better than, "doing the right things at the right time." 

Book smarts and street smarts aren't court coequal. Know how beats know that. What matters is being effective. 

Apply IQ lessons from every domain. 

  • Einstein, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
  • Edison preached, "imagination, persistence, and analogies."
  • Use dissent. CEO Alfred Sloan didn't trust consensus. 
  • Emotional intelligence helps people “read the room.” 

From Psychology Today, "We are naturally drawn to a person with high EQ. We are comfortable and at ease with their easy rapport. It feels as though they can read social cues with superhuman ability. Perhaps they can even mind-read how other people feel to some extent. This effortlessness is welcome in all domains of life—at home, in social settings, and at work."

Specifically how might we train players? 

  • Situational practice includes time and score (e.g. tie score, ten seconds to go with possession, what's the plan?)
  • Three-possession games (O-D-O offense-defense-offense) beginning with BOB, SLOB, free throw, or ATO
  • Small-sided games (e.g. three-on-three inside the split)
  • Video study. What did you see and what choice did you make? 
  • Train focus. How many games are lost because of a costly turnover, a blown assignment, bad shot, or bad transition defense? As mindfulness was good enough for Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, and young stars, is it not good enough for us? 
Discuss situations every practice. 
  • Up one with the ball, 20 seconds left, what will opponents do?
  • Up one without the ball, 8 seconds left, what's our strategy?
  • Up three without the ball, 9 seconds left, to foul or not? 
  • Down 3, SLOB, 4 seconds left, what's our action?
Excellent teams win close games (e.g. two possessions and fewer) through skill, will, and focus, the ability to avoid critical mistakes. 

Lagniappe. Need a three. SLOB, Zipper entry, horns into double stagger. 


Lagniappe 2. Make the things we measure matter to outcomes. 


Lagniappe 3. Development moment. 


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