Monday, October 31, 2022

What Creative Ideas Might We Bring to Coaching?

Bill Russell said that imagination leads to innovation leading to differentiation. 

Great companies such as 3M devote some employee work to 'thinking time' to develop new products. "Post-It Notes" became a spinoff from a failed glue that wasn't sticky enough. 

A third of games are decided by two possessions or less. How can our process change our results in those games? 

1. "Give me a reason." 


Skill, scrimmage, strategy? 

2a. Be efficient. 

Condition within drills. We could never get anything close to adequate practice time. "Don't waste time." 

2b. Be inclusive. The best activities often include offense, defense, decision-making, and competition. Sounds like strategic scrimmage. 

3. Talk it up. If we don't talk in practice, we won't talk during games. Make practice talk a priority. 

4. Steal. Steal from other coaches, other sports, other domains. 

  • Most coaches enjoy having other coaches watch practice. 
  • Small-sided games translates from soccer futsal. 
  • Werner Von Braun's "Monday Notes" shared the progress and pitfalls of the space program with developers. We need an equivalent to document our gains and areas to improve. 
5. Signature work. Make our work good enough that we're proud to sign it. Great work leaves a mark. I couldn't be prouder about helping Cecilia become a game changing player at both ends. She did the 'unrequired work'. And she's a 'Straight A' student. 


6. "Measure it." Develop a system to measure progress and performance. 

7. "Love our losses." Study failure. What can we learn? Were we deficient in skill, strategy, physicality and toughness, or psychology/resistance? How would a mentor review the loss? What execution, decision, or strategy needs to be rethought? 

8. "Lucky 13." Doc Rivers believed in showing no more than thirteen video clips to share teaching points. 

9. "Eyes open." Be on the lookout for strategic genius. 

Lagniappe. Build skill. 

 


 

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Sunday, October 30, 2022

Becoming a More Confident Player

Coaches don't carry 'magic beans' or 'fairy dust' to build confident athletes. Empower players to succeed. How?

Earn the right to win.   "Confidence comes from proven success." - Bill Parcells   Being a worthy competitor doesn't mean winning, just competing. It takes time to learn how to win. Build skill and athleticism. 

Action: Be patient. There isn't a shortcut. 

Ordinary effort won't produce extraordinary results. Ever. Exceptional players do 'unrequired work' that builds strength, conditioning, and skill. 

Action: Offer extra skill sessions and/or teaching.

Find 'critical mass'. Urban Meyer understood that great teams needed great talent. He sought to disrupt the 10-80-10 distribution of players by demanding that the top 10 percent of players drag a teammate to workouts. The Navy SEALs had a recruit who failed the swim test by seconds. SEALs swim with a buddy attached by a line. They allowed the recruit a do-over with a strong swimmer who literally helped pull the highly committed recruit to a passing time. 

Action: Think out of the box. 

"Look for the helpers." Mr. Rogers had it right. Find mentors. Ask for help and prove our commitment. 

Action: Network. Develop a list of online resources in addition to our HUMINT (human intelligence). 

"Say the magic words." Tell the truth with a positive reality. Let players know how they can be more successful. Nothing is more powerful than telling players, "I believe in you." 

Action: find reasons to thank players, families, and our network. 

Lagniappe. Find intangible skills - toughness, discipline, effort, resilience. 

Lagniappe 2. Under two minutes of 'how they do it'. 

Lagniappe 3. "If you watch the good teams in the NBA, the ball flies around." - Brian Scalabrine, Celtics analyst 

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Basketball: Shared Language (Sunday Second Helping)


Shared vocabulary, our basketball language, is a vital component of team sport. Language should be simple and unable to be misunderstood. 

Here are a few examples that we used and why:

1. FOUR. Four paid homage to Dean Smith and North Carolina's 'Four Corners' delay offense, masterfully operated by point guard Phil Ford. The goal wasn't simply to run clock but to maintain possession either by the ball handler getting advantage and attacking the basket or hitting a cutter as defense became impatient, often going for a steal. 

2. MIDDLE. The defensive priority was "No Middle" as in no dribble penetration or no pass penetration into the post or paint. Many modern offenses are designed to 'penetrate and pass' (drive and kick) setting up perimeter scorers. Players understand the challenge of ball containment to limit the need for help, rotation, and recovery. 

3. ZIPPER. If you watch any NBA game, a lot of sideline out of bound (SLOB) plays start with a 'zipper cut'. Many options occur off the play and as players mature, they can 'freelance' and develop others. 


This was a wonderful "ad lib" where the inbounder got a return pass and hit the initial screener for a layup. 

GOLDEN STATE. Golden State used 'corner rip' action to get a layup or dunk off an inbound play. I've shared it numerous times because 1) it got the ball inbounded and 2) often generated a quality shot. Its multiple actions included a cross-screen and a sequential diagonal screen. 


SPECIALS. Specials was toward the end of practice where we played three-possession games (O-D-O, offense-defense-offense) beginning with a free throw, BOB, SLOB, or ATO (after time out). Specials simulated "close and late" games where games were often decided. 

A team's shared vocabulary can be expansive, but the more words, the more opportunity for confusion. Coach to the level of the players taught. But as Pete Newell said, "they aren't cattle." The players are capable of learning the who, when, where, what, why, and how. Providing them that foundation gives them a chance to have success at the next level. 

Lagniappe. BE. 
Sommelier Richard Betts has a tattoo of the letter "B" on his arm. Someone asked if it stood for 'Betts'. "No," he said, "it reminds me, don't be a jerk." 





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Saturday, October 29, 2022

Concepts Drive Quality Shots - Multiple Actions

"Great offense is multiple actions." Multiple actions should work from different starting points and sets.

As defensive coordinator of the Giants, Bill Belichick saw that the great Joe Gibbs' offense ran a small number of actions with variations.

This should be a core coaching concept. Let's be specific.


Concept 1. Ball entry (zipper cut).
Concept 2. Clear a side. 
Concept 3. Screen the screener.
Concept 4. Backscreen lob.

Run it as a baseline out of bounds play. 


Same actions, different origin. 

How about as an ATO? As Brad Stevens told my Aerospace Engineer wife, "this isn't rocket science."


Apply the same principles to other actions and build many variations from a few concepts, as Joe Gibbs did and Bill Belichick discovered. 

Lagniappe. 
Lagniappe 2. Hard conversations come with the job. 
Lagniappe 3. Multiple actions. DHO into elbow ball screen and roll. 


















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Friday, October 28, 2022

Become a Better Coach. Practical Advance and Triple Bonus Material

What would make us better coaches? 

Raise communication skills (verbal, nonverbal, writing). 

  • Make our point. Don't bury the lede.
  • Ask better questions.
  • Get feedback on communication.

Teach better. "But you're not a teacher." As a doctor, I teach every day, about diagnosing and treating problems, lifestyle and choices. I've been an Assistant Professor at a medical school, and won the Resident Teaching award while in medical training. 

Use the Feynman technique - name it, explain, research, and simplify.

Need resources, try "The Coach's Guide to Teaching." Check out the summary. 

Add more value. The recipient decides the value. "Perception is reality." Players and families want the triad of minutes, role, and recognition. Coaching provides tools like skill, knowledge, resilience to help them earn those...

Get more buy-in. Be an influencer. Learn about influencing. 


Borrow from classics, like Cialdini's "Influence." Choose what might work for us.

  • Authority. Use competence to sell our program. 
  • Likability. Be relatable.
  • Reciprocity. The more you absorb, the more we can teach.
  • Scarcity. Back to the triad of minutes, role, and recognition. 

Enhance player development skills. 

  • Get baseline data and measure progress. "Winners are trackers." 
  • Study lessons from development guys. The Net has video from great teachers like Drew Hanlen, Kevin Eastman, Jay Wright, Don Kelbick, and many more. Study, take and record notes in our notebooks. 
  • Ask mentors for recommendations. "What worked for you?" As a coach, do you help a coach who asks for help? Of course we do. 

Simplify. When we add, cut. Teach to the level of the group. Have players explain 'easy' concepts.

  • What is spacing?
  • How do we defend the elbow pick-and-roll?"
  • Describe a back door cut. 
  • What is "legal guarding position?" 
  • How do YOU get separation with or without the ball? 

What wouldn't make us better? 

  • Bigger ego 
  • External validation (mentions, awards)

In other words, we become better by growing our skills and other's. Validation doesn't make us better although it's appreciated.

Lagniappe. Decoy your intentions. Play slow to fast. 

Lagniappe 2. Defending on- and off-ball screens is tough. 

Lagniappe 3. Fair and equal aren't the same. 

 

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Thursday, October 27, 2022

Coaching Isn't Reality TV - It's Reality. Old News for Young Coaches

I enjoyed coaching as either an assistant or a head coach. There's no power trip as a middle school coach. Enduring lessons? 

1. Make it fun for players and coaches. There shouldn't be any "boring drills" in a fun activity.

- "Dribble tag" inside the arc is always fun (both ends, everyone with a ball)

- "Frito Lay" layups and elbow jumpers, game to 21, competitive


2. "Never be a child's last coach." If kids dread coming to practice, we're doing it wrong. 

3. "Don't sacrifice young kids on the altar of victory." Everybody likes to win. Burying preadolescents on the bench to win violates 1 and 2 above. 

4. Be positive. Kids have ups and downs. It reminds me of George Carlin's "Baseball and Football" routine. Baseball has UPS and football has DOWNS. Be like baseball, with ups. 


5. Stay aware of the "12th Man Effect." If reserve players feel disrespected or unappreciated, then is it them or us? 

6. "It doesn't cost anything to be nice." Someone from fifty years ago sent me a note on Facebook. They thanked me as a varsity player for treating the kids on JV well. People remember how we make them feel...even fifty years later. This story about Bear Bryant is worth keeping in our toolbox. 

7. Players see everything. "You can't fool kids, dogs, and basketball players." Like it or not, we are role models. Remember Helen Mirren's advice on career success, 1) "Always be on time" and 2) "Don't be a jerk."

8. Find a mentor; be a mentor. "Mentoring is the only shortcut to success." Yes, I'm repetitive. I'm especially grateful to Coach Sonny Lane, my high school coach and to CAPT Thomas Walsh, my mentor as a Navy physician. 

9. "The game is for the players." It's not easy to be a child now. Don't make it harder. It's okay to remind ourselves, "are we building a program or a statue?" 

10."Speak greatness." Keep elevating players. Add value with "that was well done AND consider trying this" versus "that was well done BUT you could do this." AND and BUT make all the difference. 

Lagniappe. Model excellence. 

Lagniappe 2. Stay focused on this. 

Lagniappe 3. Develop a package of finishes. 

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Tuesday, October 25, 2022

“Hard Coaching” - What Is It?

Great players embrace hard coaching. But what does that mean? 

ACHIEVEMENT = PERFORMANCE x TIME

The formula expresses both the need for practice (not everyone agrees with Gladwell's '10,000 Hours') and sustained excellence. 

Michelangelo finished crafting Pieta when only twenty-four years old. When asked how someone so young had sculpted something so magnificent he explained that he had worked ten hours a day for more than a decade to master his craft. 

At extremes, coaching comes in two flavors, "relationship-oriented" and "task-oriented." That boils down to "players' coaches" and "hard guys." Seldom do coaches fall at either end of the spectrum. 

"Be demanding without being demeaning." We have to 'reach' players to get high performance from individuals and teams. 

  • Success comes when player and team goals align.
  • That may mean sacrifices of 'touches' and 'shots'.  
  • We can't know goals without asking. 

What is hard coaching? 

  • Extreme attention to detail
  • Insistence on strength and conditioning
  • Demanding sacrifice of time for practice and study
  • Repetitions and more repetitions
  • Setting higher expectations
  • Most of all, it's asking for more from players

Yelling isn't hard coaching; it's just yelling. 

Chuck Daly explained, "I'm a salesman." Players have to buy what we're selling. It's unrealistic to think that everyone responds to the same message. We ask players to sacrifice time, effort, BST - blood, sweat, and tears. We might be asking parents to sacrifice money - team fees, gym memberships, strength and conditioning, travel, extra medical costs, and more. 

Players have to see added value. For professionals, "10,000 shots can make you $10,000,000" might work. There's no equivalent for adolescents. Coaches ask for sacrifice in return for uncertain possibilities.  

Lagniappe. Geno knows. 


Lagniappe 2. Control what matters. 




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Post Entry Passes

Basketball is full of dos and don'ts. Share your tips about any topic and you help players improve or at least ask questions. 

Giving players the ball when and where they want it improves their chance of execution. 

Don'ts: 

1. Bad things can happen trying to enter the ball to the post from the top. A lot of hands are in the way. 


2. Beware lob passes. 
3. Avoid passing to ankles. Annoys the big and turns the ball over. 

Dos:

1. Pass away from the defender. 
2. Identify the best pass.  
3. Get the proper angle. 


By getting below the free throw line the passer gets a better angle to enter the ball or the defender chooses to front the receiver. 
4. Fight for position. Here's an example from Swen Nater. 


5. Old school, we used to work on post entry/denial. 


Lagniappe. Post feed drill from Sherri Coale 


Lagniappe 2. Villanova post entry. 



Lagniappe 3. UCONN post entry and go drill. 


Lagniappe 4. SLOB Virginia Triangle. Create space. Use it. 










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Monday, October 24, 2022

"Is This the Best You Can Do?"

Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Noori tells a story from Henry Kissinger. He was charged with giving a speech.

A speechwriter gave him a first draft and the next day Kissinger said, "Is this the best you can do?" The next day, he got another draft to review. The following day the Secretary of State said, "Is this the best you can do?" The speechwriter returned a third draft saying, "I've worked on it and this is my absolute best." Kissinger replied, "Okay, now I'll read it." 

We're both the speechwriter and the Secretary. Produce a great product; don't accept mediocrity. 

Our "speech" is our every action. "How you do anything is how you do everything." 

  • Communicating with players 
  • Interacting with the community 
  • Refining our knowledge and approach 
  • Preparing our drill book and practice plans
  • Editing our playbook 
  • Teaching fundamentals 
  • Watching film 
  • Game management
  • Work-life balance 
Players seek the triad of minutes, role, and recognition. Coaches aren't indifferent to perception and value. None of us are "egoless" or immune to 'virtue signaling'.

Key points:
  • Get the most from those around us. Make that the standard. 
  • Get the most from ourselves. 
  • Don't accept mediocrity.
Lagniappe. 
Lagniappe 2. "Mind the gap." 
Lagniappe 3. A game of...player and ball movement. 

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Basketball: Simple Is Hard. Keep Simple in Focus.

"Simple is hard." Don Meyer described the third stage of coaching as mature simplicity. Balancing "powerful" and "easy to operate" is a constant struggle. 

Watching clear Jay Wright videos inspires joy. 


Prioritize 'simple'.  
  • "Get more and better shots than our opponent." - Pete Newell 
  • Means winning turnover and board battles and taking good shots.
  • "Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson (Shared vision, shared sacrifice, shared results)
Make it simple. A sixth grader asked at tryouts about how to defend.
  • "Ball-you-basket" Stay between the dribbler and the basket. "Contain the ball."
  • "Ball-you-player." Off-the-ball, stay between the ball and your cover (there are exceptions). 
Keep it simple. 
  • Use 'more is less' by editing out less useful drills and plays.
  • Get feedback to assure everyone is on the same page.
Reduce mistakes. 
  • Build skill and decision-making to reduce turnovers.
  • Avoid bad fouls. "Fouls negate effort." 
  • Poor quality shots fall on the spectrum of turnovers. 
Simple doesn't mean reducing the necessary. 
  • Talk on defense energizes and intimidates.  
  • Habits matter. "Any outcome is just a point along the spectrum of possibilities." 
  • Track progress to show "continual ascension."
The daily struggle is changing from who we are to become what we want. 

Summary: 
  • Simple is hard.
  • Prioritize simple.
  • Make it simple.
  • Keep it simple. 
  • Reduce mistakes.
  • Don't throw out the necessary.  
Lagniappe. Why does something work or not work?
 


Lagniappe 2. Who were your favorite teammates and why? 


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Sunday, October 23, 2022

More Lessons from Coach Don Meyer

Cross-posted from my volleyball blog.  

This article about Don Meyer deserves sharing. It popped up during a search for "hard coaching." Great players want to be coached hard.

Here are the main themes: 

  1. Criticize Players in Private
  2. Emphasize What's Most Important
  3. Know Why You're Coaching
  4. Be Nice to Everyone You Meet
  5. Put the Team First
  6. Effort is a Choice

Nobody wants to be 'called out' publicly. A coach's job, to get high performance, requires 'correction'. As a player, you control attitude, choices, and effort. Control what you can control. When coaches thinks you need correction - better attitude, decision-making skills, or to work harder - they tell you. 

"The main thing is the main thing." TIA - teamwork, improvement, accountability. Accountability is holding yourself to a high standard. You can't do that without adequate training, nutrition, rest, and study. 

Coaches help people become more. Someone asked legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg about his team. He answered, "ask me in twenty years and I'll be able to give you a better idea." Melrose volleyball alumnae are going places. Numerous graduates have advanced degrees as educators. Victoria Crovo is a second year veterinary student. You read about Emma Randolph last week as a varsity crew athlete at Clemson.  

Wakefield Coach Kayla Wyland is as nice as anyone you will ever meet. And you know she played on the Melrose 2012 State Championship team. 

Why play team sports if not to achieve more together? The African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.”

Winning is hard. "The magic is in the work." To win big in sports or in life, do 'unrequired work'. In James Kerr's book, "Legacy" about the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team, he explains, "Champions do extra." 


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Saturday, October 22, 2022

Truth Machine: Breaking Down Film, Leveraging the Old Man Game, and Influencing People

Teaching video study is another coaching task. It's foreign language for young players. Where to begin? Here are some ideas. 

Offense:

  • Spacing 
  • Player and ball movement 
  • Separation achieved
  • Shot quality 
Defense: 
  • Ball containment
  • "Color on color" (proximity)
  • Transition 
  • Pick-and-roll coverage
Here are some teaching principles from a recent NBA game. 



1. "Win in space." The Celtics have filled corners but it's Tatum versus 2. 
2. Live ball turnovers have a high points/possession calculus. 


1. The Heat don't contain the ball in transition. 
2. Then Lowry starts flopping and there's no call. 



1. The Heat run a 'Horns' variation. D White has Herro. But Brown possibly 'overhelps' and Herro in the 'Draw 2' situation dishes. 
2. Lowry capitalizes. Obviously, we don't know the intended defense.


1. High ball screen. Miami helps off corner 3. I thought the Celtics were setting up Spain PnR (backscreen the roller). 
2. But Tatum finds White off the Miami help. Good execution.
 

1. Simple is better. Brown gets an off-ball screen. Miami packs the paint.
2. Brown hits the popping Horford for an uncontested 3. 

 

1. The Celtics have problems with a post mismatch. They 'may' be trying a long switch with D.White wanting to get the corner. 
2. Miami gets the short roll pass to the corner and the C's are toast. 


1. "Movement kills defense." Spacing, ball movement, unselfishness.
2. "One more" passing creates an open 3. Of course, with younger players they lack long-range shooting efficiency. 

Lagniappe. More advanced study focuses on individual players including self-study. Some players function almost exclusively on the dominant hand (Zach Randolph). 




Lagniappe 2. Teach players the value of great body language. 

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Training Leadership Skills*

"Leaders make leaders."

Ask whether we're coaching basketball or life. Coaching sport shares a subset of life skills for school, business, or other work. 

The "right way" is what works to develop skill, inclusiveness (buy in), critical thinking (strategy), resilience, and so on. 

Indra Nooyi was the former CEO of Pepsi and ranked 13th among the most powerful women of the world. Her MasterClass shares her leadership framework.


Image from MasterClass

To lead others, first lead ourselves. Character drives the process. Train leaders by modeling excellence consistently. "Your actions speak so loudly that I cannot hear a word you say."

Note the overlap with "You Win the Locker Room First" by Mike Smith and Jon Gordon or Etorre Messina's advice, "Character is job one."  


Nooyi shares the Kipling poem of "Six Honest Serving Men" with the emphasis to ask questions. 



Here are a few notes (above). 

Charles Barkley asked the question, "what is your NBA skill?" Nooyi's would be, "what is your MBA skill?" How can you translate 'know that', what you learned into 'know how' action that drives corporate edge forward. 

Don't apply NBA statistics to adolescents and expect the same results. Differences in knowledge, skill, and experience matter. I knew a doctor who boasted he could keep anyone alive for twenty-four hours until he encountered Gulf War trauma patients. Know your 'Circle of Competence'. 


There's no easy answer. Even the best plan will meet obstacles and resistance and may not survive contact with opposition. Mike Tyson said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." 

Summary:
  • Actions speak volumes.
  • "Character is job one."
  • What is your MBA skill?
  • Don't apply NBA statistics to adolescents.
  • Know your 'Circle of Competence'
Lagniappe. Work at improving our decision-making skill. 

Lagniappe 2. "If you're a basketball player, you come ready." 

*Adapted from MasterClass, "Leading with Purpose" by Indra Nooyi 

 











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Thursday, October 20, 2022

Fast Five: Lists and Questions to Keep on Our Desks

Evolving landscapes challenge coaches. The situation always changes. Is our "North Star" winning or building habits and systems?

Stay on task with a few truths.

1. What does our team need now?

  • Monitor our team's vital signs. Captains and assistants are invaluable in this regard.
  • "Every day is player development day." Physical rest allows for video study and resilience training (mindfulness and sport psychology). 

2. The Four Agreements

  • Be impeccable with your word. (This includes positive self-talk.)
  • Don't take anything personally.
  • Don't make assumptions.
  • Always do your best.
3. The Leadership Moment event review by Michael Useem
  • What went well?
  • What went poorly?
  • What can we do better next time?
  • What are the enduring lessons? 
4. "Look for the helpers." - Mr. Rogers
5. Fight for our culture every day.
  • Purpose (greater than passion)
  • Unity
  • Servant leadership (build community)
  • Humility
  • Thankfulness (gratitude) 
Lagniappe. Gym rat? 

Lagniappe 2. We get what we earn.

Lagniappe 3. All reps are not created equal. 

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Wednesday, October 19, 2022

"But Coach, We Won."

"Most of us would rather be ruined by praise, than saved by criticism." - Don Meyer

Every coach has heard this. After a win where a team played poorly or made too many mistakes, a player says, "But Coach, we won."

That is a recipe for disaster. Winning and playing well don't always match. Kevin Eastman shared that after a Celtics' Finals game win against the Lakers, the team allowed 32 points on defensive mistakes or errors. 32 points.

Sustainable competitive advantage comes from heeding Bob Knight, "basketball is a game of mistakes."

"Repetitions make reputations." My coach said again and again, "I'm pleased but I'm not satisfied." Great messages stick. 

"What is unacceptable in defeat is unacceptable in victory." Turnovers, poor shot selection, bad fouls, failed transition defense, lack of focus and submaximal effort earn defeat. 

Mistakes catch up with us. Talent can't compensate at the highest levels for errors or lack of effort.

The first four teams lost by a point. 

  • The first two possessions of the game, failed block outs led to a pair of scores. The fans lament the final possession. The coach remembers the first two. 
  • The team fouled 'bad shots' allowing easy ones, free throws. 
  • The team missed 25 of 45 free throws. 
  • Situationally inappropriate shots allowed opponents more possessions.
  • An overly athletic opposition defense allowed our offense to get sped up, leading to turnovers and bad shots. We lucked out and won by three.
  • We got exposed in ball containment, got help but no rotation. Again, we lucked out because our star player went off offensively. 
For ambitious teams with championship dreams, failed execution is an opportunity for learning, not celebration because "we won." 

Hold teams accountable to a standard. George Stephanopoulos reminds us to do so in a "clear, respectful, and compassionate manner." When we hear of coaches telling players they are "useless" or "worthless," that says more about the coach than the target. 

Dave Landry, an elite stock trader, told a story of how another couple who were bodybuilders bought trading software and explained how they would succeed in trading. At dinner, he grabbed some shrimp and washed them down chugging a beer. "What are you doing?" He said, "I'm starting to get into body building." Fundamentals, training, and experience create expertise, not just blind enthusiasm.

Basketball is a cruel mistress. 

Lagniappe. 

Lagniappe 2. Great players create. 


 

 

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