Thursday, December 1, 2022

Assignment: "Improve an Existing Product"

Learn every day. I start most days studying MasterClass. I've been on the Indra Nooyi class for too long. Why? Her material is dense.

She discusses "extension" of products, like Tostitos. Add new flavors (e.g. lime), change the packaging, change the design (Scoops). At the end of her lesson, she shares an assignment, "Improve an Existing Product."

Based on video and analytics, what could the UCONN women do better?

Consider Nooyi's other advice (about the global financial crisis), "there was a maniacal focus on today," meaning disregarding the future and the consequences of today's actions. "Deliver great performance while keeping an eye to all of the stakeholders." 

  • Three-point percentage, 39.6% (13th)
  • FT percentage, 73.8% (not in top 50)
  • FG percentage 52.8% (1st)
  • Assist/turnover ratio, 1.41 (14th)
  • FG percentage defense (not in top 50)
  • Assists/game, 21.4 (4th) 
  • Fouls/game, 15.8 (90th)
If you're the best in the country, finding low hanging fruit may be low. 

1. Reduce bad plays (applies to every team). 


When Porter Moser was at Loyola Chicago, he prioritized reducing fouling. Fouls per game don't account for pace of play. But every team wants fewer fouls. And nobody advocates fouling three-point shooters. 

2. Improve free throw shooting. Tom Hellen had a saying, "teams that can't shoot free throws last as long in the playoffs as dogs that chase cars." UCONN has free throw shooting periods during practice where they track shooting percentage. There's always some slippage between practice and games. 


- Tip 1. Bill Bradley favored shooting for the center of the bolts attaching the rim to the board. That's gone. I suggested struggling players aim for the word on the attachment. 
- Tip 2. Confirming scrimmage wins with free throws. Adds a small amount of pressure. 
- Tip 3. Pressure free throws. Say or do anything in practice to disrupt the shooter without touching the player.

3. Field goal percentage defense. Improving percentage depends on knowing scoring on layups, midrange, and threes. I don't have that data although UCONN surely tracks opponent shot charts. They could also chart shooting percentage versus zone or man, points allowed in transition (often higher percentage), and points allowed off turnovers, usually leading to higher points/possession.

We don't need bushels of stats. For simplicity, track the relative differences in Dean Oliver's Four Factors: 
- Effective field goal percentage
- Turnovers
- Rebounds
- Free throws  

At most levels, it's player development that drives growth. What drills or teaching works best for your system? 
- Taking a lot of threes? Practice threes and get more for your best shooters. All threes are not equal. Catch-and-shoot > side-dribble threes > Most off-the-dribble threes
- Are they double-teaming your star? Work on her passing AND cutting to help teammates and herself. 
- Trouble with ball containment? Practice individual defense and consider alternatives like zone/hybrid defenses. 

Each of us diagnoses our need areas and then plans corrective measures.

Lagniappe. Finish stronger off two feet. 
Lagniappe 2. Explosive change of direction, change of pace. 


 


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