Jay Bilas's "Toughness" article and book are must reads for every serious basketball player and coach.
Bilas shares a list of over thirty 'toughness' attributes and decries false toughness, the chest-thumping standing-over opponents that are really "look at me" behaviors not authentic toughness.
I used to hand out a laminated sheet of his toughness attributes with special emphasis for some. A local volleyball coach has his team read and discuss Toughness...and his girls have won ten sectional championships and one state title.
Here are a few of the most critical "Toughness" attributes:
1. "It's not your shot, it's our shot." The quickest path to improvement is better shot quality. Doc Rivers calls bad shots, "shot turnovers." My coach called them "$#7% shots." Geno Auriemma asks his team who they would want taking the key shot to point out a lesser shooter, that it's not her. "I would let you take it..."
Get ROB shots - in range, open, balanced and forget about "my turn" shots. There are no "my turn shots." Even back in the early 70s we had shot charts. In the sectional quarterfinals we beat a team from a much bigger school on an 18 game win streak... by shooting 23 for 42 (pre-shot clock).
Everyone remembers Villanova beating Georgetown 66-64 on April Fools Day in 1985.
The Wildcats shot an improbable 78.6 percent and won despite having 17 turnovers.
2. "Get on the floor." I can't say it better than Bilas:
"The first player to get to the floor is usually the one to come up with any loose ball. Close out under control: It is too easy to fly at a shooter and think you are a tough defender. A tough defender closes out under control, takes away a straight line drive and takes away the shot. A tough player has a sense of urgency but has the discipline to do it the right way."
3. "Set up your cut." You help your teammates with the '95' the 95 percent of the time you don't have the ball. "Basketball is a game of separation" and urgent cutting sets up easy baskets. Cutting is an underrated skill emphasizing reading defenders, knowing passers can see you, and prioritizing change of direction and change of pace.
4. "Run the floor." Excellent teams play harder for longer. "Basketball isn't a running game, it's a sprinting game."
- "Cut urgently."
- "Sprint to screen."
- "Beat your player to half court in transition."