Saturday, March 18, 2023

Basketball: Improving

Better ingredients, better basketball. 

MasterClass has a new series, "GOAT" starting with Dale Harris the 2017 Barista World Champion. He explains that you can't have the world's best coffee without great ingredients. He then shows how to make great expresso and cappuccino. 


This has everything to do with coaching, which is one success ingredient. The world's greatest coach (barista) won't win without great ingredients. 

1. The athlete. We want size, athleticism, and skill. Starting with sixth graders, a coach needs imagination to project end products (players) and end state (play). 

A lot isn't in our hands. We live in a small city of under 30,000 people (Melrose, MA), 62% aged 25+ have college degrees or higher, and the median household income was $125,000. Parents decide how much to invest in extracurriculars. 

I was a volunteer, but the average cost (gym time, league fees, officiating) per family was about $450. 

Although I coached for over 20 years, the bulk was as an assistant. The final two groups (three years apiece) was as head coach of a three-year project (6th-8th grade). 

At the very least, a self-directed training program of jumping rope and intermediate-distance sprints (timed 220s) seems worthwhile and inexpensive. 

2. Skill development. "Skill, there is no substitute." 

- Shooting form and extending range (first catch and shoot and then expand to off the dribble, and coming off screens)

- Expanding your shooting range is critical in today's game

- Moves off the catch (e.g. wing series development, Box drills, stampede)

- Moves off the dribble (crossover, hesitation, combinations, float dribble, negative step) 

- Pick-and-roll play 

- Free throw shooting 

3. Small-sided games (find some you like, develop your own)

  • Requires fewer players
  • Gets more touches per player
  • Offense/defense/competition
  • Easier for one coach to see 'everything' 
  • Add constraints (areas, numbers or dribble, requiring PnR, etc)
4. "Play a lot." There are 'catches'.
- Car athletes (players need transportation, safety and supervision)
- Organized (Travel/AAU/YMCA/PAL) costs more money 
- Play same or better players as possible. 

5. Study the game. Watching is not the same as studying. 
- During games, how do players/teams create and deny separation?
- How do score/time/situation impact the game? 
- Crucial situations, e.g. after timeouts, think along with the coach. What's next? 
- Study great players and coaches (Internet, video) 

Pick topics to study.
- Develop a philosophy for the game. 
- Player development. 
  • FIBA videos and lectures 
  • Coaching clinics (YouTube, Internet summaries, in person)
  • Trainer feeds (Drew Hanlen, Chris Brickley, Don Kelbick, Kevin Eastman, etc.)

Lagniappe. Old video. Language harsh at times (re: children) 



 




  

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