"What's the problem?...we're the last dog at the bone." Teams with fewer resources (player pool, practice time, facilities) better have great coaching, player, and team development.
"If he's such a good hitter, why doesn't he hit better?" - Billy Beane in Michael Lewis' "Moneyball" Use analytics to measure what impacts winning like the Four Factors - differential shooting percentage, rebounding, turnovers, and free throws (SCORE, CRASH, PROTECT, ATTACK).
Immaculate inning. Three strikeouts on nine pitches. That's all well and good, but "don't major in the minors." Don't overemphasize a curiosity rather than what matters more (below).
Have an out pitch. That translates to "GO TO" and "COUNTER" moves, the skills that get and keep you on the court. As a coach, have "out pitches," your best actions in special situations - ATOs, BOBs, SLOBs, sets versus 'man' and zone defense when you need a hoop.
Get swings and misses. Successful teams have executable plans to play harder for longer than opponents. Do well what you do a lot.
Get soft contact. Get opponents to hit your pitch to avoid hard contact. That means "one bad shot" or "hard twos." Make contestedness your defensive mantra. Challenge everything, drives and shots without fouling.
Oriole pitching coach Ray Miller preached work fast, throw strikes, change speeds. Control tempo, take care of the ball, change defenses.
Baseball is a game of "making adjustments." Basketball has adjustments, too. Personnel, tempo, changing defenses, extending or pulling in defenses all have merit.
"If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying." Slippery elm and cutting baseballs with belt buckles don't apply to basketball. Some coaches urge picking up any ball going out of bounds as 'theirs'. It's been done. The NBAs thinking about technical fouls for flopping.
"When you have multiple closers, you have none." If you have a closer, spend time with them to develop closer actions whether shot, drive, or "draw two" and dish.
"Scout weaknesses." Scout strengths and weaknesses. Limit the opponent's best actions and see if they have exploitable weaknesses.
Summary:
- "We're the last dog at the bone. If resource poor be coaching rich."
- Analytics: "Why doesn't he hit better."
- "Don't major in the minors." Focus on what matters.
- Have an out pitch and get swings and misses.
- "It's a game of making adjustments."
- "If you ain't cheating you ain't trying."
- "When you have multiple closers, you have none."
