Friday, June 30, 2023

Basketball: What Hinders You?

Author David Mamet has "what hinders you?" inscribed on the back of a new watch. Without making excuses, examine where a team must excel to succeed. 

Let's examine five areas of concern:

  • Identity
  • Stops 
  • Mistakes
  • Gears
  • Finishing kick  

Identity defines who we are and how we play. Are we balanced or more of an offensive or defensive club? Are we about controlling the ends of the court with size and power or the middle with pace and space? There's no mystery about 'intent' on either end. 

Stops make runs. Excellent teams contain the ball, force 'hard 2s' and one bad shot. They communicate ("talk intimidates"), don't miss assignments, and don't get beat in transition. 

Mistakes. "Turnovers kill dreams." Reducing mistakes matters in both practice and games. Shot selection can be asset or liability. We reduced turnovers and increased shooting percentage by tracking and reporting team statistics to players. 

Gears. Teams need to be able to play at different tempos, to confront different styles, and be able to play with both leads and in comeback mode. Situational practice helps. For example, put team A ahead by six with three minutes to go and a thirty second shot clock. They aren't allowed to score and have to allow fewer than six points. Or they trail by ten with five minutes to go and must go into scramble mode. 

Finishing kick. Study how your team performed 'close and late'. What percent did they convert ATOs, BOBs, and SLOBs? What was their overall free throw percentage and percentage during crunch time? 

Tools of refinement. 

  • Analytics measure key stats with goals of increasing assists and EFG%, reducing turnovers, and tracking results in special situations.
  • Video clips feature highlights and opportunities to improve.
  • Individual coaching tailors skill development. 

Know your problems and develop solutions using specific techniques. Track results. 

Lagniappe. Slipping a screen.  

Lagniappe 2. Simplicity works.  

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