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Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Basketball: Non-Friends Screening of Your Program

"Your friends stab you in the front." - Oscar Wilde

Jodie Foster shares why she has others review films before release. Some call it a "friends screening." She prefers a non-friends screening, looking for candor and criticism. 

Every team has issues. Find reviewers to give objective input on your team and individual players. 

Coach John Calipari has a "personal board of directors" with whom he meets periodically to review his life plan and get input from trusted advisors.

Director Ron Howard reminds us, "the film is made in the editing room." Be obliged to review and revise our work. Replace a drill or practice activity with a better one. Replace a BOB or SLOB that hasn't produced with a better one. Players won't want to hear that you'll substitute another player for a less productive one. 

Video is the 'truth machine'. It answers questions about spacing, urgent cutting, on time and on target passing, shot selection, ball containment, load too the ball, help and recover, challenging shots without fouling, and blocking out. 

Comedy writers talk about 'shaving syllables' and 'kill your darlings'. Edit. Edit. Edit. Improvement demands self-assessment. 

Are you upset or grateful when a coach points out a legitimate weakness or flaw? Are you upset when challenged about your plan? Are you upset when on film, there is no plan? If we're upset, that's ego talking. Coaches realize, "that's not the way we teach that." Okay, let's teach it better. "What has not been learned, has not been taught."

Up our player development. "Our talent level isn't good enough." What coach says, "I have too many good players?" Sure, not every player has the athleticism and aptitude to become a star. But everyone can improve. And if you chose a player as a freshman or sophomore and they never improve, where's the accountability? 

And even our 'star' players have room to improve. Do they have a weakness in passing, faking, free throw shooting, or fouling too much? Are they "ending possessions" enough with scores, assists, rebounds, and stops? 

What's our "must have" strategy for stops and scores with ATOs, BOBs, SLOBs, man and zone sets against well-positioned defense? Video reveals truth. 

Lagniappe. Three point mastery. 


Lagniappe 2. Global preparation is professional. 

Lagniappe 3. "Every day is player development day." Decide and execute.