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Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Basketball and Society: Ideas and Identity in an Innovation Revolution

Post by @adamgrant
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Coaches know many ways to win and even more to lose. Having a philosophy of coaching matters but doesn't guarantee anything.

Change is inevitable. Facts demanded a Copernicus. 

Over fifty years ago, conventional wisdom taught "defense first" but almost nobody said, "offense wins championships." The rise of superior training and skill development spawned an "Age of Offense." That doesn't mean defense departed with dinosaurs. 

What else changed across eras?

  • The lane widened.
  • The 24 second shot clock happened.
  • The three-point shot helped decongest big bodies in the paint.
  • The three went from curiosity to commonplace.
  • Handchecking was banned. 
Everyone didn't love the three. Jim Calhoun said, "It cheapens the game." Others, like a young Providence coach, Rick Pitino rode it to deep tournament runs. 

A Harvard professor Calestous Juma wrote about Innovation and Its Enemies, “It’s the loss they are afraid of, not the newness. That loss, perceived or real, can be a part of their identity, their way of life or their economic security.” He continued it “challenges their outlook on the world.”
 
Seek a better way or among new ways rather than being wedded to "we've always done it that way." 

Consider innovation during our lifetimes. 
  • Reel-to-reel tape yielded to digital recordings.
  • VHS tape evolved to streaming media. 
  • Imaging like CT and MRI often replaced exploratory surgery.
  • The Internet catalyzed the Information Revolution. 
  • An Artificial Intelligence revolution is in progress.  
  • Electric cars approach ten percent of vehicle sales. 
Consider how players, analysis, and compensation have evolved.
  • Video guys became championship coaches. 
  • Paint patrollers yield to next level players like Jokic, Antetokuonmpo, and Embiid
  • Next generation combo bigs include Wembanyama and Holmgren.
  • The greatest shooter ever emerged. 
  • Analytics are mainstream.
  • Cellphone video allows most players to study and edit their form. 
  • NIL is revolutionizing college sports.
Coaches locked in the past are likely to be superseded by more adaptable minds. 
 
Lagniappe. Rodeo defense? 
Lagniappe 2. Moving defenders can be a key. Defending keeps getting harder. 

 

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