Picking Brains - Source Material

Reading about a coach's philosophy isn't the same as a meeting, sharing a dialogue.

Years ago I asked my high school coach what 'under the radar' statistics he valued. Our managers, John Hunneman and Andy Johnson kept detailed statistics and shot charts over fifty years ago. Coach Sonny Lane said, "assists and rebounds." 

That makes sense in the context of 'possession enders' - assists lead to scores and rebounds continue or gain possession. 

The best girls' basketball team I saw was Winnecunnet High School, coached by Ed Beattie. When I asked about his methods, he was open and thoughtful. "Championships were made in the summer.” He explained that he could work with players twelve months a year, that "it was between the kids and him" (not parents), and they finished every practice with every player having to make two free throws (e.g. 22 in a row). I saw his team with Tiffany Ruffin dominate a local Melrose club during a ten-year league title streak. 

Periodically, I reach out to high school coaches with a set of open-ended questions about their methods. Those who respond always provide insight. Kristen McDonnell had a great share. 

Also, some coaches reply with information they ask to remain confidential. Mindfulness helps us widen the space between stimulus and response. Confidential to me means that the space becomes infinite. 

Our coaching philosophy evolves over a lifetime, influenced by a myriad of people, events, and ideas. Basketball is an "open source" domain; there are no secrets. 

If I could sit down with a few coaches for lunch, I'd include Geno Auriemma, Carla Berube (Princeton), and Brad Stevens. That would be beyond awesome... 

Lagniappe. Coaches enjoy Xs and Os. Here's a tweet from Coach Hacks. 

Princeton Point Backdoor

Back screen to loosen the defense ✅
Enter to the high post ✅
Dribble at backdoor to the wing ✅ pic.twitter.com/ZAzOYIifPN

— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) December 30, 2023

Lagniappe 2. A favorite quote. 

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Basketball: Final Words for 2023, Cliches That Endure

Cliches add value when they transmit truth. These impact winning. 

1. Better shot selection is the quickest path to better scoring.

2. Turnovers kill dreams. 

3. "Fouls negate hustle." 

4. "Great offense is multiple actions." 

5. "Great defense is multiple efforts."

6. "The ball is gold." (Don't give it away)

7. Analytics matter. Bad teams have bad stats. 

8. Every player wants minutes, shots, and recognition. "You earn your paycheck." - Kevin Eastman

9. "The ball is a camera." If you want to get it, the ball has to see you. 

10.Become a "possession ender." Scores, rebounds, and stops win games. 

Lagniappe. Learn more techniques to get separation... negative step, stampede, lateral drift, split catch. 

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Lagniappe 2. Teach to the level of our players. This excellent instructional video is for advanced players. If our team isn't scoring 30 points per game, it's not because they haven't integrated these skills. 

Re-Screen Shooting

We put 2 players in a sideline action. In this segment we got them numerous game-like actions:

- DHO
- Ball Screen
- Pass/Lob
- DHO for Shot

Be efficient with your skill segments. You don't always have to give them just 1 thing. pic.twitter.com/mDwSWkokDS

— Reid Ouse (@reidouse) December 24, 2023

Basketball: Use Data Better

Knowing the opposing coach helps. In a close game, the opposition trailed with a final possession coming out of a time out. I told our players to anticipate a high ball screen and to trap the ball handler. We stopped them. 

Sport asserts conflicts. Ed Smith, former English National Cricket selector, emphasizes the blend between data and the human element in Making Decisions. 

Conflicts are inevitable - team versus individual focus, offense versus defense, data versus intuition.

Imagine that our offense overweights PnR play. Data allows analysis of screen rejection, ballhandler drives, pass to roller, pick and pop, ball handler shot (defense goes under), and other actions. Not only will it tell us what works and doesn't, it affords comparison with other actions (pass and cut, three-point shooting, complex screening - stagger, screen-the-screener, backscreen the roller). 

Smith recognizes the value of unpredictability as well. Both teams can access video and data sets. Imagine that both know that pick-and-roll with pass to the roller is both statistically overweighted and effective. What's the unpredictable move and possible counters? 

Maybe it's slipping the ball screen...

Or maybe the team almost never rejects the ball screen. 

Or in a key moment, a team reveals multiple actions not employed the whole game (e.g. Iverson action).

 

Use data if your analysis impacts winning.

Lagniappe. Winning is hard. That's why we value it. 

“Everything you want is on the other side of hard,” Monty Williams

Losing challenges you to fight for everything that comes with being a winner.

Never give up, never quit on yourself or your teammates. pic.twitter.com/7GQyf8mHFP

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) December 26, 2023

Lagniappe 2. Multipurpose exercise. 

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Thanks to readers. You inspire me to work to add value daily. 

Coaching Is Caring. Hard Coaching Prioritizes Your Success.

Education changes behavior. Coaching is education. Coaching changes behavior.

Effective coaches often use the "sandwich technique" placing corrections in the middle of praise. They also 'speak greatness' choosing "you did well AND..." over "you did well BUT." 

Excellent players are coachable. Performance defines players not just effort. 

Great players study the game and their performance on video to learn what went well and what could have gone better. 

When I saw this, I loved it. So so true. pic.twitter.com/vr85W7vdoe

— Butch Baccala (@butchbaccala) December 29, 2023

 

Basketball: Road Maps

Don Yaegar informs readers that great teams have a Road Map to success, a step-by-step design to pave the route to success.

When Coach Sonny Lane took over a stagnant Wakefield High School basketball program in 1970, he helped players rehab outdoor courts in town. Players painted a sign, "Tech Tourney 1973" and the team reached the State Tournament in his third season. 

Bill Walsh crafted the model for the 49ers, the Standard of Performance, winning a Super Bowl in his third season. And Nick Saban won a National Title in his third season at Alabama, installing The Process, a comprehensive plan to improve everything - players, coaching, academics, nutrition, and more. 

Bossidy and Charan wrote, "Execution, the Discipline of Getting Things Done" about their experience at Honeywell. They discussed:

1) People, who drive activities

2) Strategy, the big picture view of what gets done

3) Operations, day-to-day managing the details 

Sara Blakely, Founder and CEO of Spanx emphasized:

1) Make it

2) Sell it

3) Build brand awareness

New coaches need a blueprint to 'sell' to their parent organization and to get buy-in from players. 

• Philosophy. "This is who we are and how we play." For example, PUSH-T, purpose, unity, servant leadership, humility, thankfulness
• System (strategy) and implementation (teaching, practice) 
• Player development. At lower levels, you have limited assistants.
• Lexicon, playbook, and drill book
• "Communication"- Community and media relations, boosters, and fundraising 
• Self-assessment - where can I improve, where can we improve? 

Things go wrong. The late Charlie Munger had a saying, "It's easier to avoid being stupid than to be a genius." Avoid bad strategic and technical decisions (e.g. shot selection). 

Lagniappe. "Life is difficult." 

DEVELOPING MENTAL TOUGHNESS

"You get mental toughness because things are hard. You've got to embrace hard.

Tough times make hard people. Easy times make soft people...

You've gotta learn to overcome things that are hard." (Nick Saban) pic.twitter.com/UdrvSrKoMe

— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) December 29, 2023

Lagniappe 2. Star in your role. 

Players: How do you approach your ROLE on your team?

- Do you COMPLAIN about your role?
- Do you ACCEPT your role?
- Do you STAR in your role?

Great Teams happen when committed and connected players who, at minimum, accept their role.

Be great at what you are good at!

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) December 27, 2023

Analyze Efficiency Via a Boxscore and Possession Calculation

Pete Newell said a coach's job is to help players "see the game." Data analysis is part of that opportunity.

There's the long explanation and something less. 

The easiest way to calculate a team's possessions is: 

FGA - OR + 0.44 (FT) + TO

Why 0.44? From Reddit: "The .44 multiplier is because not all free throws take up a possession. Technical foul shots and "and-ones" do not, while there are more than two free throws on one possession with a three-shot foul. Research has determined that about 44% of all free throws take up possessions, thus .44 is used as the multiplier."

From a recent unnamed high school game: 

FGA (55) - OR (12) + 0.44 FT (19) + TO (23) =

55 - 12 + 8 + 23 = 74 

The team scored 45 points, therefore 45/74 = .61 points/possession

The team score 41 points in regulation and 4 in overtime. If we miraculously subtract the turnovers, the team scored 45/51 = 0.88 points/possession. 

And the team made only 6 of 19 free throws which also meant leaving "a lot on the table." It doesn't take a genius to see the damage from turnovers and missed free throws. 

It wasn't hard to visualize 'real time' the cost of turnovers and missed free throws...getting back to the "Four Factors" of shooting differential, turnovers, rebounding, and attacking the basket. In close games, even small mistakes are critical. 

Lagniappe. Coach Hacks shares that all fouls are not equal. 

All fouls are NOT created equally…

Acceptable Fouls
▪️Attempting to draw charges
▪️Aggressive box out
▪️Battling for 50/50 rebounds or live balls
▪️Diving for a loose 🏀
▪️Rooting out for position on O or D
▪️Stopping an uncontested layup
▪️General hustle plays

— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) December 25, 2023

Lagniappe 2. Some players struggle to learn discipline at EVERY level. Repeating champions in professional sports is a relative rarity. 

Nick Saban said, "You try to avoid complacency. When you have success, people think I’m supposed to get some time off. They start to resent the hard work. They start to question some of the principles and values that helped them become successful."

Complacency erodes your… pic.twitter.com/304iUOuMT0

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) December 25, 2023

Basketball: What Are Your “Legacy” Messages?

Basketball asserts messages that resonate in our lives. I stole a bunch. Learn to share them with our players. Some I worked to leave behind: 

1. "I believe in you." Nothing inspires more than a trusted leader expressing trust. Tell players or teams who earn that trust. 

2. "Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson   Shared sacrifice, shared vision, shared results. This nullifies the dreaded S's - selfishness, sloth, softness.

3. "The game honors toughness." - Brad Stevens (and others)  Toughness includes both mental and physical discipline. Skill flows from disciplined training. Tough players play both ends of the floor, play the right way, do the 'dirty jobs' and earn teammates' respect.  

4. "Technique beats tactics." - Gregg Popovich  Effort is not a substitute for skill. Dean Smith said, "I don't coach effort." For excellent players, effort is a feature not an 'add-on'. 

5. "Every day is player development day." - Dave Smart  Player development includes skill, seeing the game, and teaching players how to compete and win. 

6. Culture matters. "This is who we are. That is how we play." Regardless of our 'rooting interest', respect the Miami Heat. They embody the "whatever it takes" mentality. 

7. "Think again." - Adam Grant  Things change. Seek solutions not 'my way'. Great players, coaches, and teams constantly evolve. 

8. "The ball is gold." - Coach Sonny Lane  Good teams don't give games away, don't give the ball away, and don't give possessions away. 

9. "Take more and better shots than your opponents." - Pete Newell  I say it as, "Possession and possessions." Get the ball and do something good with it. 

10."Teamwork. Improvement. Accountability." Everyone can't be a great player, but every can choose to be a good teammate. Strive to be better at the end of every practice. A one percent daily improvement translates to a 37-fold improvement over a year. Leverage compounding. Accountability means holding yourself to a high standard. It's Bill Walsh's "Standard of Performance" and Anson Dorrance's "Excellence is our only agenda." 

Be proud of the people whom our players become. 

Lagniappe. Teacher's pets. 

Coaches Play Favorites.

Are you a Favorite?

Here are 7 Favorites that Coaches Play.

#1 Favorite: PLAYERS THEY CAN TRUST.
Can we trust you? Can we count on you? These are the top questions that coaches and teammates demand. If you are not dependable or trustworthy, I don’t care…

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) December 28, 2023

Lagniappe 2. Search for value. 

Basketball: Brief First Half Highlights Medfield #4 vs Bishop Fenwick #5

Across sports, the 'good teams' play other 'good teams' making for more competitive basketball. The Massachusetts playoff structure based on power ratings also rewards strength of schedule. Beat up on cupcakes and that works against you.

Bishop Fenwick traveled for a holiday tournament. Here are some highlights.

1) Breaking the press. "Movement kills defenses." You don't get paid by the dribble. Fenwick scores without a dribble.  

2) "The ball has energy." The ball finds All-Scholastic Cecilia Kay for an easy two. 

3) Win special situations. Against the 2-3 zone BOB defense, screening the middle opens up a layup.

 

4) "Spacing is offense." Medfield plays some 2-3 zone with extra help against Kay (32). Helping off the corner costs them.

 

5) New rules. Medfield dribbles into trouble and almost gets tied up. Then the dribbler resumes dribbling! 

6) Cecilia rebounds and goes coast-to-coast. I did not teach that kind of shot. 

Basketball: Find More Great Reads Like Don Yaeger's "Great Teams"

Great Teams by Don Yaeger shares the 'secret sauce' of great teams, both within and outside of sports.

He devotes a chapter to mentoring. 

Key Point 1: "Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence." 

Tim Duncan arrived on the San Antonio Spurs with David Robinson already installed as the 'lead dog'. That didn't stop Robinson from taking Duncan under his wing and training him in the Spurs Way. Along the way, Duncan and teammates won five NBA titles. 

Key Point 2: Mentoring is critical in most professions, especially medicine. 

Sometimes a mentor can inspire (lecturer Dr. Faith Fitzgerald) or help day-to-day (CAPT Bill Baker and CAPT Tom Walsh). 

Key Point 3: Cultivate relationships that can become mentoring. 

Friendships allow us to reach out to others and ask for help. And all of us need help sometimes. Humility allows us to seek assistance.  

Yaeger drops suggestions for a mentoring culture. 

• Make it intentional. Have a plan (match vets with youngsters).
• Train employees to look for mentoring opportunities.
• Ask team members to look for mentoring. 
• Always be "team first." 
• "Team first" applies to everyone.
• Avoid jealousy (junior employees may surpass mentors).
• Remember where you came from. Everyone starts as junior staffer.

Lagniappe. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says, "there is always a pecking order." Can we be a great teammate and still lead if we're not an 'alpha' on the team? 

Process, Process, Process

Secrets hide in plain sight. Do the work. 

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Basketball: Complacency, Fast Five

"I'm pleased but I'm not satisfied." - Coach Sonny Lane

Championship teams and exceptional players reject complacency. Every post should inspire improvement ideas.  

What choices reject complacency? 

• Do you know what you want to become?
• Do you understand what that requires?
• Do you have an executable plan? 

1. Leave our comfort zone. Develop versatile finishes. Learn to finish off one or two feet with either hand from either side of the basket. The ability to play off two feet increases functional strength. 

2. "Do five more." - Dan Pink 

Invest time to read or to write five more pages. Make five more calls. Run five more sprints. Do five more reps. Work five more minutes. 

3. "Champions do extra." - James Kerr, Legacy

Coach John Wooden said that Bill Walton never got bored of practicing the repetitive footwork that made him special. Kobe Bryant took 1,000 shots a day in the summer. Larry Bird took 500 free throws before school. 

4. Ramp up intensity. Excellence demands intensity. 

5. Be relentless.

Few athletes were as relentless as wrestler Dan Gable. Gable doesn't recommend that. In fact, as a coach he disavows that. 

Lagniappe. These exercises work for basketball, too with balance, strength, and flexibility. 

Basketball: Humility, Philosophy, and Highlights

The basketball domain rewards age-old virtues. Their pursuit guarantees nothing. 

Benjamin Franklin's 13th is Humility. Click through for the lesson.

Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

"The typical image of a manly man is one who is supremely confident, bordering or arrogance. Humility doesn’t seem to fit in that manly image. However, some of the greatest men in history have been the most humble. Humility isn’t weak, submissive, or self-abasing. Humility means having the quiet confidence to allow your actions to speak for themselves. After discussing a lesson on how not to be humble from Greek legend Achilles, we discuss five things you can do to be a little more humble."

Have a well-constructed philosophy. List possibilities then select a few that work for you. 

"Basketball is a game of advantage. Create advantages in skill, athleticism, size, and temperament."

"Basketball is a game meant to be played fast." - John Wooden

"Get more and better shots than your opponent.' - Pete Newell

"Be physically and mentally tougher than opponents."

"Basketball is a game of creating and taking away space." 

"Technique beats tactics." - Gregg Popovich

"Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson

"Spacing is offense and offense is spacing." - Chuck Daly

"Movement kills defenses."

"Allow one bad shot." 

Lagniappe. Defense starts with ball containment. Reposted. 

How do you stop dribble penetration?

Great clip with a lot of good one liners here

This type of teaching is easy for young player to digest

Great stuff

pic.twitter.com/OgMQuzOST3

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 22, 2023

Lagniappe 2. Dave Love on shooting principles. 

The human body was not designed for the purpose of shooting a basketball, so there is no one IDEAL way of shooting.

But there are foundational principles.

And over the last two years I've worked with a research partner to prove two of them.

(Thread)

— Coach Dave Love | NBA Shooting Coach (@CoachDaveLove) December 16, 2023

Lagniappe 3. Coaches are problem solvers. Study the mechanics of problem solving. 

Handful of highlights from the Celtics - Lakers. 

1. Zoom action - downscreen, DHO, into attack 

2. Horns-like action. Backscreen moves corner defender (tagging the cutter) opening the corner three. Arguments occur over help. 

 

3. Stampede? Attacking on the move off the catch? Prince of a move. 

4. Draw 2 and pass...an NBA staple. 

5. Don't neglect 'simple' plays. Rejecting the ball screen. 

Basketball: What Gives You Joy?

"We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing?" - George Bernard Shaw

What gives you joy? 

Recall MUDITA, the word meaning, "your joy is my joy." Seeing players who earn success in high school, make the honor roll, become more is its own reward. Players, "do more to become more and become more to do more." 

The thrill of competition persists - teams pulling together, overcoming obstacles, becoming one. 

Down 10-3, fifth set, game to 15...the team rallies to win. 

Memories of shared sacrifice fulfilling unexpected dreams. 

It's no sin to smile at true joy. 

Experience the joy. 

Lagniappe. Decades ago toxic culture wasn't a thing. What changed? 

Beware of Toxic Culture!

Here are 6 Ways Toxic Cultures Can Form. pic.twitter.com/5ZD0geeA8b

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) December 23, 2023

Basketball: Kindness

Merry Christmas!

I have a saying, "Don't beat yourself up. There will always be someone to do it for you."

Recall The Four Agreements. The first is, "Be impeccable with your word." That means be truthful with others but also not dismissive of ourselves. You're not stupid or hopeless or a mess.

You've heard the acronym, THINK before you speech. Are the words:

True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind?

Lincoln had his "hot letters" that allowed him to let anger subside. He finished the poisoned pen letters "never signed, never sent." He allowed time to heal personal wounds. 

When we hear something, there's often an urge to respond. Mindfulness can help widen the space between stimulus and response. Consider establishing a '24 hour rule' to respond to allow more reflective than reflexive answer. That allows us to engage the 'deep thinking' part of the brain. 

Work to "Speak Greatness." There's a difference between, "that went well, but" and "that went well and have you thought about trying this?"

None of us are perfect. We struggle to meet our standards. Work not to take that on those around us. 

Lagniappe. Spain.  

UNC SPAIN is a simple ball screen set that utilizes Spain Action pic.twitter.com/1c1lPfSrDv

— Hoops Companion 🏀 Resources for Coaches (@Hoops_Companion) December 22, 2023

Lagniappe 2. Don't practice to improve. Practice to become great.  

"You can force someone to work hard.
You can't force someone to compete.
Working hard is something that a lot of people do.
But not everyone is wired to compete.
Every day, compete." - Kara Lawson pic.twitter.com/OCFTzQHP9c

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) December 22, 2023

Lagniappe 3. ATO by Spo.  

Nice back screen play to steal a lay up out the post that Coach Erick Spoelstra runs out of ATO’s pic.twitter.com/7AdIXFxWii

— Ryan Pannone (@RyanPannone) December 24, 2023

Basketball: How to Lose

Four ways to defeat a more talented opponent:
1. Give more effort, physically and mentally.
2. Be more poised under pressure.
3. Play smarter strategically.
4. Work better as a team.

— Sports Psychology (@SportPsychTips) December 23, 2023

Jay Bilas wrote the standard in "Toughness," the article and eponymous (same name) book. This is about the inverse, lack of toughness. 

Coaches talk a lot about winning. We don’t discuss losing efforts so much. Think back about painful losses from near and far. I'm not talking about blowouts by superior teams, but winnable games lost. What lessons did you absorb?

Over 50 years ago, we lead 14-2 in the sixth inning (of seven) on a hundred degree day. The coach pulled out all the starters. The opponent scored 17 runs (including ten consecutive walks). Don't count victory before it's secured. 

Over 40 years ago we had a solid lead in a Navy regional softball tournament. An aura of choking descended upon us and our team imploded. Never neglect mental toughness. Mindfulness training accounts for one proven pathway. 

Fifty years ago we lost in overtime to the twice defending state champions. Coach Lane lambasted us for 45 minutes. "We lost because you didn't believe in yourselves. We are the better team and we won't lose to them again." We beat them twice that season, in a blowout on the road and in Boston Garden in the Sectional Championship. Belief is powerful. So is lack of belief. 

Almost twenty years ago, a local team lost the sectional championship after leading by one with 31 seconds left with the ball. An ill-advised shot with 13 seconds left missed and the opponent scored late. Always be situationally aware. Get everyone on the same page. "Trust but verify" with feedback. 

Five years ago we played a small but aggressive team that constantly pressured the ball, trapped and scrapped, played physical but clean ball and beat us by one. In the rematch, we emphasized quick ball movement and cutting, and led by 18 at half, winning easily. Don't back down from a physical challenge and don't underestimate your opponent based on size. 

Players spend little time thinking about ways to lose. Coaches know that many exist. 

• Poor shot selection
• Turnovers (poor decisions or execution)
• Lack of aggressiveness on the boards
• Missed free throws 
• The dreaded S's - sloth (laziness), selfishness, softness 
• Silence (lack of court communication)
• Lack of preparation (coaching)
• Poor offensive delay game/tempo
• Poor defensive delay game/tempo
• Lack of awareness leading to missed assignments
• Poor transition defense
• Lack of ball containment
• Fouling (fouls negate hustling)
• Failed player development
• Lack of confidence..."you are only as good as you believe you are."
• Lack of resilience. "Quicksand"

Lagniappe. Work on your up tempo game. 

SSG Saturday: 4v3 Grinnell
(Presented by @PracticeLive )
🔸put 7:00 on clock
🔸4v3 each way (shooter steps off each transition)
🔸players can drive it but all shots must be 3s (defender must stay with driver)
🔸:08 shot clock
🔸every 3PM is 1 point pic.twitter.com/3SBoNAM2QV

— Coach Tony Miller (@tonywmiller) December 23, 2023

Lagniappe 2. Handle the press. Punish the press with points. 

When the #1 team throws a surprise full court press on you:

1. Don’t panic, come back & help.

2. Use your Big in the middle.

3. Spread out. Reverse the ball.

4. Don’t dribble across mid court into a trap.

5. Cross court to open teammate.

6. Look to post for an inside score. pic.twitter.com/cDFk1i6L2X

— Coach Battenberg (@TerryBattenberg) December 23, 2023

 

Basketball: "Any Idiot with a Whistle Can Coach"

Once a coach demanded, "you will address me as Coach." That went well. 

“Too many leaders, Plutarch laments, think that the “greatest benefit in governing is the freedom from being governed themselves.” - Ryan Holiday, Discipline Is Destiny

Leadership is uncomfortable with accountability to discipline, energy, sacrifice to bring your best version every day. 

Leadership means asking yourself hard questions. Did I do enough? What can I do better? 

Leaders make leaders. Consider a few names from the last group of players I coached. Ava Wenzel, band leader, winner of every accolade and award the Melrose Band can deliver. Seven members of the Girls Soccer team who made it to the Elite Eight for the first time. Sadie Jaggers with the triple of volleyball All-State and All-Scholastics from The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald. Cecilia Kay, Boston Herald Dream Team, three year All-Scholastic going into her senior year. GPA 4.95. Basketball scholarship to Division 1 American University. These young women will mold future leaders. 

Leaders Eat Last, writes Simon Sinek. Leaders put their 'troops' in position to succeed and sacrifice willingly time with their families to organize and conduct practice, to watch film, to scout opponents, to teach and communicate. 

Yet Brad Stevens asserts, "coaches get more than we give." We develop close ties with players, families, other coaches as part of the effort to take others where they cannot go by themselves. Shared vision, shared sacrifice, shared results. 

I've heard and read, "any idiot with a whistle can coach." Yes, anyone with a whistle can coach, but not everyone with a whistle deserves the honor to be called, "Coach."

Lagniappe. "You plus motivation equals success."  

POWERFUL speech by Jim Valvano that is extremely motivating

“God must have loved ordinary people because he made so many of us…but every day ordinary people do extraordinary things.”

Words to live by, get up and get to it 😤😤

pic.twitter.com/uk3BEEswYQ

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 19, 2023

 

Basketball: Better

“Happy is the man who can make others better, not merely when he is in their company, but even when he is in their thoughts,” Seneca wrote, speaking not only of Cato but all the men and women who inspired him." - Ryan Holiday, Discipline Is Destiny

You cannot 'do your job' until you, "know your job." Our priority might be Newell's mandate, help players "see the game." Impact winning by making the team better.

Players. Making the team better can't be a sometime choice. "Master your role." If you're the twelfth player on the team:

• Never be a distraction. Be on time. Work hard.
• Compete to make the starters and yourself better. 
• Always encourage. 
• "Sweep the sheds." Leave the gym in better condition than you found.
• Be ready when your time comes. 

Coaches. The coach works to make everyone around her better - the team, assistants, and individual players. 

• Model excellence. Players see everything. 
• Provide opportunities for assistants to grow. 
• "Fight for the team" - practice, facilities, scheduling.
• Add value for the players at the top and end of the roster. 
• "Never be a child's last coach."

Parents. Parents can make the team better, too. 

• Participate in booster organizations. 
• Root for all the players. 
• Be part of team-building exercises (e.g. pasta parties).
• Choose positivity. 

Program legacy. Use your imagination. 

• Consider building a coaching library within the Athletic Department.
• Have a drill book. 
• A file of teaching articles can be part of your legacy. 
• A team Facebook page captures eyeballs. 

Lagniappe. Patience to pass late. 

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Basketball: The Tenth Principle (Stir It Up)

Amy Poehler's MasterClass informs nine principles of Improv. What's your tenth? 

Was it Coach Wooden who said, "It's what you learn after you know everything that matters." We all know people who can't listen because they believe they're omniscient. 

The tenth principle is UNLEARNING. What do we know...that's wrong or unhelpful? 

"Defense wins championships." Defense matters but you have to score to win. 

If you have to spend one hundred percent of your time on offensive fundamentals to develop a credible offense, do it. I watched a high school game recently where a team got shut out in a quarter. Why?

• Shooting proficiency 
• Turnovers (including 'shot turnovers' = airballs)
• No offensive rebounding
• East-west dribbling (no penetration)
• Missed free throws 

Notice a pattern? Our friend the Four Factors (Dean Oliver) - SPCA

• Shooting percentage
• Protect the ball (turnovers)
• Crash (rebound)
• Attack the basket (north-south) and make free throws

Here are a few practice activities: 

1. Shooting 

Championship 37, 1 shooter, 1 rebounder. Make it competitive. 

Video. Championship 37. 

5 x 3p

t shots

5 x 3pt catch and shoot

5 x 2pt shots with left hand dribble pull up

5 x 2pt shots with right hand dribble pull up

2 free throws

37 point maximum

Spurs shooting (four groups of three)

Rotate spots. Reward winners by opting them out of pushups. 

2. Turnover prevention. 

4 on 4 half court, no dribbling. It's a pass-and-cut mandate with ten completed passes before scoring is allowed. Play starts with a SLOB formation. It teaches spacing, passing, cutting, and screening against maximal pressure defense. 

5 versus 7 full court, advantage-disadvantage. Constraint added is no dribbling. Turnover for the ball being deflected or hitting the floor. Continuous play, great for conditioning, too. 

3. Basket attack. 

Wing attack - Pierce series. 

Don't work on everything to start. Pick a few like blow by and one dribble pull ups. Definitely don't invest time on step backs before players master basic attacks. 

Box drills. Master footwork with drive or shoot off the catch. 

Of course, you might say, "I expect players to have many of these skills when I assume the job." I'll argue that watching a lot of girls basketball, few players have these skills when they first make high school varsity teams. Many have few. If we can't recruit, then we must develop.  

Lagniappe. Character. 

"When the best players on your team are the best people on your team, you have a great opportunity to have great unity on your team." - Nick Saban

(Via @CoachDanCasey 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/5qaCtkmoWS

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 19, 2023

Basketball: "Mind the Gap"

Easy actions you can use today. Utilize hard-to-defend details in your offense. Among skill, strategy, physicality, and psychology, let's focus on strategy today. 

"Spacing is offense and offense is spacing." Find ways to create spacing with gaps. 

Remind players:

• Urgent cutting 
• Sprint to screen
• Nothing works without ability to execute the 'scoring moment'

1. SLOB Horns Handoff PnR 

If help comes off the corner, then open corner 3. 

2. Spread DHO 

3. 4 out, 1 in sequential screen PnR

4. Duke handoff series

Lagniappe. 

Life = CHOICES

"Practicing hard is a choice. Watching extra film is a choice. Lifting weights, being coachable, & going to class is a choice. Your choices here are going to force me to either play you or sit you on the bench. You’ll get exactly what you want."

- Pat Summitt pic.twitter.com/QZo4JrCC8V

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) December 15, 2023

Lagniappe 2. Need equipment? You have it.  

Post by @damon_reio

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