Sunday, December 17, 2023

Basketball: Scoreboards and Computers

“Thinking is nothing but talking to yourself inside.” - Richard Feynman

Competitive people measure success by winning. And as former English cricket selector Ed Smith says, “Scoreboards measure performance not effort.” Surely effort is embedded in performance, just as is coaching.

The challenge is talent identification and cultivation. Smith reminds us that our goal is finding those most effective not those most ‘deserving’.

Effective team selection merges objective and subjective information as well as timely physical and emotional status. An emotionally impaired player won’t perform his best.

Smith recognizes that insider perspective of captain and coach provides additional light to the input of outsiders like scouts, talent evaluators, and selectors.

He questions process regularly, noting that the assumption that the best coaches are the best talent evaluators is unproven. 

Imagine our theoretical meeting:
  • Our goal is to find solutions
  • Be open not insular 
  • Don’t be stymied by groupthink
  • Smith’s key question, “What would you do if you were the only decision-maker?
The ideal is to get decisions right not our way. This reminds me of “Red Team” where unexpected voices could punch above their weight.

Smith advises to resist defending your process (“arse covering”) by having a rigorous process not needing defense.

Imagine your team is lagging offensively. If we’re inclined to the four factors, ask:

1. What are the quality and execution of our shots? Are we scoring inside, outside, midrange or not at all?
2. Are turnovers so high to reduce chances?
3. What are our rebounding totals?
4. Are we getting to the line and making free throws?

Lagniappe. Coach K 


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