Jim Rohn said that we either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. What's our trajectory? Are we climbing the mountain or standing still?
Macro (bird's-eye view) and micro (attention to detail) factors separate contenders from others. Let's confine the analysis to top end factors. You might not agree.
Macro.
1. Capacity to play harder for longer. This encapsulates numerous factors including experience, coaching, conditioning, and resilience. You could be committed yet still not meet this standard.
2. Toughness. This overlaps with (1) but is not the same. It's not the trash-talking, chest-thumping toughness, but the will to set and fight hard screens, rebound, take charges, win the 50-50 balls, and so forth.
3. Decision-making. Excellent teams make better decisions on both ends. They don't give the ball or games away with poor shots, blown assignments, stupid or retaliation fouls.
I'm not saying 'talent' isn't among the most important factors but skill and athleticism aren't enough against other strong teams with superior traits above.
Micro.
1. Finding easier shots. Scoring is a function of not only skill but the ability to create better shots - in range, open, on balance. As Pete Carril counseled, "the quality of the shot relates to the quality of the pass." A pass to an open player's ankles is self-defeating.
2. Disallowing easy baskets. Harder shots are tightly contested but not fouled. Strong teams follow their defensive plan with mental acuity and physical execution.
3. Competing possession by possession. My coach taught us to "win quarters" over focusing on the entire game. I believe in 'possession and possessions', that is, get more possessions and seek positive execution within each possession. Selfishness "that is not how we play," ball-sticking, lack of movement, poor shot selection, and losing the 'war on the boards' all hurt 'possession by possession' play.
The macro and the micro are inseparable.
Lagniappe. Use a lot of ball screens? Note for those unfamiliar, "headhunting" = screening the body not an area.
Lagniappe 2. There's a lot of talk about culture. What is it? To me it's the entire 'ecosystem' of a program. "Standards and accountability" matter.Want to get better at utilizing ball screens? Check out this 2 on 1 series.
— Reid Ouse (@reidouse) January 5, 2024
It sounds a lot easier than it is.
Rules:
🔘 Defensive player can guard it however they want
🔘 Offense isn't allowed to finish at the rim (Jumper or floater) pic.twitter.com/OIvZ037TBa
"A winning program will produce winning teams.
— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) January 6, 2024
In order to have a winning program, you have to have a winning culture.
You have to own it.
And understand, you don't have to do this.
But, you don't have to win." - Coach K pic.twitter.com/nPmD5jCKMB
Lagniappe 3. The balance of power shift is palpable. Adding value has new meaning.
It’s a professional relationship bc high level college basketball / football is pro sports https://t.co/EmpERZsi79
— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) January 15, 2024
