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Saturday, January 13, 2024

Basketball: Knowing Versus Doing

Chuck Daly said, "I'm a salesman." Coaches sell our expertise, organization of planning and preparation, teaching skills, system,  communication, and more. "Past performance doesn't guarantee future results." 

We're critics, editors, and distillers. Convert raw materials into intermediate goods and finished products. 

Some see a tree and others see a goldmine with maple syrup costing about $86 per gallon. 

See a young player for potential not necessarily for current performance. The 'sapling' becomes a tree that coaches tap for processing into the final product. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of maple syrup. 

What's our process? 

  • Skill development - build core skills - shooting, pivoting, passing, dribbling, cutting, rebounding. "Do you pay your players by the dribble?" Teach economy of dribbling in my opinion. 
  • Strategy extends individual offensive and defensive skills into cohesive play that creates space, advantage, and finishing offensively and shrinks space, advantage, and reduces easy shots defensively. 
  • Physicality. Is a player 'athletic' with the ability to play with force, 'suddenness', and explosiveness combining suddenness and force? Develop and measure 'strength and conditioning' with a variety of tests (vertical jump, sprinting, Cooper 12-minute run). That said, I prefer activities that combine skill building and conditioning. 

Track makes per minute, alternate with rebounder.


Track makes per five minutes. Follow immediately with a low intensity activity like free throw shooting. 

Hardest is projecting the commitment, discipline, and resilience of a player. Is the player coachable? How will they respond to pressure and  adversity, including illness or injury? 

A coach from another sport asked me once about two players. One was a little better athlete, both had similar skill, and the other had better intangibles - coachability and leadership. Both ended up having excellent high school careers. The one I recommended earned the Triple Crown of All-State, and All-Scholastic from both Boston newspapers. Perception plus luck went into the pick. 

Most of us think our way is the best way. It isn't. Because it's "ours" we'll defend it and feel threatened by others who question our methods. That's human nature. That's the value of having mentors and allies who can challenge us with good intent. It's Oscar Wilde's quote, "your friends stab you in the front." 

Lagniappe. Boost lateral quickness. 

Post by @kpstrength
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Lagniappe 2. "Movement kills defenses." Ball reversal and player movement create openings.  

Lagniappe 3. Many coaches get selected because of a broken situation. Coach Battenberg offers direction. 

 

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