Basketball: Do What the Top Teams and Top Players Do

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." 

Watch top coaches, top teams, and top players and look for common themes. Develop and rank your list. Improve daily.

Set expectations and how to meet them. No secrets shine on this list or anything our teams can't do better. 

"Seeing is believing." Raw statistics, short clips, screen shots, shot charts, and full game video offer proof. 

• Have a culture of excellence and emphasize coachability.
• Outwork opponents in the offseason. "Repetitions make reputations." 
• Play harder for longer in great physical condition.
• Have "possession enders" who get scores and stops. 
• Take better shots than most opponents. 
• Space the floor on both offense and defense (shrink space). 
• "Win in space" instead of forcing action into traffic. 
• Create space with elite footwork.
• Limit turnovers. Take care of the basketball. "The ball is gold."
• Make more layups and free throws. 
• Handle defensive pressure with player and ball movement. 
• Talk on defense. 
• Don't miss assignments.
• Commit fewer bad fouls. 
• Control tempo with both offensive and defensive delay games. 
• Don't waste energy complaining about officiating. Control what you can control. 
• Never quit.

Every possession won't be perfect. Players will take mediocre shots. They will turn the ball over. They won't get every rebound. They'll make defensive mistakes and errors and commit bad fouls. But they'll do so less often than other teams and results will reflect that.  

Lagniappe. Getting the right fit saves everyone a lot of trouble. 

PARENTS AND LEVEL ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I can’t tell you the amount of parents that are so STRESSED about the level their child is playing (most of the time they want the highest possible).

When they find the right level where their child can contribute and play, it’s like a HUGE weight… pic.twitter.com/UeLdSa7Yu9

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) February 20, 2024 

Lagniappe 2. Teamwork. 

“Being a great teammate is about serving the guys around you. Understanding their why. People drive this. A lot of times we get caught up in numbers, measurements and outcomes. We all share that human experience, it’s important to connect and relate to that,” Matthew Slater pic.twitter.com/1thSA7Tb0o

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) February 20, 2024

Lagniappe 3. Purpose. 

"Your program must have an overriding purpose which is clearly visible and which teaches lessons beyond winning”

- Don Meyer

— Coach Mac 🏀 (@BballCoachMac) February 20, 2024