Monday, March 25, 2024

Basketball - Better Than Kata?

Kata is a Japanese word (型 or 形) meaning "form" - Wikipedia

“This is a matter of practice related to what martial artists call kata — a set pattern that rewards repetition with excellence.“ - Sam Sifton, NYT 

"The enemy of good is better." Form begets function, but "perfect form" is usually illusory. Better approaches outshine perfect. Winning is hard and excellent coaches and teams develop SYSTEMS to improve performance. 


 

 1. “The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win. Everyone wants to win but not everyone wants to prepare to win." - Bobby Knight



How many young players fully commit to preparation? 

2. Make maximal effort your brand. "Never cheat the drill." 

3. "Obsess the product." That means "every day is player development day," in all facets. Build skill and athleticism. 

4. See more. Newell's priority "see the game," requires study of great players, coaches, and video. 

Learn from Kobe. Be granular (detailed). 

Even great players aren't perfect. Learn from others' excellence and their mistakes, too. 


Coach Nick shares his approach. 


Scout with Bryan shares numerous insights. 

5. Watch the game analytically. 
  • See the big picture and the symmetry. What's the spacing and what's the defensive proximity (how close are they)?
  • Don't just be a ball watcher. What happens away from the ball? 
  • Study 'common' actions - pick-and-roll, plays with cutting, downscreen DHO (Chicago/Zoom action), ram screens (downscreen into ball screen), complex screening (staggers, sequential screens, backscreen the roller - Spain action). The more you 'watch', the more you'll see. 
  • In key situations, imagine what you'd do as a player or coach. 
  • Watch your own video. What do you without and with the ball? How do you impact winning? 
Systems to Promote Winning:
  • Have the will to prepare to win. 
  • Make maximal effort your brand.
  • "Obsess the product." 
  • Study the game 'professionally'. 
  • Watch the game analytically.
Lagniappe. Learn to play more consistently off two feet. 

Lagniappe 2. Traffic jam.  

Lagniappe 3. Excellent disrupts.  

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