Sunday, March 10, 2024

Basketball - Thinking Causes Pain and Gain

"Intelligent thinkers are open to talk about anything, especially those issues which are unable to hold a single and unwavering truth.

Where there is great divide, there is opportunity for great intellectual exploration." 

Controversies abound in basketball, if we're honest. A few examples:

  • Who is the GOAT? 
  • Who is the best player in the game today? 
  • What is the role for zone defense in youth basketball? 
  • What is the best way to train young players? 
  • What is the role for a core curriculum for young players? 
  • Is there a proper ratio among practice and games in development? 
  • Has the game become too favorable for offense? 
  • Should we have universal shot clock? 
  • Is the NBA All-Star game too broken to fix? 
  • Has the NIL gone too far or far enough? 
Dr. Esha Lovric also shares this in her Sunday missive, "Most of the time is it easier to believe what is easiest to believe." This reminds me of the quote, "you are entitled to your own opinion, but not to your own facts." 

I know that no stone tablets ever descended to any hallowed hardwood in any almighty arena. That affirms the value of Professor Adam Grant's Think Again, advising us to keep a 'rethinking scorecard." 

We were weaned at the teat of "defense wins championships" and defense got me maximal minutes as a high school senior. 


Never an All-League player, I lacked the burden of carrying a team. Six decades of basketball study teaches the ascent of offense and the priority of preaching basic to advanced individual and team offensive concepts. That's the highest "rethinking" item on my belief scorecard. 

Lagniappe. The ball has energy. 
Lagniappe 2. Advanced levels demand advanced approaches. 

 Lagniappe 3. Iverson applied. 


at