Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Basketball: Learned and Taught

"Each possession is different, but come down and make the right play." - Jayson Tatum

Some players suffer the burden of greatness and expectations. Complementary players do not. Complementary players add flavor to the dish, the 'acid' of salt, fat, acid, and heat. 

Coach changed lives by teaching young kids how to win. The lessons of the early 1970s persisted. Coaches who imprint 'basketball values' on our players add meaning. 

"Sacrifice." He meant, "get the best shot for the team." In the opening possession against a team that had won eighteen straight, we made 22 passes until we got the wide open shot for two. That can't feel good as a defender. 

Some saw Jayson Tatum have a 'pedestrian' game with 18 points. But he added 11 boards and five assists and his plus/minus of +18 was greater than the sum of that of Brown and White who had 32 and 25 points. Whether the Celtics win or not, he understands now that winning is legacy. 

"I'm pleased but I'm not satisfied." As Joe Mazzulla said, "there are always 10 or 15 possessions that can be better." Win this possession. When teams sustain that mentality, Dave Smart's "play harder for longer," they have a chance to be special. 

"The ball is gold." Don't give away the gold. The Celtics had six turnovers last night. It's hard to beat a team that shoots almost fifty percent when half their shots are threes. That translated to an EFG percentage of 58.7%. The Cavs' EFG percentage was 47.2% despite an even stingier five turnovers. 

"That was a $#*& shot." Coach didn't mix his messages. Before effective field goal percentage, there was little nuance and no excuses.

"$#*&bird defense." Give a baseline drive, a transition hoop, or commit a bad foul and you'd see and hear it at practice as grainy black-and-white film ran back-and-forth. Ornithological defense was even worse than a bad shot because it allowed a score. Expletive or not, you worked not to repeat. 

Was it a little profane and too harsh for the sensitive ears of today's players? It was a different time. I couldn't share all those timeless messages to the girls I coached, but sometimes they needed them. 

Lagniappe. Remain a leader. 

Lagniappe 2. Keep working on playing off two feet.  

Lagniappe 3. Find a gym and a rebounder. 

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