I strongly believe in "signature wins" and "quality losses." For the best teams, neither particularly apply. For teams on the come or trying to get over the hump, they matter.
Signature wins mean home or road wins against top teams and road wins against excellent teams. Quality losses are competitive (within two possession) losses against excellent teams.
All of the above represent being a worthy opponent. Both represent something teams can build on in confidence and performance. Brad Stevens talks about 'competitive character'. A critical mass of skill, basketball IQ, and competitive character gives teams a chance at excellence.
Analogously, there's a formula.
ACHIEVEMENT = PERFORMANCE x TIME
PERFORMANCE = Talent x BB IQ x Compete level
ACHIEVEMENT = Talent x BB IQ x Compete level x TIME
Signature wins and quality losses help teams build confidence. They foster individual and team self-belief and promote belief and buy-in in the coaching staff and its philosophy and process.
Lagniappe. Get the right person, the right shot, at the right time.
"We like to teach motion because we like to teach our players how to play basketball" -Jay Wright
— The Courtside Vault (@CourtsideVault) August 23, 2024
Motion teaches the game. Set plays are to get the right person, the right shot, at the right time pic.twitter.com/P2SXTHgt4O
Lagniappe 2. Etorre Messina emphasizes that in Europe the same action may get different defenses on the same play.
🏀 FIBA Hall of Fame head coach Ettore Messina of Olimpia Milano demonstrates the tendencies in European basketball including facing different coverages on the same action.
— Coaching U (@Coaching_U) August 21, 2024
💻 The full video set from Coaching U Live 2024 is now available on Coaching U+
🔗 https://t.co/b7TFf9ul31 pic.twitter.com/jv5FWTJBtl