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Saturday, November 30, 2024

Basketball - Creating Edges

Even with edges, winning isn't guaranteed. For example, in a ten team league if one school has 600 students and another 2,000, the "numbers" advantage may prove overwhelming.

Bossidy and Charan in Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, emphasized three areas:

People, strategy, and operations. Break down these areas with specifics that create advantage. 

People. We have two options. Recruit and/or develop. 

  • Most coaches can't recruit from outside their community. Recruit within. A multisport athlete may choose to concentrate on a different sport as their primary sport. 
  • "Every day is player development day." Build skill through better teaching. Use the resources available like YouTube and FIBA videos,  coaching clinics, and personal experience. 
  • Out of the box (e.g. asymmetric) thinking. Better recovery, nutrition, hydration, and sleep emphasis can help. 
Strategy. Teach to the test .

  • Use the "Four Factors." Who couldn't benefit from shot selection, turnover differential, rebounding edge, and fewer fouls? If we quiz high school players how many know them and can explain them. 
  • Tempo matters. With superior talent leading to 'points per possession' edge, play fast. Conversely, if underpowered, a slower tempo gives an underdog a better opportunity. 
  •  Use the lessons of military strategy, some combination of infantry (power game), artillery (long-range bombing), and cavalry (speed and transition). Apply a balance of actions suited to your personnel. 

Operations. Run better practices and game operations in key areas.

  • Advantage-disadvantage. Defeat pressure with 5 versus 7 full court pressure without the 'luxury' of dribbling. This forces cutting and passing as a default. 
  • Get the best scorers the most opportunities in their proven areas. That doesn't make other players (rebounders, defenders, passers) less valuable. Remember Coach Knight's words, "just because I want you on the floor doesn't mean I want you to shoot."
  • Win "close and late." Practice situational basketball (time, score, and situation) including both offensive and defensive delay games. That includes practicing special situations (e.g. BOBs, SLOBs, ATOs).   
Use lessons from business and other domains to prosper. 

Lagniappe. Defensive concepts. 

Lagniappe 2. Motivation is vital to every domain.  

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