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Sunday, December 1, 2024

Basketball - What It Takes to Win

What does it take to win? Let's keep the list of possibilities short. 

1) Commitment

2) Competitiveness

3) Talent

4) Teamwork

5) Learning how to win

A sign in the UNC Women's Soccer locker room says everything:

Excellence is our only agenda 

At every level of basketball, ego and agenda can compromise team play in a team sport.

Think back to Chuck Daly's quote, "what does every NBA player want? 48. 48 minutes, 48 shots, 48 million." The levels are different but rivalries that begin at ten can destroy high school teams years later. 

Excellence as both individuals and team has no substitute. Becoming the best version of yourself daily matters. Everyone can't handle that truth. 

Competing means constant attention to detail - doing the work at home, in school, and on the court, from practice to games. Can you be a great player, a bad teammate, an indifferent student and expect to win?  

Nobody wins big without talent. Talent is more than skill and even sport-specific IQ. Toughness is a talent. Focus is a talent. Playing hard is a talent. Coachability is talent. Talent is trainable and if as coaches we lack player development skill, then outsource. 

Teamwork is a force multiplier. The whole becomes more than the sum of the parts with teamwork. A player may have less 'skill' than another yet contribute more to the team's operation. Those players sometimes are labelled glue guys or be the 'sixth man'. 

Training players to win takes time. There's no magic formula, as it integrates individual and team play, especially during 'close and late' situations. 

Lagniappe. ChatGPT answers a prompt about 'force multiplier' and team sports.

The concept of a "force multiplier" fits perfectly in team sports, where certain players, despite having less technical skill or raw talent, significantly enhance the team’s overall effectiveness. These players amplify the contributions of those around them through qualities like leadership, hustle, communication, and strategic thinking.

Attributes of a Force Multiplier in Team Sports:

  1. Energy and Intensity: A high-energy player inspires teammates to elevate their effort. Their hustle on the court or field creates a ripple effect that boosts the team's morale.
  2. Leadership by Example: Even without a captain’s title, they model commitment, hard work, and resilience, encouraging others to follow suit.
  3. Situational Awareness: They might lack elite skill but excel in reading the game, making timely plays, or positioning themselves in ways that create opportunities for others.
  4. Unselfishness: These players prioritize team goals over personal glory, setting screens, diving for loose balls, or making the extra pass.
  5. Communication: A vocal presence on the court can coordinate team defense, encourage teammates, or call out strategies in real-time, magnifying everyone’s effectiveness.

Examples in Action:

  • In Volleyball: A libero or defensive specialist might lack the flash of a heavy hitter but is essential for keeping plays alive and stabilizing the back row. Their digging and passing enhance every hitter's potential.
  • In Basketball: A player with a knack for assists or box-outs—who isn’t scoring much—might make everyone else's job easier by creating open opportunities or controlling possessions.

Force Multipliers as Cultural Anchors:

These players often embody the team’s culture. Their actions reinforce the values you emphasize, such as teamwork, accountability, and perseverance. While they may not always appear in highlight reels, their presence shifts the balance of games and seasons, amplifying the talent around them in ways that make them indispensable.

Lagniappe 2. Every winning team can apply and defeat pressure. 

Lagniappe 3. Train teams to get kills (three consecutive stops).  

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