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Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Basketball- Need to Know

Heading into the playoffs, ask yourself "what does my team need to know now?" Only you and your players can know. Most times, players knowledge of the game is a lot less than we think.

Some common sense suggestions to share with them:

"Excellent teams play harder for longer" than lesser teams. Whether it's youth or professional basketball, focus and effort vary. Regret never comes from too much focus or playing too hard. 

"Give and get feedback" to know everyone is on the same page. The most painful losses occur with mental mistakes. Players miss shots and opponents make them. But the events leading up to those moments matter. Missed assignments and avoidable errors stay with us. 

"Do the math." Calculus tells us the game is the sum of a series of individual actions. Bad shots, turnovers, and fouls all kill dreams. 

"Avoid the deadly S's." Selfishness, softness, and sloth (laziness) are among the deadliest sins in basketball. Think back to the Bilas "Toughness" virtues:

  • "It's not your shot, it's our shot."
  • "Get on the floor." There are no 50-50 balls. 
  • "Play so hard that your coach has to take you out." 
Chances are that if our team has too many "S" players, there is no postseason or at best a short one. 

"Not everyone can be a great player. Everyone can choose to be a great teammate." Alan Williams was a walk-on at Wake...a player who had scored 51 points in a high school game. When he made the team, the equipment manager didn't grace him with a travel bag. Later he found one in his locker, that the star player had given him. 

"Tell a great story." Our athletic careers pass quickly. Create memories that last a lifetime. Roy Williams went to scout a recruit. The player fouled out and sprinted to the bench. He went to the water cooler to get water for teammates during the timeout. He got the scholarship. 

During the postseason in high school we played a 22-0 team in Boston Garden. Their top player, Dave Winey, became a Celtics draft choice. As we led by four, he took a jump shot from just beyond the short corner on the right. As he went up, I, positioned on the right wing, saw flashbulbs sparkling from the crowd. And our center, John Pacillo, met the ball at its peak and denied the shot as we won 47-41. I had an iconic, best view ever of that play. 

Sport teaches us to pay the price and earn memories unavailable to others. 

Lagniappe. ""If you look, I think you’ll find that wherever information is exchanged—wherever there are products, companies, careers, politics, knowledge, education, and culture—the best story wins." - Morgan Housel in "Same as Ever." 

Lagniappe 2. Nash shares. 

Lagniappe 3. Kelbick post-up tips. 

 Lagniappe 4. Our why has to overcome our why not. 

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