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Saturday, May 24, 2025

Basketball - Ten Things I Hate About You

"“He just crawls under your skin,” Saleh said, “because Matt’s going to say exactly what everyone else is thinking. And it’s healthy. You need that guy in your life to always keep you in check and make sure you’re checking the boxes. You may not like what you’re hearing, but you’re going to sit back after being mad and be like, ‘Bitch was right.’ It was good. It was productive. You need those people in your life, and that’s what I love about him.”" - from The Why Is Everything by Mike Silver

Players should know what behaviors (e.g. eye rolling) and words will set their coaches off. The list is extensive. 

"It's okay." A teammate makes a mistake such as throwing the ball directly to an opponent. Another says, "don't worry about it, it's okay." It's not okay. Basketball is a game of possessions. More successful possessions create more success. "It's not okay. Bear down. Focus. Next play." Immediacy matters. 

"I know, I know." A player takes a ridiculous shot, a shot turnover and then says to the bench, "I know." Everybody knows. Everyone makes mistakes. Top players don't repeat them. 

"Don't just stand there." Basketball is a game of cutting and passing, a game of creating advantage, a sprinting game. Players who consistently stand around get to sit on the bench. 

"She's a baker. Turnovers are her specialty." Intuitively, you know that you cannot give the ball away. You've learned the Four Factors. "The ball is gold." Take care of the basketball. "Turnovers kill dreams." 

"Killer S's" The killer S's - selfishness, softness, and sloth - destroy teams from within. If "fear is the mind killer," the Killer S's are the team killer. 

"Uncoachable" You think you know everything. You know better than your coaches. 

"Silence is deadly." A lack of talk shows up with more mistakes and worse execution on both ends. You know it's ELO - early, loud, and often. Talk energizes, recruits effort, and intimidates. 

"Get your head in the game." Focus is a skill. Be in the moment whether in the game or on the bench, awaiting your chance to change the world. 


"Too much mustard, not enough dog." If you're going to live on Fancy Dan lane, then you better be able to execute at a high level. One of the most fundamentally sound players of all time, John Havlicek, was all dog and no mustard. 

"Basketball is not a running game, it's a sprinting game." When our high school girls’ team was at full power, an opposing coach told me, "It's hard to compete against a team where the girls are running full time." Sprinting creates separation, wins transition, and limits exposure on defense.

The sooner players learn reality, the more success they'll earn. 

Lagniappe. Learn strategy models. Find one that resonates for you. 

What about SWOT - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.

Lagniappe 2. Helpful glossary.  "Dumb jock" is simply a big lie. 

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Friday, May 23, 2025

Basketball - Nick Saban Isn't Opposed to Players Being in on "I"

Learn across domains. Retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban may be the greatest college football coach ever. As a boy, he helped run his father's service station/car wash. Saban's father inspected every finished wash and made his son rewash the whole car if there was one spot. That explains a lot.  

What resonates? The individual doesn't have the right to bring the team down. "There is an "i" in "Win." That "i" includes:

  • Intelligence, make great decision on and off the court.
  • Intensity, compete at your best level at all times. 
  • Immediacy. Focus on the now, this play.
Performance depends on the quality of the effort, the mindset, and the progress of the younger players.

Here's a harsh truth. a head coach and his/her staff don't decide who plays, their role, and their recognition. The quality of YOUR EFFORT defines your individual and team destiny. You write your story. Make it memorable.

Lagniappe. There's a profile of Alex Bregman in Sunday's Boston Globe. Here are a few quotes: 

“They (his parent) just told me if I wanted to do anything, I better work — work for it every day.” Do the work. 

Bregman, armed with an iPad, digested at-bats, pitches, and plays. He talked about approaches, mechanics, mind-sets — seeking and giving feedback to hitters, pitchers, and anyone else. Be a great teammate.

Bregman talks of “falling in love with the work before the game” and then allowing himself to treat the game itself as the reward for everything he does over the rest of his day. Process over results.

“I know for a fact he’s made some of our younger players better [be] hungry, and [helped them] understand this is what greatness is.” Exceptional players show the will to become exceptional. 

Lagniappe 2. Words help and our actions define us. 

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Thursday, May 22, 2025

Basketball - Storytelling, Career Arcs, and Asset Allocation

People succeed in many ways - academically, parenting, athletically, artistically, in their vocation, literally their calling.

Coaching allowed sharing success stories of women and men for our young girls. 

  • Arlene Blum lead an all-women's expedition to climb Annapurna, one of 14 Himalayan peaks over 8,000 meters
  • Frances Perkins, was a labor leader-reformer and the first cabinet level woman as Labor Secretary under President Franklin Roosevelt.
  • Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Bowdoin rhetoric professor turned Civil War hero helping win the Battle of Gettysburg and a Congressional Medal of Honor. 
Their history is our history.

In a 1973 high school "mimeograph," certain careers were suggested as available to women - teaching, nursing, seamstress. 

"How to Invest" shares an anthology of interviews by David Rubinstein, including one with Paula Volent, an investment manager at Bowdoin who produced astonishing returns eclipsing those of 'the Ivies'. 

A few quotes from the article reminds us that women can succeed in any field. 


She began her career in art history and through chance ended up in a business career after working closely with Yale's superb investor David Swensen. While at Bowdoin from 2000-2001, she helped grow their endowment from $465 million to $2.72 billion. She understands risk management. 

Basketball is similar. Study a problem, its possible solutions, and then apply the ones that seem most likely to work. 

Invest in yourself. Read. Someone asks, "what three sports books are worth reading this summer?" Game Changer: The Art of Sports Science by Fergus Connolly, The Why is Everything by Michael Silver, and The Art of Winning by Bill Belichick. 


Successful coaches become experts in asset allocation - practice time, roster formation, playing time, deployment of strategies. Both Bill Belichick and Brad Stevens hold economics degrees. 

Success in any field requires self-reflection, understanding your field and pressing your strategic advantages in people, strategy, and operations (how you play). 

Strive to think clearly and communicate well. Present yourself well in speech, writing, and nonverbal communication. People judge coaches on our behavior, ideas, and communication. 

Changing people and strategies creates a regular challenge for coaches. Supporting a struggling player can yield benefits or failure. When we miss our exit on the highway, we don't drive forever. We look for the next exit. "The next exit" in sports can result in sadness and hurt feelings. But the best coaches know they need to act.  

Lagniappe. Develop a diversity of coaching abilities. 


Lagniappe 2. Excellent spread on spacing. 



 

 

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Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Basketball - Repetitive Thinking

In John Maxwell's The Seventeen Qualities of a Team Player, he includes a chapter on "Solutions." What helps us unearth solutions? Outline the process and share examples. 

1) Refuse to give up. UNC under Dean Smith trailed their archrival Duke by eight with seventeen seconds left. They could have mailed in those last seconds. They chose to fight. 

2) Refocus. In almost every game, you see a player make a mistake like a poor shot or a turnover and then "double down" with a foul. Coach used to call them 'stupid fouls' or 'retaliation fouls'. A proverb says that "holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." Next play mentality or "playing present" prevents one bad play from bleeding into a series of errors. 

3) Rethink your strategy. When Plan A isn't working, move on to Plan B. That might mean changing tempo, going from man defense to zone, or using more screens and backcuts against pressure defense. If we miss our turnoff on the highway, find the next exit. 

Most people credit economist John Maynard Keynes with this quote, "When events change, I change my mind. What do you do?"

4) Repeat a winning process. Fire, Ready, Aim is a losing approach. Most things in life require finding an edge, applying it, and repeating the process relentlessly. Great habits, ruthlessly applied, produce results. 

Summary:

  • Refuse to quit
  • Refocus
  • Rethink
  • Repeat

Lagniappe. Aggressiveness and fundamentals (footwork) add value. 

Lagniappe 2. Quicken your release. 

Two drills I used: 1) face the basket, flip back over your head, catch on a bounce, turn and fire. 2) QuickDraw - ball at chest, bounce hard, catch and shoot quickly 

 

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Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Be the Foxhole Guy

Success demands having competitive players. Back in the day, somebody described a kid saying, "he was always the kid picked first in pickup games, no matter what the sport."

Coaches want those guys. The best coaches excel in identifying, developing, and using that guy. As a player, be that guy. 

Trust. From Boston Sports Journal, guest columnist Gregg Cosell said, "What do defensive coaches always talk about? They want to be able to trust their players. Sometimes they may not put the best athlete on the field because another guy can go out there, and they know that he won't make mistakes." Coaches 'need' to believe that the player will make the right decision and make the play in the moment. 

Ascending players. UNC Women's Soccer Coach Anson Dorrance had an expression "continual ascension." Coaches want players who keep developing. Sometimes a program has problems because a prospect becomes a suspect. The player doesn't make the transition from a tiger cub into a tiger. 

Competitive character. Brad Stevens talks about competitive character, the skill and will to be impactful. You've heard it said other ways such as 'foxhole guy', the person you want next to you in the foxhole. 

So far as every team goes, I speak with an outsider's perspective. Being at practice regularly allows coaches to see dimensions like leadership, mentoring, teamwork, supportiveness, and other intangibles. Young players can absolutely contribute beyond expectations with competitive character. 

Lagniappe. Get help...and give it. Young players...as Mr. Rogers said, "look for the helpers." Veterans, give help because you want to be a champion. 

Lagniappe 2. Foxhole guy (from ChatGPT):

In sports, being a "foxhole guy" means being the kind of teammate others want beside them in the toughest moments—the pressure situations, the grind-it-out games, the times when things aren’t going well. The metaphor comes from the idea of being in a literal foxhole during war: you're under fire, stakes are high, and trust is everything. A foxhole guy doesn't flinch, complain, or look for a way out. Instead, they stay focused, bring calm or intensity when needed, and always put the team first. They're dependable under pressure, emotionally steady, and often make the hard plays that don’t show up in the box score.

More than skill, being a foxhole guy is about character. Coaches and teammates value these players because they lead through example, hold themselves accountable, and help others stay grounded. They might not be the loudest voice in the locker room or the flashiest player on the court, but when the game is on the line, they’re the ones you trust to do their job, support their teammates, and compete with toughness and composure.


 

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Monday, May 19, 2025

Basketball - "Greed Is Good?"

Sport is a microcosm of society. In the movie Wall Street, fictional character Gordon Gekko proclaims "Greed is good." There's another Wall Street saying, "It takes courage to be a pig."

How does that impact our philosophy and ethical view about basketball? 


This screenshot of a 'travel basketball' pricing poster shows how Gordon Gekko moved from the boardroom to the basketball court. 

This extends concepts discussed by Philip Delves Broughton in "What They Teach You at Harvard Business School." Learn and apply lessons from HBS, an insular complex 'across the river' from Harvard College...with an assist from ChatGPT (in blue). 

1. Confidence Is Currency

Broughton repeatedly emphasizes how confidence—projected and internalized—is a key to success, often more than technical knowledge. HBS encourages students to speak up, defend their ideas, and own the room. This prepares them not just to analyze, but to lead.

Lesson: Being confident and decisive, even under uncertainty, often matters more than being perfectly correct.

You can only be as good as you believe you are. In a MasterClass about the CIA, a senior leader rhetorically asked a younger woman presenter "are you the expert in the room on this subject?" He then adds, "then act like it."

Leaders solve problems by understanding the complex root causes and promoting workable solutions. For example, imagine a basketball program has struggled. Sometimes we see the program schedule more 'cupcakes' to improve its record. That's equivalent to smashing a gas gauge and moving the needle from empty to half full.

2. The Case Method Teaches Framing and Persuasion

Instead of traditional lectures, HBS uses the case method, requiring students to analyze real-world business problems and defend their solutions. The goal isn't a right answer—it’s learning how to frame arguments, listen strategically, and persuade others.

Lesson: Business is often about shaping perception and making decisions with incomplete information.

The OKC Thunder present a case study argument for going 'all in' on tanking and accumulating draft choices. (some assist from AI)

PlayerHow AcquiredDetails
Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderTrade (2019)Via LAC - Paul George trade (plus picks).
Chet HolmgrenDraft (2022, 1st Rd #2)Selected 2nd overall (2022 NBA Draft).
Jalen WilliamsDraft (2022, 1st Rd #12)Selected 12th overall (2022 NBA Draft).
Josh GiddeyDraft (2021, 1st Rd #6)Selected 6th overall (2021 NBA Draft). 
Traded for Alex Caruso
Luguentz DortUndrafted FA (2019)Undrafted free agent (two-way, later converted).
Cason WallaceDraft (2023, 1st Rd #10)Selected 10th overall (2023 NBA Draft).
Jaylin WilliamsDraft (2022, 2nd Rd #34)Selected 34th overall (2022 NBA Draft).
Isaiah HartensteinFree agent (2024)
Aaron WigginsDraft (2021, 2nd Rd #55)Selected 55th overall (2021 NBA Draft).
Ousmane DiengDraft (2022, 1st Rd #11)Selected 11th overall (2022 NBA Draft).

Key Takeaways:

  1. Draft-Centric Approach – OKC has built primarily through the draft, leveraging high picks (Holmgren) and later steals (Jalen Williams, Dort).

  2. Strategic Trades – SGA was acquired in the blockbuster Paul George deal, proving pivotal. Caruso trade for Giddey added a key defensive piece and team player

  3. Development Focus – Found gems like Dort (undrafted) and Joe (waivers), showcasing strong scouting.

  4. Free agency - Added key rim protector/rebounder Isaiah Hartenstein

3. Leadership Is a Narrative

Broughton explores how students learn that effective leadership involves crafting and owning a compelling story, whether about a product, company, or personal brand. Those who can tell a clear, bold story tend to lead others—even if the underlying reality is still forming.

Lesson: People follow leaders who offer coherent vision and purpose, even amid ambiguity.

Executive Sam Presti had a clear mission in constructing a team around star players, size, and elite defense 

4. Network Is Power

The HBS network is one of its most powerful assets. Relationships formed at school—through dorms, sections, and social events—often prove as valuable as classroom learning. Access, not just ability, shapes many careers.

Lesson: Who you know (and how you cultivate those relationships) can shape your opportunities as much as what you know.

Do whatever we can to help grow our players' skill, game understanding, resilience, and if possible, academic progress. Help them by networking with other coaches and other coaches at other levels. 

5. Business School Can Be an Ethical Gray Zone

Broughton wrestles with the moral ambiguity he observes. The mantra isn’t quite “Greed is good,” but there's an undercurrent of pragmatism over idealism, with success often defined by financial return. Broughton leaves HBS ambivalent—impressed by the talent, but wary of the values.

Lesson: Business school trains people to win—but doesn’t always ask whether the game is worth winning.

Each of us decides how we conduct our business. Players see everything and if we 'color outside the lines' they may accept blurring or removing ethical boundaries. Coaches have a responsibility to teach sportsmanship. 

Lagniappe. Physical and mental toughness are skills. 

Lagniappe 2.  A good video for players to study an undervalued skill, cutting. 

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Sunday, May 18, 2025

Basketball - Getting Noticed

Everyone wants the triad of minutes, role, and recognition. Get noticed.

As a player what gets noticed? Control what you can control. At tryouts with the youngest group, I asked players to sit on the baseline. I then said, "I need a volunteer." Hands fly. I explained, "that's not good enough. When you hear, "I need a vol...pop up like you were shot out of a cannon." That gets you noticed.

One year a player beat me to it. 'Naomi' came up to me two minutes before tryouts and said, "Coach, I am really excited to be here." I need that type of player on my team. 

1) Attitude. Attitude is approach. Be punctual, positive, consistent. Be the same person every day.

2) Effort. Strive to be the hardest worker every day. Effort translates into superior conditioning.

3) Decision-making. Good decisions extend to home responsibilities, academics, extracurriculars and work. How you do anything should be how you do everything. 

4) Know your job. Know the team philosophies, calls and sets, and assignments in every situation. That includes asking good questions, especially if uncertain about what is required. 

5) Do your job. Execution implies attention to detail. That implies being in the right places at the right times and doing right what's expected. 

6) Communication matters both verbal and nonverbal. Bring personal energy and energize teammates with both words and actions. 

Bill Belichick reduces a player's responsibility to:

  • Do your job.
  • Work hard.
  • Pay attention to detail 
  • Put the team first.
Lagniappe. Get ahead by recognizing and creating advantage. 

Lagniappe 2. The 100% Theory.  

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Saturday, May 17, 2025

Basketball Conditioning with Lower Body Injury

Players with severe lower body injuries face multiple challenges. Limb atrophy (muscle wasting) occurs rapidly with accompanying weakness.

Conditioning likewise fades without game play, treadmill, or cycling. "Todd Buckingham, Ph.D., exercise physiologist at PTSportsPRO in Grand Rapids, Michigan, tells Runner’s World that most people will see their VO2 max fall between 4 and 8 percent after about a week of no training. By two months, you may be looking at a 20 precent drop, and mitochondria (the “powerhouse” of the cell) declines at an even faster rate. “After one week [without training], mitochondrial content in the muscle fibers decreases by about 50 percent,” he adds."

This Runner's World piece suggests many specific alternatives for limited or non-weight bearing exercise. Thinking about Jayson Tatum's recovery, I wonder about one-legged rowing, arm ergometry, and seated battle ropes in particular. 

There's no urgency to reestablish conditioning but most recovering athletes want to resume activity as soon as possible.

Swimming won't be an early option as wound healing takes priority.

For people interested in upper extremity conditioning exercises, these might apply. 

During weight-bearing restriction, what options are available for conditioning?

From ChatGPT:

1. Arm Ergometer (Upper-Body Cycle or UBE)

  • Best option for cardio when lower-body use is limited.

  • Mimics cycling but with arms; adjustable resistance.

  • Targets shoulders, arms, and upper back while elevating heart rate.

  • Can be used seated (even in a wheelchair or with a leg elevated).

2. Seated Battle Ropes

  • Short intervals (20–30 seconds) of high-intensity arm slams or waves.

  • Great for anaerobic and aerobic conditioning.

  • Works core and upper body, raises heart rate quickly.

  • Keep the lower extremities supported and stabilized.

3. Shadow Boxing or Seated Punch Drills

  • Use light dumbbells or resistance bands.

  • Throw jabs, hooks, and uppercuts while seated.

  • Time-based intervals can create aerobic stimulus.

  • Engages core, deltoids, and cardiovascular system.

4. Resistance Band Circuits

  • Combine upper-body movements (rows, presses, curls, triceps extensions) in a nonstop circuit.

  • Minimal rest between sets keeps the heart rate elevated.

  • Easy to adjust intensity and position to protect the injury.

5. Swimming with Pull Buoy (if medically cleared)

  • If in water therapy is permitted, a pull buoy between the legs can keep lower limbs immobile.

  • Swimming with just arms (freestyle or breaststroke) provides resistance and cardio without weight-bearing.

6. Arm-Based HIIT Circuit (Seated)

Create a timed circuit with the following exercises:

  • Medicine ball slams (seated)

  • Resistance band punches

  • Overhead presses (light weights)

  • Seated battle ropes

  • Seated lat raises

Structure:
30 seconds work / 15 seconds rest x 3–5 rounds

Precautions

  • Always coordinate with physical therapy or medical staff.

  • Monitor fatigue closely to avoid shoulder overuse injuries.

  • Keep posture supported, especially if seated for long periods.

 Lagniappe. Mental fortitude matters most if you have enough ability. 

Lagniappe 2. Close the gap. 


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Friday, May 16, 2025

Basketball - Dalio's Messages

Learn by reading more and applying where possible. Bridgewater Fund principal Ray Dalio, author of "Principles" shared his thoughts in an interview in How to Invest by David Rubenstein.  

1) "Pain plus reflection equals progress." That's how Dalio built Bridgewater. He's a 'hard guy'. Bad decisions are painful. If we learn from them we have a chance at future success. Another old saying about this was, "Good judgment comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgment." 

2) "You have to be an independent thinker." Whether investing or coaching, consensus thinking tends to produce average results. 

3) "I love being a mentor to those I've passed the lead responsibilities to." Everyone benefits from coaching and having elite coaching gives others a chance to produce superior results. 

4) "I'm a global macro investor. That means that I look at the whole world and the interconnectedness of it, trying to figure out how it works." Basketball is similar as everyone works to understand the intent, strengths, and weaknesses of opponents and works to limit the strength and attack weaknesses. 

5) "It was real thinking, dropping us into real cases (at Harvard Business School) and debating, "How would you approach that?" Watching games real-time and on video replay, "play along" and ask "what will they do next?" "How will they attack that zone?" or "How will they adjust to lessen the rebounding disadvantage there?" Every game shares multiple 'case studies'. 

6) "I could stay on the safe side and have a safe but mediocre life, or I could try to cross through the risky jungle to have a great life if I could get to the other side." Each of us defines our risk tolerance and how to navigate the particular ecosystem we inhabit. 

7) "Thinking. It had a big effect on how I approached life." There's value to unlock by understanding mental models (e.g. sample size, circle of competence, feedback effects) and cognitive bias (risk aversion, confirmation bias, recency bias). 

Lagniappe. Our actions define our standards. 

Lagniappe 2. Iverson action into a basket cut. 

Lagniappe 3. Payton Pritchard, who led the NBA in regular season threes off the bench, warms up in close.    

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Thursday, May 15, 2025

Basketball - Avoiding Bad Plays

 

Bill Belichick extends the teachings of Coach Bob Knight. "Basketball is a game of mistakes." The quote above reflects the impact of Tom Brady on winning. More precisely, Brady kept the Patriots out of negative plays. 

Teach players, feed them the gospel of playing clean. 

  • Take quality shots (the quickest route to improvement)
  • Value the ball (turnovers are zero percent possessions). 
  • "Foul for profit." Never foul perimeter shots. No retaliation fouls or fouling bad or bailout shots. 
  • "Mental mistakes have no redeeming value." - Bill Belichick 
  • Missed assignments show up on the scoreboard not the scorebook. 
Grainy black and white film showed us defensive breakdowns (baseline drives, bad fouls) and low percentage or rushed shots ("#$%& shots"). Film imposed humility.

Basketball teaches truths. 

"Teamwork is a force multiplier."
"Turnovers kill dreams." 
"Selfishness, sloth, softness" belong to losers. 

In Any Given Sunday, Coach Tony D'Amato says "the game is pure." He laments how the business of football corrupts the sport, despite the honesty and beauty in the game itself.

Many of us feel that way about basketball, conflicted about kids learning to play and a parent paying $45 to watch a twelve year-old play travel ball. Not watching kids at $45 a pop is one way to avoid seeing bad plays. 

Lagniappe. Create your own shot. 
Lagniappe 2. Another brief but deep thought from Belichick in The Art of Winning. "Big, obvious things should be big and obvious to you." What would be your biggest, most obvious thing? 


 




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Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Basketball - "I'm Right and You're Wrong!"

No rational person starts an argument, "You're an idiot. I'm right and you're wrong." The other person rightly and immediately turns us off.

Adam Grant's Think Again delivers many messages about the value of rethinking. A top takeaway is to keep a rethinking scorecard, tracking change of heart, more accurately changing our minds. 

How can a discussant more likely get another to rethink?

1) Seek common ground. Rather than summarize all areas of disagreement, find agreement. Repeating as a pro sports champion is hard. Why did I lack confidence in the Celtics chances? They played a long season in 2024 and they had three players - Tatum, White, and Holiday - on the Olympic team. Additionally, they accumulated a lot of known injuries (Brown's knee, Porzingis fatigue syndrome, Holiday 'mallet finger' and muscle pull, and Tatum's wrist). Those are just factors that could impact performance. Every team has guys hurt now. 

2) Provide only strong arguments because opponents will attack your weak ones. Disney's Bob Iger approached Steve Jobs about merging with Pixar. Jobs outlined a long list of negatives and only three positives. Iger felt sure a deal was doomed. Jobs countered, the positives, although few are far stronger. Don't give opponents an abundance of weak arguments. Find strong ones. Bringing in a hundred page document adds weight but not gravitas. For example, the Celtics are in cap jail and new ownership won't want to take a financial bloodbath with a season without Tatum. Far more likely that they'll trigger a reset by moving big contracts and try to get into a manageable salary cap position. 

3) Ask more and better questions. Grant found that negotiators fared better when twenty percent of their statements were questions. Regularly return to the "Big Four" from Michael Useem's The Leadership Moment: 

  • What went well? (Where do we agree?)
  • Went went poorly? (Where do we strongly disagree?)
  • How can we do better next time? (Where can we move closer on this?)
  • What are the enduring lessons? (Are some of our disagreements less substantive and just emotional, or even by chance?) Where we grew up, went to school, or our baseball team shouldn't torpedo civil discussion. 
Common themes here are: improving relationships and communication, more 'big picture' focus, and removing distractions and noise. Another is setting aside emotion for more analytic, thoughtful, and rational discussion can benefit both sides. 

Lagniappe. JJ Redick shares his thoughts on a contentious issue, zone in youth ball. 
Lagniappe 2. Coach Hacks shares drills. 
Lagniappe 3. Maximizing points per possession is tough in the playoffs with better teams, better defense, and more physicality. 


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Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Basketball - GTHI (Got to Have It)

In The Art of Winning, Bill Belichick says there are five or so GTHI (Got to Have It) plays per game. With few scores in a game, that makes sense. There might be more or fewer depending on the competitiveness of a basketball game.

In a tight contest, many might show up 'close and late'. These plays score or deny opponents from scoring. Sometimes it's more nuanced, holding on to a rebound, corralling a loose ball, making free throws, blocking out a tough rebounder or inbounding the ball against pressure. 

In a rout, sometimes there are no GTHI plays.

'Basketball powers' develop "possession enders," players who score, get stops, and rebounds. New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau noted that teams prosper with defensive runs and rebounding runs as with offensive runs. 

Top teams find ways to neutralize the impact of pressure. They win the "balance of power" between offense, defense, and conversion between the two. 

We don't always recognize when a GTHI moment didn't happen. A missed layup might have triggered an offensive run or a live-ball turnover changes momentum as an opponent turns it into a transition hoop. 

Practicing situations prepares us for better decision-making and execution when games are in the balance. Do we have a couple of winning plays for BOBs, SLOBs, ATOs, and half-court GTHIs against man and zone defense? 

GTHIs separate championships from regrets. 

Lagniappe. As coaches, humility allows us an improvement mentality. 


Lagniappe 2. Bilas speaks truth. 

 Lagniappe 3. Attention to detail...  

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Monday, May 12, 2025

Why Basketball Defense Fails

Basketball defense fails for many reasons. 


1st quarter Pacers shot chart versus Cavs, from ESPN, 5/11/2025

Sometimes superior offense leaves defenses in the dust with shotmaking. Indiana made 12-18 three-point shots in the first half en route to a 41 point halftime lead over Cleveland. 

Let's examine the root causes for defensive failure, both individually and collectively. Breakdowns happen at every level of the game. 

Missed and flawed assignments
  • Common at lower levels (understanding, communication)
  • Failed coverages (e.g. pick-and-roll)
  • Mismatches
  • Transition defense 
Execution
  • Lack of ball pressure allows opponent to run offense
  • Ball containment issues allow penetration, 2 vs 1 situations
  • Poor off-ball defense allows open cutters
  • Poor shot contesting favors easier shots (especially open 3s)
  • Poor or no blockouts allow second and third shots
  • Live-ball turnovers turn into high points/possession offense
Fouling
  • Fouling perimeter shooters
  • Bad technique (often on blocked shots, reaching in-hand discipline)
  • Fouling bad or bailout shots
  • Frustration/retaliation fouls (doubling down after bad plays)
Miscellaneous
  • Inadequate effort
  • Poor conditioning
  • Limited athleticism
  • Awareness issues
  • Low basketball IQ 
This seems like an ideal situation to consult AI for a more comprehensive look. Deep Seek shares some answers. 

1. Poor Communication

- **Switching Errors**: Defenders fail to communicate on screens, leading to open shots or mismatches. 
- **Help Defense Lapses**: Players don’t call out cuts or drives, leaving teammates unaware of threats. 
- **Transition Confusion**: Defenders don’t match up properly in fast breaks, leaving shooters open. 

2. Defensive Fundamentals Breakdown
- **Lazy Closeouts**: Failing to contest shots with high hands or proper footwork gives shooters easy looks. 
- **Bad Stance**: Standing upright instead of staying low in a defensive stance slows reaction time. 
- **Reaching Instead of Moving Feet**: Gambling for steals leads to fouls or blow-by drives. 

3. Mismanagement of Screens 
- **Going Under on Shooters**: Allowing elite shooters space off screens leads to open threes. 
- **Not Fighting Over Screens**: Getting caught on picks forces help defense to rotate, creating open shots elsewhere. 
- **Soft Hedge/No Show on Ball Screens**: Failing to disrupt the ball handler gives them free passing or driving lanes. 

4. Weak Help & Rotation
- **"Ball Watching"**: Defenders focus on the ball and lose track of cutters or weakside shooters. 
- **Late Rotations**: Help arrives too late, leading to easy layups or kick-out threes. 
- **Overhelping**: Unnecessary double-teams leave dangerous shooters open. 

5. Transition Defense Failures 
- **Lack of Sprint Back**: Players jogging back after a missed shot or turnover allow easy fast breaks. 
- **Failure to Protect the Rim**: No defender stops the ball, leading to uncontested layups. 
- **Mismatches in Transition**: Bigs get stuck guarding guards, or defenders fail to match up quickly. 

6. Mental Lapses & Fatigue 
- **Late Shot Clock Breakdowns**: Defenders relax as the shot clock winds down, leading to open looks. 
- **Lack of Focus on Weakside**: Losing track of off-ball movement results in backdoor cuts or open threes. 
- **Conditioning Issues**: Tired defenders stop moving their feet, leading to fouls or blow-bys. 

7. Poor Defensive Scheme Fit 
- **Mismatched Personnel**: Slow-footed bigs in a switching scheme get exploited by guards. 
- **Overly Aggressive Traps**: Badly timed double teams lead to open shots elsewhere. 
- **Zone Defense Gaps**: Poorly executed zones allow offenses to find seams for easy shots. 

8. Individual Defensive Deficiencies
- **Lack of Lateral Quickness**: Slow defenders get beaten off the dribble. 
- **Poor Awareness**: Players lose track of their man or fail to read offensive actions. 
- **Foul-Prone Defenders**: Reaching and hacking instead of disciplined positioning. 

Solutions to Improve Defense 
- **Drill Fundamentals**: Closeouts, defensive slides, and communication exercises. 
- **Film Study**: Recognizing offensive tendencies and adjusting coverages. 
- **Conditioning**: Ensuring defenders can sustain effort for full possessions. 
- **Adjust Schemes**: Switching from drop coverage to hedging, or tweaking zone principles based on personnel. 

Great defense requires effort, IQ, and cohesion. Even against elite offenses, sound defensive principles can limit breakdowns—but any lapse can lead to easy buckets.

Lagniappe. Examples 

1. Live-ball turnover on opening possession of Pacers-Cavs 


2. Overhelp on the ball opens Nesmith on the perimeter. 



3. Weak-side help loses offensive assignment into corner cut.

 

4. Frustration, retaliation, lack of discipline foul 


5. Sometimes it's not so clear. Halliburton uses a "negative step" to blow by the defender and there's no help. Some teams practice no help off the corner three, offering at most a stunt at the driver. 



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