Fill in the Basketball Blanks

Quiz your players. Find out what they know and how they think. No multiple choice questions, no Jeopardy answers, just fill in the blanks. Don't grade on the curve. 

Add value for players. Help them find solutions.

1. Basketball is a game of _______ 

There's no unitary answer. Bob Knight said, "mistakes." Lots of other possible answers such as "separation" or "cutting and passing." Coach Wooden said, "Basketball is a game meant to be played fast." Superior talent should play fast. 

2. The quickest road to improvement is ________

"shot selection." As Newell said, "Get more and better shots than our opponents." 

3. “Fouling negates __________”

"hustle." Fouling often turns lower quality (points per possession) shots into free throws (higher percentage).

4. Turnovers kill ___________

"dreams" or "possessions." A turnover equates to a zero percent shot and often "live ball turnovers" become high points per possession for opponents. 

5. The most common cause of offense failing is ________

This depends on our team. Possible examples include "lack of hard cutting" or "turnovers" or "poor shot selection." For some, lack of offense is lack of talent. 

6. Two key elements of offensive success are paint touches and __________

"ball reversal." Movement (player and ball) kills defenses. Ball reversal can come through the paint, skip passes, or around the perimeter. Statistically paint touches and ball reversal lead to higher points per possession. 

7. Three things players want are minutes, shots, and _________

"recognition." Chuck Daly quipped, "NBA players want 48. 48 minutes, 48 shots, 48 million." 

8. “The game honors ________”

"toughness." Don't sleep on intangibles - toughness, effort, teamwork, sacrifice, attention to detail. None require exceptional size or athleticism. 

9. Never foul a ____________

"jump shot." In one NBA Summer League I watched, there were four fouls of three point shots. Meanwhile, the teams combined to shoot 26 percent from three. 

10.Three S’s kill teams - sloth, softness, and ___________

"selfishness." My favorite story about this was about a player who considered himself far above his teammates. In practice, the coach set him up to inbound the ball...and told the rest of his teammates to leave the court. "Now play." 

Lagniappe. What kind of player are you? 

BAD PLAYERS don’t take much seriously.

AVERAGE PLAYERS take games seriously.

GOOD PLAYERS take practice & games seriously.

GREAT PLAYERS take academics, nutrition, warm-ups, ind. work, weight room, conditioning, film, practice & games seriously.

~ @CoachJonBeck

— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) July 21, 2025

Lagniappe 2. It's not just the concepts. Hard cutting and on-time, on-target passing are musts.  

Coaches: This is Coaching 401: Advanced Inbounds Offense. You will need to watch this video two or three times. Here is the summer exercise: Look at the initial set at the beginning and come up with as many reads & plays as possible. Show some coaching creativity. pic.twitter.com/unG1fzDY6A

— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) July 18, 2025

Basketball - FI Cards, "Shaking the Tree"

"What belongs on your FI Card'?" In Michael Connelly crime novels (e.g. Bosch, The Lincoln Lawyer, Ballard), the Los Angeles PD Field Interview card was a 3" x 5" card with identifying data (name, date of birth, where stopped, why, officer) and additional comments on the back.)

Connelly says LAPD called them "shake cards" with disrespect to an ACLU action referring to the stops as "shakedowns." 

From ChatGPT:

Purpose

The goal was to:

• Build intelligence files

• Track known or suspected gang members

• Create a paper trail of interactions

• Assist in later investigations (e.g., who was in the area of a crime)

"Card after card contained records of interviews with individuals who were aimlessly roaming the streets, looking for whatever grim opportunity presented itself...with no seeming plan to change their situation." - Michael Connelly in Dark Sacred Night

At basketball tryouts, players got a colored tee shirt with a number on it. That was "minimal identifying data" and evaluators made judgments without knowing names or parentage, measurables, hopes, dreams. Usually, there were three or four "evaluators." Not saying it was either a good or bad system, just limited. 

They didn't even get a 3 x 5 card...just a few notes next to their number on the sheet on a clipboard. 

For a tryout that might last 1-2 hours (if two sessions), there were no categories or metrics - offense, defense, rebounding, ball handling, etc. and no grading system, e.g. 1 to 4. 

Maybe we weren't deluding ourselves that a limited evaluation functioned like Swiss watch engineers instead of drug-addled monkeys. 

What I'd want on the back of the card:

1) One sentence statement: "This is why I want to play basketball."

2) Evaluator general impressions: High energy, athletic

3) Skill - primary skill is _________________

4) Potential role: e.g. 3&D, point guard, dominant rebounder

5) Overall impression: top 10%, 25%, 50%, bottom 50%

As an evaluator for younger U14, U12s I'm looking to make general projections. If an 11 or 12 year-old has excellent size and athleticism but limited skill, I'm intrigued. Did they hustle, did they have a presence? None are finished products. 

I knew elite physicians who filled out a 3" x 5" card on every patient they consulted upon. They were not part of the medical record. I don't know what they wrote on those cards. One of them was as kind and thoughtful as imaginable while another was a "mean buzzard" highly respected in his field. Both the MDs and the patient's care derived something from the cards. Most professionals make 'mental notes'. The act of writing things down changes the thought process. 

Lagniappe. Attitude. 

You say you want to win?
You say you want to play?
You say you want to be great?

Then act like it.

This game exposes the lazy.
It punishes the entitled.
And it forgets the average.

You don’t get greatness on your terms.
You get it when you’ve earned it. pic.twitter.com/AJWBTditpI

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) July 20, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Always interested in coaches' process: 

Top Qualities Of High School Coaches I Respect:

- Focus on their team first
- Talk to refs, but don't badger
- Challenge players to step up
- High standards on and off the court
- Consistently competitive year after year
- Players come up thru their program
- Always willing to…

— Coach Matt Dennis (@CoachMattDennis) July 18, 2025

Basketball - CARD GAME "What Are We Selling Today?"

"I'm a salesman," wrote Chuck Daly in Daly Wisdom. He understood that almost everyone sells something. Teachers sell the value of learning. Doctors sell the importance of self-care and following instructions. Coaches sell our process, creating value, and the relevance of buy-in.

Imagine this. At the first meeting with parents, each brings in a card with the answer to this. "What are your expectations for your child and family from this experience?" 

Think about it from the parent perspective. 

• "I want my child to be part of a team."
• "I want my child to learn basketball principles."
• "I want my child to learn how to work better with others."
• "I want my child to learn the value of commitment, discipline, and effort."
• "I want my child to learn how to cope with failure and success." 

What if these are the answers?

• "I expect my child and my family to be respected."
• "I expect my child to be a starter and contributor."
• "I expect my child to get as many minutes and shots as the best player on the team." 
• "I expect my child to be All-State and All-Scholastic."
• "I expect my child to earn a college scholarship."
• "I expect my child to play professional basketball." 

One set of "wants" is theoretically possible and one is possible but all are unlikely deliverable. 

Everyone brings "baggage" and "expectations" from and to our experiences. If we handed out and received those cards, we'd have a much better understanding of what parents want. 

Don't hand out those cards. It might have value to ask parents the rhetorical question, "what are your expectations?" 

Lagniappe. Sidelines out of bounds three. 

🏀 🪄

*SLOOB*

SIDELINE SPECIAL: NEED A THREE pic.twitter.com/RMAyIMQqzv

— The 🏀 Playbook Wizard (@PlaybookWizard1) July 14, 2025

Lagniappe 2. "I asked, “If you could pick one trait that would predict how someone would turn out, what would it be?” “That’s easy,” he said. “How willing they are to change their mind about what they think they know.”" - "Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results" by Shane Parrish

 

Basketball - Captains

Captaincy should be more than a popularity contest. The local volleyball team process includes support of your teammates and coaches, endorsement from their teachers and school leadership. There are no "knuckleheads."

What roles do captains fill? 

• Leadership. Model excellence at all times in all venues.
• Communication. Comms come down and go up to coaches.
• Reliability. Fill whatever roles are necessarily.
• Representation. "Represent" when you help with set up and clean up, not only during pre-game and game action. You are an ambassador for the team in school and in the community.
• Attitude. Be positive, energetic, and poised. "This is not your first rodeo."

Jeff Janssen is an authority on captaincy. 

Let's get a consult from AI (ChatGPT) from Janssen:

Jeff Janssen’s Team Captain’s Leadership Manual is a foundational guide for developing athlete-leaders in team sports. Grounded in the idea that leadership is influence, the book equips captains with the mindset, skills, and responsibilities necessary to become effective leaders who model excellence and elevate their teammates.

Core Concepts

1. Leadership Is a Skill
   Janssen treats leadership as a trainable skill, not an innate trait. Captains are not just figureheads—they are active agents who can develop communication, credibility, and character.

2. The Six Types of Team Captains
   Janssen outlines six leadership styles:

   • The Vocal Leader – energizes and communicates directly.

   • The Performance Leader – leads by example in practice and games.

   • The Locker Room Leader – maintains morale and team unity.

   • The Social Leader – influences culture outside the sport.

   • The Organizational Leader – handles team logistics and preparation.

   • The Servant Leader – focuses on serving teammates above self.

   Great captains integrate several of these roles, knowing when and how to step up or support.

3. The Captain's Commitment Levels
   Janssen stresses that captains must first commit to personal excellence before leading others. This includes:

   • Living the team’s values.

   • Being accountable and coachable.

   • Consistently working hard and staying positive.

   From there, leaders build trust and influence teammates toward shared goals.

4. Communication and Conflict
   The manual prepares captains to handle:

   • Honest team talks.

   • Conflict resolution (including confronting teammates constructively).

   • Acting as a bridge between coaches and players.

5. Leading by Example and Energy
   Captains are cultural carriers. They must consistently:

   • Uphold team standards.

   • Bring energy in adversity.

   • Celebrate effort and hold teammates accountable.

6. The Leadership Ladder
   Janssen uses a “Leadership Ladder” to help athletes grow from basic leadership (leading by example) to advanced levels (inspiring and developing others). This progression demystifies the leadership journey and shows that anyone willing to do the work can climb.

---

Practical Tools

The manual includes:

• Self-assessments and reflection tools.

• Team meeting outlines.

• Weekly leadership challenges.

• Exercises for co-captain alignment.

It’s designed to be actionable and coach-supported, so teams can bake leadership development into their season.

---

Bottom Line

Jeff Janssen’s Team Captain’s Leadership Manual is not just a motivational text—it’s a hands-on workbook for building leaders who:

• Influence with purpose,

• Model excellence daily,

• And lift the culture of their teams.

What dysfunctions can't happen on a team?

• Distractions. "Never be a distraction." Distractors disrupt the team internally or externally through actions that bring the team down.
• Social media abuse. If you're on social media, lift people up. Don't give opponents motivation. 
• Never 'punch down'. Everyone matters. Coach Mike Krzyzewski likens a team to a fist. Punching with only 3 or 4 fingers is weakness. 
• Bad attitudes. Excel in your role. If not playing as much as you'd like, work harder and take responsibility. "You own your paycheck." Your performance earns minutes, roles, and recognition. 
• Negativity. "Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses." When opportunity comes, take advantage of it. 
  

Lagniappe. Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra says, "Every team has a pecking order." If you look at team like the Celtics, guys like Tatum and Brown are at the top of the hill. An excellent player like Derrick White complements them and Al Horford was a senior voice. "Stars" may get a disproportionate amount of attention, credit when the team does well and criticism when they don't. 

Lagniappe 2. What is the Jeff Janssen "traffic light" analogy? Via Claude.ai

Red Light - Stop/Danger zone: This represents high emotional states, anger, frustration, or loss of control where a captain needs to recognize they're in a reactive state and need to stop before taking action.

Yellow Light - Caution/Transition zone: This represents a warning state where emotions are elevated but the captain still has some control. It's a time to slow down, assess the situation, and make conscious choices about how to respond.

Green Light - Go/Control zone: This represents a calm, composed state where the captain can think clearly and take appropriate leadership action.

The analogy helps team captains develop emotional intelligence and self-regulation skills, teaching them to recognize their emotional state and respond appropriately rather than react impulsively. This is particularly important for captains who need to maintain composure during high-pressure situations and model good behavior for their teammates.

A similar analogy comes from James Kerr's great "Legacy" referring to the "Blue head" of calmness and stability versus the "Red head" of anger and loss of control. 

Lagniappe 3. "There’s also a familiar gripe that club basketball has eroded not just those fundamentals, but also a general sense of competitiveness: Kids play too many games of no consequence, except to show off their skills. Yet what are the hallmarks of UConn women’s hoops? Great passing. High-percentage shooting. Not fouling on defense. Playing hard no matter what the score or how much time is left." - Jamie Bechler in The Leadership Playbook

 

Best Responsibilities of Coaching

“Basketball is life. It’s getting people to work harder, to work together, to think intelligently, to use common sense, to make plans, to carry out those plans, to overcome adversity, to-yes-sweat the small stuff.” - “Runnin’ the Show” by Dick DeVenzio

Developing relationships. Coaches build relationships. Relationships build trust. Trust builds loyalty. 

Being an anteambulo. In ancient Rome, a patron would have someone walking before him, "clearing the path." That's a coaching function, to help make the way for players. Ante is the Latin root for 'before' and ambulo "I walk." As an anteambulo, I walk before our players. 

Acquiring canvas. Another coaching function is getting canvas for others to paint on. Basketball at its best is art with players crafting their masterpieces. Did you know? Leonardo DaVinci painted the Mona Lisa on wood. 

Networking. Networking helps players achieve their dreams. Coaches write letters of recommendation, email, and communicate with coaches to advance a player's journey. That can also include 'off grid' communication with the print or electronic media to draw attention to special players. 

Player development. PD covers a lot of territory including skills and game knowledge. 

• Devise separate and finish drills at all three levels.
• Shooting. 
• Break down and share video with players. 
• Strength and conditioning (learn or 'subcontract out'). 
• Theory and practice (e.g. Four Factors, Possession ending, special situations)

Game management. Some coaches love game management, in game adjustments, and substitution. I enjoy the 'teaching functions' best and it's hard to become a 'complete coach' without game management. 

The long game. It's great to see the success that former players achieve in life as parents and in across domains - education, business, the military, medicine, and more. It's literally the answer to the question that Amos Alonzo Stagg answered when asked about his team. "I'll be able to give you a better answer in twenty years."

Lagniappe. "Discipline converts knowledge into action." 

Lagniappe 2. "Always focus on the next move, the one that gets you closer or further from where you want to go." - in “Clear Thinking” by Shane Parrish

Lagniappe 3. Transition cedes control to players and creates opportunity for high points/possession. 

Transition Offense

- win first 3 steps
- outlet deep as possible or dribble blast w/ rebounder
- 3 to baseline ASAP (corners + rim)
- THROW IT AHEAD
- if no throw, cross w/ bounce or pass
- if nothing, play through trail (PNR, screen away, rugby toss, etc)

SPRINT SPREAD SHARE

— Hoops Companion 🏀 Resources for Coaches (@Hoops_Companion) July 14, 2025

Lagniappe 4. Why should players know geometry?  

HAND UNDER BALL ON SHOT

In order to shoot the ball in the air with optimal arc, you need to get your hand under the ball. The later you get that hand under the ball, the harder it will be to be consistent with your shot.
If you struggle with shooting the ball flat, focus on… pic.twitter.com/FZN9aWyVt3

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) July 14, 2025

From ChatGPT:

Key Findings from Research:

• John Fontanella (The Physics of Basketball):

  • An entry angle of approximately 52 degrees maximizes the margin for error, especially on straight-on shots.

  • This allows for a larger effective target area because the ball "sees" more of the hoop from a steeper angle.

• Noah Basketball (Data from millions of shots using their arc-tracking technology):

  • They define the "optimal" entry angle as between 45° and 55°, with the best shooters consistently averaging around 52°.

  • Too flat (e.g., under 45°) increases the chance of hitting the front of the rim.

  • Too high (over 55°) often leads to inconsistency in depth and is harder to repeat.

Why 52 Degrees Is Considered Ideal:

• It gives the ball a softer trajectory, improving chances of a shooter's bounce.

• It increases the vertical space margin over the rim (more clearance).

• It allows the shot to "drop in" rather than needing a precise direct path.

In Practice:

• Great shooters like Steph Curry tend to shoot with an arc between 47°–55°, depending on shot type and distance.

• Mid-range and free throws typically come in higher (closer to 52–54°), while NBA-range threes might flatten slightly (around 47–50°) due to force requirements.

If you're working with athletes, tools like Noah, RSPCT, or HomeCourt can help measure this directly with real-time arc data.

Basketball - "I Don't Know"

What we don't know can kill us. "Looks like some great waves for bodysurfing today!" The lifeguard says, "Sorry, Mister, the undertow is fierce; stay out of the water."

A helpful tool is our "Circle of Competence." The circle forms a changeable boundary depending on our experience and study. My son prefers to call it, "staying in his lane."

At the Naval Academy, plebes learn "the five answers." 

• "Yes, Sir."
• "No, Sir."
• "Aye, aye, Sir." 
• "Right away, Sir."
• "I don't know but I'll find out, Sir." 

It's essential to respond quickly and properly within the chain of command.

Medicine expands exponentially. Two vital answers become, "I don't know" or "that's an interesting idea, we might try that." Knowing a patient's allergies, pregnancy status, and other issues are constant concerns. 

The "I don't know" factor haunts players and coaches, especially when "I don't know" leads to a loss. 

The "I don't know" factor reflects attention to detail And every coach in America has lost because of "I didn't know." Check and double-check. 

• "I didn't know we were out of timeouts." 
• "I didn't know what defense we were in."
• "I didn't know that she was left handed." 
• "I didn't know that I was playing the '2' not the '3'."
• "I didn't know that I was covering her." 
• "I didn't know that they liked to run back door from the wing."
• "I didn't know that another foul would disqualify me." 
• "I didn't know we were sending two to the offensive boards."
• "I didn't know we were in 'switch everything'."
• "I didn't know that he always goes left." 

The list goes on and on.

We had a varsity girl that always went right. 100 percent. I said, "I guarantee, the first time you go left, you'll score. Your defender won't even suspect it." And that happened. Unfortunately, habits are hard to break.

Lagniappe. Give what you team needs. 

Marcus Freeman said, "What leadership entails is dependent on what your team needs."

It requires emotional intelligence to lead.
• It means adaptability.
• It means being team-first.
• It means reading the room.

Leadership is connection and action.pic.twitter.com/wuNXO6QncG

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) July 16, 2025

Lagniappe 2. We judge action differently with incomplete information. 

"How do you evaluate yourself? It is said that we judge ourselves based on our intentions, but we judge others based on their actions." - "The Leadership Playbook: Become Your Team's Most Valuable Leader" by Jamy Bechler

 

Basketball - Question the Players, "How Do You Plan to Impact Winning?"

"How do you plan to impact winning?" Ask players for specifics. "I'm going to play hard" is good but not specific. 

Develop your plan now in the offseason. "Control what you can control."

Make yourself better (become your own coach)

• Build skill with the ball
• Play a lot
• Enhance strength and conditioning
• Study the game (video, clinics, other reading)

Make positive plays (efficiently) 

• Get scores (what are your 'four ways to score' - e.g. transition, perimeter scoring, cutting, free throws, offensive boards?)
• Assist
• Get stops - defend, block, steal, deflect
• Rebound

Avoid negative plays (the mental game)

• Turnovers 
• Lower quality shots 
• Mental and physical mistakes on defense
• "Fouling negates effort" 

Make players around you better 

• Leadership
• Communication
• Work out with teammates (skill building)
• Strength and conditioning as a group
• Hustle is contagious

1. Prepare your plan.

2. Do the work.

3. Review your progress. 

4. Repeat. 

Specific Recommendations:

• Find a mentor. 
• "Winners are trackers." 
• Use constraints. Seek personal bests setting standards and limitations such as time. 
• Track strength and conditioning. 
• Mindfulness to improve focus 
• Engage AI (ChatGPT, Claude.ai, or DeepSeek) for ideas 

Lagniappe. "Change happens only when you’re willing to think independently, when you do what nobody else is doing, and risk looking like a fool because of it." - "Clear Thinking" by Shane Parrish

Lagniappe 2. Redick playbook (excellent video) 

JJ Redick’s playbook ⬇️

Lakers offensive plays:
-Horns Rip
-Horns Rip DHO (Peja)
-Horns Flip Flare
-5-Out Zoom
-Ram
-Ram Double Ball Screen
-Double Ball Screen Rip STS
-Spain Pick & Roll
-Iverson Series

pic.twitter.com/mzRzTe5KyV

— Buckets Basketball (@BucketsBBALL1) July 14, 2025

Basketball - "Skin in the Game"

"Skin in the Game" implies having "investment at risk," more than a casual investment in the outcome. There's a similar adage, "eating your own cooking."

Nassim Taleb wrote "Skin in the Game" referencing the need for justice, honor, and sacrifice. He emphasized four points early:

1) Assessing information, in his words, a "bull***t detector."

2) Symmetry, examination from both sides 

3) Asymmetrical information (what does one side know the other doesn't?)

4) Rationality 

How can we use this in our basketball universe? 

Information. A quote from Michael Connelly's "Two Kinds of Truth" applies. "He knew there were two kinds of truth in this world. The truth that was the unalterable bedrock of one’s life and mission. And the other, malleable truth of politicians, charlatans, corrupt lawyers, and their clients, bent and molded to serve whatever purpose was at hand."

If a coach or a reporter asks us for information in confidence, commit to the first kind of truth - strengths and limitations of a player without throwing them under the bus. If someone volunteers information, do we have a way or another source to confirm? 

Similarly, honesty includes "I don't know," when that is the truth. 

Symmetry. When discussing a team, player, or area for discussion, what are the alternatives and information available? Understanding symmetry also includes our own cognitive bias and intrinsic bias. For example, during team selection, I have an intrinsic bias for the more athletic player. Yet, I have seen "less athletic" players in terms of speed or quickness with exceptional skill that forged excellence. 

That doesn't mean excluding character issues (if known) or aptitude, such as the ability to learn and execute new information. 

Asymmetrical information. In the stock market, asymmetrical information includes "inside information." In sports, there may be physical or mental health data, or character information that only one side knows. In "Gridiron Genius," Patriots special assistant Mike Lombardi shared that he maintained contact with SEC sororities to access character data on football players from the women. At lower levels, accessing information be impossible. 

Rationality. Taleb writes, “Rationality is not what has internal logic, but what makes you survive.” Others may see our job through a lens of relationships or performance. I heard about an AD (not in our city) who received a parental complaint about a coach's personnel decisions. The AD said, "the team is 21-1, suggesting the coach knows what he is doing." 

Taleb distinguishes 'survival' in the real world from academic judgements. When we have "skin in the game," we are incentivized to make different decisions than if we don't. "Incentive asymmetries—such as when someone enjoys upside but others bear the risk—lead to irrational behavior." 

If a player has an injury, the coach or management may have upside to the player playing, when the player may not. A player may decide to sit out ahead of a pro draft when their school wants them to play. 

"Skin in the game" changes how we view situations. The portfolio manager whose money is invested alongside investors shares benefit and risk. The British monarchy famously put its sons in harm's way during war. Taleb shares, "You can’t be a lord if you aren’t a lord."

Lagniappe. Players are hardware (body) and software (decision-making). In Elon Musk, Isaacson writes, "Most importantly, regarding the car as a piece of software rather than just hardware allowed it to be continuously upgraded. New features could be delivered over the air." As coaches, we should understand the potential distinction. 

Lagniappe 2. Solid action out of horns with zoom. 

Horns Zoom Flare

Easy to execute/ really hard to guard

Add it to the playbook 📚

(Via @dustinaubert 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/C0loJ5jr2U

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) July 13, 2025

The Four-Point Shot and other Basketball Musings

Allegedly, the estimable Adam Silver is contemplating the four-point shot. Traditionalists ask, why depart from the demand for excellence to carnival barker antics?

Billy Donovan makes a historical point about "contestedness." If I were two feet away from the basket shooting against an engaged Wembanyama or Holmgren, the contestedness level approaches 100 and my shot probability is zero. If a "logo three" becomes a "logo four," the game is worse as trainers and agents whisper "chicks dig the long ball." The analytics experts whisper, "One "Four" and three airballs still makes a points per shot worth 1.00."

Etan Thomas pointed out that a WNBA star had the lowest four-game three-point shooting success in history. Is that what we want for the NBA? Can we award extra points if a player plays shoeless or with an eye patch covering their dominant eye? After all, both increase the degree of difficulty.

We get it. Drive eyeballs, interest, and dollars into the sport. Coach Wooden rightly said, "No progress occurs without change, but not all change is progress." 

What changes would I like to see? In the Celtics versus Grizzlies Summer League game, players fouled FOUR three-point shots. Just stop. Why give people three free throws? In that game, the teams combined to shoot 15-57 from beyond the arc, 26.3%. Defenders should have said, "Go ahead, make my day." 

The four-point play doesn't make the game more competitive or more compelling. Better defense could. That worked for OKC. More fundamentally sound play. That worked for the Spurs' "Beautiful Game." Fewer injuries would, an argument for "load management." Fans shouldn't fret over player salaries or salary boundaries that are "competitively bargained." Don't watch. 

Mr. Silver, "Say it ain't so." 

Maybe these are worth four. 

Lagniappe. Thoughts on ATOs. 

What makes a successful ATO?

1. FAMILIAR spacing template- this subconsciously familiarizes the defense with a previous action and is less info for the offense to synthesize in 1 minute.

2. COUNTER to a common action- easy to teach, tough to guard.

3. Using your BEST PLAYER… pic.twitter.com/vTOD3gYqKV

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) July 10, 2025

Basketball- “Think Small”

"Think small." - Rob Reiner to Ebra in The Bear

Navy SEAL commander Jocko Willink explains that one of his 'Teams' guys said, "Give me three things to know. I can't remember more than that." 

In baseball your swing or delivery can get too big. In basketball, a lot can get too big.

• The drill book 
• The playbook
• Practice teaching
• The number of video clips
• Game plans/scouting reports 
• Information conveyed in timeouts
• Fundraising 
• The working hours in a day

Think small. Some players are like the SEAL Team guy who can only handle so much information. Coach them up but be mindful of thinking small, essential details. When players can't handle the volume, we can get a "learning loss." The coach is ultimately responsible. 

Drill book. We can have 'everything' but can't use everything. If I could only have three:

• Five versus seven (defense) full-court, no dribble. Pass and cut or fail.
• Jay Wright's "Get 50" warm up. 
• Small-sided game, 3 versus 3 inside the split. 

Playbook. There tends to be "creep" as the playbook expands. "Do more of what works and less of what doesn't." And "be good at what you do a lot."

• Space, cut urgently, and pass on time and on target. We called the three-point line the 'spacing line'. 
• Get paint touches and ball reversals. 
• Use hard-to-defend actions. 

Practice teaching. Simplify. Tell 'em what you'll say, say it, tell 'em what you told 'em. Sacrifice. Selflessness. Quality shots. Take care of the basketball. Communication. Be specific. 

Video clips. Doc Rivers believes that 13 is the maximum. Anson Dorrance showed only positive clips to the UNC Women's Soccer team. 

Game plans. I'm old. Coach gave us six to eight mimeographed pages with the opponents personnel, offense, defense, and "keys to victory." The eight seniors had played together for six years. We could handle a lot having been through a lot. That's not the same for every team. 

Timeouts. Emphasize one or two key points. Looking in their eyes, do we see confidence or confusion?

Fundraising. I've covered this years ago. 

Hours in the day. Work-life balance is tough. Mastery? Never happens. If we want to be married or stay married, "figure it out." 

Lagniappe. Transition relies on the point guard. 

KD giving so much gold to young hoopers

“If your Point Guard isn’t kicking the ball ahead, you’re not going to be as good as you could be”

(Via @PxcersFTW 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/aK3nmxpcKE

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) July 10, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Anson Dorrance re: Mia Hamm

It's not the time, it's the work. 

Basketball - Not Just Kid Stuff, The Letter of the Day, "E"

Edison said inventors used imagination, persistence, and analogy. Coaches have those attributes, too. 

Today's message brought to you by the letter "E" as in Edison. 

• Excellence
• Exceptional 
• Effectiveness
• Efficiency
• Enders, as in "Possession Enders"

Excellence. As children our grades read E, G, F, or P. E stood for excellence. Inside the UNC Women's Soccer locker room, a plaque reads "Excellence is our only agenda." Thousands of years ago, Aristotle supposedly said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

Exceptional. Exceptional performance arises through overarching commitment to exceptional work. Our work won't always be exceptional but we owe ourselves that effort. "Always do your best." 

Effectiveness. Coaches and players become effective when they change their world. Gandhi's impact came from his philosophy, "Be the change." 

Efficiency. Don't put in the time, put in the work. Get more done in any given "unit of time," with higher tempo practice, naming every repeated drill, and sprinting between drills. Brad Stevens said that he learned by watching Belichick's Patriots practice. I saw what was possible watching Geno Auriemma's 2016 team practice. 

Enders. Possession enders get scores and stops. They assist or score, rebound, get blocks, steals, and deflections. They impact the game at both ends of the court. Opponents must account for their presence at all times. 

Lagniappe. Effectiveness. 

Your effectiveness as a coach won’t be based on how much you know or what level you played at. It will be a reflection of how well you’ve taught, how effectively you’ve motivated, and how much you care for individuals.

— Coach Tony Miller (@tonywmiller) July 9, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Champions act like champions before they are. 

CHAMPIONS ACT DIFFERENTLY

Great reminder from @AllistairMcCaw pic.twitter.com/FQCmyWqiR4

— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) July 9, 2025

Basketball - Mouths to Feed

No matter how much talent there is in the room, there's one basketball. And most of the time, the talent wants to eat...more touches and more shots earn more recognition. 

In The Leadership Playbook, Jamie Bechler shares examples where star players didn't cry like baby birds with open mouths. In 2012, Kentucky stars Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist went 4th and 5th in team shots taken. And in 2016, unsung hero Tristan Thompson went plus 32 in Finals Game 6 against the Warriors with 15 points and 16 boards. LeBron, Kyrie, and Kevin Love were the biggest names, but Thompson got the Cavs to a winning Game 7. 

Once before a big state tournament game, I overheard a parent tell their child to make sure that the child got "your shots." I wasn't the coach or in any way essential to the process. There was nothing to say. It didn't go well as the team got outplayed and lost. Did that advice change anything? No. Coaches coach, officials ref, and parents - love your children, but don't coach. 

Understand the 'mouths to feed' principle. The best players should get more shots in their preferred spots. And this merits discussion with the team. The point guard should be aware of those dynamics. Remember the saying, "You often get what you deserve; or you may deserve what you get." 

Players unhappy with their "diet," can supplement it by cutting better and by offensive rebounding. As for the former, know "the screener is the second cutter" to also set up other chances. 

The big dogs gotta eat. 

Lagniappe. Coach Dags advises players to create and finish their edge.  

KEEP ADVANTAGE ON DRIVES

Nothing drives me crazier than a player that gets their defender on their hip while driving and then pulls back their dribble 😡

Learn to embrace the contact, take an advantageous angle, and score around or over the secondary defender. pic.twitter.com/prXLGRJ3my

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) July 8, 2025

Lagniappe 2. "Great offense is multiple actions." Complex screening (staggers, screen-the-screen, Spain, elevators) creates problems for aggressive defenses. 

Use screen the screener action against teams that fight through off the ball screens....

If they don't help enough, you likely get the cut to the rim

If they help too much, you likely get what you see here pic.twitter.com/gBArgIlqLS

— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) July 8, 2025

Basketball - Turf Battles

Everyone knows 'turf'; few want to discuss it. It's the "perceived ownership" of a domain. It's the local cops versus the FBI, Medicine versus Surgery, state versus federal. Some call it 'jurisdiction'. Others call it 'authority'. And every time, both sides believe it's theirs.  

How does "Turf" show up in basketball? 

I went to have a conversation with a local coach and addressed the coach by name. The immediate reply, "You will address me as 'Coach'." End of conversation. The intent was to sell "power" by position. I was neither selling nor buying. Sport is meritocracy until it isn't. 

In "The Politics of Coaching," Carl Pierson describes situations where parents tried to 'protect' their children by marginalizing opportunities for younger players in workouts or Summer Leagues. That's 'Turf'.

A couple of years ago, the state High School Administrative Organization determined that a school had circumvented or violated athlete participation rules. Rather than punish individuals, they gave the school the proverbial "Death Penalty" and banned all teams from postseason play for a year. They also stated that they don't keep written notes of meetings so no paper trail existed. That's another form of turf battle. 

It happens in the pros, too. After Tristan Casas was injured and Alex Bregman had replaced Rafael Devers at third, moving Devers to DH, the Red Sox asked Devers to try first base. He declined. The team shipped Devers and his $250M contract out for what baseball experts considered a mediocre return. While in some sports, stars dictate personnel decisions, the turf battle ended with "He who has the gold makes the rules." 

Years ago Coach Bill Parcells left the Patriots during a dispute with ownership about control of personnel decisions. Parcells said, "If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries."

Let's step aside for an AI consult, via ChatGPT:

Prompt: Thank you for your input. "Turf battles" show up in many domains, including basketball. Please elaborate and share examples.

ChatGPT said:

You're absolutely right—turf battles aren’t limited to boardrooms or bureaucracies. They show up vividly in sports, especially basketball, where roles, recognition, and responsibilities are often contested. Turf battles arise when individuals or groups fight to protect or expand their control, status, or influence—often at the expense of collaboration or team goals.

---

What Turf Battles Look Like in Basketball

1. Player vs. Player: Role and Touches

• Scenario: Two star players both want to be “the guy.” One wants more plays called for him, the other wants to bring the ball up and initiate.

• Example: Think of the early clashes between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal on the Lakers. Both wanted to be the alpha. Their turf battle was about control of the offense and recognition as the team's leader.

2. Coach vs. Player: Control of the Game

• Scenario: A talented point guard ignores the coach’s play call to freelance. The coach sees it as insubordination; the player sees it as trusting instincts.

• Example: Allen Iverson's friction with coaches often came down to autonomy—he wanted the freedom to play his game, while coaches wanted structure.

3. Assistant Coaches vs. Head Coach: Philosophical Differences

• Scenario: An assistant believes the team should press or run zone more, but the head coach resists change. The assistant pushes players behind the scenes, creating factions.

• Example: This is less visible in the public but happens frequently in college programs or pro staffs where assistants are eyeing promotions.

4. Parents vs. Coach: Playing Time and Roles

• Scenario: A parent believes their child should be starting or getting more shots and tries to influence the coach—or worse, stirs discontent among other parents.

• Example: High school programs see this often. Parents politic for positions or organize around perceived slights.

5. Athletic Director vs. Coach: Program Vision

• Scenario: The coach wants to rebuild with younger players, but the AD pressures them to win now to please boosters or justify the budget.

• Example: In college or prep settings, these turf battles may force premature roster moves or lead to firings.

---

Consequences of Turf Battles

• Erosion of trust: Players stop believing in coaches or teammates.

• Fragmented team culture: “Us vs. them” mentalities form inside the locker room.

• Stalled development: Younger players are caught in the crossfire or discouraged.

• Underperformance: Even with talent, dysfunction kills cohesion and execution.

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Strategies to Reduce Turf Battles

• Clearly defined roles: When expectations are transparent, there's less ambiguity and friction.

• Regular communication: Addressing concerns before they fester prevents camps from forming.

• Shared goals and values: Reinforce team-first culture over individual agendas.

• Ego management: Celebrate humility and reward unselfishness publicly.

---

Turf battles are natural in competitive environments—but unmanaged, they rot teams from the inside. Great leaders—on the court and off—spot them early and root them out through clarity, connection, and accountability.

Lagniappe. There's a lot to digest. Five-out (50, Spread, Open) offenses achieve spacing allowing for opportunities for driving, player and ball movement, drive and dish, and ball reversals that challenge defenses. 

5 Out Offense Video: NBA Concepts From Championship Teams

REPLY below for a free PDF with the 5 Out Offensive Concepts.

In this video, you'll learn how to invigorate your offense by incorporating these 5 Out Offense concepts. These simple to advanced concepts were used by… pic.twitter.com/is2GHWsxyR

— Joe Haefner | Breakthrough Basketball (@BreakthruBball) July 6, 2025