Michael Silver's "The Why Is Everything" emphasizes principles of sport. Kyle Shanahan's concepts and colleagues are explained. He overcame the reputation of "nepotism" and "entitled" and a "product of privilege."
Shanahan and his colleagues - Matt LaFleur, Mike McDaniel, Raheem Morris, and Sean McVay - changed the game. Silver describes them as "hyperdriven truth seekers."
"Think Players over Plays."
Matching players and plays creates a platform for success. Opponent-specific game plans understanding players' abilities create opportunities.
Basketball application:
Watching a lot of NBA basketball with "switch everything" beliefs, watch how teams use screens and DHOs to create mismatches. The Celtics fell behind Miami big, but came back by getting Tyler Herro (a mediocre defender) onto Jaylen Brown. Small on big screens create mismatches down low (postups) or high with bigs chasing quicker guards.
"It Just Works."
Trusting the mission wasn't enough. New age players want more, more explanation and more comprehension. "It just works" may mask ignorance that the coaches don't know why.
Intellectual curiosity can often reveal better explanation and options. Concepts well-explained make sense. The system can enhance and extend what players can do.
This is why. This is how. This is how we beat them. "Built-in solutions (to adjustments) can break" opponents. "There's a mismatch. They just can't have enough people for the gaps that we have."
Exceptional coaches have exceptional conceptual understanding. Scars and pain are unavoidable.
Basketball application:
"Five out" offense (50, Spread, Open) became popular to force spacing, open lanes, and make doubling hard. When help comes, penetrate and pitch (drive and dish) often yields open threes.
"Tell Me the Why."
Justify your position. Know your why and explain "anything and everything." We can't expect enthusiasm about execution without explaining how we are creating advantage.
Basketball application:
Forcing young players to play man-to-man defense (even at the expense of wins), raises player development for success at higher levels. Thinking that more wins for sixth graders validates your coaching expertise is fool's gold when those players struggle against older, better, athletic players.
Would you rather remember playing in a sixth grade championship game or a sectional championship game in a major college or pro arena?
Lagniappe. Winning last year or yesterday doesn't mean anything for the next game (language). "You can't learn only from your losses."
Lagniappe 2. "I seek ideas, ethics, and values I should believe in, not because they make me anything more than I am now, but because they make me better." - Stanley McChrystal in "On Character."
