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Tuesday, August 18, 2026

WInning Basketball - What Travels?


Image from ChatGPT Plus

What commonalities do winning programs share?

They don't beat themselves.

They win on the road.

They can beat teams with winning records.

Words don't move the needle. "We're good. We have talent. We're rising."

There's a progression in programs:

  • Beat bad teams at home
  • Beat bad teams on the road.
  • Beat good teams at home.
  • Beat good teams on the road.  

If you rarely win on the road, can't beat .500 teams, and don't make the playoffs, as Bill Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are." 

What separates the winners? 

  • Smarts 
  • Toughness
  • Discipline
How does each show up in the context of consistent winning? 

Smart

Smart teams don't beat themselves with bad shots, mental mistakes (e.g. missed assignments, fouls, turnovers), and inability to control the running game (transition) and stop teams in the half-court. 

Toughness

Tough teams get at least 75 percent of defensive rebounds, win more than their share of 50-50 balls, contain the ball, contest shots without fouling, set solid screens and take charges. 

Discipline

Disciplined teams "stick to the plan." When Wooden said, "Basketball is a game meant to be played fast," he implied that UCLA had more talent and experience and would win games with more possessions (playing fast). Disciplined teams allow "one bad shot" and "get more and better shots than opponents." They apply Knight's "Power of Negative Thinking" and do ordinary things extraordinarily well (cutting, passing on time-on target, finishing at the rim). 

The Truth Machine

Winners watch more video especially of their team. Less successful teams have worse spacing, worse ball containment, worse communication, worse help, worse shot selection, and worse ability to close out games (offensive and defensive delay). Brad Steven watch the end of more than a thousand games to understand what went right or wrong. 

Be a Tracker

Track what you think is important to you. You know best. "Good shooters" have good stats - i.e. effective field goal percentage. Good teams "foul for profit" (Kevin Sivils term). Good teams commit fewer bad fouls. Winners are trackers. 

Good scorers don't have low points/usage rate ratio. Good players don't have low assist/turnover ratios. Good players don't take "my turn" or "me, too" shots. Good players don't reveal poor plus/minus ratings. Good players make plays not excuses. 

Good coaches are truth seekers and good players want to hear the truth to improve. "We are what are record says we are."

Lagniappe. Find offensive chances you want. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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