Every coach knows the need for "attention to detail." This is how we set ball screens or this is how I expect your defensive stance.
Former SEAL Jocko Willink, author of Extreme Ownership, explained that an operator told him to give him three things to do - because "I won't remember more than that."
Tell players to "be a good teammate" and use examples. Some relate to game play and others extend through life.
1. "Help your teammates."
Communicate. Help and recover. Cover "one and a half" players off the ball. Know your assignment and theirs. Provide emotional support when they struggle and motivate when they need more.
2. "It's not your shot; it's our shot." - Jay Bilas, in Toughness
Basketball isn't tennis singles. If you want to rip a shot down the line that exceeds your ability, it's on you. "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining." Our play impacts our teammates and the best players favorably impact both teammates and winning.
If our behavior brought ridicule on teammates, that matters.
3. Follow the Silver Rule.
Everyone knows the "Golden Rule." Fewer know Nassim Taleb's "Silver Rule." "Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you."
Silence can mean someone being "blown up" by a screen. Our bad pass lowers their shooting percentage. Our lazy defense puts them into a bad defensive choice. Our poor cutting leaves them with fewer choices. The list goes on and on.
Be specific. Model excellence. Repeat everything that matters. Use the best advice from our mentors. Do it again and again. That's Wooden's EDIRx5 - explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition x 5.
Lagniappe. Practice to exploit analytics.
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