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Monday, July 7, 2025

Basketball - Greatest Day


"Today this could be the greatest day of our lives." Imagine the possibility.

Don't dismiss today. We look back fondly on great days of the past and toward the future.

Do we have a winning "morning routine?" Own our happiness. 

Consider advice from Tim Ferriss via ChatGPT: 

Tim Ferriss has spoken and written extensively about morning routines, especially in Tools of Titans and his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. While he doesn't believe there's a one-size-fits-all routine, he emphasizes that successful people often start their day deliberately. Here are the main elements he recommends or practices himself:

1. Make Your Bed

  • Why: A small win to begin the day. Ferriss picked this up from Admiral William McRaven, who said it sets a tone of discipline and accomplishment.

  • Benefit: Momentum and a visual reminder that little things matter.

2. Meditate (10–20 minutes)

  • Tools: Transcendental Meditation, or guided apps like Headspace or Waking Up.

  • Why: Clears mental clutter and sets a calm tone for the day.

  • Quote: “If you don’t have 10 minutes to meditate, you need an hour.”

3. Exercise or Movement

  • What: Even just 5–10 minutes—can be pushups, kettlebells, or a walk.

  • Why: Triggers endorphins and gets blood flowing. Enhances clarity and energy.

4. Journal

  • Options: He often uses the 5-Minute Journal or Morning Pages (from Julia Cameron).

  • Purpose: Gratitude, setting priorities, and identifying potential obstacles.

  • Why: It clears the mind and aligns focus with values.

5. Have Tea or Coffee

  • Often includes: Green tea or strong coffee with coconut oil or butter (inspired by Bulletproof Coffee).

  • Purpose: A mindful ritual, not just caffeine intake.

6. Read or Reflect

  • Ferriss often reads a few pages of Stoic philosophy (The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday, or Letters from a Stoic by Seneca).

  • Why: Centers his thinking on enduring principles instead of reactive emotion.

Notes from Ferriss:

  • Consistency > Duration: You don’t need 2 hours. Just 1–2 of these practices done regularly make a difference.

  • "Win the morning, win the day." Ferriss often quotes this as a core belief. Controlling your morning reduces decision fatigue and emotional reactivity later.

 For the basketball devotee, that could certainly include:

1) Exercise and/or stretching 

2) Reading (Kevin Eastman's lifelong two-hour commitment is admirable) - what book(s) are you reading now? I recently borrowed (online via Hoopla) Jamie Bechler's "Leadership Playbook" - exceptional.

3) Mindfulness (a quick body scan has benefits)

4) Video study (even studying a topic for five minutes has merit)

5) Journaling (you are here). 

Lagniappe. Short video study...slipping ball screens opens up basket cuts, short roll passing, and drives. 

Lagniappe 2. A quick exercise in mindfulness: 

Almost every great athlete (professional or Olympian) has a mindfulness practice. Why not you? 

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Sunday, July 6, 2025

Clear on Copying

“What aspect of your work is hardest to copy? How can you amplify it?” - James Clear, weekly newsletter

Anybody can share their vision and beliefs online. Doing so responsibly, consistently, and well is another matter. 

1. "Grading our work" is never free from bias. Endowment bias tells us that what is ours (family, ideas, beliefs) has value beyond the opinion of other observers. The same applies for coaching. Asking "am I a good coach" is the wrong question. "How can I be a better coach?" 

2. Writers expose ourselves to legitimate criticism of what Salman Rushdie calls our creative and critical imagination. Author Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code, Angels and Demons) says that "the difference between good writers and bad writers is that good writers know when they're bad." As coaches, recognize when we're better or worse. 

3. Authors can mislead readers, misrepresenting others' ideas or outright plagiarizing other work. I favor transparency in coaching so that outsiders can see our process and make direct observations. 

4. Coaching, playing, and writing share a common theme, all benefit from good editing. Author Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) suggests that there is value to letting our work sit and then coming back to it. Coaches have limited practice and teaching time. Revise or eliminate what isn't working. 

5. How should we use Artificial Intelligence in our work? Machines often replaced human labor and have the potential to replace cognitive work. Use AI every day. 

6. When using AI editing, when do "our work" and "our ideas" no longer become ours? Basketball is open source. Get more edges. 

7. Entrepreneur Sara Blakely says, "Obsess the product." Exceeding 4,000 posts written over a decade, there's plenty of obsession going on. 

8. Delulu. Nobody sane would produce the product I do. The backstory is the personal benefit of extensive reading and cognitive stimulation of the work. 

Writing brings ideas to life. 

Lagniappe. We activate our brain different with analog and digital tools. Steal this idea from Austin Kleon in "Steal Like an Artist." 

"Try it: If you have the space, set up two workstations, one analog and one digital. For your analog station, keep out anything electronic. Take $10, go to the school supply aisle of your local store, and pick up some paper, pens, and sticky notes."

Lagniappe 2. The Duke star was an early lottery pick. 
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Saturday, July 5, 2025

Basketball Non-negotiables

We live in a dos and don'ts universe. "Do this, don't do that." Find something to steal. 

Non-negotiables aren't just for players. Think about it.

  • Inspire. Lift people up. 
  • Be positive. "You cannot make a positive life with a negative attitude."
  • Bring energy. Practice with a dead fish, play like one.
  • Be prepared. Asking players to be prepared if we're not...
  • Simplify. You can "have everything." Nobody can use everything. We've all been guilty. 
  • "Never be a child's last coach." 
Non-negotiables for players
  • Punctuality. Be on time, stretched out, mentally engaged. 
  • Listen. Be an elephant (big ears).
  • Know your job. How can you expect to play if you don't know what to do?
  • Be detail-oriented.
  • Decisions define destiny - shots, turnovers, defense.
  • Challenge shots without fouling. 
  • Be coachable

Points to ponder...

  • Kindness matters. 
  • Empathy means trying to understand how the other person feels.
  • Think "what does our team need now?"
  • Ask "how can I help?"
Lagniappe. From Jamie Bechler's "The Leadership Playbook":
"During the 2015-16 season, Kwahi Leonard shot 44.3% from the three-point arc.  Only J.J. Redick and Steph Curry shot better.  Considering that Leonard was First-Team All-NBA, that hardly seemed strange.  However, a few years earlier he had been a very poor shooter.  I his two years at San Diego State University, he shot 20.5% and 29.1% from the three-point arc.  It is a testament to Leonard's coachability and work ethic that we was willing to honestly evaluate his game and his goals."

Lagniappe 2. If it doesn't matter, cut it out. 

Popularity isn't synonymous with quality. But "social proof" (readers) does mean something. Yesterday, the blog had almost 8,000 visitors. 


 

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Friday, July 4, 2025

Develop Our Own Basketball "Flash Cards"

Developing "Athlete Mindset Cards" is an alternative to buying commercially available ones. The quality of those available appears intriguing. 

Disadvantages: 

  • Time and energy expended
  • Not "off the shelf"

Advantages: 

  • Inexpensive
  • Immediately available for distribution
  • Enduring and modifiable with time
  • Customized to our philosophy
  • Solicit team input "this is who we are"
  • Easily distributed to players (e.g. email)
  • "This is the way." Everyone gets on the same page. 
  • Can specify for basketball or generalized domains

TOUGHNESS

Core values of TEAMWORK, IMPROVEMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY

Seamless with PSYCHOLOGY of RESILIENCE, ATHLETICISM

"THRIVE UNDER PRESSURE"

Transformational and transmitted from veteran to young players

"SHARED TEAM OWNERSHIP"

A "FORCE MULTIPLIER" that makes everyone better

"Real" not "Fake toughness" of trash talk and stare downs 

AVAILABLE philosophy "In the Moment" 


Lagniappe. Shooting drill. 

Lagniappe 2. A young player who gets it. Success begins inside each of us as we fight the daily battles.  Quote from Hugo Gonzalez, Celtics draft choice in The Boston Globe... “Playing for Real Madrid Academy since I was 10, it was almost like playing for a team that winning was a must every year for every title,” he said. “So I’m pretty used to team success. It’s the first and the main thing for the whole season. It’s nothing that I need to learn. It’s something that I already have in my DNA. So I think that’s going to help a franchise like the Celtics too and I hope that it does.”

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Thursday, July 3, 2025

Core "Head Game" Concepts and Using AI to Strengthen Our Coaching

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Coaches set expectations. Great teams win with their heads. As Sun Tzu said, "Every battle is won before it is fought." 

Players decide whether and how to follow team philosophy. If a player chooses "to do her own thing," it often ends poorly. If players follow the script, the process, better results usually happen.

  • Team first.
  • Prioritize good decisions on and off the court.
  • Always be coachable. As Coach Saban says, "Life is difficult."
  • Be a great teammate.
  • "Hard work is a skill." Strive to be the hardest worker.
  • "The game honors toughness." 

Live specifics. Coaching is a cognitive skill. People complete cognitive and physical tasks. During the Industrial Revolution, labor-saving devices (machines, the assembly line) assumed some physical work. In the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it's likely that AI will assume many cognitive tasks across a broad spectrum of industries. 

If AI makes better lending decisions than bankers or legal machinations than lawyers, job losses will happen. AI is making inroads in pathology and radiology and surely replace some physician tasks. Are we so arrogant to believe that AI can't improve player development, game planning, maybe even roster construction? Coaching intuition follows neurochemical signals. Who is to say that 'wearable devices' won't detect a coach's heart rates, sweating, and pupillary dilation and signal the coach to take a timeout for substitution or strategy change? 

Why not input prompts to AI and ask for advice? I have the most up to date information from Claude.ai. 

Prompt: "Jason Tatum will miss most or all of the next season for the Celtics. Getting below the 'second apron' of the salary structure will allow the Celtics roster and trade flexibility, in addition to saving new ownership money. In view of their talent losses (Tatum, Holiday, Porzingis, Kornet, Horford) please make suggestions for next season."

Jason Tatum will miss most or all of the next season for the Celtics. Getting below the 'second apron' of the salary structure will allow the Celtics roster and trade flexibility, in addition to saving new ownership money. In view of their talent losses (Tatum, Holiday, Porzingis, Kornet, Horford) please make suggestions for next season.

I need to search for current information about Jason Tatum and the Celtics' situation, as this doesn't align with what I know about recent developments.

Now let me search for more specific information about the Celtics' salary cap situation and roster moves:

Thank you for the update. You're right that Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles injury during the playoffs and is expected to miss most or all of the 2025-26 season NESNCBS News. Given the Celtics' salary cap constraints and the significant roster changes you've mentioned, here are some strategic suggestions for next season:

Immediate Priorities:

  1. Maximize Jaylen Brown's Role - With Tatum out, Brown becomes the clear focal point. Build the offense around him and give him the green light to be the primary scorer and playmaker.
  2. Develop Internal Options - Players like Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and recent draft picks (Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh) will need to step up significantly. This could actually accelerate their development.
  3. Target Value Veterans - With limited cap space, focus on experienced players willing to take minimum contracts or the taxpayer MLE who can provide leadership and specific skills.

Strategic Roster Moves:

  1. Point Guard Upgrade - If Holiday is indeed gone, acquiring a veteran point guard should be the top priority. Someone who can distribute, defend, and handle increased responsibilities.
  2. Frontcourt Depth - With Porzingis, Kornet, and Horford potentially gone, you'll need multiple big men. Look for rim protection and rebounding on affordable contracts.
  3. 3-Point Shooting - Replace the shooting lost from departed players. Target specialists who can space the floor around Brown.
  4. Defensive Wing - Find a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions and complement Brown.

Realistic Expectations:

This could be a rebuilding/retooling year rather than a championship push. Focus on:

  • Developing young talent
  • Maintaining competitive basketball
  • Building chemistry for when Tatum returns
  • Staying flexible for future moves

The silver lining is that getting below the second apron provides much-needed roster flexibility and could set up a stronger core for Tatum's return in 2026-27.

During the 2024-2025 season playoffs, OKC took 35 three-point shots/game and made 33.8%. The prior season playoffs, the Celtics averaged 40 threes/game and shot 36%. The conventional wisdom that the three-point revolution would determine the champion proved decidedly wrong in this small sample size. 

Coaches who remain curious, open, and flexible have unlimited opportunity to prosper incorporating AI into their systems. 

Lagniappe. Please analyze some of my coaching philosopy based on this excerpt:

"Coaches set expectations. Great teams win with their heads. As Sun Tzu said, "Every battle is won before it is fought." 

Players decide whether and how to follow team philosophy. If a player chooses "to do her own thing," it often ends poorly. If players follow the script, the process, better results usually happen.

  • Team first.
  • Prioritize good decisions on and off the court.
  • Always be coachable. As Coach Saban says, "Life is difficult."
  • Be a great teammate.
  • "Hard work is a skill." Strive to be the hardest worker.
  • "The game honors toughness." 
Via ChatGPT: 

Your coaching philosophy excerpt offers a blend of clarity, discipline, and purpose. Here's an analysis organized by tone, clarity, consistency, and underlying values—plus a few suggestions to strengthen it even more.

🔍 Strengths in Your Philosophy

1. Strategic Intelligence (Head over Emotion):

“Great teams win with their heads.”
“Every battle is won before it is fought.”
This highlights preparation and smart decision-making. Referencing Sun Tzu and framing sports as mental warfare elevates the intellectual demands of the game. It pushes athletes to see themselves not just as competitors, but as thinkers and planners.

2. Accountability with Autonomy:

“Players decide whether and how to follow team philosophy.”
This is honest and empowering. You acknowledge that athletes have agency—but that choices come with consequences. This balance of freedom and accountability mirrors adult life and high-performance culture.

3. Culture of Discipline and Team Orientation:

“Team first.”
“Be a great teammate.”
These reinforce the non-negotiable foundation of group success: trust, support, and selflessness. It communicates that no matter how talented, nobody is above the collective.

4. Work Ethic and Coachability as Cornerstones:

“Hard work is a skill.”
“Always be coachable. As Coach Saban says, ‘Life is difficult.’”
You elevate effort and humility into teachable, repeatable habits. This lines up with research on growth mindset and elite performance culture.

🧭 Values Reflected

  • Discipline over drama

  • Effort over entitlement

  • Cognition over chaos

  • Team over individual

It’s a philosophy that says: “We win because we’re smart, tough, and united—not just athletic.”

⚠️ A Few Areas to Consider for Refinement

1. Clarify the “script/process” concept.

“If players follow the script, the process, better results usually happen.”
What exactly is “the script”? Offensive schemes? Team norms? Behavioral expectations?
Suggestion: Briefly define what you mean, e.g., “If players buy into the team’s shared habits—like communication, spacing, and shot selection—good outcomes follow.”

2. Connect Saban’s quote more directly.

“Always be coachable. As Coach Saban says, ‘Life is difficult.’”
The leap from “be coachable” to “life is difficult” is a bit abrupt.
Suggestion: Bridge the gap. For example:
“Always be coachable. As Coach Saban says, ‘Life is difficult’—and those who adapt, learn, and respond to challenge are the ones who succeed.”

3. Slightly refine tone around defiance.

“If a player chooses ‘to do her own thing,’ it often ends poorly.”
This is true, but could be read as punitive or closed-off.
Suggestion: “When players stray from team values, the result is often struggle or disconnection—because team success relies on shared habits.”

✅ What You’re Doing Well (and Should Keep Doing)

  • Referencing thinkers like Sun Tzu and Nick Saban brings timeless wisdom into the gym.

  • Grounding your philosophy in character and cognition gives players tools for both sport and life.

  • Your tone is firm but principled—there’s a moral compass here without ego.

Final Thought:

Your excerpt presents a battle-tested, thoughtful coaching philosophy. It’s focused more on principles than gimmicks, more on preparation than hype. That builds trust and performance.





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