Basketball: Ten Enduring Wisdoms, No Magic Lamps, and a Classic SLOB Winner

Rarely brilliance shines a light upon us. 

"Six decades ago, in a classroom at Groton, a young man rose slowly to his feet, gazed down at a sheaf of papers in his hand, and began to read. At the front of the room, his teacher sat back and enjoyed a brilliant essay on the Duke of Marlborough, brilliantly delivered -- and marred only by a scattering of barely suppressed giggles. Baffled, the teacher later drew one of the young man's classmates aside and asked about the laughter. ''Didn't you know?'' the student said. ''He was unprepared. He was reading from a blank piece of paper.''" Such was the intellect of McGeorge Bundy. 

Grab enduring truths. 

Phil Jackson said, "Basketball is sharing." Play for the guys next to you. Commitment, effort, and sacrifice can't match McArthur's "duty, honor, country," but they're neighbors. 

Pete Newell simplified the game, "get more and better shots than our opponents." Every player should know this. Find quality shots; allow "one bad shot." 

"Simplify." Don Meyer preached simplicity. Teach the necessary and omit the fluff. Occam's Razor held, "never multiply things beyond necessity." But that doesn't eliminate plan B (e.g. comeback or delay games). 

"Possession and possessions." Get the ball; do something great with it. Coach Sonny Lane shared that he valued assists and rebounding. Assists imply scoring and rebounds means possession. 

Bill Belichick says, “On a team, it’s not the strength of the individual players, but it is the strength of the unit and how they all function together.” Teams are more than a collection of talent. The best players don't always play well together. 

Find guys who end possessions well. They force turnovers, bad shots, and rebound. Or they pile up points. Efficient possession enders always find roles. Twenty points a game may not get scholarships but twenty rebounds a game do. 

“Every day is player development day.” - Dave Smart   Player development benefits everyone. Reserves push starters. Nobody regrets more skill. Development defines dreams. Guys like Drew Hanlen help the Jayson Tatums of the world put up fifty points three times in a season. 

Change of direction, change of pace, explosiveness, and skill don't arise from magic lamps. 

Gregg Popovich says, “Get over yourself.” Ego distracts from destiny. Bill Russell said that his ego depended on team success. George C. Marshall yielded command of the European Theater to Eisenhower.  William Tecumseh Sherman had a slow ascent to prominence, winning battles with strategy not recklessness on his march to the sea. Each of these leaders placed mission over self.

“Seek high performance.” Take pride in resilience. When the Heat defeated the Spurs in 2013, the Spurs fought back despite this disheartening Game 6 loss. We've all celebrated "good losses" but there are no good postseason losses. The Spurs reclaimed the title the next year.

Pick, check, and stick to your process. Don't skip steps. Trader Linda Raschke says, "Plan your trade; trade your plan." We make our habits and our habits make us. Nick Saban's PROCESS has won at every college stop. 

And Saban knows that commitment confirms the process.

Summary: 

• "Basketball is sharing."
• "Get more and better shots."
• "Simplify."
• "Possession and possessions."
• "Develop guys who end possessions well."
• "Get over yourself." 
• "Stick to your process."

Lagniappe. Rep moves that you can execute. Maybe only the first two belong for you. 

Lagniappe 2. Classic SLOB Game Winner, Lillard Stagger 3. 

Basketball: Everyone's Favorite Radio Station, WII- FM

WII - fm. "What's in it for me?" 

Use incentives to modify behavior. A woman wrote an advice column and explained that her husband was incorrigible. She went to the library and studied books about animal training. She rewarded "good" behaviors and ignored "bad" ones. Within a short time, good behaviors won.

Find out what matters. For players, it's Chuck Daly's '48 minutes, 48 shots, 48 million." For young players it's minutes, role, and recognition.  

Tension battles "what's in it for me" and "what's good for us?" 

1. Excellent players win one-vs-one battles.
2. Exceptional players make everyone around them better.
3. Valuable players contribute to winning. 

Watching an AAU Showcase stream, I felt too many players engaged, Night at the Opera basketball, mi-mi-mi. 

Guards took "three-after-three" and repeatedly missed. Where's the added value?

Years ago, I heard a parent counseling her daughter before a high school playoff game. "Get your shots. You're every bit as good as anyone on the team." 

"Too many minds." Mind the team. Basketball's great paradox balances individual excellence for the good of the team. "From the moment they wake, they devote themself to the perfection of whatever they pursue...I have never seen such discipline."

Make what's good for me become what's best for us. And reward that.

Summary: 

• Players value minutes, role, and recognition.  
• "What's good for us?" 
• Excellent players win one-vs-one battles.
• Exceptional players make everyone around them better.
• Valuable players contribute to winning. 
• Basketball's great paradox balances individual excellence for the good of the team.

Lagniappe. 2 v 2 Transition.  A versatile drill. "Every day is player development day."

 

Basketball: A Dozen Sayings that Make Sense (Some Original, Some Stolen)

"Good artists borrow; great artists steal." - Picasso

Get inside their heads. Say it, say it again, repeat it. My French teacher, Monsieur Benoit said, "ecoute' et repete' (listen and repeat)." 

Coach Sonny Lane preached before analytics, "the ball is gold" and "no shit shots." A pinch of profanity got results. That advanced us to the state Division I semifinals, shooting 23 of 42 (pre-shot clock) to win a playoff game against a team that had won 18 straight. Cinderella stories arise by avoiding giving games away, making opponents work extra, and finding ways to score. 

Our opening possession got a hoop after twenty-two passes. 

Goliath doesn't always win. 

"Don't back up." Attack the ballhandler. Be the aggressor at both ends. Aggression balances timidity and recklessness. 

"No middle; no paint." Dictate where offense isn't going. 

"(The ball is a) Camera." If you want the ball, it has to see you. Get open via 'the 95' (the 95% of time you don't have the ball. 

"Sprint." "Basketball is not a running game; it is a sprinting game."

"(Put 'em in a) Glass box." Trap without fouling in an imaginary glass box. 

"Foul for profit." Kevin Sivils' saying is timeless. Mindless fouling gives games away. Avoiding bad fouls became part of the Loyola of Chicago way. 

"That's not how we play." Selfishness is almost never okay (rebound selfishly).

"Pinch." Have a unique and unifying language. Pinch means full denial on a dead dribble. Fire means full pressure man-to-man. Red means full ball pressure while fronting the post. 

"Find mentors." The only shortcut to excellence is mentoring. Coach Cal has his "Personal Board of Directors." Championship Coach Kristen McDonnell participates in coaching "Fireside Chats." Steve Kerr's triad of methods includes mentors, mindset, and culture. Better process, better outcomes. 

"I believe in you." No four words mean more. 

None of it matters unless we listen and embrace messaging. 

Summary:

• "The ball is gold." 
• "No paint; no middle."
• "Don't back up."
• "Foul for profit."
• "That's not how we play."
• Find mentors.
• "I believe in you." 

Lagniappe. "Slappin' Glass" shares its latest mega-issue including Crunch Time with G-League coach Ryan Pannone. They include "provoking switches" and Ghost (early slipping) screens. 

And their "best sets" feature includes this I'll call "Give and You-Go" action. 

Basketball: Coaching Regrets , "But I Won't Do That," "If I Ruled the World" and Lagniappe Worth Study

What are the coaching "Thats" you won't do? What are the "Don't Do What I Did" errors and opportunities? 

1. I won't pick thirteen players again. We had twelve "returners" and a new player tried out who belonged in the top half. It exacerbated the minutes crunch in games. It was reminiscent of post-War Iraq and Imperial Life in the Emerald City. People who little electricity got some but were unhappy and those who had a lot had theirs reduced, making them unhappy. When we cut more slices in the pie, the results are obvious and unsatisfying. 

2. I won't play zone defense as the PRIMARY defense for youth basketball. In the "if I ruled the world" game, I'd limit the amount of zone defense allowable per game (maybe the last four minutes of each half). Who died and made you king? 

3. I still won't teach the Euro Step. I have irrational fears about causing a knee injury, especially for girls.

4. Discourage release of individual statistics. They always show that everyone isn't equal in role or effectiveness, which everyone knows anyway. Trending TEAM statistics has value (field goal percentage and turnovers). Those "end of possession" stats reflect the good, the bad, and the ugly.

5. Don't expect consistency from young players. That exceeds a fool's errand; it's just foolish. Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." 

6. "Control what you can control." Often, the top teams carry fewer players (e.g. eight) creating advantage that can't be overcome (except unfair playing time). Fewer players getting more opportunity and coaching will outperform the opposite. Worry about our own team. Remember Ted Lasso's quote: 

“For me, success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field.”

7. Rule 1. "Prioritize player development." Rule 2. Never forget Rule 1. The ability to make teammates better and to finish possessions defines excellence. 

8. "Don't sweat the officiating." In the last fifty games I coached, the officials didn't decide one. They didn't take bad shots, throw the ball away, miss layups or free throws, lose defensive focus, or fail to get back in transition. Las Vegas doesn't set lines on middle school games. And if they did, betting them would rank among the worst decisions ever. 

9. Stay positive. Don't bring Misery to practice. Don't bring Misery to games. Don't send Misery home with your families.

 

10. "Never be a child's last coach." What does it feel like to play for me?

Summary:

• Don't expect consistency from young players. 
• "Control what you can control."
• Prioritize player development.
• Don't sweat the officiating. 
• Stay frosty.
• What does it feel like to play for me? 
• Powerful lagniappe from Nobel Laureate Danny Kahneman

Lagniappe. Hanlen. Knows. Shiftiness.

 

Lagniappe 2. Not for everyone, Barry Ritholtz interviews Nobel Prize winner Professor Danny Kahneman discussing noise, which is interference causing poor decision-making across domains. It could apply to business, justice, finance, medicine, and others. For example, the recent attempt to "gentrify" the Premier League exploded. 

He noted that insurance companies expected to have about a 10% underwriting 

difference, but the actual results were 55%. Errors do not cancel but are additive. Judges giving excessive sentences to one defendant and too light to another do not cancel out. 

When the first person to speak is the CEO, agreement doesn't reduce noise, it just approves the thoughts of the director...amplifying noise. "Most of us think we are right" that Professor Kahneman calls that naive realism. "Agreeing with ourself" doesn't get closer to truth. Our snap judgments raise our confidence but not accuracy. "Many professionals act with minimal feedback." 

We see that might apply to personnel decisions, coaching decisions, usage rates, salary cap, and so on. Making the wrong decision choosing a coach, or a player (e.g. Jacoby Ellsbury, Kemba Walker and injury) can impact teams for years. 

Not discussed in the article are foreign policy decisions that lead to "permanent" warfare like Vietnam and Afghanistan. 

"One would imagine that the insurance company that could reduce noise would have a competitive advantage." - Barry Ritholtz

"We found noise wherever we looked for it." Judges assess different types of crime differently and assess harsher sentences on hot days or if their football team lost last week. 

Rules are like computations. Standards do not add clarity. Danny says that it's more interesting to study the flaws of intuition not the marvels. 

"Conduct a noise audit." Give different people in an organization the same problem and see how they develop answers. 

Coaching: "Entertain Me" by Understanding Bad Basketball and Inversion

"Do this, don't do that can't you read the sign?"

Coach Ralph Labella tells players, "Entertain me." Play basketball for the fans, the families, and the coaches.

Start with the mental model of "inversion." Bad basketball doesn't entertain. 

• Don't throw the ball away.
• Don't take "hope" or "my turn" shots. Doc Rivers calls bad shots "shot turnovers."
• Don't "dribble the air out of the ball." I don't coach to watch you dribble. 
• Don't stand.
• Don't play dead man "six feet under" defense or silent defense. 

What do these have in common? They waste possessions (turnovers, bad shots) or cause inactivity.  

Symmetry opposes "bad basketball?" 

• "Take care of the ball." Turnovers are coach killers. Study whether our turnovers are poor decision-making or poor execution. 
• "Find quality shots." (see today's lagniappe video) The fast path to improvement is better shot selection. 
• "The ball has energy." Spread it around.
• Pass and cut urgently.
• Attack the ball defensively. 

Bring intangibles. 

• Be unselfish. 
• Bring energy and energize your teammates. Make the hustle plays.
• Be positive. 
• Make tough plays (set screens, take charges, get on the floor, block out)
• Be coachable. 

Know what you want to become. Many wrote off rookie Aaron Nesmith but he's finding his NBA talent late in the season. (Image via BostonSportsJournal)

Yes, these are unsustainable numbers but show an understanding of basketball evolution. And the C's need production with Jaylen Brown kayoed by injury. 

Summary: 

• "Entertain me."
• Wasted possessions and inactivity aren't entertaining. 
• Take care of the ball and cut urgently. 
• Be coachable.
• Know what you want to become. 

Lagniappe. Beautiful zone offense with exceptional passing. 

It's an overload strategy that distorts the zone with cutting and passing behind and then looks at low-high action. 

Lagniappe 2. 

My "writing space" is busy but quiet. Look hard and see the empty chair, representing the reader. Worthy writing serves the reader. Find something to steal. 

Lagniappe 3. Following Chris Oliver @BBallImmersion reveals idea after idea. 

Anyone else have a Twitter dm playbook filled with @BBallImmersion tweets?? The wave of the future... https://t.co/SLg5RS45BU

— Steve Fitzgerald (@crusaderball23) May 14, 2021

Lagniappe 4. Radius Athletics short video (best on larger screen and freezing frames)

Loved the Chess and Boxing analogies...even if my players haven’t heard of either sport 🤣🤣 @RadiusAthletics https://t.co/hZt9SZgiJD

— Steve Fitzgerald (@crusaderball23) May 14, 2021

Basketball Friday: Have a Best Five - ATO, BOB, SLOB, Man, and Zone Set

Ken Burns says, "It takes forty gallons of sap to make a gallon of maple syrup."  Devise actions that create high quality shots. "Great offense is multiple actions." Your "cleaner" should be able to execute the options available. Not saying these are all "A Listers" but develop a portfolio built off "hard to defend." 

Compile a Greatest Hits list and choose a "play lists." 

ATO. Celtics Iverson Backscreen 

The Celtics get the ball to Grant Williams via Iverson action and the clearing wing sets a backscreen for a lob. 

BOB. Triangle Double. 

Screening the middle of a 2-3 zone sets opportunity. 5 screens for 2 cutting to the corner to pull x3 out. 5 then screen for 4 across and the ball is entered to the 4. If x3 stays home, then open corner 3. 

SLOB. Horns Down. 

Sequential screens, the first to enter the ball and the second to free the opposite corner. This is a variation of Corner Rip. 

Man. Do we want an attack via screens, drives, threes, or isolation? It depends on our personnel. Five-out, open a gap. 

Zone. DR FlaPS - drive (gaps), reversal, flash, postup, screen? Ohio State screens the Orange.

OSU "knows" that Syracuse brings the ball side forward up and frees the corner by screening him and the middle. Problem? The 'short corner' jumper isn't for everyone. 

Drill. What was my favorite drill when I was a middle schooler (late 1960's)?

It combined offense, defense, and decision-making in simulated transition 3-on-2. The defense learned to "shape up" and stop the ball. The offense learned player and ball movement and major options (shot, drive, touch pass). 

For younger players, it's simpler than the upgrade to 3-on-3 chase transition drill (above). 

Lagniappe. I believe in the "economy of dribbling," but may be wrong. 

"Never take nine dribbles if you can do it in two." 

Lagniappe 2. Hat tip: Brook Kohlheim. “Youth football is not a team sport,” says Browaeys. “It is an individual sport.” Why individual coaching dominates upper echelons in the new pyramid paradigm. Become the Michelangelo whose job is to free the statue from the block of marble.  

 

Coaching Education: Collaboration and Kryptonite

What's our learning process? 

Better process, better results. Basketball rewards ENDING POSSESSIONS well. How do we win this possession? There is no pay by the dribble. 

Let's digress to ECONOMICS and Adam Smith's pin factory (point factory) in the Wealth of Nations. Specialization with someone drawing out the wire, making the pinhead, attaching the head, sharpening the point increased productivity (pins produced). Collaboration grows points. 

Education plus practice increases athleticism, skill and decision-making, producing points. How do we develop "poor man's versions" of Steph Curry or Russell Westbrook (to produce points)? And how do we find Kryptonite (individual or team defense) to hold them down? The net differential is our product. 

Here's the last ten game schedule of the Celtics (last night's results unavailable at time of writing)

Unimpressive results, 3-7. But look closer. 4 of the 10 are two possession games and 6 of 10 are three possession games. Small differences in execution translate into large differences in outcomes. A few plays define winners and losers. That's where education enters. The collaboration of "pin-making" translates.

Where do "efficient" points live? The high points per possession actions are threes (skill), basket cuts, and free throws. What's our method to grow "differential efficiency" - to score more and allow fewer? Where's the "bang for the buck?" Player development. 

1. Catch-and-shoot threes. 
2. One-dribble threes! 
3. Cuts - give and go and back door (play the two-man game without ball screens)

Where do opponent possessions die?

• Forced turnovers
• Heavily contested shots without fouls
• Defensive rebounds

What belongs in our "summer school" curriculum? (No one answer) In addition to topics, we revise our drill book, our playbook, and our "go to" actions (e.g. game winners). 

"The devil is in the details." Film study must become part of player development. I send clips to a player illustrating positive actions and missed opportunities. 

What individual and small group drills do we want players practicing? 

Who teaches and how? Local rules here prevent varsity coaches from offseason coaching of their team. 

What situations (close and late, ATO, SLOB, BOB, man and zone offense) do we review? 

How do we share with players and get feedback? Harsh reality is that nobody excels without a desire and love for the game. 

Summary: 

• Basketball rewards ending possessions well.
• Wealth of Nations lesson - collaboration grows productivity. 
• Small differences in execution lead to large changes in outcome.
• Where do efficient points live? 
• Where do possessions die? 
• Formulate our specific curriculum.
• Review and share high productivity situations. 
• Identify drills you want players practicing (No "opt out") 

Lagniappe. "Scout with Bryan" shares a Hawks ATO. 

Lagniappe 2. From Tools of Titans, Tim Ferriss interview of Economist Stephen Dubner 

"Let's come up with as many ideas as possible, and then put them under scrutiny, and basically try to kill them off, and if they were unkillable, then we'd keep going with them." Ask "what if" and test our hypothesis. Would our offense be more efficient if we emphasized transition more? How many pick-and-rolls do we run? Should we take more or fewer threes (analytics of OUR play)? 

On Basketball Excellence: "Boston Herald" Coach of the Decade Kristen McDonnell

Kristen McDonnell's teams win...a lot. In a pandemic-shortened season, her Norwood High team went 9-2 during her second season coaching boys. She serves as the Director of Guidance at Norwood. 

McDonnell switched from coaching girls at Braintree High, where her teams went 211-32 with four state championships in her final six seasons in Massachusetts' top division. She was named the Boston Herald Coach of the Decade. 

Coach McDonnell kindly agreed to an interview (lightly edited). 

1. What do you discuss at the introductory meeting with parents?

We provide an overview of the program's recent successes, improvements, and goals for the upcoming season. I want to make sure they know our coaching staff is committed and how much we're committed (i.e. what our staff does to ensure we've used all of our resources, skill sets, etc. to maximize their child's experience). We provide some information about the logistics (bus schedule, practice/game times, etc.) and then have the boosters club representative speak to the parents. 

We explain our expectations for communication with players and parents. They can come to us any time if they would like to share a personal issue or concern in their child's life; however, we outline what we never discuss with parents: playing time, game strategy, or anything about another player. 

2. What is your basketball philosophy?

My general philosophy is to teach/coach basketball in a way that allows every member of our team to play an important role that they can be proud of, and to celebrate each of those roles. I'm big on making sure that kids understand the "why." Why do you play basketball? Why do you put so much into this sport? This team? Why do we run certain sets or make certain decisions? It's all about building relationships, working hard, and having a good time.  

3. How do you create your team culture?

This is a loaded question! There's so much that goes into building a team and program culture; it takes a village. I think one of the most important pieces is to create a blueprint of how you see your program developing over time. Highlight all the players and roles in that village (e.g. coaching staff, players, boosters club, athletic director, trainer, youth program, etc.). Once you do that, it'll give you more direction in terms of your next steps: meeting with each of those people/groups and gaining buy-in.

Having strong program core values is also important. What are your non-negotiables? How will you communicate with your players on a consistent, sustained basis? Showing your players that you genuinely love basketball and want to be there each day working with them is huge. 

4. If you could tell your younger self something about coaching, what would that be?

KEEP IT SIMPLE! Do those simple things very well. And ignore the noise - you're always going to have critics if you put yourself in a coaching role. It's way better to be "in the arena" hearing some of that noise than to be on the outside avoiding it. 

5. Do you find coaching boys different than coaching girls?

Yes, absolutely! There is a different psychology that goes with each one and it's making sure to tap into those differences effectively. To generalize, girls are better listeners and want so badly to please you. If you tell them to get through options 1-5 in an offensive set, they'll get through all of them. Boys are more naturally active and often want to act before totally knowing why they're acting or making a certain read. So boys may only get through options 1-3 in that same offensive set. No way is good or bad, we just need to make sure we know how to maximize each mindset. On another note, the boys game is faster so it's important to make quicker decisions throughout the game. There is less down time to think about your next move. 

6. What is your basketball self-education process?

I'm obsessed with learning in the off-season. I love listening to podcasts of successful people talk about what makes them tick. I watch practices of other teams to pick up new drills and approaches. I watch a ton of videos on X's & O's and read a lot of books about leadership, culture-building, etc. I think the greatest learning tool is what you can take from other coaches. I'm lucky to be part of an informal group of about 30-40 MA coaches (called the Fireside Chat) that share different topics each week. 

7. How do you define team leadership positions (e.g. selecting captains)?

All varsity players from the current team vote for captains for the next season. I like captains whom I can use as my go-to in the off-season. I'll sometimes select one additional captain right before the season if someone else has shown a high commitment in the off-season. To be honest, I don't worry too much about captains once we get the right kids in those positions. We make leadership an any grade-level position so we talk in very general terms when referring to captains/leaders. 

Lagniappe. Here's an Audible.com podcast with Coach McDonnell. "I never realized that Senior Night was like...a young girl's wedding day." 

2018 State Championship game. Transition, ball movement, cutting created a lot of high quality shots. 

Basketball: What Matters to You? "In Search of Excellence" Applied to Basketball Development

Why do we play...and coach? 

Most don't come to win states or become all-state. Many girls want shared experiences with friends and classmates. Some chase parental dreams. 

Have we asked, "what matters to you?" We haven't asked enough as girls migrate away from basketball and toward volleyball and other sports. "Basketball is a hard sport to master. Unless you're willing to put in the time and effort and have a certain level of athleticism and hand-eye skills, you will not be successful. You will be pushed out of the sport because of what it demands. In volleyball and lacrosse, those barriers are lower."

Let's examine through the prism of In Search of Excellence, the landmark business management work from 1982. Peters and Waterman studied America's top companies and distilled core ideas. 

1. Leadership or Management? It's not one or the other. Relationships and competence blend to form reputations and growth. The top high school programs in our areas earned their status with strong youth programs and outstanding coaches. Three of the top girls programs in Massachusetts included Braintree, Oliver Ames, and Pentucket. All have state championship pedigrees. 

Pentucket has won despite private school raids of their high end talent. They apply and defeat pressure. Their team has skill and execute a variety of sets ranging from horns, to Flex, Iverson and shuffle cuts. 

Here's a BOB they ran in a state tournament game. 

2. Excellence is execution. "All the top companies they surveyed had an action bias." Peters emphasized "MBWA - Management by Walking Around," of United Airlines where leaders personally viewed execution and problems on the front lines. Chunking, breaking issues into smaller pieces was another priority. Envision skill development, strength and conditioning, offseason education, et cetera. Awhile ago, I discussed the potential of a "community coaching summit" to bring local coaches together with goals of collaboration and growth. 

3. Serve the fans. "America’s top companies have a service obsession." Fans want entertainment, effort, and results. Coming out of the pandemic, we have the opportunity to bring fans back. 

4. Innovate. "And autonomy and entrepreneurship are crucial to innovation, because they give employees the opportunity to develop creative ideas that go beyond their job description." How can a high school program innovate? Educators obsess over curriculum and its implementation. Our high school had (has?) a shooting machine which mostly collected dust. Why not a program to develop perimeter shooting with a shooting coach and the shooting machine? 

5. Love your employees. Too often people feel like cogs in the machine not valued participants. I remember an interview with a custodian at NASA, asked about his job, "I helped put a man on the moon." Build pride and performance at every level of the organization. In The Score Takes Care of Itself, Bill Walsh understood that the person answering the phones and striping the field all mattered to the product. 

6. Inspire. Have a purpose. 

Shape a basketball experience that appeals to the most possible participants. It won't be perfect and we won't make everyone happy. Our mantra has been teamwork, improvement, and accountability to each other.

7. Expand via core values. It's impossible to build program integration from silos. Connection and collaboration link to form process and performance. Work together to find and share "best practices." Ask other coaches, "what works for you" and steal great ideas!

8. Stay lean. “Lean staff” means minimal administrative, managerial and executive layers." What would this look like for a community basketball organization? The high school coach would bring leadership and charisma as "Director of Basketball Operations." His or her success would require collaboration with the "Department heads," the subvarsity and youth coaches charged with implementing a system of basketball offense, defense, and skill development. 

Each "department head" needs to ask the "employees" (players and families) "what matters to you?" 

Summary:

• Leadership or management.
• Excellence is execution.
• Serve the fans.
• Innovate.
• Love your employees.
• Inspire.
• Expand via core values. 
• Stay lean. 

Lagniappe. Why do professional athletes get paid? What mattered to Bill Russell?