Basketball: Five Skills That Can Go Unrecognized

Defining skill narrowly as 'technical basketball activities' misses the mark. Other skills translate for successful, impactful players. Today's blog shares five critical elements that coaches value in possession to possession evaluation. 

TOUGHNESS

COACHABILITY

HARD WORK

COMMUNICATION

LEADERSHIP

TOUGHNESS. "The game honors toughness." Toughness blends the physical and mental. It describes the ability to make "tough plays" and to maintain high performance over longer stretches of play. Good teams do not quit. 

In his classic ESPN "Toughness" article (and eponymous book), Jay Bilas catalogs over thirty toughness musts, including Get on the floor. 

"The first player to get to the floor is usually the one to come up with any loose ball. Close out under control: It is too easy to fly at a shooter and think you are a tough defender. A tough defender closes out under control, takes away a straight line drive and takes away the shot. A tough player has a sense of urgency but has the discipline to do it the right way."

 

Overtime, excavated from 1973, Boston Garden, sectional championship game. Forced a held ball and won the tap, not a "typical" career highlight. In my +/- performance rating system, that would be +2, invisible in the box score. 

COACHABILITY. Coachable players focus, listen, and embrace their role. Their only agendas are finding ways to make teammates better and win. "Inversion" is relevant here, as uncoachable players have agendas, selfishness, or worst - apathy. Bill Belichick said, "At this point in my career, I want to coach guys I like. I want to coach guys I want to be around and that’s it." He added the desire for tough, smart, and dependable players.

HARD WORK - We have skill players, effort players, and the total package. Coaches value players who never take plays off and "don't cheat the drill." The jockey can't continuously apply the whip. The horse has to want to run. 

COMMUNICATION. "Silent teams lose." Talk is underrated and intimidates opponents. It begins in practice. Eye contact is communication. How players interact non-verbally is communication. Bills Coach Sean McDermott gets it: 

Effective talk is part of deserving success. 

LEADERSHIP. Leadership blends multiple traits - character, humility, accountability, integrity, relatability, and others. Without willing followers, there are no leaders. Leaders model process excellence which doesn't guarantee results. Player leaders help coaches take the pulse of the team. Leaders speak hard truths that deserve attention and like Caesar's wife have a higher level of responsibility. 

Consider adding an "intangibles checklist" and reviewing its value with our teams. 

Lagniappe: Players, watch more video to learn about timing, defensive rotation, and angles. Don Kelbick's "think shot first" mantra works in this Radius Athletics video. 



The analysis includes "dos and don't" (e.g. don't help off the ballside corner) that separate winners from wishers. 

Basketball: What has Brown Done for You Lately? Jaylen Brown Defense

Jaylen Brown guarded Pascal Siakam for 38 total minutes in this series. Here's how Siakam fared against JB's defense per NBA tracking data:

43 points on 19-43 shooting (including 2-12 3PT) and only 5 FTA

Some of the best defensive plays from Brown against Siakam: pic.twitter.com/D6KykVZ6kW

— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) September 12, 2020

Tomek Kordylewski shares some video. Here's my take. 

Clip 1. Siakam in the block. The Celtics do not want Siakam spinning back/pivoting into the short one-hander off the glass. Brown forces him into the middle with Theis as help. 

Clip 2. Siakam drives middle, Brown has minimal help. Tatum helps off the corner because unlikely for a left-handed hook pass. Siakam has size but no left-handed hook to overcome Brown's quickness for the block. 

Clip 3. Siakam backs Brown down from the wing. He gets great position but doesn't use a shot fake, fallaway, or up and under and Brown blocks him again. Not sure this was great defense as much as Siakam still developing offensively. 

Clip 4. Brown has two teammates available to help (Smart and Theis) and times the poke well to get a steal started. As Brown and Tatum continue their association, their passing to each other continues to grow. 

Basketball: Problem Solving Applied to Transition Defense

Coaches teach problem solving. Do it better. 

David Cottrell in Tuesday Morning Coaching presents a framework for problem solving. It has broad application. 

1. What is the problem as you see it?
2. What is its impact? 
3. What is our desired "end state?"
4. Why does the problem exist? 
5. What are a range of possible solutions? 

Let's examine a common basketball problem and thresh it through this prism. 

"We are allowing too many points in transition." 

1. Transition opportunities are often high quality with limited "contest." Teams should set a low threshold for acceptable points in transition (e.g. three hoops per game). 

2. Many games are decided by six or fewer points (two possessions). Allowing easy baskets is one way to beat yourself. 

3. The "end state" is to protect the basket, force the extra pass, and allow the team to set its defense by disallowing "early clock" open shots.

4. Poor transition can result from poor effort, poor awareness, misunderstanding of assignments (how many to the glass, who gets back?), and from turnovers setting up transition. Coaching contributions can be lack of emphasis and lack of practice. (see Coach Stevens' notes in Lagniappe)

5. Kevin Eastman says, "do it better (technique), do it harder (effort), change personnel." Change could also mean an emphasis on turnover reduction that trigger the running game. 

Lagniappe: Advantage-Disadvantage Transition Drill (Andrej Lemanis)

Most of us have used this drill or variation (5 v 4) to simulate transition defense. 

Lagniappe 2: Brad Stevens Defensive Notes

Our absolutes:

• Sprinting not running (beat your guy to half court)
• Protect the basket 
• Stop the ball to allow defense to get back

Lagniappe 3: FIBA Transition Clinic (Andrej Lemanis) - "Communication is a skill." 

"Adjust all your rules to your team...anybody has anybody." 

Lagniappe 4: Statistical anomaly and win. 

The Celtics went 40/23/56 (10 missed free throws) and scored four points in the final five minutes but escaped with a win. 

Basketball Friday: 1-3-1, Emphasis on Cutting - Drive for Show, Cut for Dough

Discussing offensive fundamentals, we probably think first of shooting, ball handling, passing, rebounding, and pivoting/footwork. Teach players to cut better because "basketball is a game of separation." 

"Every day is a development day." Outstanding players are their best through  UNREQUIRED WORK. They also study the game to find sustainable competitive edges. 

Basketball Friday shares at least one DRILL, three CONCEPTS, and a PLAY. 

Drill: Via Michigan Developmental Drills

Concepts: 

Crafty cutting yields high quality scoring chances. Cutting plays have the highest points per possession among common NBA actions. Today's missive shares minor variations on common actions. 

1) Separate through change of direction and/or change of pace. "Explode out of the cut." Usually that means sticking a foot in the ground and cutting opposite. 



Rarely, an athlete makes an "Edelman Cut" by reverse pivoting to get separation, planting feet perpendicular to scrimmage to back pivot and seal. Click through to view. 

2) A back cut goes "to the ball then away from the ball." But it doesn't require a direct pass.




Manu Ginobili shows this via a hockey assist. 

3) Look for cutters out of the baseline drive. 



Many defenses force drivers baseline and look for help. The driver should be looking for the open player on the basket cut as the help leaves. 

Set Play: "Stagger Roll"

The "Stagger Roll" can generate a shot, drive, or pass for the 2 coming out of the staggered screens. 

Lagniappe ("and then some"): When we think of great cutters, who comes to mind? Many will think of Dwayne Wade, Rip Hamilton, Klay Thompson and others. 




But Avery Bradley, known for his defense, had a strong cutting game. 

Lagniappe 2: Coach Daniel shows the power of "multiple actions." 


Success never goes out of style. He shows the "flare slip" where the screener cuts after or even before setting the flare. He shows how teams run it plus options ball side, help side, and defensive strategies. 



Even when it breaks down, it can still work. 

Basketball: Star Treatment, Give It to Get It

To earn success in our field, give Star Treatment. Every day. The actor knows his lines "off book." The reporter gets "the best version of the truth." The newspaper delivery person puts the paper inside the screen door. 

In Tuesday Morning Coaching, David Cottrell reminds us, “Complacency is the root of mediocrity.” Great players exceed expectations despite defensive attention. They figure it out - by winning in space, drawing two and passing, impacting the game by ways other than scoring if their touch is off. They don't rest on defense. 

Develop a winning formula. Cab driver Gerald Stokes had a laminated card on his visor:

Gerald Stokes Star Formula : Q + A = C

Quality of Service plus Attitude equalled his Compensation. He came sharply attired with black pants, white shirt, and black tie. He served coffee from a Thermos, brought multiple newspapers, and hosted a menu of music or alternative choices. Most of his business came by appointment. "Star Treatment" quadrupled his income. 

Compensation comes in many forms, including satisfaction from adding value. For players, minutes are part of compensation. Kevin Eastman says, "you own your paycheck." Work for constant improvement. Remember, "Nobody in the office regrets when a poor worker is released." 

As we returned on an Atlanta flight, the Flight Attendant let us know half a dozen times, "If you need something let me know."

Give Star Treatment

• B+ (be positive).
• Communicate positive to negative feedback at least 3:1 (5:1 in marriage)
• Commit to a culture of sharing and accountability
• Individual attention 
• Recognition (credit publicly). Everyone likes to see their name in print.  

When players feel valued they are more likely to add value. 

Summary:

- Give Star Treatment every day. 

- Star Effort is at the core of Star Treatment. Star treatment gets reciprocity.

- "Complacency is the root of mediocrity." 

- "You own your paycheck."

- "Q + A = C"

Lagniappe: (Hat tip, Brook Kohlheim) 

The simulations have been excellent for our staff to think outside the box on schemes and defensive rotations. In this clip we work on defending the down pin. https://t.co/VnvdQDP84p pic.twitter.com/N9WyeQSRon

— Arkansas Basketball Recruiting (@RazorbackMBBRec) September 1, 2020

Use elite level basketball to demonstrate proper technique. 

EDIR5 - Coach Wooden (explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition x 5) 

Lagniappe 2: Know what's important. 

Lagniappe 3: Be authentic. 

MasterClass subheading, Reba McEntire, "Building a Visual Brand." Be comfortable with your identity. I'm kind of the Pete Carril "disorganized" look. 

Basketball: Writing Your Resume', a Primer for High School Students

Advance our players' careers. That encompasses more than teaching, inspiring, and giving accurate feedback. It means writing recommendations, sharing video, and helping them to help themselves. Here are tips for getting them started on resume writing or bettering their current one. 

"It ain't bragging if you can do it." - Baseball Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean



Learn to tell your story through interviews, resume', and video highlights. It's never too soon to start. 

Include identifying information (address, email, phone number), education (including additional coursework like online courses), work history, special skills (e.g. foreign languages, computer skills), leadership experience, achievements and awards. 

If you're emphasizing sport, consider including sport-related goals, highlights, and achievements. Some applicants use a video resume for both innovation and information. 

Share relevant extracurricular activities. If you've done something noteworthy (e.g. had something published), include it. 

Many sites provide helpful tips. Review an example of a student resume' here. 

Sell yourself. If you have a high GPA or standardized test scores, include them. 

How long should it be? Young people won't have a lengthy resume. But if you do, limit it to two pages, knowing that many employers use scanning software. 

Your social media history follows you. Embarrassing photos, sexist, racist, or homophobic contents will appear on an Admissions Department or employer search. Expect that they will do a background check on you. If you need your profile scrubbed, get on it. 

Build a portfolio of references (teachers, employers, coaches) who will vouch for your character and skills. Networking is vital to career growth. If you have performed well in a class or job, ask your supervisor if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. It's helpful if your performance allows them to share specific insights about you.

Make your narrative great. Nobody will care more about your future than you. 

Lagniappe: "And Then Some" is the title of the second chapter of David Cottrell's Tuesday Morning Coaching. Make providing UNREQUIRED WORK your calling card as you build your educational, athletic, and work experience. 

Basketball: Thoughts on Fouling...and Homework

"Foul for profit." - Kevin Sivils

Dean Oliver's 'four factors' include shooting, turnovers, rebounding, and free throws. The trend toward analytics hasn't diminished the importance of free throws and by extension, fouling. 

Offensively, drawing fouls adds value via high points/possession and getting opponents in foul trouble. During the comeback game it also allows scoring without the clock running. 

It's horrifying to fail because of thoughtless fouling and missing free throws. Good players foul selectively not habitually. 

Good defense includes avoiding unnecessary fouling. Brian Scalabrine adds, "When you play hard defensively, the basketball gods take care of you."

Avoid Needless Fouls

• Defense starts with your head. Lazy defense fouls.
• Don't reach in. "Show your hands." If it looks like a foul, it will likely be a foul.
• Move your feet. Get legal guarding position. Don't 'body' players off their line.
• Stay vertical. Don't chop down. 
• Play under control. After a bad offensive play, don't double down by fouling. Mature players don't make these mistakes. 
• Never foul jump shots and never, ever foul three-point shots. 

Stan Van Gundy mentioned the truism, "fouling negates hustle." As great defense is multiple efforts, fouling is the cancel culture of winning. 

Good players learn to play with fouls. During development, there is a role for allowing players to learn to play with fouls. 

Strategic Fouling

• Hack-a-Shaq... fouling a team's poor shooter 
• Fouling to approach the limit strategically
• Fouling to stop the clock.
• Fouls to protect a three-point lead with two free throws

Mediocre teams tend to foul indiscriminately. 

Summary:

Foul for profit.
Foul selectively not habitually. 
"Fouling negates hustle."
Show your hands. 
"When you play hard defensively, the basketball gods take care of you."
Don't DOUBLE DOWN with retaliation fouls.
Teach players to play with fouls during development. 

Lagniappe: ...a game of separation

The mid-range game lives in the NBA... Chris Paul, DeMar DeRozan, Kawhi, and Kemba Walker excel by creating space. The Celtics start with a horns-like look, that becomes a high ball screen, and then a stepback. 

Jayson Tatum shows another way players separate with a "push through" dribble as takes a page from Kyrie Irving and pushes the ball ahead of him to get driving separation. 



Toronto varies their defenses but gets victimized by ball reversal. Lowry traps Tatum who passes to Smart. VanVleet rotates to cover the "expected" pass but Smart finds Brown in the corner. Lowry (I think they call this X-out) can't get there. 

Lagniappe 2: David Cottrell shares leadership strategies in Tuesday Morning Coaching. His character needs coaching to bust a slump and the mentor asks for four promises:

• Show up on time.
• Do your homework.
• Tell the truth. 
• Be willing to make changes. (Try something different)

"NO MATTER WHAT" we all have homework...

Basketball: Disruptive Defense, "Good teams do not beat themselves."

Wikipedia lists stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. We have a vision of  "good defense" but getting there is another matter. 

As coaches, get players on the same page with our philosophy. That requires teaching and feedback using data and/or video. Huge gaps separate know that and know how. Thomas Crane called that "performance-focused, feedback-rich" coaching. 

Teach basketball symmetry. What offenses want (separation, open quality shots) defenses limit. Just as turnovers kill offensive possessions, defensive lapses like poor ball pressure, slow help or rotation, lack of recovery, and poor shot contests kill defensive possessions. 



Show what good defense looks like (above). 

Defense begins with philosophy, from general to specific:

• deny quality shots
• "one bad shot" (implies strong defensive rebounding)
• "hard 2s" (incorporates understanding of analytics)
• no easy shots
• "Good teams do not beat themselves." LIMIT BAD FOULS. 
• Player development is more than offense. 
• Need defenders who can win individual battles. 
• "Win this possession" equals "get stops" equals "stops make runs." 
• What pace do we want to play? 
• Do we play containment defense or denial defense? 
• How do WE defend ball screens and off ball screens? 
• Do we front the post? (If we can't pressure the ball, we likely can't front the post). 
• Do we trap aggressively or strategically? 
• Man defense is primary. When do we change (e.g. zone) and how much? 

"Know thyself." If we can't rotate on time and consistently, we can't double the post (above). We couldn't contain the ball, so had to change defense (zone and combinations) to have protection. 

What are easy shots? (What do we disallow?)

• free throws
• low contest layups
• transition "numbers" 
• putbacks 
• open threes* (depends on age and level of competition)

What is required of the best defenses? Higher scoring teams get paint touches and ball reversal. Is good technique obvious to limit these? 

• ball pressure ("there is no substitute")
• "at a glance" - proximity...defenders are close to the ball on the catch
• limit penetration (including post entry)
• limit ball reversal 
• "contestedness" (challenge shots without fouling) 
• excellent defenses have superior physical conditioning 

What commonly is bad defense? Good teams exploit bad defense. Anything that leads to higher points per position is bad defense. During halftime of a recent Celtics game, Coach Stevens admonished the team that most of Toronto's points came off transition and putbacks. How quickly (if ever) do we diagnose and solve the problem? 

• Poor ball pressure ("dead man's defense" - six feet under)
• Allowing give-and-go by not jumping to the ball
• Bad transition 
• Confusion on pick-and-roll coverage
• Undisciplined fouling
• Unchallenged shots
• Poor closeouts
• Lack of blockouts
• No help

Driving coaches crazy on defense (beating yourself)

• Poor effort
• Bad transition defense
• Not playing in a stance
• Confusion over assignment 
• Fouling perimeter shots and "terrible shots"
• No help ("The ball scores." or "My girl didn't score")
• "Double down" fouls - bad offense leads to retaliation foul

Lagniappe: via @Coach_DeMarco

Coach DeMarco shares 1-4 low BOB actions from his weekly letter. 

Lagniappe 2: As a player, what are you prepared to sacrifice to be part of winning? 

• Time for studying the game, video, and your team playbook
• Shots. Is it about you or the team? 
• Credit. Are you a giver or a taker? 
• Strength and conditioning work. 
• Taking hits - hard screens, going to the floor, charges, blocking out
• Minutes. Players play; coaches coach. 

Lagniappe 3: Effort and knowledge can't always overcome flaws: lack of size and athleticism. 

Basketball Catalog: Game Winners Plus Writing Letters of Recommendation

It's gratifying to have teams and players in "close and late" situations in position to win. They might arise as ATOs, special situations, improvisation, or occasional Hail Marys. Omit the latter because we can't train for it. 

Young readers may lack the "corporate memory" of old timers. The principal benefit of aging is the chance to have gained wisdom from good wins and bad losses. "Experience is the best teacher, but sometimes the tuition is high."

Have a "catalog" of familiar actions to help players visualize championship execution. They teach twice, showing winning execution and defensive misery. 

The Valpo miracle. Don't help off the great shooter. 

"Portland." Lillard beats the Rockets. Who isn't switching the stagger?

Princeton ATO. Even when you know it's coming, it's still hard to stop. 

This Dartmouth (who saw that coming?) BOB has a "Chinese fire drill" look to it (I can say that.). But it distills to a cross-screen small on big. 

SLOB. Celtics' cross-court corner three. I was loving that then and hating it now.

Need something going to the rim? 

SLOB. Winner (above). We've scored multiple times with this screen-the-screener action and tied a game at the buzzer when the inbounder (5) scored on a rebounded miss. 

Building a video library has enduring value. 

Lagniappe: Letters of Recommendation

View writing recommendations as "career boosters" for players. Young people are often reticent to ask adults for letters. But effective networking helps student-athletes reach their dreams - college, scholarships, professional degrees.  

What belongs in a letter of recommendation? 

Establish our credentials. Authors should describe themselves and their expertise.

Tell the story. A great narratives has common elements - a simple, unexpected, credible, concrete, emotional story. Explain the relationship and its meaning. How did the student excel and add value to their community. 

Define their core values. The recommendation describes their character ("character is job one") and ethos including work ethic, curiosity, abilities, and accomplishments. Tailor the letter to the needs of the applicant (e.g. career track). 

Is there a special situation? If the applicant has overcome special circumstances, include the why and how. 

Comparison. If it applies, write that this player was the best player you ever coached. When their skill or style of play reminds you of a specific Comp, pointing it out benefits both the athlete and the reviewer. 

Have a closing argument. Make a strong case for the applicant adding value for the target organization. "I first met her as a little girl when she came to watch our girls play. I coached her in middle school basketball. I knew her better as a great leader and giver as an All-State volleyball player, elite student-athlete, and paid assistant. I look forward to knowing her someday as "Doctor" in her chosen profession of veterinary medicine." 

Basketball: Show Dog

"You're a show dog. Get in there and perform." - Reba McEntire 



1 Bring energy. Bring attitude. Be your best self. "Leave an impression." In Above the Line, Urban Meyer calls it, "crossing the red line," around the field. Remember the Naomi Effect. Two minutes before tryouts started, a little girl came up to me and said, "I am really excited to be here." 

2 Define your mental and physical process. Write it down. Preparation might start the night before, packing your team bag with your gear, prescriptions, personal items. I had one player (now a senior at the Naval Academy), who kept her laminated copy of the "Pyramid of Success" in her gym bag for almost a decade. She will proudly represent us as a Naval Officer. 

3 Successful people in all fields are intentional. Have an activating or calming routine to bolster your psychology. Balance yields the highest results (figure above). 

 

4 Build confidence. Develop a specific stretching and warmup plan. Your routine is your success launch pad. If you can't explain your process, you don't have one. Whatever your routine, start shooting in close. Seeing the ball go in builds belief. "We make our habits and our habits make us." 

5 Extend your range. I like a drill we call plus two, minus one. Start along a "radian." 

Expand your range and confidence. Make two and step back. Miss one, move in. Miss two in a row and start over. You must shoot over .666 to get to the three-point line. 

Our girls want to shoot the three. Earn the privilege. 

6 Have a presence. Your presence will follow you through life. My daughter told me that she walked onto the floor tall, head up, chest out. Body language announces that the alpha dog is in the house. Your performance backs it up. Remind yourself every day, "always do your best." Your best means not having to lead a life of regrets. 

Lagniappe: "Focus on the process of becoming champions." - Nick Saban in How Good Do You Want to Be? 

Lagniappe 2: Zak Boisvert on leaving your feet. 

"You can leave your feet to make a pass; You can't leave your feet to find a pass" pic.twitter.com/F2497OuXwG

— PickandPop (@PickAndPopNet) September 5, 2020

Basketball Friday: The Theme is More. What Deserves More Emphasis?

Be open to stream of consciousness. Chris Oliver shares great teaching. "Oliver" reminds me of "Oliver Twist," and his plea for MORE. 



Basketball Friday includes 1-3-1, a drill, three concepts, and a set play...and more. Sometimes, it centers around a theme. What should we do more?

Tighten our habits - investing not spending time, reading, and building a sustainable morning routine. 

Remember Mike Dunlap's SAVERS.

S = Silence/Meditation
A = Affirmations
V = Visualization
E = Exercise
R = Reading
S = Scripting (journaling)

Drill. Great players separate and finish. Curry pivots.

Self-toss into a catch off the jump stop. Work on front and back pivots with both feet. After facing the basket, use jab, shot fake, or rip through to attack the basket or shoot off a one-dribble move. Find "four ways to score." 

Concepts (3+). "Do more of what works and less of what doesn't." 

• Scrimmage (play) more. That doesn't necessarily mean five-on-five full-court. Small-sided games mean more touches, similar to futsal. Add difficulty by using constraints (e.g. only playing on the left side of the court, requiring a paint touch and ball reversal before shooting, or scoring only on layups).
• Play more one-on-one. This forces basketball moves, ball handling, and defensive play. Raise the stakes. Add consequences like pushups for the loser. 
• Confirm victory. Sink a free throw to confirm the win. 
• Play better players. "Iron sharpens iron." 

Play. One of our team strengths through the years have been special situations. We usually "win the battle" of special situations. 

This action combines splitting and screening. 

Lagniappe: More Film Study

This action enhances a play/series/concept we've used. 

The core concept is zone overload. We've run it from box and other formations. 

The 2, 3 responsibilities are spacing to the three point line for catch and shoot. 

If their baseline defenders trail them, that creates a two-on-one for x5. "Bad news" for her. 
The inbounder must 'read' the low defenders.