Total Pageviews

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Basketball: Philosophy Drives the Process


 

How we coach begins with our philosophy. Everyone decides that meaning based on personality, influencers, and experience. 

There's no "right" philosophy although one might hope for common threads. Years ago in a Presidential debate, the moderator asked an obvious question, "why do you want to be President?" What's our why? 

All of us should have a clear, concise, and considered answer. Here are a few thoughts. 

Basketball is about relationships and collaboration. We forge relationships with teammates, coaches, and people in the game that last a lifetime. 

Help teams go where they cannot go alone. 

Help players become the best versions of themselves, in character and competence. Make it about the kids. "Are we building a program or a statue?"

Excel as a competitor and in sportsmanship. 

What are our absolutes? Teamwork, improvement, accountability. 

Teach resilience. We won't always win; we never quit. 

"Never be a child's last coach."

Basketball is a game of _________ . So many answers exist. "Individual excellence in a team concept..." "...cutting and passing..." "shared vision, shared sacrifice, shared success." 

"The game honors toughness." - Brad Stevens and others

Toughness is a skill. Hard work is a skill. Energy is a skill. 

"Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson 

"Just because we're driving the bus doesn't give us the right to throw people under it." 

"Champions do extra." - James Kerr, Legacy

Confidence balances arrogance and doubt. 


Lagniappe (something extra). Process Tom Izzo's words. 

Lagniappe 2. Coaches train winners. Last night our Melrose high school girls went on the road in a sectional volleyball final to face an undefeated team. A girl I coached heard an opposing player say, "this should be an easy game." Maybe not. 







  

Posted by at

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Get More from Meetings - CEO Lessons*

*Partially adapted from Indra Nooyi, former CEO PepsiCo

Has a meeting changed your life? We had just lost a two point, overtime game to the two-time defending state champion. Coach slammed the team room door shut and reamed us out for forty-five minutes. No excuses, no coddling. "We lost because it said LEXINGTON on their jerseys. We lost because you didn't believe in yourselves. We are the better team. We won't lose to them again." We played them again at their place and crushed them by 18. We beat them by 1 in OT in the Boston Garden sectional final, our thirteenth consecutive win. 

What changed? We practiced 5 against 7 full-court pressure each practice with no dribbling. Pass and cut. Hard practice pressure made game pressure routine. 

Make better meetings. 

  • Take charge. To lead, show up as a leader. 
  • Have a clear purpose. 
  • Create a one page agenda.
  • Lead but listen. 

Who? 

  • Confirm key people are present. 
  • Make space for everyone to contribute. What do you think?

Accountability. 

  • Take accountability for the meeting. 
  • Ensure action from every meeting.
  • Don't accept mediocrity. 

Feedback. 

  • Followup on objectives after the meeting.
  • "We met with the Coach, these are the messages."

Inclusivity. 
  • Be attentive to behaviors.
  • Engage with the speaker (includes body language).
  • "Confront issues constructively." 
  • Avoid passive aggression.
  • Engage the hesitant - help others bring their best. 
Key phrase.

  • "Help me to understand you better." 
Lagniappe. It's how you work, not just working. 



Posted by at

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Player Development - A Handful of Actions to Add Extra Arrows to Your Quiver (Clip and Save Edition)

The podcast explained the NBA GM's favorite 'technology book', Empire of the Summer Moon. What?

The book describes the rise and fall of the Comanches from about 1700 through over half the 19th century. The technology of ascent was the horse and the change was the Colt revolver. Comanche warriors excelled at horsemanship, riding into battle supine on their horse, wheeling around and unleashing a dozen arrows in sixty seconds. Their opponent had a single shot at a moving target with a rifle. 

Coaches bring 'game changers' via player development. Steal great ideas from other coaches. The best Xs and Os don't work without talent. Never have, never will. 

Technology was part of Jim Collins' secret sauce in Good to Great. Technology doesn't have to be new to work. 

Excellent players and coaches have no offseason. They work assiduously at advantage creation and advantage exploitation (separating and finishing). 

"Every day is player development day." - Dave Smart

"Never tired of doing the little things..." - Wooden on Bill Walton

Get 50 from Jay Wright. Warmup with variety. 

Box drills. Master footwork with drive or shoot off the catch. 

Quarters (Pitino 168) Multilevel shooting, competition, and endurance with eighty-four shots. 

Championship 37. 

5 x 3p

t shots

5 x 2pt shots with left hand dribble pull up

5 x 2pt shots with right hand dribble pull up

2 x free throws maximum score of 37

Wing attack - Pierce series. 


Negative step. Drew Hanlen calls it a load step. 

Float dribble. Apply versus defense in a one-on-one setting. 


Summary (filling your players' toolboxes)

  • Get 50
  • Box drills 
  • Quarters (Pitino 168)
  • Championship 37
  • Pierce Wing Series
  • Negative Step
  • Float Dribble 
Lagniappe. "Body language screams."  

 

Posted by at

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

What Do Coaches Sell?

"I'm a salesman." - Chuck Daly

We sell the ability to add value to others. What do the 'buyers' want? They want success. Yet Bill Parcells said, "Coaches are the most selfish people in the world. We put players on the field who make us look good."

Instead of looking at interactions as transactions, see them as opportunities to help others find their dreams - being winners, getting into a better college, earning a scholarship, becoming better people.

Learn to be genuinely interested in others, not in a fawning way, but authentically curious of how we can help them. I talk about the "Ration Sisters." 

Aspi Ration - whom do you want to be? 

Inspi Ration - bring energy to reach your goal.

Prepa Ration - what is your plan to achieve? 

Perspi Ration - own unrequired work and sacrifice. 

Aspiration and inspiration get us going; preparation and perspiration drive us forward.  

Ask players about setting and reaching their goals. Find out what SPECIFICS they are doing TODAY to reach them. I met a person who shared a goal to become the top airport architect in the world. That granularity was the springboard to a plan of personal development. 

Impact winning. If a player said, "I want to be top ball handler in the world, another Kyrie Irving," ask do you want to be a great dribbler or are you committed to passing, penetrating, finishing, scoring at multiple levels, making clutch shots, defending, and leading? 

Brad Stevens said, "coaches get much more than we give." Few vocations allow practitioners to see and enjoy the success of others as much as coaching. If schadenfreude is taking pleasure in the misery of others, coaching affords the opposite, taking pleasure in the success of others. 

Sell holistic excellence. "I am a holistic professional coach. I guide professionals to become more effective and efficient. In my case, I take a holistic approach to coaching. I believe that all aspects of one’s life are interconnected. It is unrealistic to only focus on one’s professional life, because one’s personal life matters!" Help players learn professionalism, studying better, better habit formation, improved communication, sharing, motivation. These qualities help them in all avenues of life. 

Become a storyteller. We help others write better success narratives. Stories help us remember core values, much as Aesop's Fables like "The Tortoise and the Hare" teach principles. 

Be an anteambulo. An anteambulo clears the path for others. "An anteambulo was an artist slash writer with a patron. Ah, the glory days of Roma, when wealthy patrons took on artists and supported them - housed, fed, clothed them - so they could create. In return, the artist was expected to perform tasks for the patron. One of these was anteambulo, which means “one who clears the path.” The anteambulo walked in front of his patron, “making way, communicating messages, and generally making the patron’s life easier."

Summary:

  • Be transformational not transactional
  • Do you know the "Ration Sisters?"
  • Help players set and reach goals. 
  • Impact winning. 
  • Sell Holistic excellence.
  • Become a storyteller.
  • Be an anteambulo. 

Lagniappe (something extra). 

Lagniappe 2. Tips - changing shot, distance, adding movement, challenges 


Lagniappe 3. BLOB Box Set with "Flexish" actions from Chris Oliver's Basketball Immersion














Posted by at

Basketball and Chess (Reposted to Remove Comments Violating Google Policies)

 

Basketball and Chess: Revised Thoughts on Material, Position, Forking (Draw 2) and More

"And one thing we know about Elizabeth Harmon is that she loves to win." - Queen's Gambit

Queen's Gambit brought chess into millions of living rooms and rekindled thoughts about basketball and chess. Both require flexibility. In both we find almost infinite ways to win or lose. Both have openings, middle game, and end games. Both are cerebral games. Don't beat yourself. 

Analogies are powerful. Analogies lie on a spectrum. As coaches, we may see a player or team similar to others (e.g. Larry Bird/Luka Doncic). We can be rudders or anchors. 

Control the center of the board. Many games favor control of center, strength up the middle - baseball, basketball, football, chess. Defenses live by "no middle" and "no penetration." Early game chess prioritizes a strong middle, developing pieces, and potentially attacking opponent pieces (e.g. knights and bishops). Disruptive technology (e.g. three point shooting) changes the game. 

Chunking. Elite chess players see groups of pieces. How do our players visualize the play (above)? The best players see a different game than others. 


Attack mentality. Both games are often won as one side is more aggressive.

Material advantage. Chess and basketball both rely on material advantage. During a game, we can't improve our players' abilities. But we can impact our opponents through strategies that disadvantage certain players (via size or speed) or imposing foul trouble that may take a queen off the board in exchange for a lesser piece. 

Know the difference between strategy and tactics. Basketball is different in that technique beats tactics. Don't force action when there is nothing strategic to do. 

"Draw 2." Fork multiple pieces. As in basketball, chess is a game of material (talent) and positional advantage. 


Strong players use one piece to attack multiple pieces, just as a player can "draw 2" driving into a gap or forcing help. Above, the white queen (f3) gains material by attacking the black rook (b4) and black king (g7) by moving to c3. 

The more we understand other domains, the more we understand our world. 

Lagniappe: Villanova Motion Concepts 

We don't have the skills to operate this, but maybe you do. 


Posted by at

Monday, November 7, 2022

First Impressions

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

People constantly judge us...and we judge them. Our judgments aren't necessarily accurate. 

Israeli Defense Forces sought the best possible future military officers. Psychologist Danny Kahneman developed a questionnaire that outperformed interviews. Why? Because in a world of talkers, "confident extroverts" excel at interviews but not always at work. 

Observation. We size up another's general appearance, eye contact, "engagement," speech content, and tone. 

Problem? None of the above measure competence, attention to detail, adaptability, or suitability for many types of work.  

Example. The Admin candidate was well-dressed, poised, and well-spoken. But in practice they lacked the experience and common sense to interact well with customers. 

Get noticed. Two minutes before tryouts began, the twelve year-old approached me, saying, "Coach, I am really excited to be here." Be 'seen' and perform well. Naomi earned a roster spot. 

Chuck Daly reminds coaches, "I am a salesman." What skill am I selling?Our product or service adds value to the purchaser or player. At higher levels, that impacts the player's livelihood and future.  

Understand the problem from the player's view. They may believe that "numbers" define their value. Reorient. Convincing them that winning is primary won't happen unless our behavior (minutes and role) matches our words. 

Make our primary objective the success of the player.

Lagniappe. Energizers. 

Lagniappe 2. Be great without the ball. 

 

Posted by at

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Helping Young Players Reach Their Potential

On the cusp of a new season, share your absolutes with young players. 

Be specific. Explain why and how with granular detail. "Work harder" or "play smarter" doesn't give players 'actionable' information. 

Become a tracker. "Show your work." If you're progressing, your records will prove it.  

Become professional. A pre-teen can learn professional standards. Yes, we realize that some professionals are not. 

  • Be on time. 
  • Take care of your body - nutrition, sleep, conditioning.
  • Be aware of your interactions with everyone. That includes what you post on social media. "It's always showtime." 

Structure. Learn concepts of structure across sports. 

Share your philosophy. Match to your personality. But let players know that when they play for another coach, that coach defines their rules. 

Build skill. "Every day is player development day." Ask players to write out their needs and improvement plan. What are their 'four ways to score' and what actions will help? 

Self-assessment. Become your own coach. Reinforce your strengths (the Don Kelbick method) and find ways to lessen weaknesses (e.g. improving athleticism if an issue). 

Self-management. Discipline and decisions determine destiny. What is your commitment level? Basketball excellence isn't for everyone.  

Study the game. 

  • Read.
  • Watch video. 
  • Study the details of great players. 

Become more resilient. 

  • Mindfulness increases focus, lowers stress hormones and anxiety. 
  • Some people find affirmations and visualization improves performance. 
  • Practice 'situational basketball'. If you want to be a closer, you need the game of a closer. 
Lagniappe.
Lagniappe 2. 


Posted by at

Basketball: What Would Douglas MacArthur Say? Plus a Drill and a Zone Set

Study leaders and their speeches, what they said and how they said it.  

"You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope as old as your despair." Every new season is about hope. 

"I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within." Special teams have special culture. "Fight for our culture every day."

"Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul." We can handle losing. Many factors cause losing. Quitting is entirely about us. 

"Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be." We cannot control whether we become the best; control being our best.

"A general is just as good or just as bad as the troops under his command make him." The game is about the players. "Every day is player development day." 

"I have known war as few men now living know it. It’s very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes." Our prosperity depends on our collaboration with others. Collaboration is communication. 

"In war, you win or lose, live or die – and the difference is just an eyelash." Sport isn't war, it isn't life or death. But focus and attention to detail on each possession separates winning and losing. 

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others." Hard decisions lead to hard conversations. If we won't have the latter, we won't make the former. Sometimes courage means walking away. 

"I had learned one of the bitter lessons of life: never try to regain the past, the fire will have become ashes." Always do our best today because we can't get back the last game or the last play. 

"Have a good plan, execute it violently, and do it today." Most sports reward aggressive play in the context of good decisions. Aggression that violates rules or probability are the exceptions. 

Lagniappe. Duncan Robinson drill. 

Lagniappe 2. Have plays to screen the middle of the zone.  

Teach players the mnemonic to break zones: DR. FlaPS

D - Drive into gaps to pass

R - Reverse the ball

Fla - Flash into open spaces

P - Post up

S - Screen 

Lagniappe 3. From "Spaced Out" by Mike Prada

Three phases exist on the path to scoring:
  • Setup 
  • Advantage creation (Individual or team)
  • Advantage exploitation (Execution) 


Posted by at

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Setting Up Three-Point Shots - Reminders from Kipling

 


How many three-pointers belong in your arsenal? That depends on your philosophy, separation, and shooters. If we want open looks, work for them. If we don't have long-range shooters, work on it. "Do more of what works and less of what doesn't." 

Individual. Some call it the "Side Steph" three. 


Attention to Detail breaks down Tatum's side dribble three. 


This video breaks down KD's dizzying array of separation moves including the lateral float dribble. 

Team actions. Solid screens, hard cuts, and shooters who quickly get balance are critical to making these actions work. 


"Winner" sets up multiple bites at the apple. 


"Portland" uses a staggered screen to get a game winning three. Note how Lillard fakes disinterest and explodes to the ball off the staggered screen. 


"Inside-outside" action can start in different ways. Here the shooter starts in the post, passes outside, and gets a screen. 

Elevator/Sandwich screen. 


Many are called but Few is chosen. Beautiful pair of staggered screens shared off of a Mark Few set. 

Lagniappe. Run through this thread. 

1. Make fewer mistakes.

2. Learn how to win.

3. Compete. Play harder for longer.

4. Be detail-oriented.

5. Practice harder. Hard practice makes easier games.

6. Practice smarter. 

7. Embrace roles.

8. Develop leaders. 


 

Posted by at

Friday, November 4, 2022

Basketball: Welcome Other Opinions

The coach is ultimately accountable. That doesn't mean being a dictator. Get input from allies, mentors, and trusted friends. Driving the bus doesn't entitle us to throw people under it. 

Control what you can. In former President George Bush's MasterClass, he uses the example of being a school principal. Parents are unhappy. The principal lacks the authority to hire the teachers or support staff and doesn't control the budget. The principal is accountable for personnel and operations that she doesn't have control over.

I've beaten the 'dead horse' of minutes, roles, and recognition. The coach controls the lion's share, but what is the underlying mission? In youth development - teaching, playing time, and roles - should be more equal than a "win or else" culture.

Keep ears to the ground. During the hiring process, the applicant is well-advised to learn the politics and background of the institution. It costs nothing to listen. 


I spoke with a high school coach recently who quit over philosophical differences with administration. He committed to developing a program with strong culture and intention to win. He coached his players to the postseason. Parents complained about the usual - playing time. 

Constantly build relationships. Show respect, be positive, and work actively on listening skills. I spoke with a parent of a player I once coached, offering encouragement about another daughter. She'll become an impact player with size, commitment and parental support. He always calls me, "Coach." 

Know our limitations. If we claim to know everything, we'll surely be proven wrong. And people who heard our claims will not only not feel sorry for us, they'll often take silent schadenfreude...to take pleasure at the misfortune of others. Better to say, "I don't know everything. What do you think here?"

Lagniappe. Shooting drill. 
Lagniappe 2. If you have "the guy," use him. 

Posted by at

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Lifelong Learning

"Be a learn-it-all not a know-it-all."

What and whom do you think about when you picture, "lifelong learner?" Make it ourselves.

Billionaire Steve Forbes reads at least fifty pages a day. Kevin Eastman reads two hours a day. Warren Buffett spends half his work day reading about companies. 

It's not just business people who read. Basketball 'bookworms' include Coach George Raveling, Mike Neighbors of Arkansas Women's basketball, Gregg Popovich, and Steve Kerr. 

Learners invest in ourselves. Have a plan. 

  • Take breaks. Twenty-five minutes on, five minutes off. 
  • Test ourselves. What did I just read? What are the key points. 
  • Use 'spaced repetition'. Don't cram. Go back to a subject at intervals. 
  • Think about analogies and derivatives. 
  • What would I do under these circumstances?
  • Consider how our communication impacts others. 
What not to do.
  • Don't tell ourselves, "it's too hard." 
  • Don't stop at problem discovery. Seek solutions. 
  • Don't be on an island. Leaders are communicators. 

Have a learning plan. 

  • Set aside time for learning.
  • Use learning resources about basketball and life. 
  • Read every day. 
  • Keep a journal (blog or diary).
  • Study video.  

Ask better questions?

  • What do we do to win?
  • How do we not lose? Avoid bad plays.
  • How can I teach better? 
Summary: 
- Become our vision of the learner.
- Set aside time. 
- Reflect on what we learn. 
- Stories are often good ways to share lessons. 
- Teach players what to avoid to prevent losing (bad plays).

Lagniappe. Handle it. 

Lagniappe 2. Mental toughness is a difference maker. Physical condition and mindfulness are two paths. 

Lagniappe 3. Be coachable. 

 

 

Posted by at

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Mike Prada's "Spaced Out" 3-Point Revolution

A new book arrived today, Spaced Out, by Mike Prada about the NBA's three point revolution.

The 'whys' are numerous, including the force of physicality previously played within the 23-foot arc. That led to unacceptable holding and grabbing and violence, including the Kermit Washington 1977 punch that nearly ended Rudy Tomjanovich's life. The author argues that incident was part of the springboard expanding the NBA perimeter shooting landscape. 

I've only started it but there's much to like. Mavens like Cotton Fitzsimmons said about its arrival that it wouldn't change the game that much.

When the vote barely eclipsed a two-thirds majority vote in 1979, Warriors owner Frank Mieuli voted against it. Guess he did not see the future coming.

Red Auerbach called it a "carnival act" and Trail Blazers coach Jack Ramsay called it "a gimmick."

Others acknowledged that they didn't like it because it was an ABA Thing.

From 1979 to 1982 only 4.71% of NBA shots were three-pointers. 

Maybe the most incredible stat of all was that the 1981-1982 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers made a total of THIRTEEN threes that entire season. Klay Thompson made FOURTEEN in a game. 

Mike D'Antoni and his 2004 Suns parlayed a diversity of three-point shooters into more layups by emptying the paint of defenders forced to cover the perimeter. 


In the mid 20-teens, the Rockets extended the cult of the three and played "Moreyball," favoring layups, free throws, and threes and averaging over 40 threes a game. Their lead minister was James Harden and his maddening arrays of drives, drawing fouls, and long-range shooting. But the Spurs nullified them in the playoffs, protecting the paint and sticking to the perimeter shooters. 

Separate high quality from high value shots. An open layup will be close to 2 points (still there are misses). A highly contested layup may be less than 1 point on average. For our middle school girls, three-pointers scored at less than fifteen percent, despite having a higher volume thirty percent shooter. That meant most players were shooting not making. An open three-pointer for a non-shooter is a non-starter at any level.  

NBA Statistics don't apply to high school players!


If you watch a lot of high school games, you know that. Scores in the forties often feature high volumes of missed threes. Frankly, that's foolish. In 1973, pre-3 and pre-shot clock, three teams in our Massachusetts league averaged at least 65 points/game. 

I have far more to read in the book. But for NBA aficionados, there's a lot to like in this work. 

Lagniappe. Naturally, after extolling the three, I share a video on midrange shooting. 

Lagniappe 2. Geno, "great players don't get tired." 

Lagniappe 3. Trading and basketball...a lot of overlap, not all. 




 

Posted by at

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Basketball: Common and Less Common 5-Out Offense Actions

"To see what's right in front of us is a constant struggle." - The Lincoln Lawyer

Teach kids to play, not just run plays. Remind ourselves, "we can't run what we can't run." 

Reduce to first principles from Dr. Fergus Connolly:

  • Initial spacing
  • Player movement
  • Ball movement
  • The 'scoring moment'
5-Out is ideal to teach these concepts. 

We should also teach why any offense fails.
  • Excellent defense
  • Poor spacing
  • Not setting up cuts
  • Lack of urgent cutting
  • Passing neither 'on time' or 'on target'
  • Poor shot quality
  • Poor shooting
Initial spacing. We teach the 'three-point line' as the spacing line. For defenses, 'the ball has gravity', pulling defenders to it. Unfortunately, the ball also has offensive gravity and that corrupts spacing.

Organization...

Years ago our sixth graders had about three practices and we were invited to play a team that had played together for a year. They ran a spread (5 Out offense) and destroyed us with simple actions. 

Top of set actions. 



"Dribble at" can lead to DHO or slip. 


Wing pass and ball screen with options including rejection. 

Pindown/Down screen actions 


"Derivative" actions (e.g. complex screening)




Lagniappe (something extra). 

Lagniappe 2. Developing 'give-and-go' and 'backdoor' actions. 

 Lagniappe 3. Kelvin Sampson knows.  



Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)