Basketball: Truths

'The truth needs three things: number one, you got to live it. Number two, you got to be able to tell it. And number three, you got to be able to take it.' - Kevin Eastman, former Celtics Assistant

Comedian Steve Martin asked another great comedic mind, Carl Reiner, what he was going to say. Reiner answered, "the truth." When he went on stage, Reiner said something like, "I know you're all thinking, 'I hope this isn't long and boring.'" 

Tell the truth with humanity. 

Explain to players:

• Strengths and need areas
• Specifically how they might improve
• What their current role is and how they can increase it

Some coaches are brutally honest. Bobby Knight would say, "just because I want you on the floor, doesn't mean I want you to shoot."

 

"I would let you shoot it but your teammates don't think you should..." 

Video is "the truth machine." It confirms or disconfirms what you think you see. When the film came on, we'd think, "I hope I'm not getting roasted today." We all had our turn. 

What truths should players embrace? 

• Be on time. 
• Take care of business. "There is no ability without eligibility." School matters. 
• Be ready to go (stretched out, mentally focused) when practice starts.
• Know your responsibilities (e.g. assignments/coverages).
• Make teammates better.
• Find ways to impact winning.
• Commit to excel in your role...put the team first.
• Manage your body with proper diet, sleep and avoiding substance abuse.
• Be a great teammate. Don't be a distraction. Don't 'bigfoot' teammates.

A lot of these relate to discipline. "Discipline determines destiny." Elite players are disciplined. They're in their notebook, know their assignments, and are coachable. They make the team better, teammates better, and "impact winning." In basketball, they are possession enders as they score, rebound, or get stops.

Lagniappe. Create multiple options. 

365 Days of X’s and O’s:
Cross Flare SLOB

• 1 comes & sets a cross screen for 4 while 3 cuts to ball side corner
• 2 passes to 4
• 4 attacks drives while 5 sets flare for 1#PoundTheRock #365DaysOfXsAndOs pic.twitter.com/w9vo9wGrdx

 

— Ty Lindsey (@ty_lindsey) February 12, 2023

Lagniappe 2. BOB (from Massachusetts girls D1 Championship)

"That can't work." It was a layup. 

 

Basketball: The Chris Brickley Approach

Don't know Chris Brickley? Brickley is an NBA trainer. I grew up with his uncle and know his father. That and three bucks buys a coffee. 

• Twice named Athlete of the Year at Trinity High School in Manchester, N.H.
• Led the state in scoring as a senior when he averaged 28.7 points
• Played his senior year for Louisville in 2009-2010

“Coach Pitino taught me a lot about work ethic.”

The Knicks hired Brickley as a player development coach in 2013.

The Knicks wanted his training methods kept in-house. 

New #Nets guard D'Angelo Russell talks to the media pic.twitter.com/UgxYL9NlQ7

— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) September 25, 2017

As a player, you decide your commitment, your sacrifice. Kevin Eastman says, "You own your paycheck." 

Study the process of how players become great. 

Brickley wanted to become his own brand. He has. 

Players "don't know what they don't know" about the level of work necessary to become successful in professional sport. Note the intensity and emphasis on change of direction, change of pace, and finishing. 

LeBron James spends a million dollars a year on all aspects of training. 

And it's not just guys. 

If we want to be great, match our work to our dreams. 

Lagniappe, courtesy of Brett Vroman. "Underdogs as heroes

More recent research has tackled this memory and changing status aspect, and commented on how inspirational underdog stories capture our attention. If anything such stories should, as Nadav and his colleagues have stated, ‘influence probability estimates for future underdog success.’

List how you plan to develop your "separate and finish" skills. Here are just a few common examples. Better to have fewer, highly refined actions. 

Dribble Examples:

• Continuation dribbles - speed, hesi, in-and-out
• Reversal dribbles - crossover, between-the-legs, behind-the-back, spin
• Combinations

Shooting: 

• Catch-and-shoot
• Off-the-dribble 
• Fake-and-side dribble
• Step back 

Attack:

• Float dribble
• Negative step/load step
• Jab and rip-through series (e.g. wing series)
• Stampede attack off the catch
• Box drills

A combination of mentoring and becoming your own coach both help. 

•  

When the Underdog Faces the Uberhund, The "Top Dog"

We're facing a team with more athleticism, more skill, and the top seed in the tournament with a multitude of scholarship players. What's the approach?

I'd encourage people to do their research, too.

1. Bring our best version. We're not showing up to make excuses or get to take pictures with the Dream Team. We're searching for hard to find answers. "This is how we win this game."

2. Pete Newell's "get more and better shots than our opponents" still applies. Newton's laws don't disappear because it's a title bout.

3. Better chance with a game in the 40s than 60s. Favor a rock fight over a track meet.

4. Get off to a good start. Don't get buried early. I remember pressing a more athletic team and having to take a timeout after a minute down 6-0. I literally apologized to the team.

5. More and better shots has to include winning on the boards. Consider only sending two to the offensive glass with three back to limit transition.

6. "Opponents get one bad shot." Championship games are played in big venues. Sometimes it's harder to shoot 3s in the wide open spaces.

7. Limit live ball turnovers that turn into layups. Somebody has to wear big-girl pants and bring the ball up against defensive pressure.

8. Consider going 'off the reservation'. We mixed in Triangle and 2. Even good teams can be confused. Take away open threes on a couple of shooters and get help from the interior defense. Make them play the infantry instead of cavalry and artillery.

9. Leverage our strengths. Score with PnR, our known quantity "horns sets", and maybe some iso of our star player.

10.Never foul jump shots. Part of "more and better shots" is avoiding bad fouls.

11.Get a little lucky and make a few 3s while our opponent doesn't have their best shooting night.

12. Get a break on a few Xs and Os they haven't seen. Arrange personnel as you see fit.

Good luck, Mr. Phelps.

Basketball: Defending Outside Offball Screens

"Basketball is a game of separation." Offense seeks it and defense must limit it, often via "shrinking space." Learn in the context of both offense and defense. 

1) CARE - concentrate, anticipate, react, execute

2) Communicate - call screens and coverages

3) Toughness is a skill. "Basketball is not a contact sport. It is a collision sport."

4) Beware the slip.  

There's no one size fits all. Switch everything has trended. Matchups matter. Going under screens may create a lot of separation. "Through" can work with communication and anticipation. 

"Lock and trail" is tough for young players. 

In a '3-point' world, defenders are trained to fight through screens to stay connected. 

In the "real" world, defenders get caught in-between, neither locking nor trailing nor taking away the back cut. 

Poor defense from the Hawks here, JB rejects the stagger screen, Trae opts to pick up Hauser rather than tag Brown. Good angle on the cut to get into position for an easy pass, then an easy two. pic.twitter.com/BKRuBtPAdo

— Adam Taylor (@AdamTaylorNBA) March 13, 2023

Teaching players with explanation, demonstration, and video helps but emphasize 1) communication and 2) "great defense is multiple efforts" because defending offensive excellence is tough. 

From an offensive perspective, "headhunt" (screen the body) and "cut urgently" while learning to "stampede" (attack on the catch).

Lagniappe. Another attack from Don Kelbick  

Basketball: Email Utility

Coaches send and receive a lot of emails. Prioritize efficiency:

1. Add value. "This video provides a jump training workout." 

Or "this screen-the-screener BOB works well against aggressive 'man'  defense."

2. Spark curiosity

I know you're a reader. Ed Smith's "Making Decisions" added insight into the process of decision making. Here's an "AI" summary:

"Making Decisions" by Ed Smith is a practical guide that provides a framework for making effective decisions in various situations. The book covers a range of decision-making processes, from the simple to the complex, and includes techniques for evaluating options, managing risk, and dealing with uncertainty.

The book begins by exploring the nature of decision making, including the factors that influence our choices and the common biases that can lead us astray. Smith emphasizes the importance of being aware of our own biases and using a structured approach to decision making to minimize their impact.

The book then provides a step-by-step process for making decisions, which includes defining the problem, generating options, evaluating alternatives, and making a choice. Throughout the process, Smith emphasizes the importance of gathering information, considering multiple perspectives, and weighing the costs and benefits of each option.

The book also includes chapters on managing risk and uncertainty, which are key considerations in many decision-making situations. Smith provides strategies for identifying and assessing risks, as well as techniques for dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity.

Overall, "Making Decisions" is a comprehensive guide to decision making that offers practical advice and tools for anyone looking to improve their ability to make effective choices. It is a useful resource for individuals, teams, and organizations in a wide range of settings.

Simplify.

"I know you have a big decision coming up."

• Invert. What's the likely result of your 'second choice' (B versus A)?
• If you eliminate the politics, "what's the best choice?"
• Save time by avoiding the arse-covering. "The athletic director advised an extra day of tryouts to justify cutting the doctor's kid."

Be considerate of other people's time.

Lagniappe. I prefer to teach hesitation, crossovers, and combinations. Players can excel with more quality tools in their bag even without quantity. 

Sport: Finding Your Authentic Voice

"Voice is where sport and literature overlap creatively." - Ed Smith, "Making Decisions"

A player's authenticity arises from technical and creative skill. I watched a young guard methodically slice a defense with only hesitation, crossover, and combination. No behind-the-back, through-the-legs, inside out, spin dribble actions that all have merit. She perfected simplicity. She also must have disappeared into the private school network. 

Tension inhabits life's domains. In "The Master of Go" Kawabata notes, "From the way of Go, the beauty of Japan and the Orient had fled. Everything had become science and regulation." The old ways emphasized learning by doing, "the way of the playground." Now, it's Internet video, trainers, strength and conditioning coach, film study and psychologists.

The old way isn't necessarily better. But mastery evolves in different ways. Some guys thrived by throwing more. Now it's pitch counts. No one way works for everyone. 

You know the expression, "silent teams lose." Communication matters on and off the court. Study verbal and nonverbal communication methods. You've seen Finding Forrester, a basketball and 'buddy movie' starring Sean Connery and Rob Brown. There's a scene about "an unexpected gift at an unexpected time." Every day presents opportunity to share those unexpected gifts - a kind word, thanks, a knowing smile for friendship.

 

Time informs us what to know, how to teach better, and crafting good material and discarding 'rubbish'. We never "know everything" but we hope to know what will work for the group we have. As a player, leverage strengths and eliminate the fluff. 

Lagniappe. AI summary of themes from The Master of Go from ChatGPT

1. The game of Go and its cultural significance in Japan: The novel revolves around the game of Go and the intense rivalry between two top-ranked players. The game is portrayed as a symbol of traditional Japanese culture and is used to explore themes of history, tradition, and national identity.

2. The passing of tradition and the impact of change: The novel deals with the theme of the passing of tradition from one generation to the next and the challenges posed by modernity. The contrast between the veteran player and the young upstart symbolizes this theme, as the veteran is depicted as being rooted in tradition and the young player as being more open to change.

3. The pursuit of excellence and personal honor: The intense competition between the two players is depicted as a test of their skill, endurance, and character. The novel explores the idea that the pursuit of excellence requires great personal sacrifice and can lead to a sense of fulfillment and personal honor.

4. The complexities of human relationships: The novel delves into the complex relationships between the two players and the individuals around them. It explores themes of rivalry, friendship, and mutual respect, and the psychological motivations behind these relationships.

Overall, "Master of Go" is a deeply nuanced and psychologically rich novel that explores a wide range of themes, from the cultural significance of the game of Go to the complexities of human relationships and the impact of change.

Lagniappe. Find a workout partner for your wing workout.

Coaching Search: The ENVY Acronym

Is there a job opening in your future? 

What's the THERE there? UCONN 1985. The AD promises the players they'll get the best 'woman coach' available. The players push back. "Why not get the best coach available?" Enter Luigi "Geno" Auriemma. The rest is history. 

Success didn't arrive overnight. UCONN won its first National Title in Auriemma's tenth season. He's won ten more since. 

Do you know about a job opening? Whether it's tiddly winks, soccer, or basketball know the ENVY acronym. ENVY?

Expectations. What are the expectations of the program? Is the athletic program championship driven or driven by equity of playing time? Are you the next person following a legend? Is participation rising or falling? Are the top players leaving under recruiting pressures?

Needs. Assess the program infrastructure (youth program), existing personnel (usually new coaches aren't walking in to 'stacked' lineups), culture, resources (assistants), and viability of the offseason program. 

Vision. Do you see your vision of the future as complementary or conflicting with the current version? 

Your kid. Expect every parent to want what is good for their child...the Big Three of minutes, role, recognition. If what's good for their kid supervenes what is good for the team, neither success nor satisfaction is likely. 

The job isn't easy, even for accomplished coaches. Here's an example. Steve Harrington, coach at Watertown High School was a Hall of Fame player at Brandeis and has coached multiple state champions. I talked with him a few years back and he shared this story. First game of the season, five minutes in, and his cellphone rings. A parent is calling asking why his kid isn't playing. "That's the last time the phone was on during a game." 

Lagniappe. Terminology, "Split Action." This creates multiple options for both the receiver and cutters. 

Basketball: Managing Expectations in Basketball and Medicine

We all manage expectations. "We'll see how it goes." This begs the question, "is managing expectations good, bad, or neutral?"

Years ago a cancer specialist approached me months after his patient had died. I had seen his patient in the ICU decades ago with multi-system failure and cancer. I told him, "If the patient does spectacularly well, they could live two weeks." He was shocked. The patient lived three days. He said, "I lost all perspective because they were in my care for so long." I answered, "I didn't have that history to affect judgment." 

Basketball isn't a matter of life and death. Some wags say it's more important than that. But coaches and front offices regularly manage expectations. I love what Dick Williams said before the 1967 Red Sox season, "we'll win more than we lose." They perennial doormats won the AL pennant and lost the World Series in seven games. 

This also reminds me of a 'compliance' lesson from Community Health back in 1978. What keeps patients from taking their medication? I used the mnemonic, BESS - barriers, efficacy, severity, and susceptibility.

• Barriers - cost of medication, possible side effects, health beliefs
• Efficacy - does it work?
• Severity - what's the severity of the issue like high blood pressure?
• Susceptibility - "I'm not at risk. Nobody in my family had cancer." 

Rational and irrational inputs affect our decisions. Which returns us to our role as 'salespeople'. 

Expectations influence performance. "Rosenthal and Jacobsen followed these students over the next couple of years to see how the teachers’ expectations would affect them. Sure enough, they found that the students from whom teachers expected more were more likely to have made larger gains in their academic performance." It's called the self-fulfilling prophecy. Tell the players that we're rebuilding and they'll believe us. 

We can only do as well as we believe. Sara Blakely, Spanx CEO discussed a business adventure trip where each harnessed member had to jump out to a person suspended by a crane. Fall short and you had a long bungee jump. Blakely wasn't the tallest or most athletic but she made the leap. Instead of jumping at the target, she aimed three feet above. Her message? "Aim high."

• Don't settle.
• Set high expectations early.
• Celebrate wins. 

Be SMART. Set SMART goals - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Some managers fail because they set unattainable performance levels for employees. "If your high standards are causing others to feel inadequate, eventually they lose confidence and stop trying. They may second guess themselves while privately resenting you and fearing your regular critiques. Worst of all, because they can’t tell where your unfair standards end and where their shortfalls begin, they aren’t able to improve."

How do we measure performance? In the Navy, we received regular "Fitness reports" measured on specific criteria. Performance impacted promotion when you got "in the zone" (based on time) and could lead to 'deep selection' meaning early promotion which translated to pay, status, and leadership expectations. 

Expectations of punctuality, preparedness (knowing your job), and effort are reasonable. I sent parents 'progress reports' periodically sharing areas of growth and of potential improvement. Did that matter? I don't know. 

Bottom line? 

• Higher expectations create higher performance. 
• Set clear performance targets. 
• Expectations without training disfavor subordinates. 
• Success demands we aim high. 

Lagniappe (something extra). BOB. Need a 3? 

Halfcourt DHO entry into PnR 

Basketball: Applying Lessons from Master Teachers

Excellent coaches are great teachers - the big picture and the fine details.

For example, we say, "Basketball is a game of separation." Offenses need separation and defenses limit it. Golf is the analogy with the statement, "drive for show and putt for dough." You get "paid" for finishing plays.

Doug Lemov's "Teach Like a Champion 2.0" shares teaching skills. Let's steal some ideas today! 

BEGIN WITH THE END. Invest extra time on finishing. 

• Have a great warmup sequence for players like Get 50. 
• Free throws...gotta have 'em. 
• Modify Box Drills to finish with either hand off either or both feet from either side. 

Track to show continual improvement. 

POST IT

Give "students" the lesson plan. Publish the practice schedule. As a youth coach, I wanted maximal transparency so parents could see the lesson plans and attend practice (few did). 

NAME THE STEPS

Sound familiar? Maybe it modifies the Feynman Technique. 

• EDIRx5 - explain, demonstrate, imitate, repeat x 5
• Rules of 2s - 2 mins to demonstrate a new move, 2 weeks to develop, 2 months to feel comfortable in a game

COLD CALL

Ask players what our terminology means. I don't expect youths to know elbow get, Iverson action, ram screen, pistol action, etc. But call on players to explain what they should know...back cut, front or back pivot, nail, short corner, and so forth. Young players should know a few ways to defend the pick-and-roll and be able to know why a foul or a violation occurred. 

BREAK IT DOWN

Why are we having execution problems, such as running or defending the pick-and-roll? 

• Are we on the same page?
• Are we communicating? 
• Do we have both coverage and protection? 

Or perhaps we're discussing TEMPO, how fast we play.

Provide an example. "Adjust tempo to time and score." 

Provide context. If trailing, play faster to get more possessions.

Provide a rule. If behind by 1 point per minute left we play faster. "If we're down eight with eight minutes left, let's up the pace."

Nothing here is rocket science, just techniques to improve our teaching and players' learning. Get and give feedback. 

Lagniappe. Our philosophy, values, and beliefs are personal. Others may not share them. Doug Lemov's "The Coach's Guide to Teaching" covers a lot of territory. It's probably worth a reread. 

Lagniappe 2. If your season is over, then your offseason is here.

 

Basketball: Rebuilding a Franchise

Whether it’s a high school program or a professional franchise, success requires transformation. Here are ideas.

Establish brand value. When I think of branding, I associate Sara Blakely, CEO of Spanx and philanthropist. She developed a brand from nothing and transformed it into a five BILLION dollar empire. Her MasterClass shared a vast wealth of experience.

• Make it (your product)
• Sell it 
• Build brand awareness. 

Obsess the product is another Blakely theme. You can't have a product that's 'too good' or can't be improved. A basketball program gets measured on many metrics - winning, character, community engagement, popularity (is participation rising or falling). 

Take care of the customer The coach has a lot of customers. Players and their families, assistants, the AD and principal, and the fan base are all stakeholders. 

"Every day is player development day." Coaches all recruit, mostly from within their own community. Does that twelve year-old and their family want them to be wearing the home town colors? If they don't you have problems. Add value through better player development. 

Energize and inspire. Get players to buy-in to the culture of the program. First, you need one. 

Teach the game. "Competence is the antidote to fear" says astronaut Chris Hadfield. Expand everyones' "circle of competence."

Sell your philosophy.  Mine is teamwork, improvement, and accountability. Be a "learn-it-all, not a know-it-all." Steve Kerr emphasizes mindset, mentors, and culture.  

Empower the players to lead. Look to the past for a vision of the future. Yet, live in the present. 

Build resilience. "Toughness is a skill." Read together as a team, such as Jay Bilas' Toughness. "Hard work is a skill." Don't let anyone outwork you. "Character is a skill." Your choices define you. 

Do the unrequired work. James Kerr writes of the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team in Legacy, "Champions do extra." 

Lagniappe. Be a resource for others. Coach Hacks is. 

My favorite end of game SLOB specials for between 5-10 seconds left

One for needing a 2, and another for needing a 3 pic.twitter.com/ndrmPn4HbM

— Matt Hackenberg (@CoachHackGO) March 9, 2023

Basketball: Help Players Understand What Matters

Never presume that players, especially young players, have the same priorities that coaches do. Here's a partial list:

1. Contribution is more than scoring. "It's the scoreboard not the scorebook." The totality of your game defines you, not a single column in the book. Don't allow the last column in the book to define your worth. 

2. Great players make everyone better. If it's all about your minutes, your touches, and your shots, it's your problem. Self-assessment of how you impact teammates matters. 

3. Great players end more possessions with scores and stops. "Possession enders" get scores (via assists or scoring) and stops (rebounds, steals, blocks, "one bad shot" for opponents). 

4. "The 95" counts. Billy Donovan calls your actions without the ball "the 95 percent." Communicate, see the game, cut, screen, pressure the ball, take charges, get deflections, block out.  

5. Use space and time. Opportunity comes with creation of space and time. Players "let down" for a second after a score, allowing you a "golden moment" to convert and gain advantage. Bad teams often have bad spacing and don't "shrink space" defensively. Failure to contain the ball opens space and time for opponents. 

6. Impact winning positively. What "skill" gets you and keeps you on the court? If you don't have an answer then you probably aren't getting the time and role you want. 

 

7. Know time, score, and situation. If you play long enough, bad decisions in 'crunch time' will cause heartbreak. Do that in a championship game and it's hard to erase that. 

8. At every level, coachable players reap benefits. First, they improve. Improvement crafts legacy. Choose to be remembered as a "pleasure to coach" and a "delight to be around." 

 

9. Know that behavior and choices impact others. An energy giver energizes teammates. Unselfishness engages teammates. Humility and sharing credit earns teammates' respect. 

10.Player or family toxicity costs opportunities. Years ago, an AAU coach explained to a group of parents, "Your daughter's college coach won't care about your opinion." Get used to it. 

 

11.“Fouling negates hustle.” Fouling bad shots, getting opponents into the bonus early, retaliation fouls, and frustration fouls show immaturity and lack of discipline. And they reduce winning. 

12."Excellent teams don't beat themselves." Missed assignments, bad free throw shooting, lackadaisical transition defense, and fouling three-point shooters are just a few examples of beating yourselves. They corrupt high points/possession chances. 

Lagniappe. Great design on a BOB. Reduce traffic in the lane and then a backscreen forcing choices. 

Lagniappe. Good things happen with paint touches and ball movement.

 

Basketball: "The Law of the Jungle" Meets Reality

Competition is "the law of the jungle.”  

High school rosters always have turnover. One of the challenges is integrating young players. There's no sugar coating competition.

Returning players and parents don’t always see newcomers as part of winning tradition. Some see them as threats, eager carpetbaggers seeking to displace veterans from “their rightful spots.”

That shows up as bans on rising frosh from summer teams, workouts, and other exclusions. Carl Pierson shares that and other issues in his book, "The Politics of Coaching."

Reality is that girls mature at an earlier age and freshmen often have the size, athleticism, and skill to succeed young. By age fifteen, on average girls have 98 percent of their adult height. Mostly it's WYSIWYG, what you see is what you get.

I’ve heard stories of upperclassmen telling young players to “know your place” and “don’t make me look bad.” That dog does not hunt.

Great culture means 1) everyone gets opportunity and 2) the best players, senior or freshmen, earn the spots. When you have the receipts, you play.

Coaching young players, I trained them to compete for contributing roles as freshmen. They know that other players will come along with the skills and determination to compete against them. Competition brings out the best, and the best enjoy success.

Competition is "the law of the jungle.”

How do we up our compete level?

• Make competition the 'default' level at practice, in drills, and in scrimmages.
• "Be a tracker." Challenge ourselves in individual or group workouts to achieve our personal best.
• "A rising tide lifts all boats." Raise the expectation standard statistically, fewer turnovers, better effective field goal percentage, more 'stop sequences' of three consecutive defensive stops.
• Play against better competition. AAU and college women's teams practice against boys - bigger, faster, stronger.
• Think "next level." What must I do to succeed at the next level?"
• To do "more of what works and less of what doesn't," analyze possessions for "multiple actions" and "multiple efforts."

Lagniappe. Apply yourself with the same intensity in the classroom as you do on the court.

Lagniappe 2. "The devil made me do it."

This is sick yet simple action! https://t.co/NVCxSFMkMV

— Aaron Fernandez, M.Ed. (@CoachFernandez1) March 11, 2023