Fast Five: Survive and Advance

"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heav'n in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, 
And eternity in an hour." 
                 -William Blake

I've referenced Laurence Gonzales' Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies , and Why a lot lately...with reason. 

Excellent teams survive. Successful teams find ways to wear down opponents. People regularly underestimate Nature. Nature finds ways to bring her 'A' game. Sometimes strong teams do not, searching for answers against tough opponents or bad situations. During tournament time, many use the cliche' "survive and advance'. 

Borrowing from Gonzales, I share relevant survival keys. 

1. See it and believe it. Very few teams (or minds) can turn excellence on and off. Perceptive coaches smell trouble before it appears. That sixth sense allows them to feel a letdown in advance. Solving problems requires seeing them and acknowledging them. 

Is your team too nonchalant or too hyped? We need to optimize our arousal levels for peak performance. 

2. Stay calm. Coach Wooden reminded players to "be quick but don't hurry." 

Players need to understand the tempo needed and that "stops make runs." 

3. Prepare. We have to anticipate what can and will go wrong. Coaches understand the myriad paths to problems. 

How will we react to foul trouble? What's our comeback game? What's our offensive and defensive delay game? As a player, do you have extra shoe laces, contact lens solution, any medicine you take, hydration, and other necessities? Are you mentally ready?

4. Act decisively. The meek might inherit the earth, but not the basketball court. 



Indecision can cause traveling, incomplete cuts, held balls, failed switches, getting caught in the air, bad screen-and-roll defense, "in-between" shots, and more. 

5. Don't quit. Survival means attention to details. Are you playing to win or not to lose? Preparation, planning, and practice must translate into relentlessness. 

Dean Smith had a UNC team down eight with seventeen ticks left and took Duke into overtime and won. 



The Patriots recently won Super Bowl LI overcoming a twenty-five point second half deficit. Reggie Miller scored eight points in nine seconds.


Amazing happens.

Drills: Threes that Work

We like to get more participants into drills. Here are a few I like: 

"Three passes, everyone shoots." Somewhat simulates transition and gets players shooting on the move. 

Three on three transition with chase. 

3 x 3 x 3 shooting drill. Repetitive action. Players at baseline pass to oncoming shooters. Immediately after passing, sprint to the other end to receive pass and shoot. 

I track results at one end (first 60 shots). Last night was our best (by far) as shooters made 28 of 60. This could be apocalyptic...

Drive and Dish

We see how the three-point shot continues to revolutionize basketball. Creating great 3-point shots is a focus for a lot of offenses. 

How can we teach and encourage these actions? 

Spurs assistant Etorre Messina teaches drive and dish actions via "drill and fill" 

We can make it simple teaching high ball screens with options into a corner 3, depending on how the help defender reacts. 

This SLOB comes from the recent summer Olympics with an inbound handoff into drive and kick from a simple box set. We just have to use our imagination...and make perimeter shots. 

Be Here Now. Empty Your Cup.

Empty your cup. 




What is an 'empty cup'? When I hear new information, am I open to the truth? When I see the world, what prism filters my view? Reason and emotion do not always peacefully coexist. 

Having core values doesn't mean blind loyalty to a plan. Great plans go horribly wrong...
and great ideas can come from a video assistant. Steve Kerr went small against the Cavaliers. Kerr's "empty cup" allowed him the flexibility to migrate to a winning strategy and capture an NBA title.  

In Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies and Why, Laurence Gonzales writes the first rule of survival is BE HERE NOW. Recognize and respond to reality. He cites many examples - a catastrophic fall on Oregon's Mount Hood, Ken Killip lost in the wilderness, Steve Callahan adrift in a life raft for months after his boat capsized on a transatlantic voyage. 

Survival lessons translate to everyday activity and sports. 

Years ago I watched a high school game where a team led by twelve and had its star waiting to enter (at the scorer's table). The lead evaporated while that happened. The coach failed to stop the run or make the substitution. Ten first half points gone in 90 seconds, contributing to a 2 point loss. Every possession matters. Be here now. 

When our cup is full, we lose. 

It's more than being "in the moment" or making the "next play". Be here now represents heightened awareness, openness, and purpose. Chaos and risk demand transformation. They demand integrity to the process. As Gonzales wrote, "integrity begins with humility." You sacrifice yourself to the process, which might mean cheering for a teammate, setting a great screen, defensive rotation, or being run over taking a charge.  

Are we a know-it-all or a learn-it-all? We all know autocrats who dismiss any input or perspective but their own. When the mighty fall, they have little cushion. 



"Heaven is eternal; the earth endures.
Why do heaven and earth last forever?
They do not live for themselves only.
This is the secret of their durability.
For this reason, the sage puts himself last and so ends up ahead. 
He stays a witness to life, so he endures.
Serve the needs of others and all your own needs will be fulfilled. 
Through selfless action fulfillment is obtained."

Empty your cup. Be here now. 

Basketball: Danger Zones

"Basketball is a game of mistakes." - Bob Knight




Many people enjoy whitewater rafting, but not as many appreciate its INHERENT risks that can prove fatal, even to the experienced. 

Basketball 'danger zones' are predictable source of errors. Understanding offense can help you prevent mistakes and cause them defensively. The videos illustrate five key turnover situations: wing to top passing, traffic, top to post, bad post entry passing, and "static dribbling."

Young players live fear; they must turn fear into focus. 

Wing to top passing. Wing to top passes are candy for alert defenders. 


In the first example, Kawhi gets the pick. 

Driving into traffic. Great basketball players play in space. 



What you see initially may not be the help you run into.


Top to post passes. 


There is usually too much entry to feed the post from the top. 

Post entry. Some say the post entry pass is a lost art. Surely it contributes to diminished post effectiveness. 



Good post players attract attention. That means small margin for error. 

'Static' dribbling. I liked to attack dribblers who 'delayed'. I recently discussed stealing at practice and advised defenders to steal near the top of the dribble (as the ball returns to the hand). The ball should be slowing or even in the dribbler's hand at that time. 


You can also look to steal crossover dribbles, especially if the ball handler isn't crossing over "on the shoetops". Some dribblers expose the ball when they cross. 




Find ways to make an impact on the game through your knowledge and effort. 

Fast Five: The Rules of Basketball

Principles of one domain often overlap others. "The magic is in the work." Obvious. If you are a meteorologist (weather person) or a stock trader (whether person), work contributes to outcome. 

But how do we control uncertainty? Laurence Gonsales' Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why, raises many questions that apply to sport. 

He references a classic military text, On War, by Carl von Clausewitz. Here's his excerpt:

"But we must remember that no part of it (the military machine) consists of a single piece, that everything is made up of a group of individuals, each of whom still has his own friction at every turn...The battalion is always made up of a number of men, the least significant of whom may very well bring things to a halt or cause things to go awry...Therefore this terrible friction is everywhere in contact with chance...with consequences that are impossible to calculate, for the very reason that they are largely elements of chance."

Let me share two examples. Several days before the 1973 Massachusetts Division 1 Eastern Massachusetts championship, our leading scorer, Bob "Ace" Moore, stepped on my foot and sprained his ankle in practice. I'm not saying that we lost (by three) because of that, but it didn't help. Many years later, a girl on a strong area team 'absconded' with another teammate's boyfriend just before the tournament. The team unexpectedly lost in an early round, ostensibly from internal dissent. Former major leaguer Joaquin Andujar said "they have a word for it in English - youneverknow." 

Gonsales also discusses the National Outdoor Leadership School and its Accident Matrix. It outlines accidents as falling into one of three categories, Conditions, Judgments, and Acts. 

In basketball, we might rename that Conditions, Decisions, and Execution. We tend to overemphasize late game actions (officiating, shot selection, makes and misses), but each contributes to the myriad possessions comprising a game. Just as in the wilderness, conditions vary (opponent, tempo and style of play, site, team state of conditioning, mood, fatigue, etc.). Many inputs lead to decisions as well. I overheard a parent tell their child (years ago before a sectional championship), "you're every bit as good as so-and-so, get your shots." Stress, fatigue, psychology, skill, and other factors also impact decisions. The best players usually shine brightest at the highest level, but the Harold Jensens and Makai Masons will always be the exceptions. 



1. The players are young people. Consistency is often subservient to uncertainty. Be demanding without being demeaning. 

2. What players understand is far from congruous with what we think. 

3. Nobody is so outstanding that they can't improve. Model, learn, inspire. Become our 'better version'. 

4. Be simple, direct, and clear. Ignorance will never prove virtuous. 

5. The sun will come out tomorrow. "The journey is greater than the destination." 

When in doubt, think. 

Fast Five: Bailout Offense

Offense comes in many forms - transition, early offense, motion, sets, zone, delay, and bailout. What do players look for as the shot clock or quarter runs out? 

Our team has many needs so we'll never discuss this, but the topic is worthy. A few thoughts to ponder...

Players need clarity and direction. It's about choice, not chance. We'll be lucky to have one 'closer', never mind expecting multiple. 

Players should know which shooters and shots you want. Choice depends on personnel. That might mean isolation plays (post or perimeter), screen and roll, or off-ball screens. Additionally, many teams are taught to switch all screens end-of-clock or end-of-quarter.

Employ principles of mismatches, misdirection, and reversals. 

Mismatches. Emphasize off-ball screens to establish mismatches. Screens can go outside in (as shown) or inside out to get small on big speed mismatch. 

Misdirection can add value. 

The perimeter player screens down to initiate the high ball screen. When the screen-and-roll occurs, 4  rolls up to move the help defender. The point guard gets a lot of options - drive, pass to roller or pick-and-pop, pass to 4 or 2 depending on 'helper' actions. 

Reversals. Against zone, players consider actions "behind" the zone. 

Players cutting behind the zone are "invisible". Using the dribble to set up passing across or behind can draw defenders (yellow), facilitating perimeter shots. 

Mental Models

We hold these truths to be self-evident. Or do we? I'm not talking politics, but about our representations (mental models) among many domains. What is an apple crisp, driving conditions (personal or environmental) too hazardous to confront, a safe distance to make a left turn, investment margin of safety, or the best "playing style" for our team? 

I'm driving, stopped at an intersection, signal to make a left turn. The intersecting road has no traffic coming from the right and oncoming cars from the left. The speed limit is 30 mph (44 feet per second). Under normal circumstances, I allow four seconds of clearance (certainly over 150 feet) to make the turn. But what if I'm distracted by a conversation (no phone involved), visibility is impaired (fog), had a drink at a party, or the oncoming car is speeding along at 45 mph (66 feet per second). My 'mental model' of safety acquires potentially lethal holes.  

And so it is with playing and coaching. We 'represent' expectations and experience from our past. That past (model) strengthens or poisons our perception, plan, and adaptation. Others (administration, fans, critics, writers) have expectations as well. What they 'see' in their hearts and minds may not jive with current conditions. They may underestimate or exaggerate our skill, condition, preparedness, or 'readiness'. Maximizing performance may not square with their collective view. We may 'read' our opponent and team wrong...in either direction. 

Laurence Gonzales writes in Deep Survival, "psychologists who study survivors of shipwrecks, plane crashes, natural disasters and prison camps conclude that the most successful are open to the changing nature of their environment. They are curious to know what's up."

Changing conditions belong to every basketball game. Players must know the score, situation, and time, their assignment, strengths and weaknesses, and personal and opponent tendencies. Often, the demands simply outstrip the 'working memory' of those involved. What they practice daily can become a byzantine exercise. 


We miss the obvious when focused on a task. How often have you seen a player catch-and-shoot a mid-range shot when she had an open driving lane? Gonzales further explains, " Some people update their models better than others. They're called survivors." 

The best players not only execute better, but create a better, adaptive model of basketball in real time. They have a plan, but as need arises, they change the plan. A transcendent player may score at one point, facilitate, rebound, or make an epic defensive play. Every play becomes an awareness test. 




As coaches, we reformulate players' representation of 'play'. A player falls in love with the outside shot, abandoning penetration and passing. We do the player a disservice when we allow that model. She may feel rejection or dissatisfaction. 

To improve players, they have to want the truth as we enhance our and their mental models. 

Outliers

Malcolm Gladwell examines 'outliers' in his eponymous book. Gladwell represents an outlier, recognizing "there is beauty in saying something clearly and simply". 

Studying performance outliers helps us 'reformat' ourselves. For example, Nick Saban's persistence countermands time wasting. If you read Monte Burke's Saban, you understand how his childhood work (his father demanded perfection in washing cars) and football experience shaped him. 




"It doesn't take any ability to give effort." Go to 2:16 of the video. Saban doesn't mince words. 

Studying former Celtics' assistant Kevin Eastman reveals hyperfocus on self-education, adding value, and establishing buy-in. 



"We can learn every single night we're at home...study other coaches...the best are the best for a reason." 

Del Harris studies communication and has great faith. His book On Point shares many examples of special teams. 

"There are more Senators than there are NBA coaches...the odds are that you need to stay within a level and work you way up." 

We 'core sample' a lifetime of experience. Imagine a tree with 90 percent green leaves and 10 percent yellow leaves. When we wear a blindfold (prior ignorance) and grab two leaves off the ground, we get a non-representative sample of the tree. If we want a better representation of excellence, we need bigger samples (more experience). It's available on the Internet. Study usually reveals complexity, no easy narrative. 

If we want to be outliers, then we must create exceptional effort and exceptional work daily. 

"Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why"

Laurence Gonzales' Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why examines success and failure in crisis. Gonzales searches for the keys to the survival kingdom, sharing stories, starting with the 'routine' of aircraft carrier Carl Vinson launches and landings.

Survivors are calm. They maintain clarity amidst chaos, planning and adapting to changing conditions. Gonzales replays the mystical jargon the pilots receive before takeoff , noting "only those who get it, get it." 

Sports like basketball have far lower stakes but many don't 'get it'. A mistake might cost you a game, even your job (the Atlanta Falcons relieved their defensive coordinator). But aside from an own-goal in a Latin American soccer hotbed, defeat is seldom fatal. 

But we have our own survival language. If I told the girls, expect the spread pick-and-roll, ICE it, don't blitz, force to tape, and no paint, I am speaking Urdu. And without the translation and skills, we may as well practice pick-up-sticks as pick-and-roll. 

We embrace our animal instincts when we dive into a snowbank to avoid an onrushing car; we reject them when we take a charge. The Heath Brothers wrote about decision making. Sometimes technology can help us (e.g. map programs); sometimes it will kill us (texting and driving). "The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. A professional has professional habits."

Gonsales writes, "fear in the cockpit is a knife fight in a phone booth." We see it on the court, too. A player 'forgets' his assignment or rotation. He freezes instead of boxing out. He stands instead of cutting to an open spot to overcome pressure. He calls a timeout when none exists. Catecholamines (epinephrine/adrenaline, norepinephrine) our 'fight or flight' chemicals, betray us in an overwhelming moment. Under pressure in many arenas, players get "tunnel vision". They literally cannot see the threats (e.g. help defenders) or opportunity (open teammates). 

We train (practice) to attenuate, if not vanquish fear. Players learn better responses - to pass quickly or back-dribble, crossover to avoid the trap instead of becoming enveloped by it. Practice literally expands their field of vision. 

Players arrive with a certain physical 'bank' and emotional 'bookmarks', weigh stations their brains rely upon. We can expand or replenish their skills, extinguish bad habits, and create more favorable destinations (survival choices) if we can 'get into their heads'. 

The more we understand behavior, the better we can change ours...and others. 

Crazy Eights: Basketball Practice Moments, "Stop It!"

"Optimism is your enemy..."

Although we invested most of practice this week on shooting, we spent some time on '3 on 3' within the split and 'rollouts'. Knight says, "I want you to do this; you tell me 'why'." 

Rollouts. 

Change behavior. "Stop it!" Aristotle said, "we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." These are just some of the "stop it" moments from last night. 

1. Don't catch and immediately put the ball on the floor. 

2. Don't practice catch, dribble, shoot. "Catch and shoot." 

3. Don't play east and west dribble. Ball reversal does not mean dribble from one side of the floor to the other. 

4. Don't think "ball screen" first. How do your actions affect your spacing and your teammates? 

5. Don't stand. Don't screen and stand. "The screener is the second cutter." Pass and automatically basket cut, cut to an open space, screen, replace yourself, or cut to move your defender. 

6. Don't cut to an occupied post. 

7. Don't forget the glass (backboard). 

8. "In case of emergency, don't break glass". Kiss the glass, don't smash it. 

Just another day...

Basketball: Solutions to a Math Problem

Basketball relates to "possessions and possession", how many opportunities you have and how you use them. 

Nylon Calculus discusses the various ways sites calculate possessions:

(FGA + .44*FTA – ORB + TOV)/2 (both teams included) 

We maximize our effectiveness by reducing our turnovers, getting (and making) more free throws, and shooting better. 

If we create a spreadsheet with the variables, we see dramatic and transparent impact of shooting, more than other variables (like turnovers). I'm using representative values (top line) for our team. 

Pete Newell's object of "getting more and better shots than our opponents" reveals that without increasing the total possessions (and ignoring the three-point shot), points are almost linearly related to shooting percentage. Increasing the field goals attempted from 50 to 60 (by halving turnovers), barely increases scoring (25 to 29 when shooting percentage languishes). 

Yes, the negative impact of turnovers (and opponents' offensive rebounds) likely shows up significantly in opponents' scoring.

Simply, we don't score, we fail. We shoot poorly, we fail. Poor shooting isn't adversity, it's a function of skill, passing, shot selection, and more. A poor shooting team must become an excellent passing team to get better chances or shoot better. 

Practice shooting will likely correlate with game shooting percentage...although accounting for fatigue, defense, and "pressure", results are degraded...

All this encourages us to monitor and enhance shooting skills to raise the baseline from which results emerge. 

Tonight we had only half a court, and ran this shooting drill. Of our first 60 shots, I counted the girls making only 20 (33%). Usually we're around 35 percent in practice. I whistled them in, and emphasized that until we commit to improvement, we're struggling.

I asked for more focus and caring; our next 60 shots counted 26 baskets (47%). It's as likely to be a fluke as sustainable, but will precedes change. 

John Maxwell Suggests That We Ask Better Questions

In a Soundview "Author Insight" interview, John Maxwell discusses asking better questions, an extension of his book, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions (summary). Here are some notes:

"When leaders ask themselves questions, they're doing what their followers have done for years." 

"I've got to find answers by asking myself questions." 

"Questions are the keys that unlock the doors to our futures." 

"If I ask the right questions...I'll have the right answers." 

"Am I consistent?" This helps us establish whether we are grounded. Real leaders are not constantly surprising people...because people get whiplashed. "Be predictable." 

"First thing leaders must do is lead themselves...values must be backed up by actions and attitude." 

"How can I serve you?" Maxwell emphasizes 'servant leadership'. "I want to add value." 

"I have an open 'ear' policy." An open door policy is less relevant than wanting to listen. 

"To continually lead well...requires consistency and character...that we're loving what we're doing. I have to be a learner...and grow." Maxwell reminds that we lead off the future, not from the past. I'd explain it as you cannot drive your car forward while staring in the rear-view mirror. 

"Trust is the bank account for a leader."

For us coaches, we must regularly ask, "what does my team need now?" A leader must be a learner and leaders must commit to personal and organizational growth.  

We have a bye this weekend and are working 85 percent on shooting this week. 

Great Teams

Don Yaeger's Great Teams shares many attributes belonging to great teams. We educate youth. Education changes behavior. Sometimes they listen to us more than other authority figures. We make a difference. I share my observations on great teams. 

Great teams sweat the small stuff. "The devil is in the details." When Chris Webber called a non-existent timeout in the 1993 championship game, a teammate is signaling him to call timeout. Conversely, in the 2015 Super Bowl, the Patriots had prepared for the goal line stack slant and Malcolm Butler's interception made history. Situational awareness always matters. 

Great teams don't cut corners. When I watched the (then) three-time consecutive NCAA Women's Basketball champions practice, I saw them start official practice with two laps around Gampel Pavilion. Every girls 'squared' the corners. Competitors know no shortcuts bring success. 

Great teams sacrifice. The Patriots ran ninety-three plays in Super Bowl LI. Players curse "the hill" they run at practice, but extra conditioning provided a late edge. 

Great teams set high expectations. A positive attitude builds a foundation for our lives.

What message does your desktop send you? 

Great teams are disciplined. "The magic is in the work." Aspiration and inspiration mean less than preparation and perspiration. Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers shares the chapter "10,000 hours." John Wooden's Pyramid of Success has Industriousness and Enthusiasm as its cornerstones. 

Coach Wooden gave each player a basketball at the end of the season...he expected it returned and worn out by the following season. 

Great teams willingly prepare. Ancient wisdom guides our present. 

Great teams show more "above the line" behavior. Urban Meyer's Above the Line promotes standards of conduct. Conduct becomes habits. "We make our habits and our habits make us." 

Great teams overcome adversity. The Patriots overcoming a 25 point deficit in the third quarter is a memorable example. But Lance Armstrong overcame advanced cancer to become a cycling champion. Both New England tackles, Nate Solder (testicular) and Marcus Cannon (lymphoma) overcame cancer to become multiple Super Bowl champions. 



Great teams are mentally strong. The San Antonio Spurs built a diverse group of individuals into a club that won five championships. One of Coach Gregg Popovich's themes is to "pound the rock." If you need to hit it one hundred times to break it, you do. Herb Brooks' "Miracle on Ice" 1980 Olympians weren't the most talented team, just the toughest. 

Great teams have a backup plan. Sometimes a great team needs an understudy. Earl Morrall filled that role behind Johnny Unitas and Bob Griese. Morrall had pivotal seasons for the 1968-69 Colts and the 1972-73 Dolphins. The Colts are remembered for losing to Broadway Joe Namath in the Super Bowl and the Dolphins for the perfect (then 17-0 season). 

Great teams are never satisfied. Few coaches have achieved more than Nick Saban and Urban Meyer. But within hours of attaining national championships, they return to the recruiting grind to reload for another title run. 

Great teams are humble. In David Brooks' The Road to Character he discusses George Marshall as an example of service and self-discipline. Marshall's early youth was not exceptional. He overheard a conversation where his brother discouraged his family from sending him to Virginia Military Institute because he feared George would humiliate the family. Marshall was never a self-promoter, and never received command of US forces in World War II (Eisenhower did), because he humbly refused to ask for it. Instead Marshall became known as a logistics master, planning for hundreds of thousands of troops. 

Great teams are adaptable/flexible. In 1970, a segregated Alabama team took on John McKay's integrated USC Trojans and took a pounding in Birmingham, losing 42-21. In the Showtime documentary, "Against the Tide", an Alabama coach remarks that USC could have made the score whatever they wanted it to be. Alabama integrated its football program after the debacle, and repaid the Trojans in LA the next year, running the wishbone and winning. Some say that defeat and Bear Bryant did more to integrate Alabama than any politician or judges.  

Great teams learn from history. Character, not characters, wins championships. We all have flaws, but "sports doesn't build character, it reveals character." Roger Staubach has stood for character and integrity, and tells a story of the "Hail Mary" pass. The Cleveland Browns ignored character concerns about Johnny Manziel and suffered the consequences for years. 

Great teams place the team above the individual. The Celtics won the 2008 NBA title behind the theme "Ubuntu" the community. 

They embodied the African proverb, "you can go faster alone, but you can go farther together." 

Great teams build a legacy.

Basketball aficionados remember  Coach Wooden's UCLA Bruins for not only nine NCAA championships in ten seasons, but for meticulous attention to detail. Whether it was his instruction on wearing socks and sneakers properly, timing of pregame meals, or "UCLA cut", Coach Wooden demanded precision and consistency. 


Greatness is intentional, purposeful, and consistent. 

Elevator Screen via BBallBreakdown

Rules changes alter the game but seldom after so many years. The three-point shot has become the weapon of the nuclear age. And Coach Nick at BBallBreakdown does a great job with current video analysis. Sometimes diagrams add clarity to elevator actions. Thanks to Coach Nick and Mo Dakhil for sharing! 

GSW uses Elevator on both BOB action and sets. 

Memphis brought Mike Conley through the side door. 

Not exactly "Horns" but almost into an Elevator Screen. 

Anthony Davis works the Elevator out of BOB stack. 

The Lakers run D'Angelo Russell through Mr. Otis on the SLOB. 

The importance and capacity of long-range shooters has expanded the use of "The Elevator".