"The ball scores." Everything begins with on-ball defense. When our teams cannot contain the ball, bad things happen. That forces help and rotation and breaks down defense.
Containing the ball means denying dribble and pass penetration and making the ball handler uncomfortable. You remember the scene from Hoosiers where Gene Hackman asks the player what kind of gum his cover is chewing?
It begins with mindset. "Nose on the ball" or "crawl up into them." I called it "reach out and touch someone" because you have to be that close. Think DEFENSIVE DISRUPTION. Take away what the offense wants to do. Conversely, all too often we see "dead man's defense" because the defender is six feet under the ball. That does nothing. The ball handler can have his coffee and donut.
Stance matters. Different coaches will argue for a neutral stance (not forcing either direction) or forcing stance, to the "weak hand." On offense, think non-dominant hand because we have no weak hand. On defense, there is often a weak hand to exploit. Everyone is not Kyrie Irving. Play on the balls of your feet, knees bent, weight balanced. Kevin Eastman says, "low man wins; it's a shoulders game."
Starting out, I recommend head even with the ball and focus on the "belt buckle." Where the waist goes, the body follows. Hands "probe" for opportunity. Ball side hand mirrors the ball. Coach Pitino recommends that the thumbs point up. Who am I to argue?
Drills.
Dog drill (Kevin Eastman)
Jump to the ball. When you see 50/open/spread/5 out, immediately think "take away the give-and-go" and watch for back cuts one pass away.
Shell 3-on-3.
Manmaker (stay in your lane)
I spent my junior year figuratively "chicken chasing" a guy name Frank, who tormented me but made me a better defender.
Suggestions:
"Show your hands." Let the ref know you are NOT fouling. As a coach, I'll yell "show your hands" because I'm letting the refs know we're NOT reaching in.
Turnovers create a zero percent possession. Guys like Kawhi go for the ball on the downbeat of the dribble. I found it easier to "read" the upbeat of the dribble to go for steals. Be selective and be intentional.
Successful "gamblers" have an edge. You cannot play (gamble) every hand.
Contest shots without fouling. In the Leonard video or a McHale video, note how they contest right handed shots with their left hand (reduces likelihood of fouling).
"Move your feet." Defenders foul habitually by reaching instead of getting in front and by 'chesting' into the ballhandler. "If it looks like a foul, it's a foul."
"Get on the floor."
6 seconds of "Dinosaur ball." Swipe, deflect, get on the floor. Frustrate offense.
You are not on an island. You are going to get help and that begins with communication. "Help middle" or "pick right" is your early warning system.
Clarity of you HELP SYSTEM allows you to have more confidence as the on-ball defender.
Excellent teams win 'possession by possession' and 'play harder for longer' than opponents.
The pre-mortem examination presumes future failure and seeks to predict why a plan or campaign fails.
Many teams are nearing the halfway point in the regular season. Presume that you make the postseason tournament. A magic genie offers you three reasons why you'll fall short in the playoffs. He's doing you a favor, offering you a chance to diagnose and treat the future problem before it's manifest. Immunize ourselves against defeat.
Rule 1: Excellent teams seldom give games away.
Rule 2: Never forget rule 1.
Almost fifty years ago, after losing an overtime game to the defending State Champions, Coach Sonny Lane realized that we didn't handle extreme pressure well. From that day we played advantage-disadvantage (5 v 7) each practice, launching a thirteen game win streak (including four postseason).
Generic Failure Points:
Dean Oliver's Four Factors (EFG%, Turnovers, Rebounding, and Free throws taken) "score efficiently, protect the basketball on offense, grab as many rebounds as possible, and get to the foul line as often as possible." Remember symmetry as the same factors apply on defense.
Size - vulnerability to strong opponent rebounding
Inability to handle defensive pressure
Turnovers
Free throw shooting ("teams that can't shoot free throws last as long in the playoffs as dogs that chase cars")
Team specific solutions:
Coping with defensive pressure and turnovers. Scrimmage 5 versus 7 with additional constraints like no dribbling and a turnover when the ball hits the floor. Encourage the '7 team' to trap. Doing it every practice pressure means opportunity. Adding dribbling and subtracting defenders (games) simplifies pressure.
Free throw shooting. Add pressure during practice. "Pressure free throws" allow your partner to say or do anything but not interfere with the shooter. "Swish or miss" practice ups concentration. Free the mind with mental training (e.g. mindfulness and change anxiety to excitement..."it's great to be in the playoffs") Mindfulness training decreased performance anxiety and approached statistical significance during a study of mental training on free throw shooting.
Three-point shooting defense. There's an argument to be made for this approach but every coach has her philosophy.
Every team is different. Work on what translates into points. For one's team, it could be second chance points from poor blockouts, transition defense, zone offense, whatever. You know your team.
Drill. We want players to score on one dribble from the "spacing line" by the time they reach high school.
Set play. Here's another 'Horns' look.
Create a gap for a drive, with options for curl or pop.
Lagniappe. A lot of information in 38 seconds.
Be comfortable with discomfort out of your comfort zone. Make practice hard so games are easier.
Lagniappe 2 (from Coach Dave Smart): From Wikipedia, "In the 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018 seasons, Smart was awarded the Stewart W. Aberdeen Memorial Trophy, as the top men's basketball coach in Canadian university sports."
"Gaining the half-step edge is the key to winning championships." (It may not matter against poor opponents.) "If you're sloppy against well-coached teams, you're not scoring."
Smart teaches that championship teams play harder for longer.
"The closest to evil...is selfishness..."
"Our guys defended every possession" (in a National Championship game) that resulted in a win
Lagniappe 3. Don Miguel Ruiz (The Four Agreements) advises, "Always do your best." It may not be great that day, but it was our best.
Legend has it that Kevin Durant rolls out of bed each morning asking, "how can I improve today?" If knowledge is power, then remaining a student is, too.
Students accept that instructors have more knowledge and experience. But teachers have reciprocity because we expand our boundaries (Circle of Competence) by studying old and new techniques to empower students.
In Ego Is the Enemy. Ryan Holiday reminds us that it's about "poise" not "pose." In a world of infinite information, we apply, we don't recite.
Simplify learning with the Zen concept Beginner's Mind. Sort out where we are with four questions from The Leadership Moment in our After Action Review.
What went well?
What went poorly?
What can we do better next time?
What are the enduring lessons?
For example, I watched a basketball game recently where both teams had skilled players who beat defenders off the dribble. This raised questions about how best to help (or employ zone defense) and the wisdom that "the help can never be beaten."
Another issue that arose was how to defeat the half court trap or the full court trap that morphs into a half court trap.
I'm not saying this is the best or only way but a way that worked for us.
Ryan Holiday shares numerous student examples such as MMA trainer Frank Shamrock who favored a training system of plus, minus, equal. Compete against someone to learn from, others to teach, and a third to compete against with level skill. In basketball, this applies when playing one-on-one but also "playing up" against better competition.
Playing upincludes older, more experienced players, more competitive club teams, or getting invitations to "elite camps" where players match skills with top players where a college coach can project your fit. Many schools have young women scrimmage part-time against a team of men.
Take a granular approach to a topic, like moving without the ball. Study players known for their 'off-ball skills' like Dwayne Wade or Rip Hamilton. Billy Donovan calls it "the 95" for what you do the 95% of the time without the ball.
Surround ourselves with professionals. Professional athletes have support systems to help them with athleticism, skill development, sports psychology, nutrition and more. John Calipari has a Personal Board of Directors with whom he meets periodically. Head coaches choose assistants with complementary skills. Doris Kearns Goodwin profiled Abraham Lincoln in Team of Rivals, where the President surrounded himself with Edward Bates (AG), Salmon Chase (Treasury), and William Seward (State) instead of political allies.
Mentors, present and past, envelope us during the Information Age. Books, videos, and the Internet transport coaches from around the world into our study. The wisdom of Dean Smith, Pete Newell, John Wooden, and Clair Bee are as available as Coaches K, Few, Auriemma, VanDerveer, or Staley. Their sharing depends mostly on our curiosity.
Being a permanent student reminds us of our limitations. We can't know everything and profess our openness to learn and grow. Mom used to say "the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary."
Summary:
Maintain a Beginner's Mind
Expand our Circle of Competence
Ask key questions to review progress (After Action Review)
Consider "plus, minus, even" especially Playing Up
Take a granular (detailed) approach to problems.
Surround ourselves with professionals.
Invite mentors, past and present into our process.
Permanent students check our ego and stay open to growth.
Lagniappe (something extra). "Strive to awaken."
Lagniappe 2.
The Moral Law. Heaven. Earth. The Commander. Method and discipline.
Control what you can control. Coaches like Xs and Os. And that's sensible because "perception" says that a clever quick hitter might make a difference.
"Horns" has no natural help side and the spacing clears out the lane and flattens the defense with filled corners.
Sequential ball screens with screen the screener backside action. Other options could show, back cut for 2, roll for 5, depending on defensive coverage.
"Nurse." Because UCONN ran this simple backscreen for Kia Nurse.
Elevator 3 option, ball screen option.
DHO/wing attack with help side down screen (occupy the defense)
Handback into backscreen or slip
Celtics "Star" read - cut, pop, handoff PnR
Fake pindown slip.
Double stagger pindowns. SVG opined that although NBA players can run plays drawn up during a timeout, his sense was that prior practice led to higher percentage.
Lagniappe: more teaching clips, here are two Eastern Massachusetts top teams, Bishop Fenwick (white) and Bishop Feehan (dark). Fenwick won 70-66, dismissing Feehan (8-1) from the undefeated ranks.
Skilled offensive players create defensive decisions. Off penetration, the corner defender helps and this costs a long closeout leading to an open 3. This happened multiple times, as every 'choice' has a risk-benefit ratio.
"The Lord giveth and...taketh away." This time Feehan helps UP (not across) on the PnR and gets burned for a layup.
6'1" sophomore Cecilia Kay can score off the bounce, too. "Every day is player development day." When bigs can attack off the bounce they stress less mobile defenders and often create foul trouble. Teach everyone ball skills.
Watch most high school games and note actions that separate winners (chess) from losers (checkers). Be specific and attend to details.
Coach Dave Smart identifies the major areas in which teams must excel.
Within the board game analogies, other technical elements separate team. Select the most relevant from your experience, such as:
The ability to delay the advance of the ball in transition
Look ahead passes
Connected defense with both coverage and protection
Knowing and executing PnR reads
Shot quality and turnover differential
Drive home points of emphasis during practice such as:
Hoiberg speed drill.
Everything begins with communication. Switching has become far more common along with drop coverage, but "old school" beating the pick is still a possibility. Some teams will hedge or double as well. For side pick and rolls, 'ice' / pushing the ballhandler to the sideline is more common. Whatever you do, get everyone on the same page and execute it better.
"Chess teams" win half court possessions. Amp up your shell drill experience. I saw a recent game where one team led 19-16 after one period and shut out the other in the second period with more committed defense. Game over.
Because about a third of games (in competitive leagues) are decided by two possessions or less, teams that commit to WIN THIS POSSESSION by playing harder and longer have a huge advantage.
Lagniappe. In Game Changer Dr. Fergus Connolly breaks down possessions into spacing, player and ball movement, and scoring execution. Blowouts often occur because one team excels during scoring execution or the other lacks skill. Winning close games often distills to interrupting the player and ball movement, stopping penetration to degrade the scoring moment.
"Stay in our lane." The mental model for this is Circle of Competence. Actions within a large CC likely outperform those within a smaller one.
"Circle of Competence is simple: Each of us, through experience or study, has built up useful knowledge on certain areas of the world. Some areas are understood by most of us, while some areas require a lot more specialty to evaluate."
As head coaches, we're expected to have a breadth of knowledge about basketball. We might hire assistants who complement our knowledge with player development, recruiting, or specialized knowledge.
As an Internal Medicine physician, I know how to diagnose appendicitis, but don't operate. I identify symptoms of pregnancy, but don't manage it or deliver babies.
In The Undoing Project, Michael Lewis discussed Nobel Laureate in Physics, Murray Gell-Mann pontificating about everything at a dinner party. Danny Kahneman explained how his partner Amos Tversky responded to Gell-Mann. "There isn't anybody on the planet who is as smart as you think you are." That's where we go if we stray far from our Circle.
Better decision-making requires more than specialized knowledge. It also demands some concept of probability and the role of skill and luck in outcomes.
A glance at the figure explains why cultivating skill matters and why basketball is more like chess than investing or gambling and hockey announcers refer to "puck luck."
A reporter asked Naomi Osaka her opinion about Australia's ban on Novak Djokovic. She answered, "Is my opinion going to help anything?" Sometimes we advance our cause by refusing to engage controversy. We're allowed an opinion but not obligated to share it.
Summary:
Stay in our lane.
Expand our Circle of Competence with experience and study.
Surround ourselves with people who complement our skills.
Understand the role of skill and luck in outcomes.
Refusing to engage controversy can be our best choice.
Lagniappe: More video breakdown from recent high school girls' basketball.
Video is the truth machine. Study intent and execution and look for areas to revise.
Here are a handful of clips from the Bishop Fenwick - Beverly game first quarter.
1. Old fashioned "stop and pop" a.k.a. pull-up jumper. Simple works.
2. "Great offense is multiple actions." PnR defense and reads are essential to player development. Beverly looks to trap and Fenwick gets the SHORT ROLL. After a good entry, former player, Cecilia (#32) attacks off the catch and finishes with the glass.
3. Develop versatile finishes. Tight defenses are vulnerable to screens and back cuts. Fenwick gets the back cut and a reverse layup.
4. Doubling in the post is followed by a cut to the corner for a long three. It's not an error as much as a choice. The cost of the double was a difficult closeout. With an elite post defender, taking away the corner 3 is a viable alternative.
5. "Movement kills defense." Kirby Schepp found that paint touches with ball reversal resulted in a dramatic increase in points per possession. Here's an example.
6. Missed opportunities are lessons. Off of a rebound Cecilia (32) advances the ball but doesn't see the cutter or decides the defender is too close. She'll learn from the clip.
7. "Sometimes you can see a lot by just looking," said Yogi Berra. This is well-designed. BOB 1-4 low with an unusual give and go.
Become more productive using established "tips" like those offered by David Allen in Getting Things Done.
Worst case, pass methods along to young players to build productivity habits during their formative years.
1. See the "big picture." Whether academic success or basketball credibility, set your goal. As a developmental coach, I put the 'player experience' first, player development next, and then winning. My twelve year-old daughter told me when my son graduated from high school, "I promise that I'll be the valedictorian." She was.
2. Make the time. Achievement = performance x time. No pain, no gain. Larry Bird took 500 free throws before school. Isiah Thomas virtually lived at the playground honing his skills under the tutelage of his brother, ironically named Larry. Bill Bradley invested three hours training each weekday and all day Saturday from age 12.
3. Find the space. Carve out your workspace free of distractions. Many writers have areas free of cellphones or other media. It's not ideal to have your desk in front of the television.
4. Develop a filing system. There's no one "right" system. It's important to develop something that works for you. Some options include:
An index card based system (Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday favor)
Spreadsheet based system (I like Google Drive)
Notebooks (three ring binders are more versatile than composition)
I use my blog as one way to retrieve information
Playbooks (I use Fast Model Sports) which is excellent in every way
Drill book
5. Research. Consider keeping a separate file or notebook for ideas and research.
In Blogger, I have "posts" (almost 2900) and "drafts" (650). Many of the "drafts" will never bear fruit. Here's a snapshot of a few ideas in various stages of development.
Summary:
Find your big picture.
Achievement = Performance x Time (make the time)
Carve out a distraction-free workspace
Develop a filing system
Perform research
Lagniappe (something extra).
When one 'company' dominates a market, competition arises. Competition looks to make a better product and either grow the market, take share, or both. UCONN, like Tiger Woods, helped grow the game and competitors have taken market share, such as South Carolina, Stanford, Mississippi State, Baylor, and Notre Dame.
Learn from experts. The Chris Oliver (CO) podcast with Stan Van Gundy (SVG) shares a lot of pearls...one of the best podcast episodes I've ever heard.
Drills don't replace 5 on 5 work.
Tough NBA job is to balance work and rest. Be efficient.
Leaned toward 4 on 4 defense, 5 on 5 offense, and skill development...but NOT a lot of full court because of "workload management."
A lot of teams don't do much "live work" during the season.
SVG did provide "stop play" during practice with 'technical-tactical feedback'
"You need immediate feedback" to correct (address ASAP)
CO: All levels need coaching and feedback
SVG: The expectation of NBA players is that coaching will make them better
"Criticism isn't a negative term." See ways to do things better.
SVG acknowledges that he could be negative, which adds no value
"This is what we need to do better, being as specific as you can."
"Maybe this guy learns differently and we need to try something else."
If there are player-specific needs, they need more individual work
CO: "First we have to look at ourselves."
"You're going to find that the better screens you set, the more you will be open."
"Play to your strengths; disguise weaknesses." (Sun Tzu, anyone)
"The old school way = the way that makes you better."
Become accepted by many players, that you don't have to practice (not universal - e.g. Thibodeau, Spoelstra)
Force to catch higher (extend the catch) without vulnerability to backdoor
One pass away help increases risk of catch and shoot 3s
Perfect NBA defense - limit free throws, layups, 3s (there are tradeoffs)
Some teams are "taking away nothing" because effort on 3s exposes layups and creates fouls on layups... guys get caught in-between help. Notes that Milwaukee closes out and uses length to limit fouls and layups
"Selling how you want to play is huge." (the world has changed)
Player "views" on an element (e.g. defending PnR) tends to be less nuanced than the coach who has watched hours of film and tracked results... but they usually come around when presented with the facts
"Coach the WHY" ...this is best because of A, B, C, and D
His coaching card included sets that he thought would work against the opponent AND lineup specific elements (e.g. matchups, etc.) and specials (ATOs, etc.)
Game-day shoot-around focused on adjustments, e.g. how to defend opponent's sets, some offensive plays for that day, and team-specific stuff (e.g. zone offense if an opponent plays more zone)
SVG thinks that "spontaneous" specials (e.g. ATO draw ups) are not as effective as stuff worked on
"NBA players are very smart." Some don't work as well off diagrams.
Better use of timeouts? Need to monitor player focus and attention because there are a lot of distractions (dancers, scoreboard video)
How can assistants help in-game? How can we get good shots against opponent defense? Sometimes assistants can see opportunity or what's not happening (e.g. penetration/paint touches)
"Winning is hard...it requires discipline"
It's not as easy as just saying let Simmons shoot...because if you leave a big cushion, he'll attack you in the paint. Even with non-shooters, you have to play out on the perimeter but don't get beaten off the first step
CO: "One step doesn't beat you."
See more middle postups (e.g. nail) because harder to give help. Limit or extend the distance at the catch.
Know whom you're covering so how much you can help...players have to be disciplined on your priorities defensively "you've got to live with something"
Most of the "switch everything" teams haven't been great defensively (Boston is better)
DHOs "it starts with the guy on the ball" (everyone is worried about the guy who is getting it)...SVG advocates more pressure on the guy with the ball
Effort to take away shooters off the DHO creates a lot of backcuts (sometimes you can go "through" with some drop of the ballhandler defender
VEER is another name for switching (late switch) when the ball has gone downhill
CO: "Is it possible to ICE DHOs?" (With bigs who are non-shooters) SVG argues that enough (good) guys will take into the paint when they see that
SVG "Limit penetration to the basket" has always been a core concept at every level. Forcing weak hand may only surrender advantage to some guys. "Influence" is okay but can't just allow penetration.
People tend to switch PnR a lot in youth levels because there is less height variability. At HS level, learning PnR reads is critical if there is ambition to play at the next level.
What are we missing in development? "Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals." He then enumerates the many basics - footwork, pivoting, varieties of finishes, etc. "I don't think it's a scheme thing." Better and quicker...
"Film becomes the best teacher." (Note, we old guys say film because we watched film)
It's a mistake to think "I'm coaching well but they're playing poorly."
Dick Bennett used to say, "watch your team and they'll tell you what you need to work on."
"How are YOU affecting your team?" Did we demoralize them?
"It's a bottom line business"...sometimes decisions seem good but won't work. "If it doesn't work it wasn't the right move." (He references doubling Paul Pierce and Glenn Davis hits a shot.) If it didn't work, we STILL might do it the same way the next time.
"Be able to look at _________ objectively." (He's referring to "resulting" rather than whether a decision had favorable probability.)
At every level, you're going to be criticized.
CO: "Outcome skews evaluation."
SVG We evaluate better AFTER seeing the film. Sometimes shotmaking covers for other execution failures
Summary (5 truths):
You're always going to be criticized.
"Film becomes the best teacher...Dick Bennett used to say, "watch your team and they'll tell you what you need to work on."
Commit to what you want to take away or you take away nothing.
"The Old School Way" = that which makes you better. Fundamentals
"Drills don't replace 5 on 5 basketball."
Lagniappe. Good points but maybe the film reveals that they still allowed the shot they probably didn't want (depending on shooter history)
Per Pete Newell, our primary coaching mission is teaching players to SEE THE GAME.
Here are some first-half clips of a recent matchup of two top girls teams from Massachusetts, not surprisingly, two private schools, Bishop Fenwick and St. Mary's (Lynn). They illustrate what is and what might be.
Fenwick's point guard Olivia Found (#3) is a D2 commit and uses her senior savvy to draw a foul. We used to call these "sucker fouls" generations ago.
St. Mary's has their own excellent point guard, here scoring off a SLOB handback into a high ball screen where she attacks the basket.
The women's game has evolved with far more players able to create separation. Here's an excellent hesi into basket attack.
My former player Cecilia Kay (#32) is a 6'1" sophomore with inside and perimeter capabilities. Here she attacks off the dribble. I teach an economy of dribbles.
"Help across not up." Here's why as the driver dumps a great ball down for a layup from the vacated middle.
Both teams set a lot of ball screens. The screener doesn't "headhunt" (screen the body) and the ballhandler can't use the screen effectively. "Body to body" or "hip to hip" whatever you teach, can't let the defender push the ballhandler out.
Win the special situations. In this BOB, Bishop Fenwick gets a layup off a brush screen. "Bigs away come back into play."
At the end of days, what mark did our basketball experience leave behind? Future archeologists who excavate the basketball landscape will uncover traces of our legacy.
This triggers a question, "what is your favorite quote?" The only reasonable answer is, "about what?" James Clear shared this note from Sports writer Andy Benoit on how geniuses work:
“Most geniuses—especially those who lead others—prosper not by deconstructing intricate complexities but by exploiting unrecognized simplicities.”
Contemplate what simplicities make our teams and our players more successful. Edit the list to a manageable number and bring that patina to our work every day.
1. Be positive. Positivity raises people up. The nuances of sarcasm are generally lost on young people.
2. Care consistently. Coach to give not to take. We hear how coaches tell players, "you're only useful to me on the court." That can't be our legacy.
3. Put people in positions to succeed. Create advantage whether through personnel, matchups, positional tactics, or training. Sun Tzu simplified, "attack weaknesses, utilize strengths."
4. Reduce errors. Coach Knight's wisdom informs, "basketball is a game of mistakes." Good teams seldom give games away with mental or physical mistakes. Today's uncorrected error becomes tomorrow's regret. Jim Rohn shared, "suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret."
5. Share. Teach at every opportunity. We're fortunate when we have enthusiastic learners. Cecilia, a 6'1" sophomore elite student, scores in the post, off the bounce, and beyond the arc. Last night she had 23.
6. "Kill your darlings." As I've said before, "the film is made in the editing room."
People function best when our 'working memory' has spare capacity. The first unrecognized simplicity in basketball is the primacy of skill development. Learning to create edges in player development pays off. When the skilled player embraces junking the low quality elements of her game, she makes explosive gains.
7. "Technique beats tactics." If we have a group of motivated, athletic, skilled players, then spread offense, Princeton, or Flex matters a lot less than letting them space, move, and execute.
8. Win in space. Mom would say, "Don't play in the traffic." Works for me. Great players win in space.
