I'm not a superstar's coach. I preach 5 guys on offense working together the open guy will make the shot, 5 guys on defense will stop 1 ball, and we talk about our 12 being better then anyone elses best 5-6.
The truth is after all that is said and done I expect our best player(s) to the be the best players every single posseision.Is that unreasonable? Probably, but if you can't handle unreasonable then having any interaction with me is probably not going to go well.
This year I'm in a position with the kid who holds the keys to our kingdom's success being a phenominal athlete and talent. The only issue is that if he were any more relaxed I would have to water him.
I am not the sort of coach who is going to draw up plays to make sure so and so gets their shots. I expect the team on the floor (with consultation from me) to recognize the options available and get the player in the best situation to score the ball. What I face is we still have kids who can't make unconstested anything, and a kid who could play at the next level willing to defer to them.
I'm sure if I talked to my coaching colleagues about this I would get advice about winning the kid over, or giving him more responsibility, or even trying to find a connection to inspire him to greatness. The reality is we have a pretty good connection, and he does mean well, its just not a big deal to him. When I say "its" I mean everything, win/loss, score/shutout, getting yelled at getting hugged, its all the same so long as he's out there running around he's ok with that. If he's not out there running around he just sits back and waits for his turn.
What do you do with a superstar who's relaxed indifference would make the Budha jealous?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tryouts
Some lessons learned from tryouts:
1 - As the Stones once sang: "You don't always get what you want!" The team you envisioned is not always the team you get to have. As a player the position you wanted or thought you were going to have suddenly gets upgraded or down graded based on the turnout and what everyone else has done. How do you manage this? Dialogue. Kids, especially teenagers are not going to go to the adult in charge with their feelings first. They will go to their peers, teammates, and family first. Get all sorts of feedback that is not yours and then come at you with info and attitudes that weren't there intially. Be up front let kids know the score and have real conversations about the situation that you and they are both in.
2 - Doritos kids aren't ready for a marathon or a sprint. If you happen to have a tryout at a level where the it is the first time kids have moving up to a new playing field and set of expectations, bench the conditioning. You will be able to tell 20 minutes in who has wind and who doesn't. You also will not be able to tell who has any potential game if all your yougn kids can't move in stance, catch, shoot or play because they weren't physically prepared and you burned them out before evaluating skills. If you want to see who has heart, or build toughness or whatever other reason you could have for turning a tryout into a track practice, go ahead. Save it until day 2 or 3 though, you want to make sure you know who has what and what you want, before you start seeing kids drop and wondering they want you.
3 - Load the concepts. Especially in a read and react 24-8 game kids need to be able to co-ordinate their bodies, minds and the ball. Don't save introducing your offensive concepts or defensive concepts until the team is picked. You need to know who will keep up mentally before you see who keeps up physically. You can make them be in better shape much faster then you can effect the speed of their learning. Find out what your basketball IQ level is, you can run them later. Seriously, a player you cut is not going to run down the road and tell Coach x what your running. Besides if they do and that effects your chances of beating coach x I would spend more time making your kids better and less on your stuff.
4 - Why are they on your team? I constantly tell my kids that if they are on the team it is because I can see them being useful for us in meaningful situations. If that kid is not going to be then why are you keeping them. Its great that their nice, they work hard, they'd be a good teammate. What else could they be doing with all those attributes to make your school, community or another program better? Instead you let the kid come out, rot on the bench and he doesn't contribute positively to anything. I like having a hard working practice with lots of kids too, but I want it to reflect game. If they are on the team they should be playing, if they are not playing why are they on the team?
1 - As the Stones once sang: "You don't always get what you want!" The team you envisioned is not always the team you get to have. As a player the position you wanted or thought you were going to have suddenly gets upgraded or down graded based on the turnout and what everyone else has done. How do you manage this? Dialogue. Kids, especially teenagers are not going to go to the adult in charge with their feelings first. They will go to their peers, teammates, and family first. Get all sorts of feedback that is not yours and then come at you with info and attitudes that weren't there intially. Be up front let kids know the score and have real conversations about the situation that you and they are both in.
2 - Doritos kids aren't ready for a marathon or a sprint. If you happen to have a tryout at a level where the it is the first time kids have moving up to a new playing field and set of expectations, bench the conditioning. You will be able to tell 20 minutes in who has wind and who doesn't. You also will not be able to tell who has any potential game if all your yougn kids can't move in stance, catch, shoot or play because they weren't physically prepared and you burned them out before evaluating skills. If you want to see who has heart, or build toughness or whatever other reason you could have for turning a tryout into a track practice, go ahead. Save it until day 2 or 3 though, you want to make sure you know who has what and what you want, before you start seeing kids drop and wondering they want you.
3 - Load the concepts. Especially in a read and react 24-8 game kids need to be able to co-ordinate their bodies, minds and the ball. Don't save introducing your offensive concepts or defensive concepts until the team is picked. You need to know who will keep up mentally before you see who keeps up physically. You can make them be in better shape much faster then you can effect the speed of their learning. Find out what your basketball IQ level is, you can run them later. Seriously, a player you cut is not going to run down the road and tell Coach x what your running. Besides if they do and that effects your chances of beating coach x I would spend more time making your kids better and less on your stuff.
4 - Why are they on your team? I constantly tell my kids that if they are on the team it is because I can see them being useful for us in meaningful situations. If that kid is not going to be then why are you keeping them. Its great that their nice, they work hard, they'd be a good teammate. What else could they be doing with all those attributes to make your school, community or another program better? Instead you let the kid come out, rot on the bench and he doesn't contribute positively to anything. I like having a hard working practice with lots of kids too, but I want it to reflect game. If they are on the team they should be playing, if they are not playing why are they on the team?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Winning Isn't Complicated . . .
Winning isn't hard! It requires hard work to win meaningfully but the formula is pretty easy.
1 - Be more skilled.
2 - Be in better physical condition.
3 - Work harder.
4 - Train Harder.
5 - Compete at everything like its the most meaningful think you do.
That's it. The only thing you can't train is genetics.
If you show up to a game more trained, more fit, more intense, more prepared and more able you win.
Think about it like this: One team has all the taller girls. The other team has all the shorter girls but they are as fast and strong/ faster and stronger with better skills, better work ethic and more preparation. How many people would believe the taller team would win???
"Many have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win." - B. Knight
1 - Be more skilled.
2 - Be in better physical condition.
3 - Work harder.
4 - Train Harder.
5 - Compete at everything like its the most meaningful think you do.
That's it. The only thing you can't train is genetics.
If you show up to a game more trained, more fit, more intense, more prepared and more able you win.
Think about it like this: One team has all the taller girls. The other team has all the shorter girls but they are as fast and strong/ faster and stronger with better skills, better work ethic and more preparation. How many people would believe the taller team would win???
"Many have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win." - B. Knight
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Silly Defensive Question???
I get constantly teased by parent responses after the game."Its over there Coach!" or "I saw it coach!" The "it" in question is the basketball. The reason for the teasing is fans will hear me constantly barking out the seemingly obvious question "Where is the ball?"
Now a 250lbs man hopping up and down the sideline screaming about whereabouts of the only orange object in the game which has everyone's focus could be laughable. It is in fact! The issue is that I am trying to cue up an important concept in my kids defensively.
Our defense is predicated on the simple concept of: We want the ball!
What is the first step? Knowing where the ball is! What is the second step? Working as a group to get it.
My feelings on defense are pretty well known to people who watch us play at all. There is one ball, if you get it the other team can't score. Over the years we've done different things defensively: zone, m2m, traps, matchups . . . you name it I've tried it. The constant has been you pressure the basketball. If the ball is pressured we can get it.
If the player with the ball is allowed options we must defend those options. If the player with the ball has to dribble because it is the only option left to avoid pyschotic pressure then we need to defend one option. If you are guarding a player without the ball you need to shift to help stop the ball or cover for a teammate who is going to be helping stop the ball.
We go through a lot of the same questions and comments with first time players in the program: Coach my guy is a shooter! But I'll get beat on a cut! But what about the screens/ cuts to the basket? My answer is pretty standard, they can't score they don't have the ball. If we make the guy with the ball bounce it into trouble, then stop him and make him try to get it out of trouble he'll throw us the ball.
A player under tremendous pressure from one or two defenders is not thinking clearly or making great reads. They are trying to get rid of the ball without making a decision that is going to get them benched. So if we pressure them and leave their only options to be things that will risk getting them benched if it doesn't work, we should end up with the ball a lot and their best kids in a lot of trouble with their coach.
"Where is the ball?" If we stop it they don't score. If we get it they can't score and their coach is ticked off.
Know where the ball is and load up on the ball and the ball's options. No one else can hurt us until the get it. Pretty simple stuff.
Now a 250lbs man hopping up and down the sideline screaming about whereabouts of the only orange object in the game which has everyone's focus could be laughable. It is in fact! The issue is that I am trying to cue up an important concept in my kids defensively.
Our defense is predicated on the simple concept of: We want the ball!
What is the first step? Knowing where the ball is! What is the second step? Working as a group to get it.
My feelings on defense are pretty well known to people who watch us play at all. There is one ball, if you get it the other team can't score. Over the years we've done different things defensively: zone, m2m, traps, matchups . . . you name it I've tried it. The constant has been you pressure the basketball. If the ball is pressured we can get it.
If the player with the ball is allowed options we must defend those options. If the player with the ball has to dribble because it is the only option left to avoid pyschotic pressure then we need to defend one option. If you are guarding a player without the ball you need to shift to help stop the ball or cover for a teammate who is going to be helping stop the ball.
We go through a lot of the same questions and comments with first time players in the program: Coach my guy is a shooter! But I'll get beat on a cut! But what about the screens/ cuts to the basket? My answer is pretty standard, they can't score they don't have the ball. If we make the guy with the ball bounce it into trouble, then stop him and make him try to get it out of trouble he'll throw us the ball.
A player under tremendous pressure from one or two defenders is not thinking clearly or making great reads. They are trying to get rid of the ball without making a decision that is going to get them benched. So if we pressure them and leave their only options to be things that will risk getting them benched if it doesn't work, we should end up with the ball a lot and their best kids in a lot of trouble with their coach.
"Where is the ball?" If we stop it they don't score. If we get it they can't score and their coach is ticked off.
Know where the ball is and load up on the ball and the ball's options. No one else can hurt us until the get it. Pretty simple stuff.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Shooting fixes everything . . .
This may not acutally be true but it sure fixes a lot of things. I was on the sideline for a game this summer where we were the superior team but should have lost the game. We didn't adjust to the way the game was being officiated and sent the other team to the line 48 times and they made 39 of them. We gave away close to forty points and had just about everyone in foul trouble, but it was a non issue and we won it running away becuase of how well shot the ball. (69% from three, 60% from two).
In fact, look at the NB womens results from Canada Games and the recent FIBA Americas qaulifier that the National Men's team played in. When the NB women and Canadian men managed shoot 50% or better from 3 and 40% + from 2 they won. WHen that didn't happen and the opposition made those numbers they lost.
On the other side of the coin the NB men at Canada Games lost a 2pt point game to BC and an 18 point game to Ont where they shot less than 25 % all game but held both teams well below their tournament averages.
In a 24 - 8 game there are just going to be more shots period. The team that has more better shooters is going to win. One good shooter is easier to defend against with a shoretended shot clock, while less time for offense means more times who ever has the ball is going to have to be the one to finish it. Everyone needs to be able to shoot it. Especially on the teams I mentioned and on all teams in NB, because as our kids progress through the levels we just don't regularly produce the size and athleticsm of athlete to be a Post or often a forward at higher levels. Most high level players that come from NB need to be guards and shooters. But that is for another post.
What makes us better shooters? Deliberate practice.
A high volume of meaningful shots practiced with focus on technique or competitive situation or both.
Technique we are concerned with:
- Start from a balanced ready position.
- We always over extend our shooting elbow when straightening, and over extend our wrist on the snap. Always the highest release possible with the most follow through possible. (Shooting it as hard as we can (properly) with our arms on every shot means our shot mechanics never change. When we want to determine range we add or subtract legs instead of messing with our mechanics. Would you rather need to master 100 different swings for golf, or have a 1 swing and a variety of clubs that made the adjustments in range.)
- Never leave a shot short.
- Proper footwork on the catch to be ready to shoot/or attack effectively.
Competitive Issues we are concerned with:
- Getting the shot ready and off quickly.
- Being able to shoot under pressures of: time, noise, speed, fatigue, a defensive contest)
- Being able to shoot it effectively and be ready to catch and shoot playing at game speed.
- Not changing the jump shot in a competitive situations.
- Ability to make the sorts of shots the player will get in a game.
In fact, look at the NB womens results from Canada Games and the recent FIBA Americas qaulifier that the National Men's team played in. When the NB women and Canadian men managed shoot 50% or better from 3 and 40% + from 2 they won. WHen that didn't happen and the opposition made those numbers they lost.
On the other side of the coin the NB men at Canada Games lost a 2pt point game to BC and an 18 point game to Ont where they shot less than 25 % all game but held both teams well below their tournament averages.
In a 24 - 8 game there are just going to be more shots period. The team that has more better shooters is going to win. One good shooter is easier to defend against with a shoretended shot clock, while less time for offense means more times who ever has the ball is going to have to be the one to finish it. Everyone needs to be able to shoot it. Especially on the teams I mentioned and on all teams in NB, because as our kids progress through the levels we just don't regularly produce the size and athleticsm of athlete to be a Post or often a forward at higher levels. Most high level players that come from NB need to be guards and shooters. But that is for another post.
What makes us better shooters? Deliberate practice.
A high volume of meaningful shots practiced with focus on technique or competitive situation or both.
Technique we are concerned with:
- Start from a balanced ready position.
- We always over extend our shooting elbow when straightening, and over extend our wrist on the snap. Always the highest release possible with the most follow through possible. (Shooting it as hard as we can (properly) with our arms on every shot means our shot mechanics never change. When we want to determine range we add or subtract legs instead of messing with our mechanics. Would you rather need to master 100 different swings for golf, or have a 1 swing and a variety of clubs that made the adjustments in range.)
- Never leave a shot short.
- Proper footwork on the catch to be ready to shoot/or attack effectively.
Competitive Issues we are concerned with:
- Getting the shot ready and off quickly.
- Being able to shoot under pressures of: time, noise, speed, fatigue, a defensive contest)
- Being able to shoot it effectively and be ready to catch and shoot playing at game speed.
- Not changing the jump shot in a competitive situations.
- Ability to make the sorts of shots the player will get in a game.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Mexico Vs Canada
Just watched what is supposed to be a weak National Men's team play Mexico at a FIBA Qualifier. Canada 95- MExico 40
All I really learned was that once again good shooting can cure a variety of issues. Canada shot 60% from the three point line and were basically indefensible as whoever you left open drilled shots.
Mexico on the other hand spaced Canada's defense well early but was unable to make shots. As a result the more Canada scored and the poorer Mexico shot the tougher Canada's interior defense became. As the game went on Canada loaded up on the paint and blocked more and more shots as weakside defenders creeped closer and closer to the ball side. Mexico on the other hand had a tougher time defending as their defense stretched further and further to cover shooters.
The announcers were very complimentary about Canada's ball movement (30 assists) but its easy for offense to look good when you make shots and defense has to chase everyone. Mike Mckay has a great article on how 3 pt shooting changes the way teams have to defend.
http://www.basketball.ca/en/hm/blog/?sid=210
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Finishes
How do you score inside?
You find way to put the ball in the basket inside the paint.
Now look at the average basketball game vs comparable levels of defensive & offensive skill and athleticism. How many baskets vs. defense come off a traditional layup? Not many. Now larger players can get away with simple 1/2 hooks or power lay ups because they have the strength and explosiveness to finish those ways. Most hoops though are of a more unconventional manner. If I learned one thing this summer coaching against national level competition the idea that shooters are protected is a notion that is reserved for kids games, not games officiated at a high level. PLayers going into traffic and too the rim at top levels are generally left of their own and so long as defense stays off the shooters arms, shoulders and head any other contact seems ok.
The person I heard best describe this was Dave Smart (coach of the 5 time CIS champion Carleton Ravens) who talked about 6 foot shooters vs 2 foot shooters. The examples he used where Phoenix Suns Leonardo Barbosa and Steve Nash (both NBA players and former national team players for their respective countries) Barbosa is a two foot shooter. He explodes up to the rim and all his releases are within the two foot space between his shoulders. Dunks, power lay ups and half hooks. Vs. most national and international competition he is all but unstoppable on the way to the basket. But vs the USA and in the NBA he is blocked much more often then the 7 inch smaller and much less athletic Steve Nash. This is because Steve Nash is a six foot shooter. On the interior he is almost impossible to block because he can release the ball from any space in the length of his arms vertically or horizontally so anywhere is a 6ft square block the ball can be released.
Once we get the development of athletes past the basic ability to finish (most of which should be on their own time training basic skills) we need to ask ourselves which is more effective. Training athletes and teams to get the basic shots they have trained out of our offense or do we spend time training athletes to make a wider variety of shots so less elaborate offense is needed to generate the type of shot they can make.
Types of finishes inside kids can train:
Power Layups
1/2 Hooks
1 Foot Layup Overhand (Inside and Outside Hands)
1 Foot Layup (Inside and Outside Hands)
Reverse Layups (1 Foot and 2 Foot inside and Outside Hands)
Floater
Finger Roll
Sky Hook
Wide Hook
Freeze/Pull Back
Short/Quick Release
2 Hand Dunk
1 Hand
Reverse Dunk
Tip In
Footwork that changes the angle of the inside finish:
1 2 step
Power step
Jump Stop
Pro Hop
Pivot-Pivot
Spin
Rocker Step
Slide By
Straight to Wide/Wide to Straight (Ginobli)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)