PRO SKILLS

The Winter Sale!

2012-01-24T13:53:00.004-06:00

An exelent offer!
Now you can buy "Pro Skills Winning Strategies" ( 7 books) and save 50% of your mony.
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The Renewed" Cutting Edge Zone Offense"

2012-01-04T14:32:00.019-06:00

It is everything that you ever wanted to know about, how to beat zone defense, how to deal with stingy opponent.
"CUTTING EDGE ZONE OFFENSE", COMPLETELY TRANSFORM YOUR TEAM INTO OFFENSIVE POWERHOUSE! PUT TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON YOUR OPPONENT’S DEFENSE!
Zone defense is a way to stop people from scoring on you. In other hand, beating a zone demand from you to be so fundamental:

Pass into the middle
Attack the short corner
Dribble penetrate
Swing the ball,..... etc.

The renewed "Cutting Edge Zone Offense" (added NCU Match up and Zone offense playbook).

This book offer over 20 different strategies and helps you to beat any type of zone defense.

Buy this book and get an edge on your opponents.

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BOB McKILLOP 2011 Coaching Clinic, DVD

2012-01-03T14:26:00.010-06:00

Bob McKillop 2011 Coaching Clinic DVD, now is out!
You can't miss almost 5 hours of great instructions from one of the best USA basketball coaches.
Bob McKillop is known as one of basketball’s leading strategists and on-court instructors, and he demonstrates coaching tips and ideas, competitive spirit, and other great coaching concepts:
1/ Individual player development
2/ How to read defense and 1-1 situations
3/ Coaching team before, during and after the game(motivation, special situations,..etc)

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The Euroleague Winning Strategies book (renewed)

2011-11-18T14:26:00.006-06:00

The renewed book now is out!

NBA pack (3 books)

2011-11-17T17:17:00.006-06:00

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NBA Preseason Practice book

2011-11-05T13:13:00.009-05:00

NEW! Buy 'NBA PRESEASON PRACTICE' book and get an edge on other coaches!

This unique book is ALL Access and colection of notes from the top NBA teams preseason camps, held in London, UK.

The first pass mentality

2011-10-21T14:52:00.006-05:00

To win the National Championship, is it all about the point guard?

Point guards, in game of basketball, usualy are called quarterbacks or floor generals.

Is the point guard single most important position in game of basketball?

Answer is, when you have a good one, the team wins national championships. When you have a bad one, you’re barely a tournament team.

For the basketball team, the point guard is "the engine that runs supercharged machine."

In so many different style of basketball, the North Caroline style demand that the point guard's duty could be walk the ball up and pass off to one of the open players.

Usualy, coach Roy Williams instruct his point guard to just don't turn the ball over. Carolina’s system has never been anything but run, run, and when you're tired, run some more, so, the point guard with all that running becomes the focal point of the offense.

In this case the point guard is both the driver and the engine and here production is a secondary concern. You can:

1. shoot badly from the floor,

2. turn the ball over,

3. have teammates botch assists,

But as long as you're able to:

4. push the tempo

5. find streaking and cutting teammates, you’re doing your job.

Maybe you have one hell of a point guard player that he will probably never be the offensive force than point gurds you had before, but he could be the one remembered the most, as the pass-first point guard.

If he is much slower than other league point guards, but through long lead passes, clever dribbling, and the unteachable ability to see three beats ahead, he can set optimal pace.

"Turn your team into championship contender" book

2010-12-25T17:09:00.030-06:00

New! Get an edge on other coaches:

Buy this book and simply turn your team into championship contender!

HERE'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

"Coach Gajic is skills perfectionist and truly teacher of basketball game. His knowledge of the game and passion to teach are second to no one that I have been around.”

Coach Eric Musselman
Head Coach of LA D-fenders NDBL (G.S.Warriors,S. Kings)

"Euroleague Winning Strategies is an incredible resource on European basketball. Coach Gajic offers new ways to attack and score, staff that can be used at high school, NCAA and NBA level of basketball."

Coach Lason Perkins
Chapel Hill High School, North Carolina

"Coach Gajic has been contributed in many ways to the development of the game.
Coaches here value his knowledge of the game and always welcome his insightful articles."

Coach Mark Dunning
Founder BCA.Senior Coach UK

SPECIAL OFFER: BUY THREE AND GET TWO FREE

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Special offer: "Get an edge on other coaches"

2010-07-11T04:44:00.008-05:00

Special offer!

Get an edge on other coaches buying Pro Skills books.
THOSE TWO BOOKS CAN COMPLETELY TRANSFORM
YOUR TEAM INTO A WINNING POWERHOUSE!
PUT TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON YOUR OPPONENTS
WATCH YOUR WINNING RECORD SOAR!

Now you can buy both books, "The Suns' lethal Pick & roll offense" and
"The Encyclopedia of Pick & roll defense" in pice of one.
This is a great coach's sources and must have in your library.

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The Suns' lethal Pick & Roll Offense, e-book

2010-05-21T16:38:00.018-05:00

Sharpen you game up!

This book is great basketball “stuff” and you can go deeper into the intricacies
and points of Suns' famous “Elbow series”.
It’s not like, I give you 100 sets , it’s the real substance and not just scratch
the surface of each sets. This book give you a live look at Sun’s high intensity
offense including the very best from their “Seven second or less”,
offensive philosophy.

The primary reason why Suns are the NBA's most efficient in offense this
season, is pick & roll offense.
The Suns have become even more efficient in the postseason, where
they're averaging 113.2 points per 100 possessions.
Every team in the NBA runs the pick & roll and practices defending it.
So what's the secret that allows the Suns to terorize opponents on a
nightly basis?

Here, we offer the best book in the marquet about the Pick and roll Offense.
Book include 'Elbow series' with 18 different options, that Suns run and
over 40 diagrams etc.

Here's sample from book:

Alll options are diagramed and explaned step by step.
This is a awesome book that every coach and scout must have in library.

Some contests:

Introduction

Suns “Elbow Series” P&R

Option 1: “15” Dive

Option 2: “15” 2 angles dive

Option 3: “15” Bigs dive

Option 4: “V” High/low

Option 5: “15” Low post feed

Option 6: “14” Drag

.....etc

Don't wait, sharpen you game up...now!

"PRO SKILLS" 5 - pack

2010-05-13T11:44:00.008-05:00

'Pro skills series" e-books, offer the finest in basketball skills instructions and coaching schemes.

HERE'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

"Coach Gajic is skills perfectionist and truly teacher of basketball game. His knowledge of the game and passion to teach are second to no one that I have been around.”

Coach Eric Musselman
NBA Head coach (Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings)
http://www.emuss.blogspot.com/

"Pro Skills" e-books are an incredible resource on European basketball. Coach Gajic offers new ways to attack and defend, staff that can be used at high school, NCAA and NBA level of basketball."

Coach Lason Perkins
Chapel Hill High School, North Carolina
http://www.basketballsense.com/

"Coach Gajic has been contributed in many ways to the development of the game.
Coaches here value his knowledge of the game and always welcome his insightful articles."

Coach Mark Dunning Founder BCA.Senior Coach UK
http://www.bcauk.com/

SPECIAL OFFER: BUY THREE AND GET TWO FREE

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E - news Suscribers buy here:

"Cutting edge Zone Offense"

2010-03-26T05:51:00.018-05:00

NEW BOOK Released!
The best ever zone offense book in the marquet.
"CUTTING EDGE ZONE OFFENSE"
It is everything that you ever wanted to know about, how to beat zone defense, how to deal with stingy opponent.
"CUTTING EDGE ZONE OFFENSE", COMPLETELY TRANSFORM YOUR TEAM INTO OFFENSIVE POWERHOUSE! PUT TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON YOUR OPPONENT’S DEFENSE!

View this book

Click and by here:

Some contests:

I. Basic Offensive Movements Against Zone Defense

a/ Center behind the zone,

b/ Step into the hole,

c/ Overload .....etc.

II. Set Zone Offense against different zone defenses

1/ Early Offense Against Zone Defense

2/ Offense against 1-3-1 Zone defense

3/ Quick heater against the Zone defense

4/ High post offense against the 2-3 zone

5/ Offense against an Amoeba and point zones,....etc

The Encyclopedia of Pick and Roll Defense

2009-12-10T08:52:00.032-06:00

"THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PICK and ROLL DEFENSE"

COMPLETELY TRANSFORM YOUR TEAM INTO A DEFENSIVE POWERHOUSE!

PUT TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON YOUR OPPONENT’S OFFENSE!

WATCH YOUR WINNING RECORD SOAR!

Pick and roll is usually run with a team's

two best offensive players.
Coaches agree that nearly every NBA

team has problems defending the pick & roll.
Here we offer greatest coach and player

source, 16 different options how to cope

with pick and roll, over 30 diagrams etc.

View this book

"PRO SKILLS" 3 - pack

2009-08-06T13:57:00.039-05:00

'Pro skills series" e-books, offer the finest in basketball skills instructions and coaching schemes.

HERE'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

"Coach Gajic is skills perfectionist and truly teacher of basketball game. His knowledge of the game and passion to teach are second to no one that I have been around.”

Coach Eric Musselman
NBA Head coach (Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings)
http://www.emuss.blogspot.com/

"Euroleague Winning Strategies is an incredible resource on European basketball. Coach Gajic offers new ways to attack and score, staff that can be used at high school, NCAA and NBA level of basketball."

Coach Lason Perkins
Chapel Hill High School, North Carolina
http://www.basketballsense.com/

"Coach Gajic has been contributed in many ways to the development of the game.
Coaches here value his knowledge of the game and always welcome his insightful articles."

Coach Mark Dunning
Founder BCA.Senior Coach UK
http://www.bcauk.com/

SPECIAL OFFER: BUY TWO AND GET ONE FREE

Click and buy here:

"Improve your offense" book

2009-07-05T17:18:00.036-05:00

New! Coach's clinics FIP-CNA series, e-book

View this book

It is everything that you ever wanted to know about, how to beat pressure defense, how to deal with aggressive opponent, both full and half court.

Those clinics includes all: diagrams, build up drills, points, offensive strategies and philosophy against full court press defense, to help implement this systems. It also includes a section on set plays to use in this offense. A great package to understand this style and the way, how to improve your offense?
I hope that you enjoy this e-book and understand that it helps you and takes your team to the next level.

Click and buy here:

Introducing

1. Clinic one: Early offense situations

2. Clinic two: Intensive shooting drills

3. Clinic three: Basic movements against zone defense

4. Clinic four: How to beat multiple pressure defense

5. Clinic five: Sets and strategies against aggresive defense

Make him think shoot rather than penetrate

2009-04-10T07:30:00.004-05:00

Good article about Miami Heat's shooting guard Dwyane Wade is a devastating offensive force.

-he can get to the hoop anytime he chooses,

-he can get to the line and make free throws,

-he can make the extra pass like a PG, and

-he is an improving jump shooter.

In short, how does a defensive player or an opposing coach prepare to face Dwyane Wade?
-Is it possible to shut him down?
-Can he be contained?
-Or does a team simply have to accept Wade will do what Wade does, and instead focus on his Heat teammates?

Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl:
"The best thing is to stay off him, give him jump shots and try to keep him in front of you," But when he's making the jump shot, it's probably a double-team. You've got to send two at him early and see if he tries to beat you or will concede and pass it. He's special. His speed and ability to get to the rim and into the paint is back. There's no question he lost a little bit the last couple of years, but its back now."

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle:
"He's averaging 30, so he's probably going to get 30," You know that going in. You've gotta have multiple things ready and you've got to double-team him because he's great. It's difficult. He can slice and dice any defense almost by himself, just taking the ball and dribbling through everybody. Five guys have to be dialed in to what's happening with him, and you have to be very precise . . .and hope he misses some shots."

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy:
"It depends on how good you think those other guys are," If there are guys in the game who don't make shots, well go double on Wade. If the guys on the floor are like [Los Angeles Clipper sharpshooter] Steve Novak, then no. If you've got shooters surrounding him then if you keep all of those guys out of the game, maybe that's the best course. It really just depends on who is playing with him."

Houston Rockets head coach Rick Adelman:
"It's really difficult with those type of guys cause the only thing you can really do is sacrifice the fact that you may double him and make someone else shoot the ball,"

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson:
Wants to push Wade further and further away from the basket.
"Keep backing up. Keep backing up. Keep throwing up walls in front of him. You've got to make him think shoot rather than penetrate. Once he gets penetration, he gets up in the air and he can find all his teammates from that spot. If you can stop that penetration somewhere around that free throw line . . ."

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant:
"When I guard somebody, I try to lock them down completely, period. I'm trying to take them out of the game. Some nights I'm going to get busted up. Some nights I'll hold them down. If I'm going to lock into somebody I'm going to try and make their night miserable. After the game they're like, 'Damn, he made me work!'"

Special defense for special player

2009-04-02T07:18:00.003-05:00

According to this article, the Tar Heels' game plan was: Make someone other than Griffin beat them.
Every time during the Sunday's South Regional final, he touched the ball North Carolina defenders doubled him.

"It was a little frustrating for him because we were making him do something that he didn't want to do," North Carolina senior forward Danny Green said. "We were making it uncomfortable for him, doubling him as soon as he got the ball."

"Blake has got to get extra attention. So that's what we tried to do," said North Carolina coach Roy Williams.

"In practice, we basically decided we were going to double (Griffin) on the first pass once he gets the ball," said Tar Heels junior point guard Ty Lawson. "So every time they passed it to him, I just went down and doubled and tried to get the ball out of his hands and make another one of his teammates create something or score."

"When we watched tape, a lot of players on their team don't create or anything like that. So we got it out of his hands, and once we did that, I just looked to see who was the open person because we also worked on rotating. I just got to that person, tried to close out and made sure they didn't drive to the basket."

Scouting the NCAA tournament

2009-04-01T06:24:00.004-05:00

The top 5 college prospects :

1. Blake Griffin, PF, So., Oklahoma
Griffin continued to prove why he is far and away the best prospect in the draft. Griffin's strength, athleticism and tenacity on the boards make him an NBA player.
He show his biggest weakness during the tournament: For a guy who is so tough and physical, he had less impact on the defensive end of the ball. He has the physical abilities to get it done, but what about the desire? That could be the biggest question.

2. Ty Lawson, PG, Jr., North Carolina
Lawson's speed and strength are his best attributes, he's also turned himself into a terrific spot-up shooter and a point guard who isn't going to make many mistakes.

3. Tyreke Evans, G, Fr., Memphis
Evans showed off some big-time moves driving to the basket, he has ability to change directions and finish. Combine that with his long arms and NBA body, he is great scorer who can get his own shot.
On the other, he struggles with his jump shot, plays out of control and sometimes forgets that he has four teammates on the floor.

4. Sam Young, G/F, Sr.,
Young's has showed ability to score from just about anywhere on the floor. He has also proven to be an excellent rebounder and his long range shooting improve.

5. Jonny Flynn, PG, So., Syracuse
Flynn has proven he's one of the top point guards in college basketball. He has great speed, toughness and ability to beat defense. He has a lack of size, streaky shooting ability and turnovers will probably keep him from being a Top prospect.

When you're out there on your own.

2009-04-01T05:28:00.006-05:00

According to this article, during the Crimson Tide's first scrimmage,

-The most important thing to look is: how a guy competes,' Coach Nick Saban said.
'A guy who plays hard, doesn't get frustrated, is relentless, coming back and playing is important to him, they have the right plan and really get after it.

-The number two things is: the consistency and performance, that level that everyone has been able to achieve when they're out there on their own.

-And then obviously to: evaluate players. There are some guys who practice well, and they get into a game and they can't take it to the field. There are other guys it's always a struggle in practice but they always play a little better in a game.'

In his book, Nick Saban share the secrets that will help you lead and succeed at work and in life. Excellence doesn’t happen overnight. It comes from:
-hard work
-consistency,
-the drive to be the best, and
-a passion for what you do.
Saban has learned much about life and leadership, both on the field and off. Working alongside some of the game’s legends, including Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick and coaching legend Jerry Glanville, he saw firsthand how great leaders encourage greatness in others. Nick Saban motivates his staff and players to excel and be successful:
1/ Organization
Create an environment where everybody knows his or her responsibilities–and each is responsible to the entire group.
2/ Motivate to Dominate
Understand the psychology of teams and individuals, and use that knowledge to breed success.
3/ No Other Way than Right
Practice ethics and values–and demand the same from your team.
4/ Look in the Mirror
Maintain an understanding of who you are by knowing your strengths and your weaknesses.

The PG job is to create open shots for teammates

2009-03-30T04:38:00.005-05:00

Good strory about Sherron Collins the Kansas men's PG. He has stockpiling an arsenal of moves and he devastated opponents with a crossover dribble. Against second-seeded Michigan State in Indianapolis, Collins averaged 28.5 points and 5.0 assists in the first two rounds for the third-seeded Jayhawks.

"I don't even think about what I'm doing," Collins says. "If I see a defender let up ... or I create space, I'm going to shoot it."

At 5-11, Collins has to be creative.

"He's a little guy," teammate Tyshawn Taylor says. "And he's kind of husky. When I first started playing with him, I didn't think he was that quick."

A good game for Collins means he's looking for the open man when defenses collapse on him.

"When the ball is in his hands, he can make plays for others just as easy as he can make plays for himself," Kansas coach Bill Self says. "And I do think he can put great pressure on the defense, because he's good with the ball in his hands."

Mid-range game
Collins says he didn't have a jump shot when he got to Kansas: "When I got here, I worked on it every summer. That's the thing that put my game together."

Soft touch
Collins can moving full steam ahead, and he will surprise defenses by releasing a soft floater. "He has to have that shot because of his size when he gets in there amongst big people," assistant coach Kurtis Townsend says.

Driving
When he's at his ideal 200 pounds (he's about 204 now, Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend says), he uses his size to get physical in the lane.
"He can put his body on you and use his strength to create space to get a decent shot off," Townsend says.

Passing
Collins has learned to trust younger teammates.
"He has to help those other guys like Brady (Morningstar) and Tyrel (Reed) get shots," assistant coach Kurtis Townsend says. "It's his job to get open shots for them."

On the flip side, if 6-11 center Cole Aldrich gets hot, the game opens up for Collins.
"Sherron is starting to understand that the better the other guys play, the easier the game is going to come to him," Townsend says.

A PG is there to serve others, keep them involved and organized

2009-03-26T08:41:00.007-05:00

According this article, for Coach Larry Brown, a point guard is there to serve others; to keep them involved and organized. If you happen to score some points along the way, that's more a bonus than an objective.
Before Brown's arrival, Raymond Felton had been a part-time point guard, sharing the position first with Brevin Knight and then with Jeff McInnis.

“To be honest with you, it was really hard to assess him initially because at first we didn't have a lot of help for him. He was our primary ball-handler on the break and the half-court, and one of the few players on our team who could break anybody down.”

Sometimes, Felton shoots too much or throws the ball away or forgets to get a teammate enough shots. But Brown gets it about Felton's intentions.
The statistics aren't dramatically different; his points (13.7 per game), assists (6.8) and shooting percentage (40.8 percent) are roughly the same as last season. But point guards aren't easily defined by numbers; it's a position that is more about making hundreds of decisions each game in real time.

“The pace of the game is so fast and you have to recognize so many things,” Bobcats assistant coach Phil Ford said. “It would be like an NFL quarterback being responsible not just for the offense but the defense as well. I just think with maturity, and him feeling comfortable, he's having a fantastic year. We couldn't be happier with how he's progressed.”

Felton had to prove he was a good decision-maker. When it comes time to make those hundreds of choices each game, there's a balance to be struck between technique and psychology.

“There are 20 things going through your head in any one possession,” Felton said. “A shot's missed, there's an offensive rebound. New shot clock. You see someone open. Do you pass it or not? “You don't want your teammate (thinking) ‘He won't pass me the ball!' But you also don't want coach yelling at you because he's thinking, ‘We haven't scored in a while and we have a new shot clock. Yes, he's open, but run a play to get a better shot.'”
“The leader of your team has got to be either a guy who can be an All-Star or the point guard,” Felton said. “Without the ball in my hands, I wasn't the leader. Having that ball in my hands at clutch time, to make a play, that gives me the confidence that I can lead these guys."

Brown loves that Felton is more conscious of those calculations.

“Is he a perfect point guard right now? No, but I think his progress has been dramatic,” Brown said. “He's got to continue to recognize when guys haven't been involved, when they need to get a shot. He's got to be a more consistent jump-shooter, to make people guard him honest.“But he loves to play. And he wants to learn.”

On words “he loves to play”:
“His effort is unparalleled,” Felton's temmate Sean May said. “You know how Kobe (Bryant) lives to play the game? He loves and lives this game. The money is great, but if they didn't pay a dime, he'd still play it and still play just as hard.”

Coaches cannot hamper the development of young players

2009-03-25T06:17:00.006-05:00

Good article about the 12th-seeded Arizona Wildcats had booked their tickets to the Sweet 16 with a 71-57 win against Cleveland State, thanks to players who refused to quit and coaches who refused to allow their egos to hamper the development of young men they grew to adore.
After legend Lute Olson's sudden resignation, Dunlap's refused to take the interim job. So why did Dunlap say no?

Principle, Dunlap said. "I said, 'If you give me or anybody else the interim label, you're going to lose four recruits that are high-end,'" he said. "That's not a good way to deal with things, and I believe in doing things right."
"I wasn't good enough to coach this team. Let's face it," Dunlap said. "That's perfectly OK. It's a huge corporation. It has huge tradition."

Dunlap, had spent the past two years as a Denver Nuggets assistant. Dunlap threw himself into his job.

"I'm a 16- to 18-hour worker," he said. "All I want to do is work myself to exhaustion and get to the pillow."

Dunlap can handle a workload. This is a man who once ran a 100-mile marathon. He also knows how to build a winner. He succeeded in his three seasons as head coach of the Adelaide (Australia) 36ers from 1995-97, and then he moved on to Metro State, a Division II school in Denver. Under Dunlap, Metro State made nine consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and won national titles in 2000 and 2002. Those Metro State teams won with innovative defensive schemes similar to the ones that have helped Arizona to the Sweet 16.
When Pennell was named head coach, the staff had 23 days to prepare the Wildcats for the season. Knowing they didn't have time to polish fundamentals and install a scheme, coaches moved straight to installing the scheme.
"We made a choice in a compressed time period, and it worked," Dunlap said. "We throw a lot at our opponent. In the NCAA, the preparation time is minimal. So we do things that are a little unusual defensively, and in the thin air, it works."

Arizona ran a trap out of its base 2-3 zone that frustrated the Vikings all day. Dunlap and Pennell and the staff will cook up something new for top-seeded Louisville. For the most part, the coaches have stayed positive. They had little choice. They've also kept their egos in check. Pennell said he never experienced a moment's awkwardness with Dunlap, even though Dunlap could have had his job.

"When I first got the job, people kept saying, 'You're going to love his knowledge. You're going to love being around him. You're going to learn a lot.' He's been unbelievable to work with. His knowledge is off the charts."

Dunlap doesn't regret turning down the interim job.

"If I were to have a regret at this point, it would be totally selfish about what the returns were," he said. "I'm a purist. I made my decision on principle."
Dunlap said "It's a dream. It's tremendous, given the hardships we went through," Dunlap said. "Also, it's a tribute to communication, and it's a tribute to simple goals. We stuck to that."

Sustaining the success is the real goal

2009-03-25T06:00:00.003-05:00

According this article, the Rays are moving on. Their season certainly was unexpected and a turning point for a long-downtrodden franchise. Sustainability was their aim. Sustaining the success is the real goal.

"We're better," the Rays manager Maddon says, "I know everybody's better. It's a way of life in this division”. "The Yankees pitching staff is vastly improved. The Boston Red Sox have a great team concept. Baltimore's getting better, and nobody's talking about them. My concern is how we're doing."

Maddon says he prepares his team to prove his point this year

The job was to help create a personality and a tone of accountability and professionalism that Maddon wanted on a mostly young team.

"We can't travel the same road," Maddon says. "They're going to hear me say that a lot. The moment you think you don't have to say it, that's when it runs away on you. It was important to bring the message the very first day."

The manager's first message was this year's version of his 2008 slogan "9=8," which meant nine guys playing hard for nine innings could equal one of baseball's eight playoff spots. This year, it's "9>8," or, " '09 can be greater than '08."

"We are much more reliant on young players than the other teams in our division," Rays executive vice president Andrew.
We can preach patience now," Maddon says. "When it comes to development, sometimes patience is the best thing."It was like Field of Dreams," he said. "If it had been twilight, it would have been perfect. Build it and they will come".

Scouting "Sweet 16" guards

2009-03-23T17:40:00.009-05:00

It was a one of the rougher weekends of any player in the NCAA tournament. According this article players who already seem to be qualified for the top of the coming draft:

1. Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina
Lawson hadn't played since March 8 because of a toe injury, but he returned against LSU with 23 points on 7-for-13 shooting, plus six assists. It was an impressive performance, showing toughness and leadership. In a draft class short on point guards, Lawson has a chance to move himself.

2. Terrence Williams, SG, Louisville
Williams is a senior with a reputation among scouts as more of an athlete than a basketball player,. His 24-point, 15-rebound performance against Siena was one of the best of any player in the tournament, and he's shot 7-for-13 on 3s.

3. A.J. Price, PG, Connecticut
Scouts like his size and pure talent, and a good tournament could give him some momentum. In the first two games of the tourney, he's averaged 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists, shooting 9-for-18 on 3-pointers.

4. Chase Budinger, SG, Arizona
Budinger played 79 of the Wildcats' 80 minutes in the first two games, and scored 20 points with eight rebounds and six assists in the upset over Utah. His game is built on versatility, and he's put that on display. A big outing against Louisville (especially from the 3-point line.

5. Sam Young, SF, Pitt
Young's 14 points and 13 rebounds in the opening round were impressive, as was his 4-for-6 shooting from the 3-point line. But against Oklahoma State, he notched 32 points and eight rebounds. Young is a senior, and though scouts question his shooting stroke, he’s dominating with his athleticism.

6. Tyreke Evans, PG/SG, Memphis
Coach Calipari put the ball in his hands by making him Memphis' point guard. At 6-6, it's doubtful that Evans will be a point guard at the NBA level, but the potential is there. Even if he is not a true point guard, he is only 19 and figures to make an outstanding combo guard. He finished with 15 points and five assists in the Tigers' opening-round win, followed by 19 points and five assists in Round 2 against Maryland.

7. Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse
His shot is inconsistent, his drives to the basket are often wild, and, playing in Syracuse's zone, no one can be quite sure what to make of his defense. But Flynn is quick, tough and an outstanding playmaker in a draft that appears long on combo guards but lacking in true point men. Only a sophomore, Flynn said he will return to school, where he'll be able to hone his shot and his decision-making. He had seven assists and just two turnovers in the win over Arizona State, but had seven assists and seven turnovers in the Orangemen's opener.

Missouri's "40 minutes of hell" basketball

2009-03-23T16:16:00.009-05:00

Passed through article about how Missouri Tigers call it’s the fastest 40 minutes in basketball. That's nearly as of "40 minutes of hell. "
"When I first got here," said Missouri coach Mike Anderson, "it was 20 minutes of hell and 20 minutes of what the hell are you doing?"
Now, coach Anderson, has his team on the edge of something big.
This team finally is beginning to understand what "40 minutes of hell", Richardson's famous mantra at Arkansas, is all about. It’s comes after four years of hell for the program.
It came with a boatload of brutal work:
-the figure eights with the medicine ball,
-the figure eights with the water ball,
-the timing and tedious torture of the jump rope.
-five laps around the gym, then five in the opposite direction.
-the dreaded windsprints.
When Anderson arrived three years ago, the program was at the bottom.
Anderson spent his first two seasons weeding out malcontents.Righ now, the message was simple: don't change what you're doing because you're playing in a different building.
So Missouri did what Missouri does:
-dictate tempo,
-force teams into uncomfortable matchups,
-take advantage of mistakes.
This is how 40 minutes works. It's:
-forcing turnovers
-getting defensive deflections;
-it's a 94-feet game.

Notes from Villanova - UCLA

2009-03-23T15:12:00.007-05:00

-Villanova dominated UCLA in every aspect.
-The Wildcats had a 41-29 edge in rebounding and forced 20 turnovers.
-This was expected to be a close, low-scoring game.
-UCLA was supposed to compete with Villanova's physical style.
-Bruins coach Howland came from the same Conference and instilled a defense, first system, very physical, mentally tough.

"We've been bigger and probably more physical the last couple years," Howland said. "We're not as big up front. But the Big East mentality of playing defense first, that's what wins for you. If we can do a good job defensively, it gives us a chance against Villanova.
"They did a good job spreading us out and they're a very good shooting team," Bruins coach Ben Howland said. "They did a good job of attacking the rim. I think they have a real chance to move forward in this tournament."
"We kind of jumped on them and set the tone early," Fisher (Villanova)said. "That was huge. We always say it's about 40 minutes of basketball. We didn't want to let up when we got a lead. I don't think we did. We had a lot of intensity from the start of the game to the end."

-The Bruins are trying unsuccessfully to cut the margin to single digits.
-Each time it seemed they were inching closer, Villanova answered with a big shot.
-It’s clearly illustrated Villanova's toughness inside.
-The 'Cats then smothered UCLA at the opposite end, forcing a poor shot that missed as the shot clock expired.
-The combination of tight defense, physical play and excellent shooting was too much for UCLA.

On Massimino's advice
"He's always telling me to be loose, lighten up, love them up and let them go," Wright said. "I worked with him seven years. He wasn't like that. He's kinder and gentler now."
"We pride ourselves on coming out and setting the tone and letting them know they're going to be in for a battle," Redding said.

Offensive goals

2009-03-22T19:11:00.010-05:00

-Play in transition as much as possible. Get easy baskets.
-Shoot 3’s. .
-Run set plays to get your best players in a position where they are the most comfortable.
-Opponents must prepare for your set plays.
-Run set plays for all players 1-5, this takes out all jealousy situations.
-I don’t think you can do both motion offense and set plays and think you are doing them both well. .
-Have a defensive and offensive coordinator.
-Study 1-3 teams every year, this will help your program.
-If you have a player that can create for himself or create for others, you need to give him a little more freedom to make mistakes.
-Ball pick create open threes, midrange, finishes and post ups.
-Be skilled.
-Offense where guys just play and that was good against pressure.

When you start a team from a scratch

2009-03-22T18:22:00.004-05:00

The first things to consider in constructing a good team:
-have a players who can put the ball in the basket and,
-have a players who can keep opponents from putting the ball in the basket.

Improving shooting or shutting down shooting is more important than:

-controlling turnovers,
-getting rebounds or
-getting to the line.

Keep this in mind when you start a team from the scratch or while building a team from now. It could make a shorter path to success.

The four factors what can help you to win are:
1.Shooting
Is the most important. Whether it's 3-foot shot or 3pts shot, shooting the ball remains the dominant of scoring points before giving it back to opponents.
2.Taking care of the ball
Avoiding turnovers(traveling, shot clock violations and bad shots), each team has to have several players who can bring the ball across half court without losing it.
3.Offensive rebounding
If a team can get back its missed shots, giving itself multiple opportunities allows a team a chance when outside shooters missing.
4.Getting to the foul line
The biggest aspect of FT is attempting them, not making them. Teams that get to the line more are more effective than teams that make a higher percentage of their FT, often wins.

Defense is your identity

2009-03-22T17:36:00.004-05:00

According this article, Musketeers, held the Badgers to 25% shooting in the second half of a 60-49 victory Sunday in the East Regional.

"We didn't lose faith in what got us here," Xavier coach Sean Miller said. "We reminded our team that we have been against styles like that and it requires a lot of tough-mindedness and patience."

The Badgers (20-13) were 16-for-56 from the floor and made three of 20 three-point attempts.

"Defense. That's our identity. We're not going to score 90 points and outshoot people and we realize that," said Derrick Brown, one of two Xavier players to score in double figures.
"We knew we would have to play a great game to advance," Miller said. "In this tournament, make no mistake, whoever is on that line above or below you is going to be a very good team."

"It's a whole different story if guys knock down just a few shots," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said.

Wisconsin patiently worked the shot clock and even led by a point with about 9:10 remaining before the Musketeers cracked through.

A player when the time came

2009-03-22T06:31:00.005-05:00

Good story about Robert Sallie and his teammates persuaded coach Calipari, that Sallie would be a player when the time came. Those players, particularly the veterans Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson, had told Calipari he could trust Sallie.
It seemed hard to trust a player who had moved around from school to school, and had even signed letters of intent with Washington and Nebraska before coming to Memphis.
Sallie rewarded his teammates faith here Thursday with an improbable 35 pts performance that rescued Memphis from N.C.A.A. tournament disaster.
He hit 10 of 15 3-pointers as the Tigers, survived with Cal State Northridge, 81-70.
Sallie’s 10 baskets from beyond the arc set a record for 3-pointers made in an N.C.A.A. tournament first-round game.
He averaged 4.5 points a game this season.

“I knew he had it in him all along,” Anderson said. “Just a point of him being real aggressive and shooting the ball when he’s open.” “They kept leaving me open,” Sallie said. “I got a lot of open looks today and I just hit the shots.”
“I wasn’t playing a lot in the beginning and I just made the decision, you can’t run, you just can’t give up because things are not going your way,” Sallie said.
“Four weeks ago is when I started coming hard every single day, getting in early, and trying to take extra shots.”

Sallie was not a favorite player of Calipari’s early in the season and they had such serious disagreements that Calipari said Sallie should leave if he could not conform.

Calipari said: “Our motto, ‘Every player, every possession,’ he wasn’t used to that. He was more like, you know, a rec league. I’ll play when I feel like it. It took him time to figure it out.”

Sallie’s shooting saved Memphis from a number of problems Thursday. The Tigers got into foul trouble in the first half and had three starters sitting.The Cal State zone closed down the middle to the Tigers and forced the ball to the wings.
What irritated Calipari more was his team’s attitude, which he said was arrogant.

“My job is to have the swagger role, but I’ve got to be on top of the arrogance,” he said, adding, “The swagger for us went to a little bit of arrogance.”

Don't let your size diminish your spirit

2009-03-18T05:17:00.003-05:00

According this article, Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues is the shortest player ever to play in the NBA. Despite his size 5'3", he had attributes that made him successful:

-He had unreal heart and mental toughness
He was one of the few NBA players not to back down to the toughest player ever to play - Michael Jordan.

-He had Competitive Spirit
Bogues was competitive enough that his friends said that if you challenged him, he would challenge you back. This is something that most professional athletes are born with and Bogues would not let his size diminish his spirit.

-He had generated enormous power and speed
He compete on the court with players that were much taller and stronger. He proved that size is not everything and you can compete with the best athletes in the world if you have the heart of a champion.

He was an unbelieveable athlete. Despite being mentally tough and competitive, Bogues was obviously a tremendous talent at 5'3" and one of the best athletes to ever play in the NBA.

Shrink the floor and make the paint crowded

2009-03-15T03:45:00.007-05:00

According this article, the Cavs was a one of top defensive teams.This year, things are different.
Cleveland has moved up to 4th in the league in offensive efficiency. Personnel, obviously, is a huge reason. In addition they has added basically two shooters Also, their presence also allows Delonte West to move to an off-guard role.

"The early offense changed up a little bit," Smith said. "As far as our main sets, everything is pretty much the same. But they switched up the early offense to get more movement, and not allow everybody to stand around and let the defense set in on our early offense."

Coach Brown has also made it harder for opposing defenses. "Offensively, I've grown and learned, and we have as a team," Brown said. "When we flow into an offense it's different now than it was last year. There's just more movement … better spacing, more ball reversals, so we're a little harder to guard and it fits our personnel a little better."
"We don't have too much time in practice; you just have to take it up on your own to learn the sets and learn the system," he said. "But this is something I'm familiar with and something I'm comfortable doing."

At the defensive end, is an area where Cleveland has improved.

"We don't rely on steals; we don't rely on shot-blocking," Brown said. "We rely on positioning, and five guys guarding the ball. So really you can have any five guys as long as they're willing to commit to it."
"One thing we both try to do is both shrink the floor and make the paint crowded. We try not to give up paint points. We don't want to give up uncontested 3s; we try to make guys shoot contested pull-up jump shots or contested 3-point shots."

Get together as a team and build unity

2009-03-11T05:39:00.003-05:00

You can only become relevant in one way, and that's if you do it together.
Any splintering is damaging to any team and fatal to a team with such a small margin of error as the Mavericks.
According this article, they did a group hug at the start of this critical four-game trip. When they arrived in Phoenix, the players, coaches and basketball staff spent time together for a team dinner.
This is important because the Mavericks took the court against the Suns knowing that they have to be each other's best friends on this trip or it could get ugly. The whole world expects them to go 1-3 on the journey.

"It's always good to get together as a team and talk to each other and just build some unity," Matt Carroll said.

What the Mavericks may find is that sticking together makes getting through the hard times just a little easier.

"We get these questions all the time, people saying your team's not that good," coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. "We got games to prove if we're good or not. That's what it's about. This game tonight was a big game for us. And the guys had a big-game mentality. They came in here to fight and find a way. And that's what they did."

Extended pregame shooting routine

2009-03-09T10:14:00.003-05:00

More of the younger players in today's game should take Ray Allen example and run with it! "Work ethic is a lost art".
When Ray Allen shoots jump shots there's not a single wasted motion from hip to fingertip. Watching Allen, alone on the parquet, go through his extended pregame shooting routine.
Allen's warmup takes at least 30 minutes, and it rarely changes.
He starts with:
- stationary threes from every angle, then follows that up with
-catch-and-shoot threes after running in from halfcourt.
-Free throws are next.
Allen ends the routine with:
-a powerful drive down the lane, a two-handed dunk.
And then with the ball in hand, runs full-tilt to the locker room.

The real quick guards can find shooters open

2009-03-05T13:57:00.004-06:00

If a quicker PG is burning you in a one on one matchup, would you mind to go zone?
Last week when the Mavs played the Spurs in San Antonio, Parker made 10 of his first 11 shots. The Mavs went to a switching, help defense and then to a zone, and Parker made only five of his last 21 shots.

Mavs coach Carlisle on zone, if you play against quicker, penetrating players:

"It can be effective," Carlisle said, and I felt pretty good about my expertise. "It just depends. The real quick guards generally can find a seam in the zone and get into it and you’re going to get one or two 3pts shooters open. Therein lies the dilemma. But it’s something we’ve looked at and will continue to look at because we’ve had some effective stretches with it and we’ve gotten hurt with it at times."

The NBA has become a league of two basic philosophies:
-the pick and roll, and
-the penetrate and dish.

If you play a zone and try to stop Parker from getting to the basket and it’s tough because, he penetrates and finds an open 3-point shooter.
That’s where the Spurs have been good in building their team. They sign free agents who are good defenders, but they also fill their roster with long range shooters.
The Spurs lead the league in 3pts shooting, making 39.7% of their attempts. And they have four players in their playing rotation who make better than 40% of their 3s. Four others hit better than 30%.

Take advantage of the strengths of your team

2009-03-04T19:28:00.004-06:00

The Providence head coach Keno Davis has changed his team's offensive and defensive systems. Davis has just two years of Division I coaching experience. Davis has learned to adjust to the athletes' playing style. It worked out very well against some of the top teams in the nation.

"You have your basic principles that you want to stick to," Davis said. "But you also make sure that you want to take advantage of the strengths of your team and try to hide your weaknesses as much as you can."

The weaknesses were hard to hide at first. But instead of telling the team to be better for the next game, Davis adjusted his goals for the Friars.

"By the time the conference rolls around we have to improve," Davis said. "Not only did we set out a goal for improvement, we put a timeline by it and explained it to the team at what level we felt like we needed to be at to be able to compete against the best of the Big East."

Providence quickly turned things around. At the same time, the style of play that had lead to losing seasons in the past began to change.

"Offensively, he likes us to be spread out on offense all the time," senior guard Weyinmi Efejuku said. "That allows us to dribble, penetrate and kick out to shooters. Defensively, we're different. It's a whole different defensive strategy, from the closeouts to some of our philosophies on defense."

Efejuku said that Davis helped his shooting get better by having the team shoot more. Efejuku's rebounding and free throw opportunities were aspects Davis wanted him to focus on. The numbers prove it. Efejuku has improved his scoring and free throw percentage since last season. After averaging 11.6 points and 3.7 rebounds last year, Efejuku now leads the Friars in scoring with 14.9 points a night and four rebounds per game. But Efejuku said that the biggest improvement that Davis has helped him make is in his confidence, not only in himself.

"He doesn't sugar coat it but he tells us we're talented players," Efejuku said. "He tells us to play our strengths and puts us in great positions to use our strengths. He's just very effective in his strategies and it's working out well."

The real secrets to success can be found on the practice field.

2009-03-04T07:19:00.005-06:00

Passed through good story about Pete Carrol, the coach of the University Of Southern California Trojans. According this article, Carrol has the highest winning percentage of any active coach in Division I football.
Carroll says that, one of the real secrets to his success can be found on the practice field.

"A great coach once said that the best players don't always win, the players that play the best do. That's why we work so hard. That's why we train so hard. That's why we focus so much on practicing better than anybody is ever practiced before," Carroll said.
"That's the whole idea, you know, you want to do things better than it's ever been done before or don't you," Carroll explained.

He makes practice as much like a real game as.Unlike more traditional coaches, Carroll doesn't tear down his players, he builds them up. We did see him get tough on a player when a fight broke out.

"C'mon Christian we don't ever do stuff like that never, never do stuff like that. You are out of the football game. Go put your helmet down. God dawg it," he told a player.
"We don't fight. Fighting is nothing in this game, it's no aspect in this game. It's just not okay, c'mon," he told the player.

That's what he calls a teachable moment. Take a mistake and learn from it. It's part of a philosophy that he calls "Win Forever."

Asked what "win forever" means to him, Carroll said, "It's about finding out how good you could become at something and then making it come to life."

Carroll sees that as his life's work: teach young people, not just ball players, to seize every opportunity and make the most of it.

Passionate, competitive, motivated to become the best

2009-03-02T17:00:00.005-06:00

The Kansas State's point guard Denis Clemente is passionate, competitive, motivated enough, to become the best at whatever he does.
Blessed with speed and quickness, he can score in bunches, Clemente once outscored Tyler Hansbrough and Kevin Durant at an AAU tournament and was called the fastest player in college basketball by TV analyst Billy Packer while at Miami.
As a sophomore at Miami, Clemente was suspended for the 2007 season opener after violating team policy and he was later suspended for the remainder of the season for breaking unspecified team rules.
He learned from his mistakes at Miami, becoming much more responsible on and off the court, and quickly acknowledged his slipup against Kansas, taking blame for the loss in the locker room before coach Martin could even address the team.

"I leave my heart on the floor. I'm going to do the best that I can do," Clemente said. "I felt like I was the best player on the court, but it doesn't matter if you're the best player on the court if you lose or lose your cool."
"He is one tough customer," Kansas State coach Frank Martin said. "He doesn't back down from anybody. He's a fighter, he's a winner, he plays with tremendous passion and that's what I'm about. I love guys who play with passion and he definitely has it."

Realizing he was too thin, Clemente hit the weight room hard, gaining over 25 pounds up to 175. Never known as a good outside shooter, he has become a player opponents can no longer back off, hitting 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. He also has become a much better defender by changing his offense-first mentality and has become an extension of coach Martin on the floor, often calling out plays.

Selfless attitude

2009-03-02T16:14:00.004-06:00

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has used Szczerbiak at shooting guard, small forward and power forward. He has counted on him for offense and defense, as well as rebounding on both ends of the court.
In his past 11 games, he's averaging 9.3 points on 54 percent shooting (34-of-63), including 55.6 percent from 3-point range (20-of-36).

"Whatever the team needs me to do, I'll do." "I've had to really be a student of the game, a student of the offense, be really receptive to learning different positions in the offense and the defense," he said. "I just think it helps hold the team together. I'm kind of like a glue guy. Wherever you need that guy to come in and plug a hole, I've been capable of doing that. Whatever we need, I'm there to do, anything that's going to get me out there on the floor for more minutes.
"You've just got to take a completely selfless attitude, know it's all about the team and all about winning. That's what I've done this year, and it has been really fun."

"Wally has been a trouper," Brown said. "He has been the ultimate professional, the ultimate teammate because whatever we ask him to do, or whatever I don't ask him to do, he's always willing to accept his role and try to win first. That's what's really exciting about having him on his team.
"He has the capability of putting a string of eight to 10 points together quickly. When you have a weapon, who can shoot inside, post up, get to the rim, get to the free-throw line or shoot the 3 . . . he's a very, very valuable person to have on your team."

Norman Allen Van Lier III nicknamed “Stormin’ Norman” was the one

2009-03-02T15:14:00.007-06:00

The Chicago Bulls organization and the NBA lost a great man. Norman Allen Van Lier III nicknamed “Stormin’ Norman” during his playing days because he was one.

Norm’s NBA career included:

*One league assist title (1971),

*One All-NBA Second Team selection (1974),

*Three All-Star Game appearances (1974, 1976, 1977),

*Three All-Defensive First Team selections (1974, 1976, 1977) and

*Five All-Defensive Second Team selections (1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1978).

*He was one of the greatest defensive players in the world for nearly a decade.

Norm was 6’1’’and his game was about:

-toughness,

-hustle,

-defensive tenacity and

-a team-first attitude…not the accumulation of gaudy, record-setting statistics.

He was a member of the 1970s squad featured a group of players who brought it every night: Norm, Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Chet Walker and Tom Boerwinkle. They played smart and they played together. And despite the lack of star power, they managed three straight 50-win seasons (four if you count the year before Norm arrived).
Nobody had a quicker temper for careless play than Norm, and he wouldn’t hesitate to lay waste to the Bulls when the players weren’t going all out. It’s hard for him to be patient with sloppy play when he would have walked through a brick wall face-first to win.

Combat the Culture of Losing

2009-02-27T17:48:00.003-06:00

According to this article, being first-year head coaches, Cable and Schwartz share an additional burden. While other coaches here scout rookie players and generally think of ways to improve their teams, Cable and Schwartz have to transform cultures in which losing and negativity ooze from every pore.
Detroit became the N.F.L.’s first 0-16 team last season. The Lions won their last N.F.L. championship in 1957. They have never been to the Super Bowl, have reached the playoffs only nine times in more than 50 years and have won one playoff game during that time.

“You’ve got to change everybody,” Cable said. “It’s not just changing the left guard and the linebacker and this and that. You’ve got to:
- Change the building.
- Change how they think,
- Change how they perceive the organization,
- Change how they come to work every day.
It’s much deeper than just a handful of football players. It’s everybody who walks in the building.“When you have losing and a culture of negativity, you got to find the core of it, cut it all out and start over again,” Cable said. “Jim will go through the same things, I’m sure.”

Cable was careful to pick his battles and concentrate on the larger and more winnable target of "transforming the culture of the Raiders."

Schwartz 42, coach of the Detroit Lions recalled a conversation he had with a coach who was taking over a college program that had gone years without a winning season. The coach told the staff not to recruit any player, no matter how great, who did not play in a winning program. He wanted players who knew how to win and he wanted a high concentration of team captains.

“It was all about changing the culture,” Schwartz said. “We want guys to prove that they are people we can build around,” he said.

The object is to win, and it doesn’t matter how. Forget about style, points. The bottom line is winning.

Coach Buzz Williams resourcefulness

2009-02-27T16:39:00.003-06:00

The Marquette men’s basketball coach, Brent Williams, who is known as Buzz, kept into his back pocket a thick sheaf of papers, folded and held together by two large black binder clips. Williams carries four bags stuffed with books, scouting materials and personal items wherever he goes, these papers stay on him when he coaches.
Many of the sheets of paper contain statistics. Some contain notes from recent conversations. One page contains a list of recruits, coaches and parents he is supposed to call. Another, the names of people.

“I don’t want anybody to see that I’m carrying all kinds of randomness in my pocket. And because I don’t want it sliding around in my pocket, I’ve got to put these clips on it. And I don’t want anybody to ever see that. That’s why I say it’s a damnation.”

Whatever you call it, Williams’s passion and attention to detail have kept the Golden Eagles competitive in the Big East Conference.
In Williams, frequently begins practice at odd times, like 7:08 a.m. sharp, instead of 7 or 7:15. And his resourcefulness can be, well, peculiar.
Over the summer, Williams began Sunday night meetings with the players. He called them Life Lessons, and he broached nonbasketball topics as a way to build trust. When practice began, Williams’s devotion to numbers and statistics manifested itself almost daily, as he sought to quantify what he saw on video.
Opponents’ scouting reports are based on percentages and probabilities broken down by his staff. His Seton Hall scouting binder, is documented by percentage:

- how often the Pirates ran their favorite play,
- which player usually took the shot, and
- whether he shot more often coming around a screen or
- whether he shot more often off the dribble.

Lacking height and an inside game, the Golden Eagles counter with tough defense and an up-tempo offense.

“Our starting five averages one rebound per 7.7 minutes played,” Williams said. “That’s the only thing that gives us a chance, if we can guard and if we can get defensive rebounds. We can’t just fire up a bad shot, because we’re not getting it back. And we can’t give teams extra possessions when they’re on offense because we can’t rebound the ball.
“For us to be where we are today I think is a blessing. We’ve worked hard, but I think we’re built on the right things.”

PG ability to anticipate, see the floor and create for his teammates

2009-02-26T10:21:00.004-06:00

Steve Nash has ability to anticipate, see the floor and create advantageous situations for his teammates:
- choose the best option in less time
- adapt to floor situations
- possess good court awareness
- know the right play at any time and score.

As a coach you have to constantly develope player basketball intelligence and create a learning environment which enhances players to read, react and adjust on the court. The goal is to teach the game in a way that helps all players think and see the game like Steve Nash. Players must improve their decision making skills in situations from the Pick & Roll to the 3-2 fast break situations:
- proper tactical skill execution
- read situations and make better decisions
- think the game
- anticipate situations through better tactical awareness.
Watch films to judge your decision making in practice and to learn from other point guards.

Princeton men's offense is nothing but decision making

2009-02-26T09:03:00.005-06:00

According to this article, there are a few basics on how the Princeton offense is run.
First of all, if anything is open, either a shot or a drive, take it! Princeton does not utilize any of the common basketball techniques, such as pick-and-rolls and isolation plays.

The Princeton Tigers use drills such as the:
- Drive drill,
- Drift screens, and
- Off-ball screens.

While many teams use off-ball screens, Princeton differentiates itself by the two options involved:
- a backdoor cut or
- a shot.
Off-ball screens are key to running the offense and are pretty simple as far as the Princeton offense goes. One player holds the ball looking for a pass. A second player then screens the defender of yet a third player. The third player is the key to this part of the offense.
He makes the decision of what to do based on the quality of the screen and how the defender position.
He can either come off the screen for:
- an open outside shot or
- make a backdoor cut to the hoop.
One of the basic starting sets for the Princeton offense is "Five-out," since all five players position themselves around the three-point arc.
What could happen from here:
The center, with the ball, drives directly at the defender of one of the wing players. If the defender is laying off this player, the center hands the ball off to the wing player and simultaneously screens that man's defender. The player who just received the hand-off, now ideally has an open shot at the top of the key.
Luckily, the offense is still prepared for an athletic defender who can still stop the shot. the wing and corner players on the other side of the court are "drifting." The drifting wing forces his defender in toward the elbow. When he realizes that the open shot is not there, the player from the corner sprints to screen the wing's defender at the elbow.
Without an open shot, the man with the ball dribbles to the top of the key and waits for the player with the screened defender to decide whether to:
- cut to the basket and drive or
- come off the screen and take the three.
If there is still not an open shot, The center meanwhile has been drifting back to help screen the defender of the wing player with whom he originally drive-drilled. That wing would then get another chance to choose drive or shoot. In the simplest recycling of the offense, he would drive then kick out to the one player not used yet the player in the corner of the original drive drill. At that point, the offense could start all over.
Back at the original drive drill, the wing at whose defender the center is driving will take:
- the backdoor cut if his man is playing him tightly. The backdoor cut ideally leads to an easy layup if the pass is made.
- If the backdoor pass cannot be made, the center who still has the ball dumps it off to the corner player stepping up. The center then drifts back up to the top of the key as if to set back up or to look for a shot.
The cutting player who did not receive the pass, however, has turned around and makes an "up-the-side screen" for the center at the elbow of the side. This should leave the center the opportunity to get open down low.
- If the center cannot make a play in the post, he simply kicks it out to the corner player who has drifted back after passing the ball into the center. This leaves an open space for an off-ball screen to the original backside wing player.
If all that does not work, knock down an NBA-range three-pointer.

Perfect your shot

2009-02-23T18:54:00.004-06:00

Mark Price who was a four-time All-Star, left the League in 1998 as its all-time leader in free-throw percentage. Known for being one of the most precise shooters and most prolific offensive guards of his era.

On his intense workout sessions

“ I spent a lot of time in the gym. I was fortunate because my dad was a coach, and I typically had a place to work out. I was always around the game, and it gave me an understanding of how it needed to be played. I understood nuances that maybe a lot of other kids didn’t have the opportunity to. I always kind of felt like a coach on the floor because of it. My dad taught me what he thought was the right way to shoot the ball, and he told me it was up to me as far as how hard I was going to work. I spent a lot of hours just trying to perfect my shot, because I wasn’t real big—I was probably only 5-11, 155 pounds when I showed up at Georgia Tech. I had to work hard on my skills”.

On secrets to being a great shooter

“The secret is you have to have good technique and you’ve got to spend the time and put hours and hours in. There is no quick-fix. You hear the term, “pure-shooter,” but what people would call a pure shooter is a guy that’s probably spent a lot of time in the gym working on it. It’s important to get the right technique to guys and that’s what I’m trying to do now, with pros and college guys in the summer”.

Chemistry was the reason for team's meltdown

2009-02-23T16:06:00.003-06:00

According this article, the team's chemistry is usually issue when team start to loose games. That was the same reasons with the Dallas Cowboys collapsed at the end of the 2008 seaso
Owner and GM Jerry Jones does not believe chemistry was the only reason for his team's meltdown. Jones' remedy has been simple: win games.
Jones is right; winning cures most of the ills. Problems get pushed to the side when you win. But what comes first? The chemistry or the winning?

"How I define it is, when you care more about the person next to you," Eagles safety Brian Dawkins said. "I think that held true for us as a team. I don't want to miss a tackle because I don't want to let the guys down."

Last spring during organized team activities, he had the players' families come to a cookout in an attempt to build chemistry.

"I don't know where you develop chemistry," new Seattle coach Jim Mora said. "I think it's something that grows. It grows in the off-season work when you're together in the off-season program and through the mini-camps and training camp and then sweating together, hurting together, dog-cussing the coaches together, going back to the locker room and having that common bond of pain and injury."

Arizona's Ken Whisenhunt has had bowling days and movie nights for his players as a way to promote chemistry. The reason his team rebounded from a bad end to the regular season was the players' belief in each other.
When the players get together for special events, they act as if they see each other every day.

"We all had a special feeling for one another," Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright said. "The sacrifice and the pain, the suffering – whether it was on the field or off the field – it touched the hearts of all of us. To understand that and be a part of that, it makes your heart pound."

Shooting game shots

2009-02-20T16:41:00.002-06:00

Santa Clara's newsleter hit my inbox today.

Whether you're getting shots up before, during or after practice always make sure they are game situation shots. I have seen countless times guys getting jumpers up thinking they are working on their shot. Most of the time they have:

-no routine,

-not low on the catch,

-hands not ready,

-dipping the ball on the catch,

-no follow through,

-jogging off screens, etc.

Any time you take a shot in practice it should be in the same way you would shoot it in a game. This means you will be in:

-a low stance,

-hands ready,

-not dipping the ball on the catch and

-following through.

And if you are working on shooting off of the move you should be sprinting to spots like you would in a game. The positive or negative repetition you have in practice will carry over to what you do in games.

It's a well constructed team and concept

2009-02-16T15:48:00.005-06:00

According to this article, this quote comes from the Wizards interim coach Tapscott.

"It's a well-constructed team and concept," Wizards interim coach Ed said. "They have Chris Paul with the ball and he has the best vision in the league, and then you've got some big guys who can catch around the basket so they roll, and then they've got guys who space you out and can hit the three, so you end up picking your poison and you end up making some very difficult choices."

If you're going to design an offense around world's greatest point guard Chris Paul, you want him to have the ball in his hands as much as possible. The Hornets offense allows that, with play 1-1. Chris Paul either dribbles out top or swings around to catch the ball on the wing , a screener gets him some space, then CP breaks down the defense and ultimately either takes a:
-short runner,
-alleyoops to Chandler,
-finds an open shooter for three, or
-finds DWest for an 18-footer.
There might be a little movement in there by other players, with the exception of the occasional DWest/Posey postup, 1-1 is entire offense.
Chris Paul has one of the best handles in the game. Even when he gets bumped hard, he's mastered this odd little jump where he leans way forward and dribbles straight down. It's a great move.
Paul has adapted the move so that he doesn't use it in the open floor any more. It's now become a part of his Pick & Roll game, and he uses it to create play named the "Free Throw Line

Keep being hungry and play hard until you get to your final goal

2009-02-16T08:05:00.011-06:00

Passed through article about how the Sooners are back to work, preparing for a stretch that could decide the Big 12 race.
OU’s goals has not changed. Teams always talk about the grandest of plans in the preseason. Sooners were believed to have a chance to do big things this season.
"Everybody wants to be undefeated,” Blake Griffin said. "Everybody wants to be No. 1. But the goals we felt were attainable as this season’s gone along, we feel like we’ve lived up to them, exceeded them in some areas.
"But we can’t get complacent. We’ve got to keep being hungry and keep playing hard and not stop until we get to our final goal.”
Coach Jeff Capel always know what buttons to push with his bench. Capel gave his guys room to work without fear of making a mistake. That builds confidence, even for reserves who may only get a few minutes of time on the floor. Capel has also clearly defined roles. And the players respect their roles.
He has faith in all of us coming off the bench,” said Cade Davis, who contributed a career-high 17 points off the bench Saturday. "He knows we can do the things we’ve shown throughout the year. He doesn’t tell us not to do something.
"He wants the game to come to us, but like (Saturday), he knows I can hit shots and he’s not afraid to tell me to shoot it when I’m open. That just helps me out even more.”

When making personnel or strategic decisions.

2009-02-16T07:08:00.007-06:00

How much Kobe Bryant contributes to his team in comparison to a replacement player.
Statistics such as Value Over Replacement Player (VORP), reveals how much a player contributes to his team in comparison to a replacement player.
Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, are authors of the book "Freakonomics", about the Boston Celtics secret weapon to success this season. According to the New York Times,
the secret weapons name is Mike Zarren, a 32-year-old. 2008 is Zarren’s third season on Bostons, He assists the team by evaluating potential trades and draft picks, and offers strategic advice to Coach Doc Rivers. Ainge says it’s more information on every decision we make.
Zarren answers to a few specific questions:
-What’s the most efficient shot to take besides a lay-up?
Zarren: A three-pointer from the corner.
-What’s one of the most misused, misinterpreted statistics?
Zaren: Turnovers are way more expensive that people think.
That’s because most teams focus on the points a defense scores from the turnover but don’t correctly value the offense’s opportunity cost that is, the points it might have scored had the turnover not occurred.
Zarren is also responsible for the Celtics basketball-related technology and uses a service that delivers video footage tagged with statistical information. With just a few mouse clicks, he can call up every clip in which LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers has
- touched the ball at the top of the key and see
- whether he went left or right,
- was double teamed or not,
- passed or shot and, if the latter,
- whether he missed, scored or was fouled.
The practice in depth statistical analysis, however, is not limited to the Boston Celtics.
like
Sam Hinkie, the Houston Rockets vice president of basketball operations, contributes to his team in a way very similar to Zarren:
- player points per minute,
- team points per possession,
- rebound percentage.
These are examples of stats that Hinkie uses to analyze a potential trade or draft choice.
A quick search shows that Zarren and Hinkie aren’t the only ones taking part in NBA statistical analysis.
Here are just a few of the stats available:
-floor-time stats (individual player plus/minus;
-how a team fares with a certain player on the floor),
-5-man unit stats (most-used five-man combos and how they fare together),
-player pairs (stats looking at team performance with each two-man pair on the court) and many more.
Hinkie doesn't claim those stats are the gospel. They are just one more piece to a complicated puzzle, data is your friend.
When you scout players , he said, there's what you have look for:
Does he talk to teammates? Does he talk to the crowd? Does he yell back at his coach? Does his coach baby him, and if so why? If he dunks off a lob, is it because the pass was perfect, or the play was a great setup, or did the defense go to sleep, or is the guy athletic enough to dunk without any of the above?

Both, Ainge and Hinkie acknowledged the fact that other variables are considered when making personnel or strategic decisions.
What we try to do is draw a clearer picture, Hinkie said. The data trend will continue to be a part of our business, along with the judgment of experienced basketball evaluatins and the unique chemistry building that coaches can create.

Change the culture, have both talent and good guys

2009-02-16T05:33:00.005-06:00

According to this article, Kevin Pritchard joined the Blazers as director of player personnel, in 2004 and three years later, he was named general manager.
He’s passionate and a very hard worker. He loves to build things. He’s a competitive. Pritchard is new school, using his scouting and player development talents along with, as he says, extensive use of statistical analysis, something that Blazers owner, Paul Allen buys into.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti said, "Clearly he’s done a good job in Portland. He’s put them in position with a lot of good decisions. They’re continually getting better and better and are having a good season.”

Before the 2006 draft, Pritchard took out a pen and wrote: "We’re Back!!!” on a board in a hotel room. The Trail Blazers made good decision when they set an NBA record with six draft-day trades in 2006. Following all with bringing LaMarcus Aldridge (No. 2), Brandon Roy (No. 6) and Sergio Rodriguez (No. 27).

"I first wanted to change the culture, have both talent and good guys,” Pritchard said. "Quite frankly, I learned that with the Spurs from people like Sam Presti. It’s all about team, putting individual awards and statistics last and put the team first.”
"I can only control what I can control,” Pritchard said. "There are a lot of opinions out there. We focus on us. We try to do the best we can do, learn from everything that happens and move forward.”

On the team’s early success
"I think there are a couple things. Number one is coach Mc Millan, he has done a phenomenal job of getting the most out of our talent. That kind of goes into number two, and that is, we 're really a team. Commitment to play the game is the right way and play unselfish. From top to bottom we are talented team and everybody on our team, has made a commitment to do things the right way. That’s a testament of coach Mc Millan number one, and number two, who we have on our team".

On the team chemistry
"You have to have talent. But you know, misguided talent doesn’t win championships. I believe that you can overachieve and get to a higher level if you’re an unselfish team. If you’re a team that your best players are also your best people off the court. We have the foundation for that, very unselfish kids, and they are only going to get better. About scale of unselfishness - good people, I put that right to the top, we eliminate a lot of players because they donn’t fit our culture".

On Brandon leadership
"He’s a leader, when he says something, everybody listens. We have a good group that are lead by each other. I think there is a certain level of trust that they have in each other".

On improving
"The baseline is how can we improve? If you improve everyday, ultimately, you’ll get to the highest level you possible can. That’s what we’ve tried to instill here. Its about today getting better, its about this week getting better. Ultimately, at the end of the line, you hope you accomplish some or all of your goals. That’s our foundation".

"The ladder,"

2009-02-13T18:02:00.003-06:00

Washington coach Lorenzo Romar instituted the drill at the beginning of the season at the urging of assistant coach Jim Shaw.

According to this article, "The ladder," that's the name of a free-throw drill that has concluded every Huskies practice this season, and as the season has progressed, players and coaches have credited it with aiding in Washington's improvement at the free-throw line.
At the end of every practice, all 13 players gather in a circle around the free-throw line, then take turns shooting free throws, each getting two at a time, either shooting a one-and-one, or a two-shot foul depending on the day.

The drill isn't complete until the players combine to make 19 of 26 on days when the situation is a one-and-one, or 20 out of 26 on days when it's a two-shot situation. The totals are kept on a scoreboard, and it's referred to as "climbing the ladder". Players who miss head to the sideline for extra conditioning.

Intelligence over emotion

2009-02-13T17:08:00.001-06:00

Passed trough article how Ed Tapscott replaced the guy with the longest coaching tenure in the Eastern Conference Eddie Jordan, and how he appreciate the tenuous nature of his profession.

"I can certainly appreciate how difficult it is to do this, season to season, year after year," Tapscott said. "So while I have a great appreciation for Lawrence, I am ready to genuflect in the direction of Jerry Sloan, who has done it with one franchise for as long as he's done it.

"It's grueling. The NBA season is a marathon. So you learn that you have to ease out the bumps and stay on an even keel, because it's long and difficult and you're presented with challenges. You can't get hysterical about it, because it leads to hysteria on the team. You stay calm and analytical and keep telling the guys, 'I over E' -- intelligence over emotion. Let's use that. Let's be smart about what we do, not emotional about it.

"Because you can be smart every day. You don't want to be emotional every day. It can't help you."

Improve yourr execution down the stretch

2009-02-13T11:40:00.001-06:00

According to this article, the Massachusetts men’s basketball team have had difficulties playing up to their potential against teams with lesser records, having lost to teams such as Toledo and Charlotte. UMass is looking to learn from its mistakes and treat every game with equal importance.
On the other hand, UMass has not lost any conference games by more than eight points and has shown the ability to play with any team in the nation.
UMass coach Derek Kellogg does not want his team to be complacent, expecting them to compete for all 40 minutes.
Closing out games has been a weakness for the Minutemen all season long.
Coach Kellogg wants to make sure his team is ready for any potential crunch time situations.

“The game is different in the last four minutes; every possession, every block out, every rebound and every loose ball is of the utmost importance,” Kellogg said.
The Minutemen have been working in practice to improve their execution down the stretch by simulating late game scenarios.
“It starts in practice; we do a lot of different drills to emulate what can happen at the end of a game,” Kellogg said, “you know, free throw shooting, loose ball drills and other late game situations.”

Execute your game plan with unselfishness, discipline and courage

2009-02-09T14:54:00.007-06:00

The Nuggets beat the Spurs, in a game that demonstrated why the Spurs are legitimate championship contenders and the Nuggets are not.
According to this article, even with a starting lineup that included Bruce Bowen, George Hill, Kurt Thomas, Matt Bonner and Roger Mason, the Spurs diligently executed their game plan:

1/ Execute the offense.

2/ Share the ball.

3/ Play hard and smart on defense.

4/ Play every play as though as it was the most crucial sequence in the entire game.

The Spurs' subs were also a less than elite players: Fabricio Oberto, Ime Udoka, Jacque Vaughn, as well as Malik Hairston, who was called-up from the D League but they played with unselfishness, discipline and courage.
Despite being unaccurate, the Spurs recorded 26 assists, They proved own teamwide maturity while the Nuggets' simultaneously showed selfishness and collective immaturity.
.

Mental focus is key in preparing for the playoffs

2009-02-06T06:59:00.003-06:00

According to this Dave DePew article, the ability to manage, avoid, or cope with the events will no doubt effect the final outcome.
Your success during the playoffs is dependant on maintaining strong mental focus!
What mental focus is?
Mental focus, is the ability to continue ahead with a predetermined outcome despite external influence.
Mental focus is a sort of intense desire that keeps you sharpening your skills for intense precision.
Without the ability to maintain mental focus, much of your hard-earned progress is lost.
How you can best prepare yourself for challenges ahead?

1. Goals
Goals might help to clear the mind a bit.

2. Write it down
When you get great ideas ideas it is best to write things down.
It is important to put thoughts down on paper in order to see things more clearly.

3. Have a vision and not a fantasy
It takes vision to be successful. See yourself with the win, but don't let your vision become a fantasy.
If you find yourself fantasizing about your future achievements rather than spending the necessary time working towards accomplishing the vision then it takes you of track and you don't get the things completed.

4. Take action
If you spend too much time evaluating you will become distracted from your goals.

6. Have courage

You train and condition body and mind in order to rise up over your challenges.

Mental skills can be learned and developed

2009-02-06T06:02:00.002-06:00

Having not played any basketball, would you expect to pick up a ball and sink three pointers?
Do you think a hurdler could learn and execute correct hurdling technique after a few pointers from a coach?
Could you run a fast 10k after just a solid week of training? No. They seem like insane questions, right?
We all know that learning and developing physical and technical skills takes practice, practice and more practice.
Why then do we think differently when it comes to mental skills?
According to this article, mental skills are just like physical and technical skills, they need to be learned and developed if one is to become proficient in their use.
Oftentimes, coaches and athletes approach mental skills as something an athlete either has or does not have (….she is confident or she is not confident...) or as something one can “pick up” and be proficient at in matter of hours or days. Mental skills are skills that can be and need to be learned and developed.
Effective mental training takes time, effort, persistence, consistency, etc.
All too often, an athlete will throw in the towel on trying to manage negative self-talk when after one practice session “it just didn’t work, I still had doubts”.
Developing physical and technical skills takes hours, days, weeks, months, even years of work. A lot of time, effort, and persistence go into developing these skills, the same applies to mental skills.
Be realistic by acknowledging that it is going to take work whether you are trying to:

- build confidence,
- maintain daily motivation,
- enhance concentration, or
- manage internal dialogue.

Mental training can be of value to all athletes, irrespective of age, experience, ability, and goals.
Recognize that mental skills are skills that can be learned and developed.

Fight through your frustration

2009-02-05T09:29:00.006-06:00

What you can see is Pistons divided locker room and mood is gloomy and pessimistic.
According to this article, in one camp are the veterans, Prince, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Antonio McDyess, the guys who have been here for the better part of the six-year run of success.
In another camp are the younger players, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo.
There are no personality conflicts. Everybody is pulling for the same thing, success.
But on the court, the chemistry is a mess. There's no continuity or consistency, and the losses always keep up, frustration and disapointment, which are becoming the Pistons' biggest enemies.
Pistons needs to fight through their frustration and start producing on a more consistent basis.
Point is, it's going to take a collective effort. It's time to channel all that hurt and frustration into some real fight.

Hamilton said: "This is tough for us because we're used to being the bully. We're not used to going through losing streaks and the stuff that's going on right now. This is a tough time for us because of all that we've done the last five or six years and knowing how good we really are."

The Art of Success

2009-02-04T03:03:00.004-06:00

Passed through "The Art of Success" book, author Louisville coach Rick Pitino:

* One thing you must do in the face of adversity is to be honest with yourself, and with the people you're trying to lead. Acknowledge the difficult spot you're in and commence digging out of it. Don't point fingers, don't recriminate, and don't make excuses. Stay positive and get to work.

* Here is the important common denominator in all these comebacks: They began with positive energy on the floor, on the bench, and in the team huddles.

* The most important thing I did in the course of those comebacks was to build my players' self-esteem. Don't tear them down for the mistakes that got the team in those holes to begin with; build them up to the point where they felt capable of making the plays that would result in victory.

* When people feel extraordinary, you get extraordinary results. When people feel ordinary, you get ordinary results.

* There certainly is a time for constructive criticism and even an outright tail chewing, but it's generally not when you're trying to rally people to redouble their efforts and perform at a higher level.

* After my job ended with the Celtics, I had to pull myself out of a crater by rediscovering what I call my PHD--my passion, my hunger, and my drive.

* My perspective now is totally different (after losing a young son, and a beloved brother-in-law in 9-11). Basketball is my passion, but not my life. Helping my players, family members, and friends achieve happiness counts more than the final score of any game.

* I believe if you chase money, you're not necessarily chasing success. Give yourself success, and money will chase after you as if it's your shadow.

* The old expression says there's no "I" in "team," but a lot of coaches think there is--and they think that they're the "I". That's especially true in college basketball, where player turnover makes the coaches the stars of the show.

* If there is one thing that makes coaching basketball as fun for me now in my mid-50s as it was in my mid-20s, it's passion. Passion for the game, passion for the competition, passion for helping young men grow up, passion for creating team success through the collaboration of individuals.

* When we coach individual instruction workouts with our players in the mornings, I try to be as involved, as thorough and as demanding of the 10th guy on our team as I am of the star.

* I've come to believe that it's imperative to follow team meetings with individual meetings--to make sure each person gets the message you want them to get.

* Lack of humility is the greatest killer of potential with young people. It's unfortunate that most of us don't find humility until around 50 years of age. By then, most of us have hit enough potholes to know that we don't always have all the answers.

* Too often, early success leads us to believe that we've arrived. Suddenly we stop trying to improve ourselves, and we stagnate.

* I've developed a fairly keen eye for when players have let success get to their heads...... ....That's why our practices after we win can sometimes be harder than after we lose.

* To keep my schedule as organized as possible, I write it all down on a daily basis...I've learned better than to leave it up to memory. Passing thoughts and sudden ideas need to be written down, or else I'll forget.

* When I arrive at the office, I always want to attack the most difficult problems first. It's the only way for me to approach it. If you let something slip until the afternoon, you're likely to let it slip until the next day--and the next day--and the next.

* A couple things I've learned about productive meetings. They are not a gathering place for idle conversation; they're not a minute longer than they need to be; and they must be followed by action. Everyone on my staff should walk out of the meeting ready to act, not asking what just transpired. If they don't come away with a clear vision of what to do next, it wasn't a productive meeting

Work on fundamentals every day

2009-02-03T18:03:00.006-06:00

According to this article, coach Michelle Snow uses the same ball-handling drill to start each practice, a 25-minute ritual starts each practice. It's nothing remarkable, simply a series of fundamental drills to reinforce the basics of the game.
Even at the college level, the men's team at Denison University spends the first 30 minutes of almost every practice on passing and shooting drills. Fundamentals are so important to each basketball practice. The Wildcats spent the first portion of every practice .

For Newark coach Jeff Quackenbush, the reason is simple, "Our practices, the first half-hour is all fundamentals," Quackenbush said. "It's very basic stuff. If your kids can't dribble, pass or shoot, it doesn't matter what offense you're running.If turnovers have increased and shooting percentages have decreased, coach Quackenbush has theories other than just lacking fundamentals.

He said the game has gotten exponentially more physical since he played, and it's increased even further since he started coaching 10 years ago. With a more athletic high school player, defenses have made significant strides.

"I think most of the changes have come on the defensive side of the ball," Quackenbush said. "You can be as fundamentally sound as you want to be, but if it's physical, there's going to be more turnovers and worse shooting percentage."

Griffin has noticed players have dismissed the mid-range jump shot.
"It's either a 3-pointer or driving to the hole," Griffin said. "Kids don't see the need for a 12- to 15-foot jumper."

Heath must make 250 shots to open practice before moving on to something else, and Ghiloni is adamant about simply making good passes during shooting drills.
But it's one that must be started early in a player's career and reinforced throughout.

The hook shot

2009-02-02T21:14:00.006-06:00

According to this article, the hook shot is lost art.
The three most important elements that make a successful hook shot are[the first picture]:

1. Extending shooting arm

2. Body and off-arm protecting defender from blocking the shot

3. Shooter should not face defender

Let's compare two different hook shots:

As you can see unssucceful hook shot is when[the second picture]:

-player has his elbow bent which prevents him from getting the proper arc on his hook

-player is nearly facing his defender, whom he hasn't protect with his off-arm.

The four factors what can help you to win

2009-02-02T06:30:00.003-06:00

What defines a win in the game of basketball. Each team goes back and forth trading possession of the ball hopefully for points. Sometimes they run up and down the court, sometimes they walk. Sometimes they press, sometimes they sit in a zone, sometimes as in the case of Grinnell College they're willing to give up easy layups to get the ball back so that their offense can go attempt a three pointer, something they do 60 times a game.
As this article describes, the four factors can help you to win are:
1.Shooting
Is the most important. Whether it's 3-foot shot or 3pts shot, shooting the ball from the field remains the dominant means of scoring points before giving it back to opponents.
2.Taking care of the ball
Avoiding turnovers, this factor is very important. Turnovers are an underappreciated aspect of pro basketball, with traveling and shot clock violations rarely getting the outrage that a bad shot gets.
3.Offensive boards
If a team can't get back missed shots, it can make up problem. Giving itself multiple opportunities allows a team a chance when shots from the outside are not accurate.
4.Getting to the free throw line
The biggest aspect of "free throws" is actually attempting them, not making them. Teams that get to the line more are more effective than teams that make a higher percentage of their free throws. There are plenty of games that are lost by a team missing its foul shots but over the long haul, just getting to the line frequently wins a lot more games than missing a few free throws.

Be 'tougher' to win

2009-01-31T13:48:00.007-06:00

Have you ever heard coach talking about his team having to be "tougher" to win.
Do people really understand what coaches and experienced players mean when they emphasize "toughness" in basketball?
Memphis coach John Calipari called to say that he had his players post the definition of toughness over their beds because he believed that true "toughness" was the one thing that his team needed to develop to reach its potential. As this article describes, "toughness" has nothing to do with size, physical strength or athleticism. Some players may be born tough, but I believe that toughness is a skill, and it is a skill that can be developed and improved.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo always says, "Players play, but tough players win." He is right. Stephen Curry's effectiveness comes not from his strength or size, but because he's constantly in motion trying to find an open look.
Here are some of the ways that toughness is performed in basketball:

-Set a good pick
The toughest players to guard are the players who set good screens. When you set a good screen, you are improving the chances for a teammate to get open, and you are greatly improving your chances of getting open. A good screen can force the defense to make a mistake. A lazy or bad screen is a waste of everyone's time and energy. To be a tough player, you need to be a "screener/scorer," a player who screens hard and immediately looks for an opportunity on offense.
-Set up your cut
The toughest players make hard cuts, and set up their cuts. Basketball is about deception. Take your defender one way, and then plant the foot opposite of the direction you want to go and cut hard. A hard cut may get you a basket, but it may also get a teammate a basket. If you do not make a hard cut, you will not get anyone open. Setting up your cut, making the proper read of the defense, and making a hard cut require alertness, good conditioning and good concentration. Davidson's Stephen Curry is hardly a physical muscle-man, but he is a tough player because he is in constant motion, he changes speeds, he sets up his cuts, and he cuts hard. Curry is hard to guard, and he is a tough player.
-Talk on defense
The toughest players talk on defense, and communicate with their teammates. It is almost impossible to talk on defense and not be in a stance, down and ready, with a vision of man and ball. If you talk, you let your teammates know you are there, and make them and yourself better defenders. It also lets your opponent know that you are fully engaged.
-Jump to the ball
When on defense, the tough defenders move as the ball moves. The toughest players move on the flight of the ball, not when it gets to its destination. And the toughest players jump to the ball and take away the ball side of the cut. Tough players don't let cutters cut across their face -- they make the cutter change his path.
-Avoid picks
No coach can give a player the proper footwork to get through every screen. Tough players have a sense of urgency not to get screened and to get through screens so that the cutter cannot catch the ball where he wants to. A tough player makes the catch difficult.
-Play with your hands up
A pass discouraged is just as good as a pass denied. Tough players play with their hands up to take away vision, get deflections and to discourage a pass in order to allow a teammate to cover up. Cutters and post players will get open, if only for a count. If your hands are up, you can keep the passer from seeing a momentary opening.
-Always see your man
Most defenders see the ball and hug their man, because they are afraid to get beat. A tough defender plays the ball and sees his man. There is a difference.
Dive on the floor
-Close out under control
It is too easy to fly at a shooter and think you are a tough defender. A tough defender closes out under control, takes away a straight line drive and takes away the shot. A tough player has a sense of urgency but has the discipline to do it the right way.
-Post your man
Most post players just blindly run to the low block and get into a shoving match for a spot on the floor. The toughest post players are posting their defensive man. A tough post player is always open, and working to get the ball to the proper angle to get a post feed. Tough post players seal on ball reversal and call for the ball, and they continue to post strong even if their teammates miss them.
-Run hard
Tough players sprint the floor, which drags the defense and opens up things for others. Tough players run hard and get "easy" baskets, even though there is nothing easy about them. Easy baskets are hard to get. Tough players don't take tough shots -- they work hard to make them easy.
-Play hard
Onceread that Bob Knight had criticized a player of his by saying, "You just want to be comfortable out there!" Tough players play so hard that their coaches have to take them out to get rest so they can put them back in. The toughest players don't pace themselves.
-Accomplish your team mates
When your teammate lays his body on the line to dive on the floor or take a charge, the tough players get to him first to help him back up. If your teammate misses a free throw, tough players get to him right away. Tough players are also great teammates.
-Take responsibility for your teammates
Tough players expect a lot from their teammates, but they also put them first. When the bus leaves at 9 a.m., tough players not only get themselves there, but they also make sure their teammates are up and get there, too. Tough players take responsibility for others in addition to themselves. They make sure their teammates eat first, and they give credit to their teammates before taking it themselves.
-Take a charge
Tough players are in a stance, playing the ball, and alert in coming over from the weak side and taking a charge. Tough players understand the difference between being in the right spot and being in the right spot with the intention of stopping somebody. Some players will look puzzled and say, "But I was in the right spot." Tough players know that they have to get to the right spot with the sense of urgency to stop someone.
-Be in stancee
Tough players don't play straight up and down and put themselves in the position of having to get ready to get ready. Tough players are down in a stance on both ends of the floor, with feet staggered and ready to move. Tough players are the aggressor, and the aggressor is in a stance. -Play through the foul
Tough players don't just get fouled, they get fouled and complete the play. They don't give up on a play or assume that a teammate will do it. A tough player plays through to the end of the play and works to finish every play.
-Improve your passing
A tough player doesn't have his passes deflected. A tough player gets down, pivots, pass-fakes, and works to get the proper angle to pass away from the defense and deliver the ball.
- Involve into your team defense
A tough player fills his tank on the defensive end, not on offense. A tough player is not deterred by a missed shot. A tough player values his performance first by how well he defended.
-Take and give criticizm the right way
Tough players can take criticism without feeling the need to answer back or give excuses. They are open to getting better and expect to be challenged and hear tough things.
-Show strenght with your body language
Tough players project confidence and security with their body language. They do not hang their heads, do not react negatively to a mistake of a teammate, and do not whine and complain to officials. Tough players project strength, and do not cause their teammates to worry about them. Tough players do their jobs, and their body language communicates that to their teammates -- and to their opponents.
-Catch and face
Teams that press and trap are banking on the receiver's falling apart and making a mistake. When pressed, tough players set up their cuts, cut hard to an open area and present themselves as a receiver to the passer. Tough players catch, face the defense, and make the right read and play, and they do it with poise. Tough players do not just catch and dribble; they catch and face.
-Don't get split
If you trap, a tough player gets shoulder-to-shoulder with his teammate and does not allow the handler to split the trap and gain an advantage on the back side of the trap.
-Be on alert
Tough players are not "cool." Tough players are alert and active, and tough players communicate with teammates so that they are alert, too. Tough players echo commands until everyone is on the same page. Tough players are alert in transition and get back to protect the basket and the 3-point line. Tough players don't just run back to find their man, they run back to stop the ball and protect the basket.
-Encourage your teammates to concentrate
Concentration is a skill, and tough players work hard to concentrate on every play. Tough players go as hard as they can for as long as they can
-It;s not my shot, it's our shot
Tough players don't take bad shots, and they certainly don't worry about getting "my" shots. Tough players work for good shots and understand that it is not "my" shot, it is "our" shot. Tough players celebrate when "we" score.
-Go to the glass every time
Tough players make first contact and go after the ball. And tough players do it on every possession, not just when they feel like it. They understand defense is not complete until they secure the ball.
-Take responsibility for your action
Tough players make no excuses. They take responsibility for their actions. Take James Johnson for example. No excuses. Shouldering the responsibility. That's toughness.
-Look your coaches and teammates in the eyes
Tough players never drop their heads. They always look coaches and teammates in the eye, because if they are talking, it is important to them and to you.
- The next play mentality
Tough players don't waste time celebrating a good play or lamenting a bad one. They understand that basketball is too fast a game to waste time and opportunities with celebratory gestures or angry reactions. Tough players move on to the next play. They know that the most important play in any game is the next one.
-Be tough to guard
Tough players make their teammates' jobs easier, and their opponents' jobs tougher.
-Treat every game as a championship game
Tough players don't categorize opponents and games. They know that if they are playing, it is important. Tough players understand that if they want to play in championship games, they must treat every game as a championship game.
-Work every day to get better
Tough players come to work every day to get better. They meet victory and defeat the same way.Tey get up the next day and go to work to be better than they were the day before. Tough players hate losing but are not shaken or deterred by a loss. Tough players enjoy winning but are never satisfied. For tough players, a championship or a trophy is not a goal; it is a destination. The goal is to get better every day.

Fouling negates hustle

2009-01-28T16:56:00.004-06:00

Whatever defense your team play, denial defense, zone, man to man, etc. your players must apply ball pressure if want your team to be successful. The goal is not to force turnovers but rather to prevent penetration, by pass or dribble, buy the time for teammates to get into proper position, and distract the timing of the offense.
Not enough skilled player do not pivot well or pass well. If no ball pressure is applied to these player they can be average passers because they are not forced to use their pivoting and passing skills, under pressure.
Ball pressure may force the passer to:

-Pivot away from the pressure and give time for help defenders to recover
-Put the ball on the floor
-Move the ball from high to low, low to high or side to side to create a new passing lane
-Rip the ball low to create space
-Pass with weak hand
-Pass to a perimeter player not to inside player

All of these actions by the passer will allow time for the ‘off the ball’ defenders to get into position to deny passing lanes, cuts, help on penetration and distract timing.
Emphasize to your players that “fouling negates hustle.”
Good idea is to chart deflections, the statistic that reflects your ball pressure. Deflections will give a good indication of how effective your ball pressure is, and how aggressive your team is. Be able to combine deflections with steals.

Notes from Lakers - Bobcats game

2009-01-28T06:17:00.005-06:00

Lakers have recorded impressive homecourt victories against Boston, Cleveland and San Antonio, in the past month. But they couldn't beat the Charlotte Bobcats. It was, Bobcats' 5th win in their last 6 games against the Lakers:
-Boris Diaw had 23 pts, 9 boards and 9 assists,
-sub Shannon Brown scored 5 of his 14 pts in the 2nd overtime.
-Wallace scored 15 pts before leaving with 2:08 left in the 4th quarter after a flagrant foul by Andrew Bynum knocked him to the floor.
-Raymond Felton had 22 pts, 11 boards and 9 assists,
-Emeka Okafor had 18 pts and 11 boards, and
-Raja Bell added 17 pts for the Bobcats.

"That was a heck of a win, it was a heck of a performance," Bobcats coach Larry Brown said. I just think it was a terrific performance against a great team," Brown said. "I really don't know how to explain it because they are playing at such a high level."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he couldn't explain why the Bobcats have had the Lakers' number.
"Sometimes justice prevails, and I think that happened tonight," Jackson said.

-Bryant had 8 boards and 5 assists to go with his 38 pts.
-Bynum added 24 pts and 14 boards and
-Derek Fisher scored 14 for the Lakers (35-9), who lost for just the 4th time in 27 home games.

Personnel will dictate defensive scheme

2009-01-28T05:32:00.004-06:00

According the Lions’ defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, the biggest thing is up front:

“How do they play? How does the line play?“… You can have players as good as you want on the back end. … But the front makes those other guys play a lot better, meaning the linebackers and defensive backs.”

Cunningham still is evaluating the Lions’ current players and trying to put together a coaching staff.
Cunningham made last week comments that defensive scheme will be based on the players he has. He does not want to establish a scheme before he establishes his personnel.

"Basically what you have to do is you coach players that you have available,” he said. “I’ve coached smaller defenses and been pretty successful in my career. It’s a decision-making time through April and March with the (unrestricted free agents) and the draft, to see what kind of team we’re really going to field.”

Focus on the one possession

2009-01-25T18:11:00.006-06:00

Alabama Coach Nick Saban doesn’t changed much. He’s still driven and competitive. He’s still impatient, for the most part, with anything. And his formula remains the same.
He’s winning with defense, steady quarterback play. Preparation and discipline. He’s winning with the kind of team made for the long to go.

"The scoreboard has nothing to do with the process. Each possession you look across at the opponent you are defending and commit yourself to dominating that person. If you make a bad play, it’s over and you move on to the next play. It’s about individuals dominating the individuals they are playing against and our team dominating their team. If you can do this...if you can focus on the one possession and wipe out the distractions...then you will be satisfied with the result. That was the approach we took and we won the national championship.”

The Nuggets Switch Screens

2009-01-25T14:07:00.008-06:00

There are numerous(15) ways to defend screens in the NBA, you can:

-trap,
-show and recover,
-hedge,
-switch
-soft show and defend the rim or
-attack and rotate.

The worst of all the options is the straight switch although soft show and guard the rim is pretty bad itself.
There are some situations where it is appropriate to switch screens such as with two seconds or less left in a game when you just need to make sure you can challenge the shot.
Switching nearly every single perimeter screen for an entire game is pure lunacy.
For some reason the Denver Nuggets chose to do, during the game against the Sacramento Kings. The result was:

-no defensive effort,
-mismatches,
-foul trouble,
-open shot

The idea behind switching is that you not allow your opponent’s perimeter shooters to be left open coming off of a screen. But the Nuggets version of the switching defense had the opposite effect.

Playing with hustle and energy.

2009-01-25T13:20:00.003-06:00

The Hornets are playing with hustle and energy. Nothing like a few injuries could shake things up and turn.
Coach Byron during the game against the Nets has got answer:
-Can Peja make 10 boards before scores 10 points?
-Did Sean Marks really play 25 minutes and have a better +/- than anybody on either team?

Chris Paul was phenomenal(29 points, 11-18 FGs, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals). He left it all out there tonight. The third quarter was when he did the most damage.
He had:
-fastbreak spinning layup,
-couple of magical passes out of traffic and into the hands of an open 3pts shooter,
-several dashes back on D to prevent an easy Nets bucket,
-he was pouring his heart into every possession, offense and defense,
-his 3pts play trough a hands, with a minute to go pretty much sealed the win,
-his fastbreak after stealing an inbound from Vince Carter.

The importance of moving without the basketball

2009-01-24T04:29:00.003-06:00

As John Wooden once pointed , “Don’t mistake activity for achievement.” What “effective movement” without the basketball does is eliminate the move needed to create the shot once you receive the basketball.
Don Nelson says that “Less is more,” in the paint. Also, if you move constantly and correctly, you force the defense to play behind you.
Movement without the basketball in the low post includes the following:

1. TRANSITION
Have your post player to be down the floor and to post up in less than four seconds. Beat the opposition down the floor for a basket or out hustle her and gain control of the box.

2. POST CUT
Have your post player use of the v-cut with a one-step set up to get from one side of the lane to the other. If the defender is high, we set up high and cut low; if the defender is low, we set up low and cut high.

3. PENETRATION READ
Have your post player on dribble penetration, to step away from the drive. If it is a baseline drive, we want to buttonhook (slide post up the lane and open to the ball for a possible pass); on a direct drive down the lane, extend to the short corner.

4. SEAL
Have your post player on ball reversal such as a swing pass or skip pass, we want to turn and face our defender and drive her into the paint for a seal-in.

We're a good defensive team

2009-01-23T17:31:00.004-06:00

The Nuggets have surprised teams with their improved defense this season.

"I think of going back to the old school defense we played at Seattle," Karl said. "Here, we don't play a lot like we did in Seattle, but we still have the concepts and we still drill them. It was fun to be a part of training camp -- it had a juice to it."

With four days until their next game, the Nuggets will probably see some of those drills at practice in the next few days. The Nuggets, who gave up 115 points to Houston on Monday, still need some work on the defensive end.

"Defense gives more security to a coach than offense," noted Karl. "We're not a great defensive team but we're a good defensive team. And Gurg is the leader of our mentality. He's the mentor and the guru of the assistant coaches."

What winning coaches understand?

2009-01-23T17:16:00.004-06:00

Changing the Cardinals' losing culture took more than just changing an attitudes on the team, starting with the roster.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt has been made all the right moves, from hiring a solid coaching staff, letting offensive coordinator Todd Haley take over the play-calling responsibilities.
Working with General Manager Rod Graves and the scouting department, Whisenhunt helped target specific players to provide solid depth, leadership, and create competition.

"That's what winning coaches understand, that you need to get some guys who are winners, who are good leaders, who you can bring to a team like glue and make it stick together," said Cardinals cornerback Ralph Brown, who signed with the team last season as a free agent.
"Some coaches have their guys around the league they just want to bring in and their vision gets clouded. Taking care of people is fine, but when it's time to win, that all goes out the window."

"Whenever you come into a team," Whisenhunt said, "you're going to make changes and you want to get players that you feel are going to help develop the chemistry, especially ones that have the experience and have been there before."

“This coaching staff came in here and turned things around. The most important thing is they got guys in here that wanted to win. We play football and you need football players to win games. We've got that now and I'm a believer," said Chike Okeafor.
"We started to put it all together right then, and that hadn't been done here before. There's a level of confidence out there that's been built, a little swagger so to speak, and we've continued to build on that."

Robinson, now in his 12th NFL season, credits Whisenhunt for helping re-instill the get-tough attitude the team seemed to have lost.

"Ken wants a physical team on both sides of the ball at all times," Robinson said. "He felt like we were getting away from that a little bit and he said we had to get that back before the playoffs started.
"He said, 'If you guys want to play one game, then go home and watch everybody else, then continue to practice and play the way you have been playing."

"We needed to commit more and we needed to be accountable to one another. Guys have done that."

The pump fake

2009-01-13T16:47:00.005-06:00

Bob Knight did a short breakdown segments on ESPN and why he thinks Blake Griffin of Oklahoma is the best sophomore in college ball right now. Also, Bob Knight talks about making the right decision offensively.

Lessons that stick

2009-01-13T16:23:00.004-06:00

The NBA season is a long one, and every team has its ups and downs. To me, what different is how the coaches handle those streaks?
When the Lakers played like crap in December, Phil Jackson was coaching for April and May. He let them struggle A loss can be a lesson learned as the team finds its own path. Sometimes we have to learn hard lessons for ourselves. And those are the lessons that stick. Coach Jackson puts out lineups in the clutch in December to see what working and what didn’t. He tests players to help them and the team grow, that means allowing thbut em to fail. Coach Jackson knows the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term gains.
Other coach who has big picture all season long like Phil JAckson is , Greg Popovich.

There are complains about his style sitting there, but he wants his team to peak at the right time and he wants them to find their own path.

When you're in the heat of the battle, you need to know what to do on your own.

Coach Stevens thoughts

2009-01-09T20:17:00.003-06:00

FROM THE MID-SEASON COACH OF THE YEAR Butler's Brad Stevens recently was named the recipient of the men's mid-season Hugh Durham Award is giving annually to the top mid-major coach in America. Stevens says that everything they do is centered around these four areas:

1) Being great defensively

2) Not turning the basketball over

3) Taking great shots

4) Winning the hustle plays

You've got to get stops

2009-01-09T07:15:00.006-06:00

Passed trough article how the Celtics broke 19-game winning streak.
The Rockets (22-15) won over the Celtics (29-8) in crunch time, limiting them to two field goals over the final 8:34 and scoring the final 5 points as Boston's best shooters - Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, were out of gas.

"Right now, our defense is not getting the job done," Pierce said. "That's one of the first things we talk about. That's the type of team we are, and when we don't defend, it doesn't allow us to get out and run the break. We're not causing turnovers like we want to. You can defend us in the half-court and get us into a slowdown game, which we can play. But our goal is go out there and shut things down. We are allowing too much dribble penetration. I told the guys we need to get our defensive swagger back. It's been broke these last 10 or 12 days. We know what we're capable of - it's just about going back to the basics and doing what we do.

"Overall, I thought we got the looks we wanted, but that's when the offense and the defense comes into play," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "You've got to get stops, and what happens if you don't, then you put more pressure on your offense."
"I told the guys, a lot of balls were bouncing around, going the other way," Rivers said. "Same thing that went your way during the 19-game stretch - we won some games we had no business winning. We got the right bounce. We made the right shot. Right now, we're getting the same shot, they're going in and out. They're getting second shots off long rebounds and making shots. They're having role players step up and make threes. This is how it is. This is just the NBA's basketball gods sometimes. You've just got to stay with each other and keep playing."

Encourage your teammates to adopt presuure defense

2009-01-04T15:59:00.004-06:00

If you are watching NCAA teams, University of Texas, Purdue, or Michigan State, you can notice that they're all load defensive stances: with the knee bent, defenders don't turn their backs to the ball and cutters are bumped and forced out of their way.

The superstars like Garnett, Tim Duncan and Michael Jordan demonstrate that actually guarding people is a large part of the success.The last season, the Boston Celtics jam-the-lane philosophy of new defensive coordinator Tom Thibodeau win NBA championship.

Three superstars including Kevin Garnett, a 7-footer with a passion for defense influenced and encouraged their teammates to adopt pressure defense. Coach Doc Rivers had his team at the top in defensive efficiency. They are:

-flexing their knee and prevent dribble penetration,

-attacking ball picks,

-closing-out on shooters and provid help-side support.

Playing defense is physicall demand. Along with certain help-side rules and pressure defense, they use it to either force opponents into hurried shots or more up-tempo offense

On ball screens defense

- Blitz the ballhandler and prevent the passer from seeing an outlet for a diagonal skip. The Cs are great on cheating over, rotating early and taking away that immediate pass.

-With mix up ball-screen defense depending on the situation. The Spurs' commit to double ballhandler on a ball screen late in the game and force turnovers.

-Prior to that maneuver, they hard-show on screens, but not trapping.

-Post traps, can be used to cope with offense and force a quicker tempo.

The integral things that you need to do to win

2009-01-04T03:11:00.006-06:00

The Minnesota Timberwolves, first winning streak of the season, come against the Chicago Bulls'. The Minnesota won consecutive games for the first time this season, beating Chicago 102-92.

Inspite the Bulls played without three players, Andres Nocioni wasn't using that as an excuse after the game.

"I don't think it's because of the some people that are out," Nocioni said. "I think it's because we are not playing well, we're not playing enough (defense) to win, we're not stopping the people in the last five minutes when we need to stop people, so I think we need to quit with the excuses."

"We've got a lot of work to do," Hunter said. "We've got a lot of growing up to do. No matter how shorthanded you are you have to look to the integral things that you need to do to win. It's an accumulation of things. You miss a rotation or things like that and it just accumulates."

Run the offense and be focused

2009-01-03T16:44:00.004-06:00

Tonight in the Western Conference, the Jazz play Lakers, but they are not helthy.

The Jazz still have Deron Williams, one of the best point guards in the game.

In order to make him calm the Lakers must to:

-Make him beat you with a jumper

-Don’t let him get in the paint (the Lakers pack it in a lot anyway, so this should fit right in).

-The reason is his shooting is off, he shot 54.4% FG% last year and just 47.8% this season,

-From three he dropped from a 39% shooting to a 32% shooting.
Against, 76ers followed the pack it in book recently and Williams went 11-18 from the floor, 4 of 6 from three and had 27 points.

-If he is hot the Lakers need to adjust and get out on him.

The Lakers keys to win tonight:

- Need to have the offense working tonight the Jazz struggle to keep up with teams that can score a lot.

- Can score a lot, when they run the offense and are focused.

-Should try to take advantage inside.

- Have advantages inside against everyone and they need to exploit that more.

-If Kirilenko is helping out inside, Lakers perimeter need to make him pay with points.The Jazz are a team that protects the paint on defense, they pack it in.

-Need to hit some outside shots to loosen Jazz

-On defense, you have to make Deron Williams a shooter, not a passer, you don’t want Williams with 15 points and 12 assists, make him score, and do it with the jumper.

-Bigs have to defend the paint, take away layups and recover to their man as well.

-The Jazz will try to post Williams on Fisher, they did that in the playoffs, getting fouls and getting Farmar on the floor.

-Need to hit their free throws.

-Utah is physicall, hold, push, frustrate and foul.

You've to change your frame of mind

2009-01-02T07:43:00.005-06:00

The main thing is that coach’s got to prepare himself for game time pressure and do some things to establish on the team. He has to show the players how he wanted team to play offensively and defensively.
For Texas Tech coach Pat Knight, when he needs advice, he doesn’t have to consult John Wooden or Dean Smith.
He goes straight to his father. Bob Knight knows a little about man-to-man defense, so Pat went to him after the Red Raiders gave up too many points in recent games.

“I talked to my dad about it, and I realize the first thing kids want to do is play offense,” Pat Knight said. “Defense is the hardest thing to get across to them. It’s got to become urgent for them. You’ve got to hammer it into them every day.”
Knight said. “We’re not talented enough to get into a shootout. That’s why there’s going to be a huge emphasis on defense. You probably never thought you’d hear a Knight say this, but I’ve been pleased with our zone defense. I’m just not pleased with our man-to-man defense.”
“We’ve just got to change our frame of mind a little,” Knight said.

Notes from the Wizards - Hornets game

2009-01-02T07:21:00.004-06:00

It was an average quality and not the exciting basketball game, where you got the feeling that only three people worked hard:

1.Mike James to try and prove a point,
2.Tyson Chandler to get his rebounding touch back, and
3.Stojakovic to find his three point stroke.

The Suns looked like they were in practice, shooting 5-8 from deep, with fastbreak dunk and two pump fakes to send defenders flying by, followed by a one-dribble pull-up that hit bottom.

-Chris Paul - his shot was simply not falling, and he had to rely on a lot of free throws to get there. In the end, 10 rebounds, 16 assists, 1 steal, and 15 points on 10 shots. I'll take that.

-Stojakovic - the Hornets ran double screens, down screens, cross screens and simple pick and pops for open threes for Peja. He only managed to hit one of the 9 open looks he got. Far from his poor shooting, he did nice things, getting an offensive rebound and put back, and picking up five assists - mostly quick passes to Butler and James Posey for corner threes.

-West - get the ball in the low post, waiting for the trap, and then passed the ball out and around the perimeter to an open shooter in the corner.

-Posey - when he wasn't posting smaller guards and forcing doubles or fouls, he was scoring threes. He made 3-4.

-Sean Marks - missed a couple long jumpers.

-Mike James - had a good game, and was trying to win. He played a good passing game, shot well, finishing with 16 points, 7 assists, and fouling out due to his aggressive defense on Paul.

-Tyson - ended with 11 points and 11 rebounds, but he was getting after it out there. No less than 4 times he dug hard defensive rebounds out of two opponents, and generally did his best to control the glass.

The goal is to pick up tendencies of rival players

2009-01-02T05:18:00.004-06:00

Good article about how the Lakers' video staff has been even busier this season.
Bryant previously studied clips from entire games, watching them at his home or on the way to home games in his car.
Now his pregame routine also includes clips of individual players he will guard.

"Hands down, he's the biggest video fiend we've ever had," said Chris Bodaken, the Lakers' director of video services.

Bodaken, began working in the Lakers' editing room in 1989 as an intern and is now one of two full-time staffers who use 8 digital video recorders, 5 laptop computers and 18 DVD burners to record, edit and copy footage for Lakers coaches and players.
Bodaken's co-worker, Patrick O'Keefe, is in charge for Bryant's video montages. O'Keefe takes a little more than an hour to scroll through an opponent's last few games and find key plays from the players Bryant will guard, presenting him with 8 - min of edited footage.

The goal is for Bryant to pick up tendencies of rival players.
-Have they added any new moves?
-Have they been aggressively driving to the basket or
-Have they been satisfied to drift from the hoop and settle for outside jump shots?

Against Boston, he received 12 edited min of three Celtics starters: Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen.
Less than 48 hours later, he received 11 min of three Golden State players: Stephen Jackson, Kelenna Azubuike and Marco Belinelli.

"It's a blueprint," said Bryant, an eight time member of the NBA all-defensive team. " Everybody's got tendencies. If he scores 40 on Monday, he's going to try to do it on Tuesday. You've got to take him out of his spots. That's the key."

Says O'Keefe: "It's like a straight-A student who still goes to all the extra study sessions."

If you want to go fast, go alone" but "If you want to go far, go together.”

2009-01-01T07:17:00.006-06:00

Passed through great article how to turn group into a true team, that they play like cohesive unit. The Celtics proved it last year by becoming the NBA World Champions because they chose to go together, they chose the best route to take to be the best in the world

Coach Eastman presented ideas on how to turn group into a true team.

1.The character of the player is a vital part of team success.
2.Bring in players that understand the importance of being a teammate.
3.Thoroughly analyze your team

Some specific suggestions:

Once you determine what specifically is the problem, Find ways to stat it out or show it on film or both.

1.Count out the number of dribbles they have taken on each possession in games and then show team their scoring percentages

2.Count out the number of passes per possession and their success rate

When you come up with specific stats like this the players know you spent time on it and it must be important.

3.Show edit after edit after edit of the problem.

4.Have big eyes, big ears, and a small mouth when it comes to your team.

5Find your mini captains.

6You can add one questionable player to your roster if you have a team of “team oriented” players

7.Find as many examples of successful teams through videos, articles and books, and then give them to your players.

8.Through highlighted article sent them an important message.

9.They don’t know what they don’t know.

a/talk about outworking the opponent
b/have a certain number of loose ball pick ups

c/have to play unselfishly
d/talk about the importance of “one more”

9.Do not to call a guy out in public

10.Let them know that you know.

11.Constantly talking about the importance of teamwork

12.Ask players, from time to time what they see going wrong with team.

Finally, “if you want to go fast, go alone” and “if you want to go far, go together.”

Points in the paint

2008-12-31T06:15:00.004-06:00

The NBA tracks points in the paint. Basket scored within the lane, is good measure of how well a team drives and posts up.
Before the trade with the Phoenix Suns, the Bobcats averaged 35.13 points in the paint, and they was near the bottom of the league.
After that, the Bobcats average 47.75 points in the paint. If they did that over the full season, they'd likely lead the NBA in the category.
Things changed when Boris Diaw, Raja Bell and Sean Singletary became Bobcats.
Specifically, power forward Diaw's ballhandling, particularly as an interior passer, remade a team that was dependent on jump shots.
Some teams are trying to figure out what style Bobcats play.
The big men are working harder to get open because they know they'll be rewarded. The better chance of score is if you get the ball in the paint.

“We're learning, in practice and all, that (Diaw) takes more pride in passing the ball than taking his own shot,” said Wallace.
“He's that threat where we can throw him the ball in the post, and he” offers multiple options, Wallace continued. “And Emeka is becoming so much more open on the block.
“Our big men are driving a whole lot harder, sealing a whole lot harder (because) we're getting them the ball,” said point guard Raymond Felton.

Coach Taylor's 12 Steps to Team Success

2008-12-30T15:58:00.007-06:00

Blaine Taylor, Old Dominion head coach has a list with 12 steps that lead to team success:

1. Be in shape if you are to play fast break basketball and dedicated defense, we must be in top physical condition.

2. Develop poise and patience to handle the toughest situations.

3. Live with and accept coaches’ experiments to find the most “effective team combination”.

4. Develop team leadership, especially from the guards.

5. Accept you “role”. We must learn to play the role that makes the greatest contribution to team success whether it be as a starter or a substitute. Reserves must be ready when called upon. Everybody has a place and each is vitally important to team success.

6. Develop pride in team defense and individual defense. We must help each other not only physically, but mentally as well. Our defense is only as strong as the weakest link. We can be the best defensive team in the country!

7. Make sacrifices and adjustments for the good of the team. If each individual becomes obsessed with the number of points and shots he is getting and the amount of time he is playing, rather than what the team is doing, we will not have a good year. Let’s start the season by looking for our teammates first – our shots second – our individual moves third. TEAMS win or lose!

8. Rebounding. We must work on our rebounding, especially our block-offs and a “Five Man Approach” to defensive rebounding. Our guards must get their share of rebounds. No one leaves until the ball is ours. We must be the best rebounding team in the country.

9. Offensive execution: We need to control the tempo of the game and make it work for us.

10. Fastbreak: The fastbreak and the early offense need to be integral part of our offense.

11.Must develop team toughness. Remember, a team can be tough without having tough individuals. Everyone must “give up their body” on occasion.

12. Team Spirit. Last, but probably most important, we must maintain a positive attitude (coaches, players, managers) and a team esprit de corps that will enable us to be winners both on and off the court

There are several ways to defend the PNR

2008-12-30T14:38:00.004-06:00

The issue of PnR is always a current coach topic no matter what is the level of competition or quality of the players you work with.

Passsed through recent story about Lakers lack in defending the pick-and-roll. The truth is that nearly every NBA team has problems defending it.

"It's very accurate," Jackson said.

New Orleans Coach Byron Scott agreed with Jackson."All 30 teams have that problem," Scott said. "We've got problems, too. The biggest thing we tell our guys is that it's hard work doing it. You've got to be committed to do it."

According to NBA assistant Igor Kokoskov NBA teams defend P&R on different ways.
NBA scouting must elaborate 3 following segments:

- the way we defend the position of low post,

- the way we defend PnR at side,

- the way we defend high PnR.

Everygood offense should have 2 dimensions: depth and width! Interchangeability of depth and width makes an offense good and undefendable.
The offense depth is another essential dimension of every good offense. The depth is realized in two ways:

1. by the game at the position of low post.

2. by penetration.

Penetration is done in 3 ways by:

1 Passing,

2 Individual players penetrating 1:1,

3 PnR.

In the market are more popular players that can “resolve” well PnR, than players that“defend” well PnR!

The team whose common interest is priority than the personal one has a chance to be good

defense team.
There are 5 crucial factors when you choose PnR defense:

1)players in team.

2) your coaching philosophies

3) scouting for match preparation

4) location of PnR perfomance

5) rhythm of the game you want to play, because generally with defense you change tempo.

Every team and coach in the NBA classifies P&R defensive e techniques into PRINCIPAL (BASIC) AND ADDITIONAL ONES.
For game preparation we usually have 2 basic technique and one “adjustment” prepared.
There are 15 techniques that coaches used in the NBA:

1. “Hard-show”, help and recover technique.
2. “Houston”, show + help of the players at the first passing line.
3. Basic Clippers...long show of the center and help to the player with a ball (we perform it with and withour full rotation).
4. Basic Indiana...long show of the center and help to the player with a ball...with little switch...RICK SMITS technique.
5. “RED”- agreesive PnR doubling.
6. “RED-MIAMI”...doubling of Riley.
7. “Open up and slide through”...
8. “Drop and plag”...
9. “Body-up and go under”...
10. “Switch”...
11. “Clippers” and return to our player.
12. “Minnesota”, rotation at mismatch (center)
13. “Go-green”, rotation at mismatch (guard)
14. “Blue” with rotation is directing at the front.
15. “Blue” without rotation is directing at the front.

Coach's thoughts

2008-12-30T07:58:00.003-06:00

Tom Izzo - teaches his players that on every double screen one player slips and the other spaces.

Billy Donovan - never wants a turn out screen set below the block as it will take away fade or flare opportunities.

Don Meyer - believes there are three things to a great post player: 1. Heart 2. Hands 3. Head.

Rick Pitino - makes sure his player “never come off a screen blind to the defender” by getting them to peek over their shoulder.

Coach Roy Williams - said “Your game plan is only good for the first six minutes - the rest is all about adjustments.

Kelvin Sampson - had this to say on parents of basketball players: “if you listen to them, you will end up sitting with them”

Kevin Eastman - tells his players “playing hard is the price of admission.”

Rick Majerus - implores his players to never make “cosmetic cuts.”

Joe Wootten - will not run something in a game unless he has worked on it in practice.

Vance Walberg - who founded the dribble drive motion offence used to make his players run for shooting the mid range shot. His mantra was “we like 3’s but we love lay-ups.”

Pat Summitt - has a transition element in every drill including one-on-one and two-on-two drills so her players always go from offence to defence and vice versa.

Morgan Wootten - believes that there is no progress with out change, but not all change is progress.

Mike Krzyzewski - suggests that when you are running your half-court offense in practice to blow the whistle and stop the action. At this point, you can check your team's spacing, and ask players who are in a screening action what they are going to do next.

You have to be a possession coach

2008-12-29T08:32:00.007-06:00

After the Nuggets won at Madison Square Garden with a 117-110 over the Knicks, Mike D'Antoni had made in his postgame news conference statement, what Nuggets coach Karl wasn't surprised to hear, the word "defense".
After 30-game mark in D'Antoni's first year in New York, the Knicks 11-18 are far from the hardnosed, defensive-minded team.
The Knicks are in the six-game losing streak in their recent history. But what’s the prospect of this team?

"We've got to play better defense, there's no doubt about it," D'Antoni said. "I know I joke around a lot about it, but the only way we're going to win is get better at it. I've always felt like we're going to score no matter what. I don't care who's out on the floor, we're going to score. So now we've just got to find a way to stop people. And we have to continue to get better at it."

The first difference coach Karl noticed upon personal inspection that the energy has returned, too.

"You can't grow or build without a positive belief that this is going to be better in a year or three years," Karl said.

Many experts think that you have to play defense, you have to rebound, you have to be a possession coach, you have to execute. Explosive offense is not as intimidating as dominant defense.
The Pistons and Spurs have lived off a defense-first mentality for years. The same mentality won a championship for the Celtics last season and has the Cavaliers looking like worthy challengers.
The Nuggets had a reputation as one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA last season.They allowed the second-most points in the league 107 and were 14th in opponent FG 45,7%.
They've improved dramatically in both those categories this season. The big part of it comes from Karl's emphasis on transition defense and limiting offensive rebounds.
If you score over 100 a game you can still be a good defensive team even if other team score a lot. You can still be a good defensive team if you limit:

-transition points and
-offensive rebounds, and
-defending the basket.

"I know that defense is extremely important," Karl said. "But deep down inside, every defense has a weakness. Every defense gives you something. Find what it gives you? That's what Mike teaches. Watching them on film, I knew that we would have moments of frustration. Because of their intensity to play the way they like to play, you never totally control them."

The greatest strength of the team is togetherness

2008-12-28T05:54:00.003-06:00

Passed through arhive and interview with the Celtics' Paul Pierce., where he talked about motivation and goals to reach back to back title.

On motivation
"That's our motivation. We see the banners every day when we walk in. We realize it's been 40 years since any [Boston] team has gone back-to-back. If we want to make our legacy as one of the great Boston teams, that's something we're going to have to try to accomplish. That's the goal and that's the motivation. Also, you play for the respect of your teammates and your peers and everyone around you."

On goals
"I just figure I'm going to be an important piece to this team defensively. I wanted to know that I can guard the quicker guys this year, 2 guards and 1 guards as well as my position. That's just my goal to become better defensively and I knew I'd probably have to become a little quicker than I was a year ago. And I'm just trying to do something to improve each and every year."

There is a right way and a wrong way to practice

2008-12-25T11:41:00.007-06:00

According to Genon Baker, Nike Skill Development Trainer, “if you are not going hard once you have learned drills, than you are wasting time.”

This concludes with coach’s defining his five keys for basketball success:

- Intensity,
- Consistency,
- Persistence,
- Faith, and
- Love.

There is tendency for a player in games to go too fast. Full speed and intensity are wanted but not at expense of proper execution.
There is a right way and a wrong way to practice. Remember learning is indifferent to direction. If you allow yourself to just practice individual drills without a clear understanding of the key points of emphasis during your workouts, you will essentially become very good at "learning the wrong way" The longer you learn the wrong way the harder it is to late correct.

Influencing other people toward the achievement

2008-12-25T11:03:00.003-06:00

Marcus Perez was an assistant on coach Quin Snyder’s staff. He also coordinates all of Missouri’s recruiting efforts and assists in performance evaluation. A 1989 graduate of the United States Military Academy, Perez previously served as both head coach and athletics director at Pace Academy in Atlanta.
Passed trough his article about leadership. In his opinion, it's one of the most critical determining factors in the success or failure of a program.
Leadership is influencing other people toward the achievement of a shared goal.
Leadership, is the key that unlocks the greatness in individuals and groups.
Effective leadership, more than offensive and defensive techniques and strategies, can help a team exceed barriers and reach amazing heights.
It’s often overlooked and disregarded as we build our team, as a coach you have to have strong leadership on your teams and you can teach leadership to your players every day.

The first step in teaching leadership is to learn how to follow
To teach good followership, establish an expectation that nothing short of the standard will be tolerated.
Creating clear, unwavering standards gives team members a clear headedness under pressure.
Striving for perfection becomes as elementary as breathing when standards are clear and simplified to the most fundamental detail.
Your players will gain higher self confidence and esteem because they now know that they can achieve more than they thought possible.

After master followership, it is natural to teach the importance of leading by example
Leaders cannot ask others to do things they are not willing to do themselves.
Leading by example begins to build trust - the glue that holds teams together.
People trust those who are reliable, predictable and accountable daily.
Leading effectively demands a relentless dedication to the standards each and every.
Leaders must be accountable when the standards are not met. This is the critical juncture for the developing leader.
The players and coaches who lead by example can be depended on to set the tone and direction for the team.
Each day we face hundreds of small choices, every one of which impacts our ability to achieve the standard.
Through the challenges that face a team each day, leaders can help other members to overcome their fears and the subsequent obstacles.
Leaders must be both encouraging and demanding.
People naturally follow those that make us feel good about our goals, our mission and our role on the team.

In the final stage of leader development, leaders will learn to empower their teammates
This requires a high level of character, emotional stability and wisdom.
They must make sure honest and open communication is a daily right.

The Keys to Being a leader :
- Understand your word is your bond, always.
- Accept people as they are, not as you wish them to be.
- Approach relationships in the present, not the past.
- Praise in public, admonish in private.
- Treat those closest to you with attention
- Be willing to live without recognition or approval, leading is
not about you.

Play your hardest to stay on the court

2008-12-24T16:00:00.006-06:00

At San Diego Aztecs fail to play defense means that you can be taking a seat.
Each player has bought into what they're doing defensively and everybody wants to play. To get on the court, you have to defend; if you don't, you're coming out. That’s competition between players, playing their hardest to stay on the court.
The Aztecs (9-3), ranked 14th nationally in scoring defense, held Cal State Fullerton to nearly 20 points below its season average of 73.6.
Also they’ve held nine opponents to 59 points or fewer, have forced 43 turnovers in their past two games.

“You have to play your role,” said Spain, who exceeded the 20-point mark for the third time this season in going 5-for-9 beyond the arc. “Everybody wants to get their shots, everyone wants to get their minutes and everyone wants to play.
“So (buying into a team concept) is considerably easier said than done. But doing things this way, everyone can also walk away feeling good about themselves.”

“Our job as coaches is to make sure every guy feels like they're the most important guy out there in terms of what they bring to the table,” said coach Steve Fisher. “The nice thing about our team is that if a person doesn't compete hard, we've got somebody else that we can put in.
“I don't want anybody playing out of fear or afraid to make a mistake, but I want them on edge to the point if where they don't play hard, there's going to be a reason they'll be playing fewer minutes.”

Know how to prevent loosing

2008-12-21T16:59:00.004-06:00

Passed through exelent book from Billy Packer, "Why We Win" and part where he ask coaches for insight on their philosophy.
They talk about defeat and failure:

Bob Knight: "...to win and to understand how to win, you've got to know how to prevent losing. And that's what's going to cause you to lose are these things: poor ball-handling, bad blockout, shot selection, quickness of execution, or effectiveness of execution."

Pat Summitt: "Our emphasis is on execution, not winning. We're talking about how we need to go out and perform today. And if you execute and you're prepared, then that takes care of it...I'm not even going to talk about failure."

Dean Smith: "I think that motivation is greater if you've failed before. When it fails, or loses, I think you'll see a team respond -- the good, the championship teams will really respond the next night out."

Mike Krzyzewski: "It's the coach's responsibility to profit from defeat. We've always tried to take a positive out of a loss. However, you don't want to get in a habit of losing all the time, so that's the only way of taking positives...I'm not afraid to fail, but I don't want to fail. It's a sense of motivation for me."

Serbian Partizan Belgrade is Eurochampion U15

2008-12-20T18:41:00.008-06:00

Serbian team U15, BC Partizan Belgrade beat Litvanian BC Marculionis team, 81:53 and won trophy at Eurochampionship U15, held in Moscow, Rusia.
Partizan beat all five opponets, during the tournament.
Well known, Litvanian BC Marculionis team, Partizan meat two times during the tournament and beat them heavily in the group 81-53 and then in the final game 64-54.
Third place won CSKA Moscow.

Final: Partizan - Marculionis team (Litvania) 64:54 (24:15, 12:11, 12:18, 16:10)
Semifinal: Partizan - CSKA (Rusia) 77:53 (21:10, 20:12, 18:21, 18:10)

The key is everyone believing in themselves.

2008-12-19T13:49:00.002-06:00

Coach Mike D'Antoni has turned New York Knicks into a high-scoring team capable of competing with the NBA elite.
The Knicks (11-14) scoring increase by 9%, to 105 a game, third best in the NBA..
D'Antoni strength is instilling confidence in his players. They think they can go out and win every night.
D'Antoni's mantra: worry not about the shot clock, shoot when open.
D'Antoni has rejuvenated the career of fifth-year point guard Chris Duhon, Duhon set a club record with 22 assists vs. the Golden State Warriors last month, Golden State coach Don Nelson said he looked like Steve Nash

"Before I signed, Coach D'Antoni told me he saw a player who was smart with the ball," Duhon says, "and that I was a better shooter than people thought."

"I just love this system, because he lets everybody take chances on offense," says second-year forward Wilson Chandler, "You can shoot the ball freely without stress. … It makes you want to run back on defense and play harder."

"His system did a lot for me," says Diaw, recently traded from Phoenix to the Charlotte Bobcats. "You make an easy pass to your teammate, and he jacks up a three. He sinks it, and you get an assist out of nowhere.""With him basketball is fun, and he really helps you believe in yourself."

"We need to learn how to finish games and play a little better together," D'Antoni said.
The key is everyone believing in themselves.

Things that open up the floor

2008-12-18T13:16:00.004-06:00

DiLeo is the old new man man on the 76ers' bench, making changes to the X's and O's and tweaking a team offense that started the season 9-14.
The Sixers interim coach, DiLeo spent two practices moving screeners three feet to the left and turning shoulders from facing the baseline to facing the sideline.
For him, the problem has not been a roster incapable of executing the desired style - run-and-gun but rather missing the attention to the details that create openings.
Effective angles are to basketball what gas is to most automobiles, necessary for movement.
He payed attention to details when it comes to running plays. The players have to move over three, four feet in plays, in order to get the angles.

"It's about the right spot, the right angles," DiLeo said. "There were things I knew we could improve upon, and offensive execution was one of them."
"We feel these pieces fit into what we want to do," DiLeo said of the roster. "The biggest problem here is practice time because we're trying to put in things on the run."
"He saw things that would open up the floor," said point guard Andre Miller.

The new “strong side zone” defense

2008-12-17T14:56:00.007-06:00

Interesting article about, the new “strong-side zone” defense masterminded by the new Defensive Coordinator Kurt Rambis and how it lifted Lakers to #1 league team in defense.

There are 3 separate components to analyse:
-The strategy,
-The execution of the strategy with effort and
-The personnel

The Strategy
The goal is to take advantage of the new zone defence rules to create a efective defense. The strong side players actually play man-to-man. Ball placement in the wing area draws the weak-side post player to the strong-side mid post who zones off that region, preventing penetration and help either to the high or low post.
Each player is playing his man and ready to help his team mates. In the beginning of the season, the help was more applied such as when the opponent had picked up his dribble, or in the corners.

The offensive player is put under pressure what resulting in bad passes. Doubling offensive player who still has his dribble is not smart. This help is easy to beat with a quick pass out to the top, resulting in defensive scramble, and an open shot.
On high P&R, the strategy is hard show by the bigs with the man covering the ball going under the pick but covering the zone until the bigs begin their retreat back to the basket
If you had to pick one strategic move causing the Lakers the most problems is their tight coverage/constant show on the screen and roll. This strategy is the wrong one for this team, because the entire defense breaks down due to the dribble penetration. Dribble penetration exposes the bigs who have to help, bring their man toward the hoop and whether the outcome is a layup, foul, open 3, or offensive rebound.

The Execution
Defensive execution is about coaching and basketball IQ. By the time a player has made the NBA and he still has not learned to keep between his man and the hoop while keeping an eye on the ball, it is probably too late for him to learn. There are several Lakers who apparently have not learned this simple skill.

The Personnel
Two factors, strategy and execution have to fit the characteristics of the personnel. An aggressive trapping defense fits well to Kobe, Ariza, and Odom, the disruptive wing players who can both provide trap pressure and intercept bad passes. Talking about steals attempts that are being made on passes to the middle rather than cross court. A missed steal on a cross court pass gives team a chance to rotate. A missed steal to a pass to the free throw line to the top of the key creates a wide open lane.
During the previous games some Lakers players showed that they simply has not know how to defend a small opponent player, attacking the basket without fouling. Also, it is due to lack of quickness or desire and they are unable to show hard and get back to his man.
The lack of defensive skills is evident in situatios 1-1. It is because they haven’t taught to watch his man’s belly instead of eyes or the ball.

Some of them are fast when running straight with the ball to the hoop while being slow moving laterally, and explosive and strong when rising for a dunk but not when fighting through a pick.

PG’s inability to keep their men in front of them and the scramble shold lead to some adjustments in defense:

- Use strategy what will not allow straight driving line to the basket. Show occasionally to mix it up.
- If you show, rarely do it with Bynum and never do it with Bynum/Farmar combo in the defense.
- Do that help and show with Lamar. He is the best show help defender on the team.
- Whatever you do change it.
- Consider putting bigger on the point. Make the PG shoot over a taller quicker player who can play off him.
- Play straight man defense sometimes, change it from time to time

Constant practice has made you better at it but constant use has made you vulnerable to the opposition. Use it as one of your many options in a multiple-defense that can expose the strengths of your personnel while can you’re your players’ weaknesses.

PG needs to have a great passing skills

2008-12-17T08:45:00.005-06:00

Passed trough interestig article from the "Active Basketball newsletter" about developing the PG needs to have a great passing skills. One of the most important skill is feeding the post. To build up this skill, start with simple drills.
The feed should be made in relation where the defender has positioned himself. The more types of passes your PG has mastered, the more options he has in delivering the pass:

- PG should avoid an arm wind-up technique. The quicker the delivery motion and the fewer clues that it gives the defender that a pass is on the way, the more effective the feed will be.

- Ball fakes, eye fakes, and no look passes all add to the effectiveness of your PG. You can easily incorporate these techniques into the feeding drill.

- Include a part in which the guard will ball fake to the area that he is not going to pass just before he passes to the actual target area. This has got to be a quick fake, and it should get the defender to commit even more to the area that he is already favoring.

- You could have another part in which you require the PG to look at a defended target area and pass to the actual target.

- Include a part in which you have the PG deliver the feed while looking at the target using only his peripheral vision.

- PG should be able to feed the post one handed off of the dribble, too. This can be perfected to the extent that your point guard can hit the post with a behind-the-back dribble.

- The PG should be able to use bounce passes, regular "air" passes, and effective lobs. More than that, he needs to know when to use which.

- One part of knowing which pass to use involves knowing the catching skills of his post players. It doesn't make any sense at all to throw a pass to a post player who can't handle the angle or location.

Some post players don't have the ability to catch no look or other passes. Using this post feeding drill in a "live", will help to establish kind of specific techniques.

The Celtics' strengths outweigth their weaknesess

2008-12-15T10:57:00.005-06:00

Celtic's strengths:
-When the Celts' lead at only two points they relied on Paul Pierce and their offense throughout the third quarter. He can respond with scoring on drives, pull ups, a 3-pointer and from the stripe and an assist. His is without doubt the Celtics' main man.
-Rajon Rondo is so quick that he’s able to penetrate to the dotted line. RR breake down the opponents' defense, and his teammates create passing lines to score of his assists.
Rondo is the club's second MVP.
-Nobody in the league can use picks as good as Ray Allen. He doesn't need much time or space to hit his jumpers, the Celtics run several plays for him, various combo picks and an doublepicks. They know, he's always in the right place at the right time.
His crossovers and spinning moves can create shots in the paint.
-Kevin Garnett's low post moves: spinning, turn around jumpers are unstoppable. He's incredibly quick off his feet, has quick hands and never forces a shot, and never stops working hard in defense.
-Kendrick Perkins can sets good picks, and has learned how to dive into open spaces. On defense, he effective uses his mass to maximum effect.
-Leon Powe is never out worked.
-Eddie House has quick release off the bounce.
- Glen Davis did a good job in defense, staying wide and strong. More than that, he attack the offensive glass.
-No other team in the NBA defends the high P&R better than Celtics. Their bigs show hard and wide, and their baseline rotations are good enough, to sting opponents.
-They drop and pack on penetration and this is a sequence where Rondo's quick hands come into play.
-Boston's close outs are very effective, nobody winds up in.
-On offense, there's lot of ball and player movement. Everybody maximizes the benefit of virtually every screen and Pierce can hit the basket from anywhere.
-The subs also plays with great intensity.

Celtic's weaknesess:
- Perkins can't bounce the ball twice successfully without being crowded and making mstakes.
-Rondo still attempting too many non accurate passes(alley-oops and overthrows lobs), his shooting range is limited, and his left hand is not good enough.
-The Celtics don't attack the basket as much as they should(except Pirce and Rondo).
-PP can be had when he's posted by bigger players — Rashard Lewis simply ate him up in the low post.
-Sometimes the Celtics sent three defenders at opponent’s low post when he attacked the rim, leaving the opponent’s other big totally unguarded and able to pull several OR.
- Whoever post up is doubled, and trap pass followed by a swing pass often find the repositioned post up player open.
- Powe is an undersized PF whom is easy to post up.
-Tony Allen is an undersized SF who can be similarly posted.
-The Celtics reacted of every close call. They complain to much over the top and they often finishing the game with several Ts.

The Celtics' strengths greatly outweigth their weaknesess. Their versatile offense (anchored by Pierce) and their well coordinated defense (even though it lacks an outstanding shot blocker and a stopper) are good enough for Boston to have an excellent chance to repeat champs title.

Goals should include an affirmation

2008-12-15T09:24:00.003-06:00

Passing through nice book "The Mental Edge" by Stephen J. Brennan, about how to setting goals.
When establishing goals, only a limited number should be stated. Many times athletes set too many goals, and when the goals cannot be attained, a sense of failure is felt. Therefore, eight or nine goals divided over short, and long-term plans are adequate.

CRITERIA FOR GOAL SETTING

1. Goal selection should be effort of both the athlete and the coach.

2. Goals should be believable and achievable.

3. Goals should be planned for short-term and long-term

Finally, each goal should include an affirmation. An affirmation is simply a positive statement that the athlete verbalizes over when trying to reach the desire goal. The affirmation should be a short, concise sentence that incorporates the desired outcome of the goal.

ELEMENTS OF A GOAL SETTING

1. Practice and game goals

2. Conditioning goals

3. Mental training goals

4. Positive mental attitude goals