Things you will probably do a lot with your players/team

 1) REBOUND:  Over the course of a game, we have 550-600 rebound chances… 

2) CLOSE OUT: No matter what defense you play, you will do this A LOT!! 

3) TRANSITION DEFENSE: % wise you are in transition D more than 1/2 court

4) DEFEND PENETRATION: Every offense relies on ability to break you down

5) DEFEND BALL SCREENS: Few games pass without having to defend these

Things coaches need to do to improve ourselves

 1) READ:  “The man who chooses not to read is no different from the man who can NOT read”.  You MUST make time to read.  It’s the only way to gain experience.  It’s the only way you will catch up to coaches who have more experience than you.

2) WRITE:  When you put your thoughts on paper and in ink, they be come yours.  Your words become your philosophy.  If you have every  “in your head” it’s not stated.  And until you STATE them, it’s simply not yours.  Choose a simple topic… Rebounding… Write out your thoughts.  You will be surprised how much thinking you will do on it before you are willing to share with someone else!!

3) OBSERVE: Go to clinics.  Go to camps, work camps. Attend practices.  Watch DVD’s.  Go on-line and use YOUTUBE or VIMEO.  You can spend hours on hours. I want to get new ideas everyday!  Again you are making the choice to or NOT to learn from others.  If you already KNOW IT ALL, let me know so I can come observe YOU!!

4) REACH OUT:  There are so many resources out there.  If you aren’t  reaching out to others, you are losing ground to those who do.   There are coaches all over the country willing to share.  There are blogs.  There are Newsletters.  There are YOUTUBE channels.  All with coaches willing to give back what others have shared with  them.  As Don Meyer shares “collect all the good ideas whether you  use them OR not”.

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5) RISK: It takes a lot of courage to be a coach.  Don’t settle for the status quo.  You must be willing to put yourself “out there” to grow.  It’s not easy.  You will have some haters.  But that’s exactly what you are teaching your players.  Model it for them. 

When working with guards I always keep a few teaching points and skill emphasis:

1. Jab steps create separation.

2. Teach the shot fake when defender is closing out.

3. Kyrie Erving has a great change of speed and get by defenders. Very tight handle.

4. Rip Hamilton had a great change of speed off the ball, he would sprint, stop then sprint again to get open.

5. Creating great cuts off post entry. When possible, throw overhead pass into the post to get defenders hands high then sprint cut for a good chance to get open.

6. Come off screens shoulder to hip of screener.

7 learn to use screener twice on all screens even grabbing the arm of screener.

8. The best guards are the guys who do the little things.

9. Have multi finishers around the around.

10. Never know when there will be a mismatch - develope a post game!

Sometimes we just need to be reminded so do our players. Billy Graham once said, "one coach will impact more young people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime."

With that in mind as coaches we need to give our players constant reminders. Reminders that they are on the right track. Reminders that they are fighting fights that matter. Reminders to keep up the good work and not to waste chances.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded.

Game changing plays:

Bigs

1. Post up in transition

2. Make FT's

3. 1 put back

4. 1 run out

5. Get fouled posting while team is in bonus

Guards

1. Open 3 in transition

2. 3 pointer off drive and kick

3. Steal and score  

4. Loose ball bucket

5. Getting fouled attacking while team is in bonus