This past weekend, TrueHoop editor and chief Henry Abbot wrote a great piece detailing the huge falling out that occurred in the labor talks late last week. He discussed how there was a deal in sight. Some of the big time owners were called and asked to board flights. Derek Fisher, and the rest of the player reps had worked their butts off and a deal that they thought was going to be good enough for the players was starting to take shape.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Paul Pierce, Kobe and KG came in and fucked the whole thing up. They strongarmed the whole operation and told Stern, Hunter, Fisher, Adam Silver etc. to go pound salt. The 50-50 split wasn't good enough. They were holding out for better.
WOW. Those three guys. Kobe and KG: 2 guys who from the age of 19 each had a bank account that would never ever run out. Guys who for the last 12 years have had a constant account balance of 9 figures. There hasn't been a day in their lives over the last decade where they didn't have 60 million dollars to loan to a friend and never miss the money. Those guys came in a messed the whole thing up. BECAUSE THOSE GUYS ARE IN TOUCH WITH REALITY. THOSE GUYS UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE ECONOMY. THEY UNDERSTAND MAIN STREET. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO GUYS WHO STUDIED HARD AT COLLEGE. 2 GUYS WHO ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT BUSINESS. AND WILL GO RIGHT INTO RETIREMENT AND GETS JOBS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? On top of that, throw in PP, who for some reason thinks his ability to hit big shots over the last few years makes him an authority on labor law. That just is incredible to me. Especially the Kevin Garnett thing, who apparently was the most adamant.
Obviously, there is a lot that has happened since. And a lot that will continue to happen. But I was floored when I heard about that threesome. Maybe 50-50 isn't fair. In fact it probably isn't. But Derek Fisher, guy whose made a lot of money and done things the right way thought it was shaping up to be a fair deal.
Let's hope 3 of the most out of touch people on the planet didn't ruin everything for everyone. Players, coaches, arena workers, trainers and fans alike.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Little Brownies Chatter
It was nice to see the Browns sneak out of Indy with a win. I can't even imagine the reaction if we had lost. It would not have been fun. But hey, now it is fun. Now we're getting ready for the tailgate Sunday morning. Now we're looking to beat the Fins at home to go 2-1.
I don't think Colt McCoy has been very good in these first 2 games. He's hung in there and made some great plays for his team. But from a fundamental stand point, he hasn't been great. He's locked on to guys too much instead of just taking what is in his progression. He hasn't been patient in the pocket and kept his eye level down the field. He reacts to pressure too quickly and ducks his head to get out of the pocket. That's not ideal, but what makes him a special player is his knack to make great plays when he's improvising. So you can live with it because once he gets out of there and has some space he makes great plays. I would like to see him keep being aggressive on the run, and hopefully the offensive line can make strides as well, so Colt can hang in there and make good throws from the pocket as much as possible.
Sheard and Taylor and Rubin really earned their game checks yesterday. They played great, hightlighted by Sheard's sack, strip, scoop play. He was winning his matchup all day. And Taylor brought his lunch pail too. He made some great stops. Both those guys really picked up Rubin, who had a unbelievable first quarter and stayed solid throughout the game.
AS ALWAYS, you just can't say enough about Josh Cribbs. He's just an insanely good player. We can't force it to him, but we have to continue to find opportunistic spots for him to touch the ball. And just continue to work our ass off to give him lanes when they don't kick the ball out of the endzone. The game changed on that 50 yard kickoff return.
Evan Moore is really the only guy who can win for us at receiver. You got that big play from Mo Mass, but really didn't have much else other than Greg Little on a couple option routes. For those wondering, I think Brian Robiskie played, and the only reason I know that is he made a great block on the Peyton Hillis long touchdown run. I know these guys aren't the most talented bunch, but they need to keep working and just being better and smarter.
Lastly, the play calling has been very uninspired. The two run calls the Hardesty on the goal line when the game was still in serious doubt was unbelievable. They were a fire-able offense if we had lost. I think it's just a combination of things: 1. young nervous coach grinding to get his first win, not thinking totally clearly due to the immensity of job 2. he's not totally in love with what Colt has been doing 3. Line play has been bad/injuries/musical chairs trying to settle on a lineup/trying to hide pinkston 4. no receivers can win on the outside Add all that up and it's not as easy as it used to be.
I expect it to keep getting better.
I don't think Colt McCoy has been very good in these first 2 games. He's hung in there and made some great plays for his team. But from a fundamental stand point, he hasn't been great. He's locked on to guys too much instead of just taking what is in his progression. He hasn't been patient in the pocket and kept his eye level down the field. He reacts to pressure too quickly and ducks his head to get out of the pocket. That's not ideal, but what makes him a special player is his knack to make great plays when he's improvising. So you can live with it because once he gets out of there and has some space he makes great plays. I would like to see him keep being aggressive on the run, and hopefully the offensive line can make strides as well, so Colt can hang in there and make good throws from the pocket as much as possible.
Sheard and Taylor and Rubin really earned their game checks yesterday. They played great, hightlighted by Sheard's sack, strip, scoop play. He was winning his matchup all day. And Taylor brought his lunch pail too. He made some great stops. Both those guys really picked up Rubin, who had a unbelievable first quarter and stayed solid throughout the game.
AS ALWAYS, you just can't say enough about Josh Cribbs. He's just an insanely good player. We can't force it to him, but we have to continue to find opportunistic spots for him to touch the ball. And just continue to work our ass off to give him lanes when they don't kick the ball out of the endzone. The game changed on that 50 yard kickoff return.
Evan Moore is really the only guy who can win for us at receiver. You got that big play from Mo Mass, but really didn't have much else other than Greg Little on a couple option routes. For those wondering, I think Brian Robiskie played, and the only reason I know that is he made a great block on the Peyton Hillis long touchdown run. I know these guys aren't the most talented bunch, but they need to keep working and just being better and smarter.
Lastly, the play calling has been very uninspired. The two run calls the Hardesty on the goal line when the game was still in serious doubt was unbelievable. They were a fire-able offense if we had lost. I think it's just a combination of things: 1. young nervous coach grinding to get his first win, not thinking totally clearly due to the immensity of job 2. he's not totally in love with what Colt has been doing 3. Line play has been bad/injuries/musical chairs trying to settle on a lineup/trying to hide pinkston 4. no receivers can win on the outside Add all that up and it's not as easy as it used to be.
I expect it to keep getting better.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday
Growth must be chosen again and again. Fear must be overcome again and again. --H. Maslow
Your authentic self is your attractive self. It's the only thing attractive about you.
Ice Baths: 50 degree water for 15 minutes-- post workout
What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear a word you say. --R.W.Emerson
Hold yourself to an incredibly high standard and be gentle with everyone else.
Rehearse poverty frequently.
What you do, proves what you believe.
People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
Think about the man you plan on being in ten years and start doing some of those things today.
Tell a beautiful woman exactly what you like about her.
This is not a dress rehearsal.
80/20 rule.
Deadlifts and Kettle Bell swings
Invite people into a higher standard--the right people will show up
Come up with 25 ideas in 10 minutes
Tighten up your important online passwords
Pre-workout: 500mg of vitamin C, 250mg of vitamin E
e.ggtimer.com
Meet women.
Your authentic self is your attractive self. It's the only thing attractive about you.
Ice Baths: 50 degree water for 15 minutes-- post workout
What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear a word you say. --R.W.Emerson
Hold yourself to an incredibly high standard and be gentle with everyone else.
Rehearse poverty frequently.
What you do, proves what you believe.
People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
Think about the man you plan on being in ten years and start doing some of those things today.
Tell a beautiful woman exactly what you like about her.
This is not a dress rehearsal.
80/20 rule.
Deadlifts and Kettle Bell swings
Invite people into a higher standard--the right people will show up
Come up with 25 ideas in 10 minutes
Tighten up your important online passwords
Pre-workout: 500mg of vitamin C, 250mg of vitamin E
e.ggtimer.com
Meet women.
Monday, May 16, 2011
NBA Bullets
Bulls-Heat Game 1
It's amazing how hard I am rooting against the Heat. I painted my face green and white for 5 games last week when they played the Celtics. Then last night, I threw a remote when Chris Bosh slipped a screen a screen for a dunk, only to then fall off the couch when Taj Gibson had that scary boom on D Wade. For a guy who doesn't root for anyone except the Indians and the Browns, I am somewhat invested in the "anybody but the Heat" team.
Many of you know my love for Jo Noah's game. He played very well all over the court last night. A hell of an effort, along with Boozer and Asik. My good friend Brian, a Noah hater, told me he would buy a Noah jersey if they beat the Heat. I told him to order it now cause the Bulls are gonna sweep these bums out! Just kiddin.
Both sides, Heat fans and Bulls fans can take some good and bad things out of the game. Bron and Wade were a little lethargic. Wade missed a couple layups early. Then got flustered after the Gibson incident. Bron got caught in a distributor mindset early in the game, and never really got to run the lane hard and get into a scoring rhythm. He did what he likes to do in game 1's. He likes to get the lay of the land and do his due diligence on players and how officials are calling the game. He'll come out gangbusters in game 2. I wouldn't want to be in a position to take a charge on him early in the first quarter.
For the Bulls, they have to be pleased with their glass work. They cut and bumped everybody out of that lane all night. Joel Anthony couldn't even play in that game. There were tons of plays where there was no one on the Heat in the key when Chicago would get the rebound. They were eating on the offensive glass too. Offensive boards that led to buckets or 3's. Deng stepped up and shot the ball beautifully. He's played well against the Heat in all 4 games this season. He gets up for them. Booze, a key in this series is 1 for 1. We'll see if he can sustain his energy. Rose was great.
Bottom line, I think the Bulls think they are better. I think they sit in the locker room and look each other in the eye and believe they can get this done. They are going to need all of that unwavering belief. Wade and Bron are not going to go quietly.
Thunder-Griz
The Thunder vs. Grizzles was a really good series. Great young players from both teams on the playoff stage for the first time. And all of them stepped up. Great veteran player leadership from both teams. Zach Randolph carried the best player in the whole playoffs torch for about a week and a half and then some. Tony Allen made the Boston Celtics brass regret not re-upping his deal with the team. Darrell Arthur, Sam Young and Greivis Vazquez played their asses off. James Harden showed that he has nifty little game, making dagger 3 after dagger 3 and setting up his teammates for great shots in the 4th quarter. Shane Battier put on a clinic of efficiency and individual defense. Mike Conley Jr. had a couple hiccups but was mostly fantastic. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook continued to show their top 15 players in the NBA status. And last but not least, Nick Collison put on a tutorial for all the undersized high school players to watch: rim to rim hustle, defending a great player without fouling, hunting offensive rebounds, finishing the layups he should finish.
Zach Randolph put on a footwork clinic all series. It was fun to watch. I kept watching him and kept thinking, "God, let's just teach this to high school guys. Let's put a video out of his footwork in this series." Unfortunately, it isn't that easy. He is a unique player. And a lot of what he's doing you can't teach. You can't teach his incredible stability and balance. He is so strong in his lower body, it's silly. He uses his butt and front shoulder to just move guys off his driving line, and just doesn't let them back in the play. And his multiple release points on his finishes and outstanding touch is awesome. That's just reps on the playground, open gym, hundreds of games. But gosh, he was a beast huh? How bout that face up rock back jumper he has after a couple jab steps. He had to have shot 70% on those shots. Made it look easy.
The Durant-Westbrook AM radio/NBA writers looking for something to talk/write about debate is interesting. It's mostly a non-issue though. Russ West is getting a lot of the heat when things go bad. Some deserved, some not.
I saw them play in December from a good seat and watched first hand some of the bad Westbrook. Not passing the ball ahead, him being the only guy on the Thunder to touch the ball on some possessions, settling for jumpers after he's pounded it 12 times (see LeBron on Cavaliers), etc. He definitely has his moments where he gets a little selfish.
BUT BUT, I think for the criticism to be so one sided is unfair. All these writers and analysts just throw him under the bus and kind of protect KD35 in my opinion. Westbrook is, without question, a top 15-20 player in the NBA. And borderline unstoppable, especially if he is dialed in from 3. WHAT DO YOU WANT HIM TO DO--THROW IT IN TO PERKINS AND WATCH HIM SHOOT A BRICK HOOK SHOT? Kevin Durant has a hard time getting open against physical defenders. He floats, glides around and doesn't create enough separation for one of his teammates to get him the ball. He's not innocent. He did however, make some great adjustments in game 7. He moved beautifully, and guess who found him for dunks and alley oops--Russell.
So, that's something to stay tuned on. These two guys love each other. They're friendship runs deep. And Durant doesn't care if Westbrook shoots 100 shots--as long as they win. It's on both of them to improve the things they need to against the Mavericks. For Westbrook, it's not settling for jumpers off the dribble late in the shot clock. For Durant, it's playing with strength and energy and separating himself from the barrage of defenders the Mavs are going to throw at him.
Should be a good series in the West.
It's amazing how hard I am rooting against the Heat. I painted my face green and white for 5 games last week when they played the Celtics. Then last night, I threw a remote when Chris Bosh slipped a screen a screen for a dunk, only to then fall off the couch when Taj Gibson had that scary boom on D Wade. For a guy who doesn't root for anyone except the Indians and the Browns, I am somewhat invested in the "anybody but the Heat" team.
Many of you know my love for Jo Noah's game. He played very well all over the court last night. A hell of an effort, along with Boozer and Asik. My good friend Brian, a Noah hater, told me he would buy a Noah jersey if they beat the Heat. I told him to order it now cause the Bulls are gonna sweep these bums out! Just kiddin.
Both sides, Heat fans and Bulls fans can take some good and bad things out of the game. Bron and Wade were a little lethargic. Wade missed a couple layups early. Then got flustered after the Gibson incident. Bron got caught in a distributor mindset early in the game, and never really got to run the lane hard and get into a scoring rhythm. He did what he likes to do in game 1's. He likes to get the lay of the land and do his due diligence on players and how officials are calling the game. He'll come out gangbusters in game 2. I wouldn't want to be in a position to take a charge on him early in the first quarter.
For the Bulls, they have to be pleased with their glass work. They cut and bumped everybody out of that lane all night. Joel Anthony couldn't even play in that game. There were tons of plays where there was no one on the Heat in the key when Chicago would get the rebound. They were eating on the offensive glass too. Offensive boards that led to buckets or 3's. Deng stepped up and shot the ball beautifully. He's played well against the Heat in all 4 games this season. He gets up for them. Booze, a key in this series is 1 for 1. We'll see if he can sustain his energy. Rose was great.
Bottom line, I think the Bulls think they are better. I think they sit in the locker room and look each other in the eye and believe they can get this done. They are going to need all of that unwavering belief. Wade and Bron are not going to go quietly.
Thunder-Griz
The Thunder vs. Grizzles was a really good series. Great young players from both teams on the playoff stage for the first time. And all of them stepped up. Great veteran player leadership from both teams. Zach Randolph carried the best player in the whole playoffs torch for about a week and a half and then some. Tony Allen made the Boston Celtics brass regret not re-upping his deal with the team. Darrell Arthur, Sam Young and Greivis Vazquez played their asses off. James Harden showed that he has nifty little game, making dagger 3 after dagger 3 and setting up his teammates for great shots in the 4th quarter. Shane Battier put on a clinic of efficiency and individual defense. Mike Conley Jr. had a couple hiccups but was mostly fantastic. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook continued to show their top 15 players in the NBA status. And last but not least, Nick Collison put on a tutorial for all the undersized high school players to watch: rim to rim hustle, defending a great player without fouling, hunting offensive rebounds, finishing the layups he should finish.
Zach Randolph put on a footwork clinic all series. It was fun to watch. I kept watching him and kept thinking, "God, let's just teach this to high school guys. Let's put a video out of his footwork in this series." Unfortunately, it isn't that easy. He is a unique player. And a lot of what he's doing you can't teach. You can't teach his incredible stability and balance. He is so strong in his lower body, it's silly. He uses his butt and front shoulder to just move guys off his driving line, and just doesn't let them back in the play. And his multiple release points on his finishes and outstanding touch is awesome. That's just reps on the playground, open gym, hundreds of games. But gosh, he was a beast huh? How bout that face up rock back jumper he has after a couple jab steps. He had to have shot 70% on those shots. Made it look easy.
The Durant-Westbrook AM radio/NBA writers looking for something to talk/write about debate is interesting. It's mostly a non-issue though. Russ West is getting a lot of the heat when things go bad. Some deserved, some not.
I saw them play in December from a good seat and watched first hand some of the bad Westbrook. Not passing the ball ahead, him being the only guy on the Thunder to touch the ball on some possessions, settling for jumpers after he's pounded it 12 times (see LeBron on Cavaliers), etc. He definitely has his moments where he gets a little selfish.
BUT BUT, I think for the criticism to be so one sided is unfair. All these writers and analysts just throw him under the bus and kind of protect KD35 in my opinion. Westbrook is, without question, a top 15-20 player in the NBA. And borderline unstoppable, especially if he is dialed in from 3. WHAT DO YOU WANT HIM TO DO--THROW IT IN TO PERKINS AND WATCH HIM SHOOT A BRICK HOOK SHOT? Kevin Durant has a hard time getting open against physical defenders. He floats, glides around and doesn't create enough separation for one of his teammates to get him the ball. He's not innocent. He did however, make some great adjustments in game 7. He moved beautifully, and guess who found him for dunks and alley oops--Russell.
So, that's something to stay tuned on. These two guys love each other. They're friendship runs deep. And Durant doesn't care if Westbrook shoots 100 shots--as long as they win. It's on both of them to improve the things they need to against the Mavericks. For Westbrook, it's not settling for jumpers off the dribble late in the shot clock. For Durant, it's playing with strength and energy and separating himself from the barrage of defenders the Mavs are going to throw at him.
Should be a good series in the West.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Notes
Small is the new big.
Desire creates talent.
Talent requires grit.
There is no competition.
Approach the 10.
The habit of doing more than you're paid for.
To fly, we have to have resistance.
Create like a God, command like a king, work like a slave.
Be an execution machine.
Hardiness: the courage and motivation to do the hard work it takes to grow and develop
Action cures fear.
My attitudes are more important than my intelligence.
Refuse to talk or worry about your health.
She'll let you know when she likes you. You won't have to guess.
Relentless action. Relentless trial and error.
You gotta be starving to get better mentally and physically.
Get up at 5am.
Neediness is female kryptonite
Desire creates talent.
Talent requires grit.
There is no competition.
Approach the 10.
The habit of doing more than you're paid for.
To fly, we have to have resistance.
Create like a God, command like a king, work like a slave.
Be an execution machine.
Hardiness: the courage and motivation to do the hard work it takes to grow and develop
Action cures fear.
My attitudes are more important than my intelligence.
Refuse to talk or worry about your health.
She'll let you know when she likes you. You won't have to guess.
Relentless action. Relentless trial and error.
You gotta be starving to get better mentally and physically.
Get up at 5am.
Neediness is female kryptonite
Monday, March 7, 2011
Kendall Marshall and Intangibles
I remember the first time I saw Kendall Marshall. I was surfing around the internet and stumbled upon a blurb that a sophomore PG had committed to North Carolina. So I looked around to see if there was any highlights of him. If he committed his sophomore year to a super elite program that doesn't just give offers on a whim, he must have been super elite himself. I found a 2 minute video of him. It was a compilation of a very small, skinny left handed point guard throwing full court and transition passes to teammates in summer league games. Just pretty stock footage. A slick kid throwing alley oops for dunks in blowout AAU games.
But even in that footage, there was something about these passes. The timing, the precision, the unique delivery. There was something I intrinsically loved about the kid. The offer made sense from the first minute I saw him. His court savvy and deliberate pace was there. He saw the floor. He took risks. Great awareness and patience.
And he's carried that with him to Carolina, as we have seen him take his team to a much higher level. Great floor general. Every pass he makes is on time. He rarely puts a teammate in a bad spot. He throws the ball ahead better than any guard in the country. You never see him take one more dribble than he has to before he passes. The ball is out of his hands on time. He has a great relationship with Tyler Zeller and Jon Henson. He puts the ball on the hands of those guys exactly where they like it. He's made them much more effective, which has been an integral part of their growth as a team in January and February. And he's the player that guys on team are looking to when they're tired. He's instilled a toughness and a confidence in a lot of those guys. We all know Harrison Barnes is a stud, who had a tough adjustment period the first two months. Well, he's been a go to guy beast in 2011 and I don't think that's a coincidence. I think thats because he plays with much more confidence with Marshall calling the shots.
It'll be fun to watch them next week. I wouldn't want to see them on my side of the bracket if I was a coach. But Marshall and guys like him are just constant proof that there are a ton of ways to be a great hooper. Getting buckets and making 3's is great. But guys that play the floor game and do intangible things at a high level are in short supply. Think Chris Kramer of Purdue last year. Think D.J Byrd of Purdue this year. When you watch him, you see a guy hammering people with screens, moving the ball, offensive and defensive rebounding, talking to his teammates, helping and reconvering, making free throws, taking charges, etc. He's a guy you wanna be teammates with.
Worry about playing the floor game well, and the layups and jump shots will take care of themselves.
But even in that footage, there was something about these passes. The timing, the precision, the unique delivery. There was something I intrinsically loved about the kid. The offer made sense from the first minute I saw him. His court savvy and deliberate pace was there. He saw the floor. He took risks. Great awareness and patience.
And he's carried that with him to Carolina, as we have seen him take his team to a much higher level. Great floor general. Every pass he makes is on time. He rarely puts a teammate in a bad spot. He throws the ball ahead better than any guard in the country. You never see him take one more dribble than he has to before he passes. The ball is out of his hands on time. He has a great relationship with Tyler Zeller and Jon Henson. He puts the ball on the hands of those guys exactly where they like it. He's made them much more effective, which has been an integral part of their growth as a team in January and February. And he's the player that guys on team are looking to when they're tired. He's instilled a toughness and a confidence in a lot of those guys. We all know Harrison Barnes is a stud, who had a tough adjustment period the first two months. Well, he's been a go to guy beast in 2011 and I don't think that's a coincidence. I think thats because he plays with much more confidence with Marshall calling the shots.
It'll be fun to watch them next week. I wouldn't want to see them on my side of the bracket if I was a coach. But Marshall and guys like him are just constant proof that there are a ton of ways to be a great hooper. Getting buckets and making 3's is great. But guys that play the floor game and do intangible things at a high level are in short supply. Think Chris Kramer of Purdue last year. Think D.J Byrd of Purdue this year. When you watch him, you see a guy hammering people with screens, moving the ball, offensive and defensive rebounding, talking to his teammates, helping and reconvering, making free throws, taking charges, etc. He's a guy you wanna be teammates with.
Worry about playing the floor game well, and the layups and jump shots will take care of themselves.
Monday, February 7, 2011
A Game of Imperfection
I got to see the St. Edward at Garfield Heights game last Thursday. It was a great high school game. Two really talented teams. The house was packed to the brim. The game was highly competitive and played at a very fast pace. The skill level and athletic ability of the players was very high. In the end, in a game that could have gone either way, Garfield Heights won the game. They executed a few great plays offensively in the last two minutes, and made some key defensive stops that allowed them to beat St. Eds.
While I was watching, I charted missed layups by both teams in 3 different phases. This is something I really like to keep track of and monitor. I keep track of it most nights when I am coaching at Brecksville. It's a pretty simple thing to keep track of. I think it's a great stat to keep at the high school level. The results are nothing groundbreaking, and in fact it probably creates un-needed headaches for coaches and players. BUT, concentrating and looking the ball all the way on layups is important.
I chart 3 different kinds:
1. missed layups
2. missed pressure layups
3. missed layups while fouled.
The first ones are pretty self explanatory. They are layups missed where you have a pretty clear path and no real defenders making it hard on you to finish. Pressure layups are any layups you shoot where there is noise and bodies flying around you. Good defense by your on ball defender. Good help by guys in the key. Foot steps from the guy guarding you and a help defender jumping to try to block your shot. You get the idea. Most all layups in a competitive game between good teams are pressure layups. The third category is when you get fouled and miss the layup. Now think about it, there are a lot of instances when guys feel they are gonna get fouled and give no effort and concentration to finish the shot. They have an excuse not to finish cause they got fouled. When in reality, if they play through the foul they can make most of them, and get three point plays. The good guys make sure they get 3when they can. The bad guys get 1, maybe 0. Legit hacks are different. So on these ones I chart if they the guy made both free throws, or if he split the pair of made none.
In the Eagles-Bulldogs game, I expected it to be very fast paced with a lot of possessions. With a hectic pace I also expected a lot of missed layups. The results were almost dead even:
Garfield: 1 missed layup, 18 missed pressure layups, missed 7 layups while fouled making 10 of the 14 free throws
St. Eds: 1 missed layup, 17 missed pressure layups, missed 5 layups while fouled making 6 of 10 free throws
Now this isn't rock solid stat keeping. I might have missed 1 or 2 here and there at times where I was watching the action. But I kept a pretty close eye on it.
Now my message here today from a coaching and player improvement standpoint is just the importance of concentrating and being fundamentally sound with our layups. It would be interesting to look back at that game film and see how many layups did guys deserve to miss because they were totally fundamentally unsound with their angles, footwork, balance, eyes, ball position etc. As a coach, I would like to be able to say, "Okay, we missed 11 layups and half of those I chalk up to just the heat of the game. BUT, we deserved to miss 5 of those because our fundamentals were shitty. Let's talk it through with our players and drill this today."
Things to think about:
Eyes make layups, feet make shots. Eyes make layups, feet make shots. Eyes make layups, feet make shots. Look the ball all the way. Get your eyes on your target (corner of the sqaure) as soon as you can and keep it there. Concentrate.
Square your shoulders to the basket. This is my number one rule. One of my favorite players ever, Steve Logan--his shoulders were square to the backboard almost every freaking time. That's why he was so soild and such a good scorer. By squaring your shoulders, help defenders have to come through more of your body, which means they are going to foul you more and block you less. The squaring your shoulders movement also gives you better balance going up. Whether you are driving from the baseline, at the top of the key, or from the block, the key is getting your shoulders square.
Know where you want to get to. This goes for when you're running a lane on the break, or driving into the key. Work hard to run to good angles on the break. Work hard to stay on a straight driving lane in the half court. Make sure you get to the angle you are comfortable with. Preferably, they are spots you have practiced and repped hundreds of time.
Get balanced as you get into your jump to the basket, explode and square your shoulders.
Be a finisher. Get the ball into the basket at a high percentage. Attack the basket, look the ball in, move on with your day--Go defend and get a stop!
Basketball is a game of imperfection. Missing shots and layups when there's pressure and heat on you is always going to be part of the game. The two best high school teams in the area missed about 40 layups combined. So you can imagine less talented teams miss their fair share too. It's important for coaches and players to make layups a priority. Find ways to practice them hard at game speed. Work on fundamentally sound finishes. Work on pressure layups--put live defense and help defense in drills. The better you can simulate it, the more prepared you will be in games. Find ways to let your guys know how important these things are. Getting rid of 4-5 botched layups a game can win a lot of games.
While I was watching, I charted missed layups by both teams in 3 different phases. This is something I really like to keep track of and monitor. I keep track of it most nights when I am coaching at Brecksville. It's a pretty simple thing to keep track of. I think it's a great stat to keep at the high school level. The results are nothing groundbreaking, and in fact it probably creates un-needed headaches for coaches and players. BUT, concentrating and looking the ball all the way on layups is important.
I chart 3 different kinds:
1. missed layups
2. missed pressure layups
3. missed layups while fouled.
The first ones are pretty self explanatory. They are layups missed where you have a pretty clear path and no real defenders making it hard on you to finish. Pressure layups are any layups you shoot where there is noise and bodies flying around you. Good defense by your on ball defender. Good help by guys in the key. Foot steps from the guy guarding you and a help defender jumping to try to block your shot. You get the idea. Most all layups in a competitive game between good teams are pressure layups. The third category is when you get fouled and miss the layup. Now think about it, there are a lot of instances when guys feel they are gonna get fouled and give no effort and concentration to finish the shot. They have an excuse not to finish cause they got fouled. When in reality, if they play through the foul they can make most of them, and get three point plays. The good guys make sure they get 3when they can. The bad guys get 1, maybe 0. Legit hacks are different. So on these ones I chart if they the guy made both free throws, or if he split the pair of made none.
In the Eagles-Bulldogs game, I expected it to be very fast paced with a lot of possessions. With a hectic pace I also expected a lot of missed layups. The results were almost dead even:
Garfield: 1 missed layup, 18 missed pressure layups, missed 7 layups while fouled making 10 of the 14 free throws
St. Eds: 1 missed layup, 17 missed pressure layups, missed 5 layups while fouled making 6 of 10 free throws
Now this isn't rock solid stat keeping. I might have missed 1 or 2 here and there at times where I was watching the action. But I kept a pretty close eye on it.
Now my message here today from a coaching and player improvement standpoint is just the importance of concentrating and being fundamentally sound with our layups. It would be interesting to look back at that game film and see how many layups did guys deserve to miss because they were totally fundamentally unsound with their angles, footwork, balance, eyes, ball position etc. As a coach, I would like to be able to say, "Okay, we missed 11 layups and half of those I chalk up to just the heat of the game. BUT, we deserved to miss 5 of those because our fundamentals were shitty. Let's talk it through with our players and drill this today."
Things to think about:
Eyes make layups, feet make shots. Eyes make layups, feet make shots. Eyes make layups, feet make shots. Look the ball all the way. Get your eyes on your target (corner of the sqaure) as soon as you can and keep it there. Concentrate.
Square your shoulders to the basket. This is my number one rule. One of my favorite players ever, Steve Logan--his shoulders were square to the backboard almost every freaking time. That's why he was so soild and such a good scorer. By squaring your shoulders, help defenders have to come through more of your body, which means they are going to foul you more and block you less. The squaring your shoulders movement also gives you better balance going up. Whether you are driving from the baseline, at the top of the key, or from the block, the key is getting your shoulders square.
Know where you want to get to. This goes for when you're running a lane on the break, or driving into the key. Work hard to run to good angles on the break. Work hard to stay on a straight driving lane in the half court. Make sure you get to the angle you are comfortable with. Preferably, they are spots you have practiced and repped hundreds of time.
Get balanced as you get into your jump to the basket, explode and square your shoulders.
Be a finisher. Get the ball into the basket at a high percentage. Attack the basket, look the ball in, move on with your day--Go defend and get a stop!
Basketball is a game of imperfection. Missing shots and layups when there's pressure and heat on you is always going to be part of the game. The two best high school teams in the area missed about 40 layups combined. So you can imagine less talented teams miss their fair share too. It's important for coaches and players to make layups a priority. Find ways to practice them hard at game speed. Work on fundamentally sound finishes. Work on pressure layups--put live defense and help defense in drills. The better you can simulate it, the more prepared you will be in games. Find ways to let your guys know how important these things are. Getting rid of 4-5 botched layups a game can win a lot of games.
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