There is none.
I don't think we know very much about this game.
I am not sure which has had a bigger influence on what most coaches teach, tradition, or trial and error.
Trial and error I don't really have a problem with. I think that's the most natural way for something to become more efficient. I am a big fan of evolution, and really, trial and error is exactly that. As Mike MacKay likes to say , "you always have to be innovating and improving". Good saying, it basically describes evolution.
Where I do have a problem is in the 'tradition' of coaching. I think a lot of what we teach is outdated. Let me rephrase that. I don't think we know why we teach a lot of the things that we do.
The obvious example is the two-hand chest pass. I would say at least 95% of all kids that played mini-basketball were taught this skill. Why do we teach a pass that starts in the middle of the body, takes a big step towards the target, and flicks the wrists outward as the ball is released? I'm not 100% sure. Is it because kids need that much strength to get the ball to a target? Is it because when the game was invented you couldn't stand that close to an offensive player while they tried to pass the ball? I honestly don't know.
How often do you think that a two hand chest pass is thrown in the finals of the world championship? I don't know either, that's the point.
The game is an ever-evolving entity.
That is why I have a big problem with the NBA. The NBA is a giant recycling system. The coaches are former players or former assistant coaches. All the players have coming up watching the NBA, striving to be like the NBA players. The whole system is based so much on itself that it's become a house of cards. The American NBA style of basketball has been passed by on the international stage. If you aren't constantly re-evaluating and improving what you are trying to teach and you aren't innovating new ways to get things done, you're a dinosaur, you'll be passed by.
The game doesn't care.
That's what I absolutely love about the game. If you aren't killing yourself to get it done, to get better, fine, someone else is. The game moves on. Player or coach, the game doesn't care.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Friday, February 9, 2007
Pressure
This week of Allison and Mike has been great. It is always good to see how the coaches at a higher level are teaching things. I absolutely love seeing the level of detail that they operate on when watching the game of basketball.
Whether it's a pull up jump shot or a team running 4 out motion, they have an intimate understanding of how to build up a skill from the very basics.
I think that is what is missing in all of the coaching education that I have ever received. When you watch people coach, a lot of the time you see them correcting the final product. In order to be able to correct the final product though, you need to know how to build it from the ground up. Books on sets and drills are absolutely everywhere, but what seems more important to me is the actual logical progression of a skill.
To me that is the reason that we can't build perfect basketball players in this world. Laying the foundations of movement and understanding at the right time in a kid's development just doesn't happen. If anyone knows how to teach basketball from start to finish, from 6 years old to 65 I'd love to meet them. Anyone who is close to even knowing that works with the highest level athletes, tweaking their game and performance to get a little bit better. The coaches working at the most important levels (our youngest players) are usually the ones that haven't had that background of breaking down skills and movements, and from what they've observed from the master coaches, the game is all about correcting performance.
Correcting is all well and good if you know how to put it together from scratch. The most effective coaches are the ones that are constantly trying to figure out better ways to teach things. More logical ways to describe how a skill works.
Anyways, I didn't mean to make that part so long.
The best thing that I have gotten out of Allison and Mike is that they have reminded us of how intense practice needs to be to improve. As time goes on, practice always falls into that rut known as "comfort". Your players get comfortable playing at one speed, you get comfortable with them going as hard as they are and the days start to go by. They are stil playing hard of course, but not playing as hard as they can. The only way to improve is to compete the hell out of every drill.
They brought that mentality to us and you could feel the "uncomfortableness" in the gym. Now people are pressuring the ball so hard that we can't make a pass by our own defender. The defense is working so hard that the offense turns in the old barnyard offense - 5 chickens running around with their heads cut off.
So now the offense has to play with mental intensity but not be physically out of control. That is exactly what happens when you play a better team. You have to contend with great defensive pressure and be poised (one of their favorite terms) enough to think abut what you are trying to do and how to do it. "Play fast but don't hurry" instantly comes to mind.
So if your team is better defensively than it is offensively (or more athletic then they are skilled, which we definitely are) you can really get after each other and improve your offense. Sure it will look ugly until you learn to play with some poise, but it's got to get ugly if it's ever going to get better.
Whether it's a pull up jump shot or a team running 4 out motion, they have an intimate understanding of how to build up a skill from the very basics.
I think that is what is missing in all of the coaching education that I have ever received. When you watch people coach, a lot of the time you see them correcting the final product. In order to be able to correct the final product though, you need to know how to build it from the ground up. Books on sets and drills are absolutely everywhere, but what seems more important to me is the actual logical progression of a skill.
To me that is the reason that we can't build perfect basketball players in this world. Laying the foundations of movement and understanding at the right time in a kid's development just doesn't happen. If anyone knows how to teach basketball from start to finish, from 6 years old to 65 I'd love to meet them. Anyone who is close to even knowing that works with the highest level athletes, tweaking their game and performance to get a little bit better. The coaches working at the most important levels (our youngest players) are usually the ones that haven't had that background of breaking down skills and movements, and from what they've observed from the master coaches, the game is all about correcting performance.
Correcting is all well and good if you know how to put it together from scratch. The most effective coaches are the ones that are constantly trying to figure out better ways to teach things. More logical ways to describe how a skill works.
Anyways, I didn't mean to make that part so long.
The best thing that I have gotten out of Allison and Mike is that they have reminded us of how intense practice needs to be to improve. As time goes on, practice always falls into that rut known as "comfort". Your players get comfortable playing at one speed, you get comfortable with them going as hard as they are and the days start to go by. They are stil playing hard of course, but not playing as hard as they can. The only way to improve is to compete the hell out of every drill.
They brought that mentality to us and you could feel the "uncomfortableness" in the gym. Now people are pressuring the ball so hard that we can't make a pass by our own defender. The defense is working so hard that the offense turns in the old barnyard offense - 5 chickens running around with their heads cut off.
So now the offense has to play with mental intensity but not be physically out of control. That is exactly what happens when you play a better team. You have to contend with great defensive pressure and be poised (one of their favorite terms) enough to think abut what you are trying to do and how to do it. "Play fast but don't hurry" instantly comes to mind.
So if your team is better defensively than it is offensively (or more athletic then they are skilled, which we definitely are) you can really get after each other and improve your offense. Sure it will look ugly until you learn to play with some poise, but it's got to get ugly if it's ever going to get better.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Todays' Practice Plan
Today's post is to give you an idea of what Allison and Mike McNeill had for a practice plan for the NEDA girls. I have described the drills and given the emphasis listed on the practice plan as well as the actual points that came out of executing the drill.
February 8th, 2007
7:15 am Warmup
7:30 am Creative Layups
Description: Players start in a line at the wing, each with a ball. Players drive game-speed to the hoop practicing different styles & angles of layups.
Emphasis: ginobili layups (weaving steps)
fake pass layup
reverse layup
hook layup
7:35 am 6 spot shooting
Description: 2 lines are needed, one with balls, the other without. 6 spots on the floor to shoot from, 3 on each side. First time, line without balls starts from near center, vertically aligned with the swing spot (edge of the wide key). They sprint in and receive a pass from the other line, which is in the corner. Goal is to simulate transition jump shot.
Second time, lines are at each wing spot (foul line extended - 3 point line). Same idea, using inside foot pivots this time.
Last time, one line is in the corner (outside the three), the other is at the opposite swing. Player sprints up as if coming off a down screen and shoot using inside pivot.
Same spots on the other side of the floor are used.
Emphasis: Quick 1-2 footwork on inside pivot.
If throwing a pass to a curling player, throw it to their inside shoulder so that they catch it in their shot pocket.
7:45 am 3 player weave with a runner
Description: 4 lines on the baseline. Three players weave to the other end, the other sprints to the far basket. When the sprinter is at the right spot, the weavers pass the ball. She does a layup and begins to sprint the other way. Weavers get the rebound and weave back. All players have to sprint to finish the drill in the key.
Emphasis: Head up - pass the ball in rhythym
Pass is better early than late
Can alter this to 2 on 2 on the way back (shooter & passer play defense)
7:50 am Contest the shot drill
Description: Groups of 2. One player at the edge of their shooting range, one defender with the ball starts under the hoop. Player with the ball passes to offense and sprints to a close-out. Offense has the shot or one dribble. Players switch positions after the shot is taken (no box out). You get one point for a score and -2 if your rebound bounces twice before you get it.
Emphasis: If closing out on what you think is a shot, don't run right at the shooter, run slightly to the shooting hand side so you can run by them instead of running into them.
Dribble jumper shooting % is way lower than stand and catch shooting %
7:55 am Dribble Hand-offs
Description: Groups of three at a basket. All three players are on offense. Pass the ball from swing to swing and the reciever will do a "dribble-at" with the wing on her side. Coaches give reads.
Emphasis: Drag the arc before coming off the dribble hand-off
Player with the ball dribbles at the inside of her teammate's defender (the coach)
Run right at the dribbler's nose to force the defener to give you a read.
Come hip to hip off of the handoff.
Reads: Defender tries to "muscle it" or "cheat" over top - cutter goes back door
Defender trails - curl around and go to the hoop
Defender goes underneath the hand-off - pop and either shoot, or attack the closeout, opposite of the way the defender recovers around the handoff.
8:05 am 3 on 3 end line
Description: 3 players on offense outside the 3 point line. 3 on defense under the hoop. Rest of players are out of bounds on the baseline. Coach has the ball under the basket and passes out to one of the offensive players. Defenders close out and play live 3 on 3. Just a different way to get into playing 3 on 3.
Emphasis: Patience - we want 2 good screening acions
Work on the handoffs
Work on post triangles
Attack!
8:15 am Defensive footwork - wave series - hip turns
Description: Players start all in the half court facing the coach with plenty of space.
Emphasis: Work on hip turn defensive footwork
Hips remain the same level
push with your back leg, not pull with your front leg
8:22 am Defending ball screens
Description: Groups of 4 - 2 on 2 working on the details of going over-under on a ball pick.
8:30 am 5 on 5 - 1.5 drill
Description: 5 on 5 that starts from half court. You play at one end, transition to the other end, and transition back. Then the drill stops and we reset with the other team starting on offense. One team gets 2 offensive possessions, the other teams gets 1 offensive possession each time. It ends up being a more controlled scrimmage.
By this time it was 9:15 and time for the girls to get ready for school.
I could do a whole post on the hip turns, the dribble handoffs and over/under on ball picks. Some day I probably will.
A few tidbits that came out of the coaches mouths were:
2 bad decisions in a 24 second shot clock means that you are getting a bad shot.
The offense starts as soon as you get down the floor. Don't wait for the ball to be dribbled into the swing before starting any action. Movement!
We as a group need to get better at finding our team's advantage and using it. Sometimes we tend to play "equal opportunity" offense when that isn't your best chance of scoring or your most intellignet way.
Long one today, fingers are cramped.
February 8th, 2007
7:15 am Warmup
7:30 am Creative Layups
Description: Players start in a line at the wing, each with a ball. Players drive game-speed to the hoop practicing different styles & angles of layups.
Emphasis: ginobili layups (weaving steps)
fake pass layup
reverse layup
hook layup
7:35 am 6 spot shooting
Description: 2 lines are needed, one with balls, the other without. 6 spots on the floor to shoot from, 3 on each side. First time, line without balls starts from near center, vertically aligned with the swing spot (edge of the wide key). They sprint in and receive a pass from the other line, which is in the corner. Goal is to simulate transition jump shot.
Second time, lines are at each wing spot (foul line extended - 3 point line). Same idea, using inside foot pivots this time.
Last time, one line is in the corner (outside the three), the other is at the opposite swing. Player sprints up as if coming off a down screen and shoot using inside pivot.
Same spots on the other side of the floor are used.
Emphasis: Quick 1-2 footwork on inside pivot.
If throwing a pass to a curling player, throw it to their inside shoulder so that they catch it in their shot pocket.
7:45 am 3 player weave with a runner
Description: 4 lines on the baseline. Three players weave to the other end, the other sprints to the far basket. When the sprinter is at the right spot, the weavers pass the ball. She does a layup and begins to sprint the other way. Weavers get the rebound and weave back. All players have to sprint to finish the drill in the key.
Emphasis: Head up - pass the ball in rhythym
Pass is better early than late
Can alter this to 2 on 2 on the way back (shooter & passer play defense)
7:50 am Contest the shot drill
Description: Groups of 2. One player at the edge of their shooting range, one defender with the ball starts under the hoop. Player with the ball passes to offense and sprints to a close-out. Offense has the shot or one dribble. Players switch positions after the shot is taken (no box out). You get one point for a score and -2 if your rebound bounces twice before you get it.
Emphasis: If closing out on what you think is a shot, don't run right at the shooter, run slightly to the shooting hand side so you can run by them instead of running into them.
Dribble jumper shooting % is way lower than stand and catch shooting %
7:55 am Dribble Hand-offs
Description: Groups of three at a basket. All three players are on offense. Pass the ball from swing to swing and the reciever will do a "dribble-at" with the wing on her side. Coaches give reads.
Emphasis: Drag the arc before coming off the dribble hand-off
Player with the ball dribbles at the inside of her teammate's defender (the coach)
Run right at the dribbler's nose to force the defener to give you a read.
Come hip to hip off of the handoff.
Reads: Defender tries to "muscle it" or "cheat" over top - cutter goes back door
Defender trails - curl around and go to the hoop
Defender goes underneath the hand-off - pop and either shoot, or attack the closeout, opposite of the way the defender recovers around the handoff.
8:05 am 3 on 3 end line
Description: 3 players on offense outside the 3 point line. 3 on defense under the hoop. Rest of players are out of bounds on the baseline. Coach has the ball under the basket and passes out to one of the offensive players. Defenders close out and play live 3 on 3. Just a different way to get into playing 3 on 3.
Emphasis: Patience - we want 2 good screening acions
Work on the handoffs
Work on post triangles
Attack!
8:15 am Defensive footwork - wave series - hip turns
Description: Players start all in the half court facing the coach with plenty of space.
Emphasis: Work on hip turn defensive footwork
Hips remain the same level
push with your back leg, not pull with your front leg
8:22 am Defending ball screens
Description: Groups of 4 - 2 on 2 working on the details of going over-under on a ball pick.
8:30 am 5 on 5 - 1.5 drill
Description: 5 on 5 that starts from half court. You play at one end, transition to the other end, and transition back. Then the drill stops and we reset with the other team starting on offense. One team gets 2 offensive possessions, the other teams gets 1 offensive possession each time. It ends up being a more controlled scrimmage.
By this time it was 9:15 and time for the girls to get ready for school.
I could do a whole post on the hip turns, the dribble handoffs and over/under on ball picks. Some day I probably will.
A few tidbits that came out of the coaches mouths were:
2 bad decisions in a 24 second shot clock means that you are getting a bad shot.
The offense starts as soon as you get down the floor. Don't wait for the ball to be dribbled into the swing before starting any action. Movement!
We as a group need to get better at finding our team's advantage and using it. Sometimes we tend to play "equal opportunity" offense when that isn't your best chance of scoring or your most intellignet way.
Long one today, fingers are cramped.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Practice makes perfect?
National Women's head coach Allison McNeill and assistant coach Mike McNeill are in town to lead a few practices at the National Elite Development Academy. While I was up to my eyeballs in the technical details that these two were imparting to our players, I was more impacted by a different kind of observation Allison shared with the group. After we had finished a random drill, she called the group in and summed up the situation perfectly.
"You aren't finishing drills right now."
"It's great that you guys are in here practicing every day, getting your work done in the weight room, and all of that," she said "but everybody is doing that."
"If you don't approach every drill like it's the last possession of a game, you aren't going to improve."
Simple feedback that in all reality, is going to determine whether or not these 12 girls will ever be players. Every single one of them has the physical tools to be all-whatever.
Just being at practice means nothing. Performing every drill means nothing. If you don't have the attitude that every repetition you perform is life or death, this game won't take you very far. It's not about doing it as hard as the coach wants, or doing it hard enough to win, it's about doing it the right way every time.
"You aren't finishing drills right now."
"It's great that you guys are in here practicing every day, getting your work done in the weight room, and all of that," she said "but everybody is doing that."
"If you don't approach every drill like it's the last possession of a game, you aren't going to improve."
Simple feedback that in all reality, is going to determine whether or not these 12 girls will ever be players. Every single one of them has the physical tools to be all-whatever.
Just being at practice means nothing. Performing every drill means nothing. If you don't have the attitude that every repetition you perform is life or death, this game won't take you very far. It's not about doing it as hard as the coach wants, or doing it hard enough to win, it's about doing it the right way every time.
Monday, February 5, 2007
1 on 1
Best way to improve your game.
When you deconstruct a practice, if you don't do a one on one drill, how many times in a practice will your players have to guard someone as if the game depended on it? 15 times? 10 times? You can sometimes get through an entire practice without ever having to really get down and defend.
Playing one on one is so good for so many reasons. My favorite thing about it is that you have to learn how to read an opposing player, which is really learning how to create an advantage and then use it. Girls do not play enough 1 on 1 basketball at any level to get the amount of reps that it takes to impact your game.
The biggest thing I hear in the Canadian Basketball scene (on the women's side) is that we can't score. I think we are doing a tremendous job here at NEDA of teaching the girls how to play conceptual 5 on 5 basketball. The work we have done on motion offense so far is incredible, at times we run it as well as anyone. But at the risk of sounding old-school, (I know I'm not that old) a lot of the time, the game comes down to who can create that little advantage and use it.
The simplest way I can describe offensive basketball is creating advantages, then attacking them. Very flexible terms that can be applied to almost any philosophy. If you think you have an advantage because your post player is 4 inches taller than the other post, you dump it in. If your defender is in a situation where they have to close out on you, you have that advantage. If you have the skills to "break down" the player guarding you, your team will play off the advantage that you will create. Using screening is a great way to create an advantage.
The Suns are a great team to watch for a few reasons. First of all, they try to create an advantage every second that they have the ball by fast breaking all the time. Part of the reason it works so well because the pendulum that is the NBA has been firmly swung to the side of slow-it down half court offense. 10 years of NBA players played in a league where you might only score a fast-break lay-up off a defensive rebound once a year. The other reason that the Suns are so darn good is that Steve Nash is the best in the game at playing with ball picks. Every time you set a pick on the ball, a little advantage is created. The Suns understand that they have an advantage in those situations and so they run them a ton.
It all goes back to that understanding of how to use an advantage. But as we all know, you can have the best offense in the world and create advantages all day, but if you don't have the individual skills to put the ball in the hoop, it doesn't matter.
You want the skills? Play one on one.
When you deconstruct a practice, if you don't do a one on one drill, how many times in a practice will your players have to guard someone as if the game depended on it? 15 times? 10 times? You can sometimes get through an entire practice without ever having to really get down and defend.
Playing one on one is so good for so many reasons. My favorite thing about it is that you have to learn how to read an opposing player, which is really learning how to create an advantage and then use it. Girls do not play enough 1 on 1 basketball at any level to get the amount of reps that it takes to impact your game.
The biggest thing I hear in the Canadian Basketball scene (on the women's side) is that we can't score. I think we are doing a tremendous job here at NEDA of teaching the girls how to play conceptual 5 on 5 basketball. The work we have done on motion offense so far is incredible, at times we run it as well as anyone. But at the risk of sounding old-school, (I know I'm not that old) a lot of the time, the game comes down to who can create that little advantage and use it.
The simplest way I can describe offensive basketball is creating advantages, then attacking them. Very flexible terms that can be applied to almost any philosophy. If you think you have an advantage because your post player is 4 inches taller than the other post, you dump it in. If your defender is in a situation where they have to close out on you, you have that advantage. If you have the skills to "break down" the player guarding you, your team will play off the advantage that you will create. Using screening is a great way to create an advantage.
The Suns are a great team to watch for a few reasons. First of all, they try to create an advantage every second that they have the ball by fast breaking all the time. Part of the reason it works so well because the pendulum that is the NBA has been firmly swung to the side of slow-it down half court offense. 10 years of NBA players played in a league where you might only score a fast-break lay-up off a defensive rebound once a year. The other reason that the Suns are so darn good is that Steve Nash is the best in the game at playing with ball picks. Every time you set a pick on the ball, a little advantage is created. The Suns understand that they have an advantage in those situations and so they run them a ton.
It all goes back to that understanding of how to use an advantage. But as we all know, you can have the best offense in the world and create advantages all day, but if you don't have the individual skills to put the ball in the hoop, it doesn't matter.
You want the skills? Play one on one.
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