The Opening Lessons

When taking over a new team, what do you teach first?

We started the new season with a training camp last week to determine who would play on the first and second teams. Several players missed with injuries and illnesses, so I kept the specifics to a minimum. Practices ranged from 14 to 22 players. The overall goals were to make decisions on players and to change the overall style of play from slow and structured to fast and free. Individually, I started to make small adjustments to a few players’ shooting styles, as several have balance and coordination issues.

Each practice, I attempted to impart a brief lesson. I did not plan this specifically, but realized it after a few days. From memory, these are a few of the initial lessons.

I briefly explained SABA, with a heavy emphasis on disorganizing the defense and being most open when you first catch the ball. The tendency was to hold the ball, as the players are accustomed to sets. The initial goal was to see transition offense as the small advantage — the defense is disorganized. Playing fast creates an initial advantage. Why slow down to run a play or organize into a specific action when the defense is disorganized? Keep the spacing and move the ball.

I finished the first practice with a lesson on personal responsibility, as another team left their water bottles everywhere, and I did not want our team to be that team. I do not have many rules. They primarily boil down to three: (1) Don’t embarrass the club; (2) respect others (specifically teammates, people in the club, and service workers) and the environment (for instance, not running through the hallways of a hotel at 11:00 PM); and (3) take care of your shit (pick up after yourself). Basically, don’t be stupid, or in the All-Blacks terms, no dickheads allowed.

Next, we discussed the most efficient shot types (free throws, layups, catch-and-shoot three-pointers) and the most efficient play types (fast breaks, kick-outs, cutting). The team at this point was filled with dribble-happy combo guards, so changing the mindset and emphasizing the pass and player movement was a major emphasis. The average possession was five out with one guy isolating. Essentially, we did not understand how to play without structure, so we stood around and watched one player isolate.

I added one basic entry as a means of organization when the defense was organized and matched up. I instructed us to attack on a live-ball change of possession with four-out or five-out spacing, and to flow into the entry with five-out spacing after any inbound pass. As the week continued, we discussed different potential options out of the single entry, and incorporated the entry into basic SLOB and BLOB plays when we scrimmaged another team. After watching our scrimmage, running only this one entry with freedom to use as much creativity as possible, the U19 coach asked if I could show him all our sets. We ran a stagger away. BLOB. SLOB. Half-court offense. Everything was stagger away and look for different ways to attack off the basic stagger.

Next, we discussed the two ways to win games: Shoot better (true shooting percentage to account for free throws and three-pointers) and take more shots. When I asked the question, (“What are the two most general ways to win?”), the players responded with the answers most coaches want to hear: Hustle, play hard, rebound, defense. These are important, but primarily because they cause certain behaviors. Hustle in a vacuum can be useless, but hustling to retain possession has value; it impacts winning. Playing hard is just a platitude. How is playing hard directly connected to winning? How does the team play hard? Not enough attention is paid to connecting these desirable characteristics to actionable behaviors. I concentrate less on abstracts such as hustle and effort, and more on concrete actions such as positioning for an offensive rebound or timing for a trap. Effort and playing hard are admirable qualities, but the objective is to create more and better shooting opportunities, as these win games.

I know some coaches dislike discussing actions and behaviors in terms of wins and losses, and our win-loss record will not define my success in this job, but ultimately we play to win. Defining these behaviors as process goals or behaviors that impact winning is the same to me. We may not win because a team may be far more talented or have a remarkable shooting day, things largely outside our control, but we play to win and to make winning plays. Winning should not be a bad word, even in youth sports. Again, if these are called process goals to dissociate from the outcome, that’s fine, but we all know why we play the game. Nobody plays to have a good process. We play to win.

Finally, we discussed improvement. When asked, players responded with common answers: More repetitions, work harder, do more. I emphasized concentration. I called over the team during a movement shooting drill.

I had instructed a few players individually and gave them goals or targets to practice to make subtle shifts in their shooting. I asked how many were concentrating on the instructions. They were attempting to improve by doing more, but simply being in the gym does not make one better. Repetitions improve consistency, but who wants to get more consistent as a 28% three-point shooter? I want improvement. I want change. I want 40% three-point shooters. A 28% three-point shooter shooting more is unlikely to become a 40% shooter. Something has to change: Technique, confidence, shot selection. There are different paths for different players. I want them to understand showing up and putting in the time is the minimum; it does not guarantee improvement. For most, something must change to spur improvement.

That was most of week one. We actually looked like a team by the time we scrimmaged at the end of the week. Passing, off-ball movement, and defensive aggressiveness improved greatly, and over-dribbling and bad shots decreased. The opponent did not test our weaknesses, so there was not much to learn from the game, but we looked better, faster, and more aggressive, which was the most important result from week one in terms of instituting and changing the team’s style of play. Now we can continue to push the pace and refine the details to improve the efficiency offensively and defensively.