tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89128280693387021472024-03-13T13:40:22.908-07:00Eric Musselman's Basketball NotebookNotes, observations, and commentary on basketball and coaching.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1268125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-15777525419043439292009-03-20T14:27:00.000-07:002009-03-26T15:25:12.212-07:00Be willing to shareIf you've found just one item of value on this blog over the last year or so, then it's been worth it. I've certainly enjoyed it. Even more, I've enjoyed interacting with so many great coaches, managers, and friends all over the world.<br /><br />For me, the blog was about sharing items that coaches and leaders might find meaningful or worthy or constructive. In many cases, it was something that someone had shared with me first. After all, that's the nature of coaching.<br /><br />Nearly all of the posts here have included at least one quote. This one will be no different. It comes from a blog reader who passed it along to me recently:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“The greatest difficulty with the world<br />is not its ability to produce,<br />but the unwillingness to share.”</span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-85407443143467167072009-03-20T12:24:00.000-07:002009-03-20T12:34:50.580-07:00Learning the intricacies of the midrange game<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScPvucV4tVI/AAAAAAAADsw/rjnuUOfcs5U/s1600-h/medium_cdr124.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScPvucV4tVI/AAAAAAAADsw/rjnuUOfcs5U/s200/medium_cdr124.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315355566388327762" border="0" /></a>How does it feel to go from "one of the go-to players on the 2008 NCAA Tournament runner-up to being an end-of-the-roster rookie in the NBA"?<br /><br />Nets rookie <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/gamelog?playerId=3422">Chris Douglas-Roberts</a>, who averages a little more than nine minutes a game for NJ and has logged 40 DNPs this season, has worked with Nets assistant Doug Overton on "<a href="http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2009/03/chris_douglasroberts_made_most.html">learning the intricacies of the midrange NBA game</a>."<br /><br />It paid off earlier this week in a win over the Knicks when <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290318018">Douglas-Roberts had 14 points and three steals in 27 minutes</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote>"We played a different type of game (at Memphis)," Douglas-Roberts said. "It was more open offense, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">there's a lot more sets in the NBA. So I just go over everything. I watch a lot of film. This is my job now. So I spend the majority of my time on basketball</span>. You have to be mentally strong, but I'm not the first rookie to go through this. There've been plenty of rookies who had to pay their dues and later in their career, they became stars. So I just look at it like that. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm always positive. I stay positive.</span>"</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-77902002418680132242009-03-20T12:08:00.000-07:002009-03-20T12:22:37.704-07:00Only a small percentage of young guys can come into this league and lead<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScPsjo7XwaI/AAAAAAAADso/fwVQGjAD_Vk/s1600-h/610x-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScPsjo7XwaI/AAAAAAAADso/fwVQGjAD_Vk/s200/610x-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315352082253332898" border="0" /></a>Great <a href="http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/03/20/schultz0320.html">story in the ATL paper today</a> that compares what Matt Ryan did with the Falcons with what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Horford">Al Horford's doing with the Hawks</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote>On a team with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Mike Bibby, Horford has evolved into arguably <span style="font-weight: bold;">the Hawks’ most indispensable player</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Horford is different because he’s leading and he’s not the Hawks’ offensive centerpiece</span>, like Chris Paul in New Orleans or LeBron James in Cleveland. <span style="font-weight: bold;">He’s different because he’s 23 years old, and not nearly acting his age. He’s different because he’s a second-year pro and leading this team</span> —- often by example, sometimes by his words, even in the face of a veteran teammate.</blockquote><br />Veteran Joe Johnson contends that guys like Horford are rare: “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Only a very small percentage of young guys can come into this league and lead. </span> The ones who do usually are the focal point of their team. Al’s different.”<br /><br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">If I see that somebody is not necessarily putting in the effort or is slacking off and it’s noticeable, I’m going to say something</span>. I did it at Florida when I felt I had to. I did it in high school. Here, I’ve done it a couple of times. Usually I’m very mellow. But <span style="font-weight: bold;">sometimes I think something needs to be said, even if I put it out there in front of the whole team, even to the point where the guys might be mad at me for a day or two</span>. I think it’s for the best.”</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-74035410051575240052009-03-20T11:53:00.000-07:002009-03-20T12:07:36.703-07:00Forcing it when it shouldn't be forced<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScPpbe9alhI/AAAAAAAADsg/1hdWPj6UaRk/s1600-h/610x.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScPpbe9alhI/AAAAAAAADsg/1hdWPj6UaRk/s200/610x.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315348643603715602" border="0" /></a>The Lakers are <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=lal">54-14 this season</a>, but 6-3 in March -- a "malaise," as <a href="http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/lakers/stories/PE_Sports_Local_S_web_ja_col_20.493df2b.html">Phil Jackson describes it</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote>'They got down and disgruntled ... I think <span style="font-weight: bold;">it's just the idea that 'nothing's really gone well for me lately, and how am I going to get this going the right way?' Forcing it when it shouldn't be forced, or being too passive when you probably should step up and play harder</span>, or with more aggression. Those are things that we're dealing with."</blockquote><br />According to veteran PG <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Fisher">Derek Fisher</a>, despite winning 54 games thus far, there is a sense of frustration in the locker room.<br /><br /><blockquote>"This is real," he said. "It's not a soap opera. So w<span style="font-weight: bold;">hen you're part of a group, part of a team, you have to respect the fact that guys are going to have different, I don't want to say agendas, but just different things you go through</span>. I know we've had a great season thus far, but we want so much more. That's where the frustration is coming from. <span style="font-weight: bold;">There's probably not any other team that's frustrated with a 54-14 record, but we know what the end goal is</span>."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-85129181416728483992009-03-20T11:42:00.000-07:002009-03-20T11:51:02.209-07:00A coach who's a friend, but not a buddy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScPliDbN7zI/AAAAAAAADsY/xvK36B4krtQ/s1600-h/BobCousy_300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScPliDbN7zI/AAAAAAAADsY/xvK36B4krtQ/s200/BobCousy_300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315344358425095986" border="0" /></a>The great <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Cousy">Bob Cousy</a>, in <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/03/20/rivers_hit_with_25k_fine/">today's Boston Globe</a>, talked about home court advantage, Kobe, LeBron, and Doc Rivers' relationship with his players.<br /><br />On home-court advantage:<br /><br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">It is neutralized in the playoffs</span>, pretty much," Cousy said from Florida in a telephone interview. "In the playoffs, any player worth his salt comes to play wherever the game is. Of course, <span style="font-weight: bold;">you would rather have home-court advantage, but it's easier to overcome in the playoffs than the regular season</span>."</blockquote><br />On LeBron and Kobe:<br /><br /><blockquote>"LeBron is a great one, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">the other guys have got to beat you</span>," Cousy said. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">They can put two, three, four guys on him and force the other guys to beat you; and when you aren't used to doing it, you can't imagine the pressure. A great player thrives under pressure, a mediocre one collapses</span>. All year long, LeBron has been carrying you, now I'm supposed to hit wide-open shots. And it's the same with LA, to some degree. Kobe is great, but still, in my judgment, there is a lack of defense. Kobe is a good defender, but I don't see improvement on the defensive end. It's a tossup, those three teams."</blockquote><br />On Coach Rivers:<br /><br /><blockquote>"Doc maintains as good a relationship with the guys as any coach in the league," Cousy said. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">There is a lot of nodding the head affirmatively, I love you, and yes all the time, but Doc's not that. He's a friend in need but not their buddy</span>. It requires a certain amount of discipline and <span style="font-weight: bold;">they know Doc will be there if they need him, and that creates a bond</span>."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-78329409465123575262009-03-20T04:12:00.000-07:002009-03-20T04:12:04.576-07:00Staying tuned in to the basketball channel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScJGy4e4OmI/AAAAAAAADsQ/jo0XScU6IFw/s1600-h/muggsy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScJGy4e4OmI/AAAAAAAADsQ/jo0XScU6IFw/s200/muggsy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314888350219909730" border="0" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muggsy_Bogues">Muggsy Bogues</a>, the 5-foot-3 PG who played for <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/boguemu01.html">14 seasons in the NBA</a>, on how basketball kept him focused while growing up in inner-city Baltimore.<br /><br /><blockquote>"Basketball was always my savior. You know how a VCR always has to be on channel 3 to get a clear picture? Well, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I was like a VCR: I had to be on the basketball channel to stay focused. If I switched to another channel, things got blurry</span>."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-3743898500080924292009-03-19T05:47:00.001-07:002009-03-19T05:55:11.148-07:00Stay the course; trust the course<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScJAlxRvMcI/AAAAAAAADsI/pS4cBnPwjys/s1600-h/kevin+broadus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScJAlxRvMcI/AAAAAAAADsI/pS4cBnPwjys/s200/kevin+broadus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314881527877677506" border="0" /></a>Binghamton coach <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Broadus">Kevin Broadus</a> (at left), who's been <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/sports/ncaabasketball/22binghamton.html?em">criticized recently</a> for "the academic and behavioral issues" of the players on his roster, says he remembers <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/18/AR2009031803885.html">advice that former Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr. once gave him</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Stay the course. Trust the course. Don't forget what you're doing</span>," Thompson told Broadus. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Put the blinders on. Don't listen to the outside folks</span>. They want you to listen. They want to bring you down."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-36703250996480444602009-03-19T05:22:00.001-07:002009-03-19T05:41:09.807-07:00Those are my players<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScI7QYUNxBI/AAAAAAAADsA/3dXYqjwo0Es/s1600-h/jim+boylen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScI7QYUNxBI/AAAAAAAADsA/3dXYqjwo0Es/s200/jim+boylen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314875662841791506" border="0" /></a>Congrats to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Boylen">Jim Boylen</a> for getting his Utah team to the tourney. According to one Utes player, <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j7mHfrSFuZxvFRZKQhLS6dTp4N_AD970VCAG0">something Coach Boylen said two years ago</a> at the news conference announcing his hiring laid the foundation for trust.<br /><br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Those are my players</span>," Boylen said, nodding at the Utes who were in the room.</blockquote><br />That simple statement, says senior guard <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=27079">Lawrence Borha</a>, was the key.<br /><br /><blockquote>"I never forgot," Borha said. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">He did his work, believed in us, thought we could win. That's when I knew we were going to be a good team</span>."<br /></blockquote><br />An <a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/sports/284802">interesting change</a> Coach Boylen made was to remove the players' names from the back of the home jerseys and replace them with "UTAH." <br /><br />Says one player: "He let everybody know it's more about the team and more about the program than individuals.<br /><br />In addition, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">down the side of the team's home shorts, starting with Boylen's first year, was placed its new slogan — "U, Us and the Muss."</span> "The U is local parlance for the school; Us is for the team; and The Muss is for the student section. The Mighty Utah Student Section takes its name from a line in the school fight song, "Utah Man" — "No other gang of college men dare meet us in the muss."Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-6439497874863048842009-03-19T04:53:00.000-07:002009-03-19T05:20:23.148-07:00Either you use an experience to make you better or it breaks you<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScI4ayPn4uI/AAAAAAAADr4/fiEiHuXLuRY/s1600-h/Coach+Cal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScI4ayPn4uI/AAAAAAAADr4/fiEiHuXLuRY/s200/Coach+Cal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314872543065662178" border="0" /></a>Loved how Memphis coach John Calipari <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2009-03-17-memphis-cover_N.htm">turned over practice</a> to forward <a href="http://gotigersgo.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/dozier_robert00.html">Robert Dozier</a> the other day in a move designed to force the quiet senior to take more of a leadership role with the team.<br /><br />As this article describes, "Calipari left the gym, leaving Dozier on his own to coach."<br /><br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">He thinks I'm too quiet</span>," Dozier says. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">He wanted me to be vocal, get on guys and be more of a leader. I was mad at first, because I didn't want to do it. But I had fun with it</span>. The guys enjoyed it. It wasn't a long practice." The usually subdued Dozier said he tried to get as animated as Calipari, a dynamic, demonstrative speechmaker never at a loss for words. "I had to tone it down," Dozier says, laughing. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">There were a lot of people in there</span>."<br /></blockquote><br />If you're wondering why, at a Memphis practice, "there were a lot of people in there," it's because Coach Cal opens nearly all of the Tigers' practices to the public.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Retired folks stop in with their grandchildren; a postman comes by after finishing his route</span>. For many elite programs, open practices were long abandoned in an Internet age when word can spread fast to rivals about a team's offensive and defensive schemes or a frustrated coach can show up on YouTube for pitching a fit. Calipari shrugs off those possibilities but notes he keeps some practices closed during the NCAA tournament.</blockquote><br />Says Coach Cal: "<span style="font-weight: bold;">I don't have anything to hide</span>. You've got people, their lives seem to be this basketball program. They come to practice four or five times a week. They're able to get on the phone and talk to friends about what we're working on."<br /><br />After his team lost the national championship game last season, Coach Cal was criticized for not having his players properly prepared.<br /><br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Either you use an experience to help build you and make you better and stronger, or the experience breaks you</span>," he says. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">That experience ... it did nothing except good stuff for us</span>. None of it was bad."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-30023339952835831152009-03-19T04:22:00.000-07:002009-03-19T04:22:05.092-07:00The only way you can get commitment is through trust<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDiUvlwPAI/AAAAAAAADq4/0AV55XMfIOQ/s1600-h/the+yankee+years+torre.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDiUvlwPAI/AAAAAAAADq4/0AV55XMfIOQ/s200/the+yankee+years+torre.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314496406297263106" border="0" /></a>Continue to work through Joe Torre's book, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Years-Joe-Torre/dp/0385527403">The Yankee Years</a>." There's a good excerpt that ties into a post from yesterday from Jeffrey Gitomer's book about trust.<br /><br />Torre took over a Yankee team that had "played under the tightly wound [Bucky] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Showalter">Showalter</a>, who had played, coached, and managed so long in the Yankees organization, where Steinbrenner's divide-and-conquer style of leadership was designed to keep everyone uncomfortable, that trust did not come easily to him."<br /><br />In 1996, when <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/torrejo01.shtml">Torre was named manager of the team</a>, "they had a tast of the playoffs," Torre said, "and I think they were grown up enough to know <strong>somebody has to make the decisions</strong>. Whether you like me or believe me, you have to understand that. They were at the point where they knew in order to win we have to work together. And <strong>somebody has to point us in that direction</strong>."<br /><br />I pulled the following from page 10 of the book:<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />Torre provided a complete contrast to Showalter's micromanagement style. He gave his coaches and players a wide berth. One word kept coming up over and over again in the application of his management philosophy: <strong>trust</strong>.<br /><br />"<strong>What I try to do is treat everybody fairly</strong>," Torre said. "<strong>It doesn't mean I treat everybody the same</strong>. But everybody deserves a fair shake. That's the only right thing to do. I'd rather be wrong trusting somebody than never trusting them."<br /><br />"<strong>I'm of the belief that the game belongs to the players, and you have to facilitate that the best you can</strong>. I want them to use their natural ability. If they're doing something wrong, you tell them, but I'd like it to be instructive, rather than robotic. The only thing I want them all to think about is what our goal is and what the at-bats are supposed to represent. And that simply is this: 'What can I do to help us win a game?'"<br /><br />Players quickly bought into Torre's <strong>management-by-trust style</strong>, and they did so because its abiding principle was honesty.<br /><br />"Honesty is important to me. Where does it come from? I don't know, but even when I think back it was always something that was ingrained in me. Even now I may have trouble when I have to tell someone the truth if it's not a pleasant thing, but I won't lie to them. I can't do that. <strong>The only way you can get commitment is through trust</strong>, and you've got to earn that trust."Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-36631673794067789282009-03-18T10:11:00.000-07:002009-03-18T10:11:05.816-07:00What makes one person a champion and the other one not?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDkE-z1_MI/AAAAAAAADrA/ez2Sbt9Ou9I/s1600-h/arnold+schwarzenegger.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 145px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDkE-z1_MI/AAAAAAAADrA/ez2Sbt9Ou9I/s200/arnold+schwarzenegger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314498334528240834" border="0" /></a>Good quote from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger">seven-time Mr. Olympia</a>, in Barbara Walters' autobiography:<br /><br />"What makes one guy a champion and the other one not?" [Walters] asked. <br /><br />Schwarzenegger:<br /><br /><blockquote>"It's drive. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It's the will</span>. There are certain people that grow up with a tremendous hunger and it's usually kids that have struggled when they were young. <span style="font-weight: bold;">When you grow up comfortable and in peace and happiness, all those things will produce a very balanced person and a good person, but it will not create the will and determination and hunger that you need to be the best in the world</span>."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-86694778856507702062009-03-18T06:30:00.000-07:002009-03-18T06:40:49.675-07:00It's called growing up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScD5fQ5MNgI/AAAAAAAADrw/L-IMX3JrdK8/s1600-h/aaron+brooks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScD5fQ5MNgI/AAAAAAAADrw/L-IMX3JrdK8/s200/aaron+brooks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314521875803289090" border="0" /></a>In HOU, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/gamelog?playerId=3192">Aaron Brooks</a> is experiencing some growing pains now that he's moved into the starting PG position. <br /><br />In his words, "it's a little bit of a burden."<br /><br /><blockquote>While Brooks is settling into his role, he does not fit into the traditional point guard mold, someone who looks to set the table. Without Tracy McGrady in the lineup — especially at the end of games — <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brooks is the primary creator</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">That means he’s going to be more offensive-minded, because that is what is required of him.<br /><br />What leaps out are games such as Saturday’s, when Brooks played 31½ minutes, took 18 shots and did not deal a single assist</span>.<br /></blockquote><br /><a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9347660/As-AARON-BROOKS-adjusts-to-his-new-role-with-Rockets,-the-tests-keep-coming-HAVING-TO-LEARN-ON-THE-FLY-ROCKETS:-Pressure-is-on-Brooks-to-deliver-">According to teammate Shane Battier</a>, for Brooks, "the next step for him is to <span style="font-weight: bold;">find a way to use his speed to make his people better. It’s part of the maturation process, and you can’t rush it. It’s called growing up. It’s called living</span>."Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-81802485479499733902009-03-18T06:20:00.001-07:002009-03-18T06:29:19.692-07:00Shaq changes his workouts to extend his career<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScD27i3kfuI/AAAAAAAADro/ver4yplg7X0/s1600-h/shaq.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScD27i3kfuI/AAAAAAAADro/ver4yplg7X0/s200/shaq.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314519063129784034" border="0" /></a>Posted recently about Derek Fisher and Stephon Marbury's workout routines. Today, I see a <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2009/03/16/20090316sunsoneal0317.html">note about how Shaq</a> has changed his fitness regimen.<br /><br />Before a recent game, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">he did 200 sit-ups and 200 push-ups</span> in a concrete corner, an area more suited for 200 crates."<br /><br />That does not even count the times the Suns center bench-pressed strength-and-conditioning coach Erik Phillips in the locker room before scoring 26 points in a 154-130 win at Golden State.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2009/03/16/20090316sunsoneal0317.html">this article</a>, "O'Neal is doing more off and on the court than expected of the NBA's fifth-oldest player. He comes to US Airways Center on off-nights for workouts or free-throw practice and <span style="font-weight: bold;">has joined Jared Dudley on 'the (Steve) Nash diet - no meat, no sugar, no starch, no soda, no nothing</span>.'"<br /><br /><blockquote>"The biggest misnomer is the fact that <span style="font-weight: bold;">everybody says we can't play [uptempo] with Shaq</span>," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">We can play that way with Shaq because he allows us to run and take quick shots. But when there are dead-ball situations, we're able to throw the ball inside. We have the best of both worlds</span>. We can be an up-tempo team and have the most-dominant big guy to ever play the game."</blockquote><br />O'Neal says PHX trainers found that "a posterior muscle... was not 'firing.'"<br /><br /><blockquote>"I thought I was done (last season) because those doctors didn't know what was going on," O'Neal said. "When I got here, it wasn't even a hip problem. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Those guys, Nellie and Mike Clark, they saved me</span>."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-61727072467689144892009-03-18T06:11:00.000-07:002009-03-18T06:19:25.304-07:00The function of basketball is penetration<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScD0tRIBwFI/AAAAAAAADrg/nnOrLsLkMVw/s1600-h/kobe+vs+lakers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScD0tRIBwFI/AAAAAAAADrg/nnOrLsLkMVw/s200/kobe+vs+lakers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314516618825547858" border="0" /></a>As he's done from time to time this season, DAL coach Rick Carlisle "<a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/zone-lakers-defense-2337215-basketball-vujacic">hatched a surprise</a>" recently against the Lakers -- a zone defense that "caused confusion" and "bog[ged] down the Lakers offense."<br /><br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">We hadn't seen a zone for a long time and it came out of nowhere</span>," Vujacic said Monday. "For 60 games teams played man-to-man against us. No team played zone."</blockquote><br />LA won the game, but the zone worked for time, as "the Lakers offense went stagnant."<br /><br /><blockquote>"When the zone got sprung on [the second unit], they had that hesitation and <span style="font-weight: bold;">ended up shooting nine 3-pointers that didn't go in</span>," Coach Phil Jackson said. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">That was a loss of focus because they lost the function of basketball, which is penetration</span>."</blockquote><br />To <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/zone-lakers-defense-2337215-basketball-vujacic">prepare for the next time</a> they face a zone, "the Lakers spent the majority of Monday's two-hour practice working on the principles of their zone offense. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The focus was on the best ways to attack a zone, which include moving the basketball to make the zone shift, making sharp cuts without the ball, and maintaining proper spacing</span>."Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-60779631256194181882009-03-18T05:57:00.000-07:002009-03-18T06:10:19.317-07:00Trying to make your opponent uncomfortable<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDybvQPFNI/AAAAAAAADrY/BNgDSGUTLaE/s1600-h/brian+cardinal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDybvQPFNI/AAAAAAAADrY/BNgDSGUTLaE/s200/brian+cardinal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314514118652138706" border="0" /></a>Good <a href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/41350567.html?page=1&c=">story in the Minneapolis paper</a> about 31-year-old veteran <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Cardinal">Brian Cardinal</a>, who's proving in MIN that he can still contribute.<br /><br /><blockquote>"After he watched for the season's opening month, he has become a valuable, contributing member of coach Kevin McHale's rotation, playing as many as <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/gamelog?playerId=130">35 minutes Friday against New York</a> when his team had about seven healthy bodies."</blockquote><br />As evident from this quote, one of Cardinal's strengths is his attitude:<br /><br /><blockquote>"It's tough to just sit over there and watch, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">I knew at some point in time something was going to happen because that's just how this league is</span>," Cardinal said. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">It's crazy: Some days, you play. Some days, you don't. Sometimes, your number is called. Sometimes, it's not. You have to be ready at all times</span>. I'm just lucky Mac has had some faith in me."</blockquote><br />According to the <a href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/41350567.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsl">Star-Tribute article</a>, when they traded for him, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">the Wolves... received a veteran who didn't complain when he didn't play and who has contributed with his defense</span>, his ability to make the right play and even with his three-point shooting, whether he plays five minutes or 35. He has made seven three-pointers in the past three games."<br /><br /><blockquote>"The last game, <span style="font-weight: bold;">he had three steals, and he took three charges</span>," [Coach] McHale said. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">That's six possessions. That's huge</span>."</blockquote><br />Cardinal is one of those rare NBA role players who, as <a href="http://emuss.blogspot.com/2009/03/its-exceptional-when-you-find-role.html">Dr. J said here</a>, understands his role and is happy to be in the league. Cardinal is first to acknowledge that he's "heavy on will and seemingly light on skill."<br /><blockquote><br />"I'm not the greatest of athletes, the greatest of jumpers," he said. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">The list of things I'm not very good at goes on and on. I try to make up for that with hard work and just knowing the game</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I try to make people somewhat uncomfortable. Anytime you're in your comfort zone, you're at your best. So I try to make the other guy uncomfortable</span>."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-7579847538950774722009-03-18T05:17:00.000-07:002009-03-18T05:57:20.045-07:00You can give it everything and still lose, yet it's still worth it<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDoo6xU6ZI/AAAAAAAADrI/kSVk9hK02F0/s1600-h/mike+montgomery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDoo6xU6ZI/AAAAAAAADrI/kSVk9hK02F0/s200/mike+montgomery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314503349965744530" border="0" /></a>Mike Montgomery is in his first season as head coach at Cal but he "guided Stanford to 12 NCAA appearances including the 1998 Final Four."<br /><br />To <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_11922283">get his Cal players excited about the tourney</a>, "after the team's regular season had concluded at Arizona State, Montgomery assembled his players. He showed them a video about the NCAA tournament, featuring big moments and big plays. Montgomery then spoke of his own March Madness experiences to a locker room in which 10 of the 15 players had never been on the court in an NCAA game."<br /><br /><blockquote>"I told them," Montgomery said, "how they don't understand how hard it is to win in the tournament, how <span style="font-weight: bold;">they don't have any idea yet how big a deal this is. It's something you'll look back on and you need to cherish it</span>. I talked to them about the <span style="font-weight: bold;">heartbreak that can happen when you give it everything and sell your souls out and still lose — but how it's all worth it</span>."</blockquote><br />"He got a little emotional about it,'' point guard Jerome Randle said. "He was talking about the memories you can have, about how once you get there, anything can happen. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It's a serious deal for him</span>."Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-72981031407938462892009-03-18T05:10:00.000-07:002009-03-27T19:55:35.426-07:00Difference-makers in the NCAA, NIT tournaments<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDuqYhs8bI/AAAAAAAADrQ/hEqNAh6_V40/s1600-h/NCAA+logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/ScDuqYhs8bI/AAAAAAAADrQ/hEqNAh6_V40/s200/NCAA+logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314509972202910130" border="0" /></a>A big key to winning in the NCAA Tournament is having pro prospects, whether NBA, D-League, or European League.<br /><br />Here's a list of guys I'd consider "difference makers" at the college college level who are playing in the NCAA tourney. [Ranked by pro potential.]<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SOUTH REGION</span><br /><br />1. Blake Griffin - Oklahoma, PF<br />2. James Harden - Arizona State, OG/SF<br />3. Ty Lawson - UNC, PG<br />4. Willie Warren - Oklahoma, OG<br />5. Tyler Hansbrough - UNC, PF<br />6. Jonny Flynn - Syracuse, PG<br />7. Austin Daye - Gonzaga, SF<br />8. Gordon Hayward – Butler, SF<br />9. Ed Davis - UNC, PF<br />10. Manny Harris - Michigan, OG<br />11. Trevor Booker - Clemson, F<br />12. Marcus Thornton - LSU<br />13. Jeff Pendergraph - Arizona State, PF<br />14. Wayne Ellington - UNC, OG<br />15. Jeremy Pargo - Gonzaga, PG<br />16. KC Rivers - Clemson, OG<br />17. Matt Bouldin - Gonzaga, OG<br />18. Danny Greene - UNC, SG/SF<br />19. Josh Heytvelt - Gonzaga, PF<br />20. DeShawn Sims - Michigan, PF<br />21. Dionte Christmas – Temple, G<br />22.A.J. Slaughter -Western Kentucky ,OG<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Others of note in South Region:</span> Tasmin Mitchell (LSU), Matt Howard (Butler), Mike Tisdale (Illinois), Artsiom Parakhouski (Radford), Matt Kingsley (SFA),Orlando -Mendez-Valdez(Western Kentucky), Chester Frazier (Illinois/injured).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EAST REGION</span><br /><br />1. Gerald Henderson - Duke, OG<br />2. Jrue Holiday - UCLA, OG<br />3. DeJuan Blair - Pittsburgh, PF<br />4. Kyle Singler - Duke. SF<br />5. Darren Collison - UCLA, PG<br />6. Damion James - Texas, PF<br />7. Eric Maynor - VCU, PG<br />8. Sam Young - Pittsburgh, SF<br />9. AJ Abrams - Texas, PG<br />10. Tyler Smith - Tennessee, SF<br />11. LeVance Fields – Pittsburgh, PG<br />12. Scotty Hopson - Tennessee, OG<br />13. Derrick Brown - Xavier, PF<br />14. Toney Douglas - Florida State, OG<br />15. Jon Scheyer – Duke, G<br />16. James Anderson -Oklahoma State, SF<br />17. Larry Sanders -VCU, PF<br />18. Corey Fisher – Villanova, PG<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other East Region players of note:</span> Scottie Reynolds (Villanova), Dante Cunningham (Villanova), Dexter Pittman (Texas), Lawrence Westbrook (Minnesota),Solomon Alabi( Florida State ), Ralph Sampson (Minnesota), Elliott Williams (Duke), Marcus Landry (Wisconsin), Derrick Mercer (American), Courtney Pigram (ETSU), Jeremiah Dominguez (Portland State), DJ Rivera (Binghampton).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MIDWEST REGION</span><br /><br />1. Jeff Teague - Wake Forest, G<br />2. Jordan Hill - Arizona, PF<br />3. Earl Clark - Louisville, SF<br />4. BJ Mullins - Ohio State, C<br />5. Al-Farouq Aminu - Wake Forest, F<br />6. DerMar Derozan - USC, SF<br />7. Evan Turner - Ohio State, F<br />8. Terrance Williams - Louisville, SF<br />9. Cole Aldrich - Kansas, C<br />10. James Johnson - Wake Forest, F<br />11. Chase Budinger - Arizona, SF/OG<br />12. Samardo Samuels - Louisville, F<br />13. Devin Ebanks - West Virginia, F<br />14.Kalin Lucas (Michigan State), PG<br />15. Sherron Collins - Kansas, PG<br />16. Raymar Morgan - Michigan State, F<br />17. Taj Gibson - USC, PF<br />18. Tyrese Rice - Boston College, G<br />19. William Buford - Ohio State, OG<br />20. Tony Woods - Wake Forest, C/PF<br />21. Luke Nevill - Utah, C<br />22. Tyshawn Taylor – Kansas, PG<br />23. Daniel Hackett – USC, PG<br />24. Nic Wise – Arizona, PG<br />25. Ben Woodside – North Dakota State, G<br />26. Chris Wright – Dayton, F<br />27. Kenneth Faried - Morehead State, PF<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other Midwest Region players of note:</span> DaSean Butler (West Virginia), Brandon Brooks (Alabama State), Goran Suton (Michigan State), Jeremy Chappell (Robert Morris), J'Nathan Bullock (Cleveland State), Chief Kickingstallionsims (Alabama State),Ty Walker ( Wake Forrest )<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">WEST REGION</span><br /><br />1. Hasheem Thabeet - UConn, C<br />2. Tyreke Evans - Memphis, PG<br />3. Jarvis Varnado - Mississippi State, C<br />4. Jerel McNeal - Marquette, OG<br />5. Kemba Walker – Connecticut, PG<br />6. Greivis Vasquez - Maryland, G<br />7. AJ Price – Connecticut, PG<br />8. DeMarre Carroll - Missouri, SF<br />9. Robbie Hummel - Purdue, OG<br />10. Jon Brockman - Washington, PF<br />11. Lee Cummard - BYU, OG/SF<br />12. Wesley Matthews - Marquette, SF<br />13. Jerome Randall - California, PG<br />14. Ryan Whitman - Cornell, OG/SF<br />15. Patrick Christopher - California, OG<br />16. Isiah Thomas - Washington, PG<br />17. Jeff Adrien – Connecticut, PF<br />18. Gary Williams -Utah State, PF<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other West Region players of note:</span> JaJuan Johnson (Purdue), Josh Carter (Texas A&M), Dominic James (Marquette/injured), Theo Robertson (Cal), Justin Dentmon (Washington).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Top NIT players ( ranked as pro prospects):</span><br /><br />1. Greg Monroe - Georgetown, PF/C<br />2. Stephen Curry - Davidson, PG<br />3. Patrick Mills - St. Mary's, PG<br />4. Patrick Patterson - Kentucky, PF<br />5. Jodie Meeks – Kentucky, G<br />6. Korvotney Barber – Auburn, F<br />7. Jerome Jordan - Tulsa, C<br />8. DaJuan Summers - Georgetown, SF<br />9. Talor Battle – Penn State, PG<br />10. Nick Calathes - Florida, OG<br />11. Luke Harangody - Notre Dame, PF<br />12. Jack McClinton - Miami, PG/OG<br />13. Curtis Jerrells - Baylor, PG<br />14. Tory Jackson – Notre Dame, PG<br />15. Tony Danridge – New Mexico, OG/SF<br />16. LaceDarius Dunn – Baylor, OG<br />17. Chad Toppert – New Mexico, OG<br />18. Darryl Monroe – George Mason, PF<br />19. Glenn Andrews – Tulsa, F<br />20. Lawrence Kinnard – UAB, SF<br />21. DeQuan Jones - Miami, OG<br />22.Omar Samhan- St. Mary's, C<br />23. Damian Saunders - Duquesne, PF<br />24. John Vaughan – George Mason, G<br />25. Diamon Simpson-St. Mary's, PF/SF<br />26. Devan Downey – South Carolina, PG<br />27.Taylor Rochestie- Washington State, G<br />others of Note<br />Aaron Jackson (Duquesne)<br />Jacob Pullen ( Kansas State )<br />A.D.Vassallo ( Virginia Tech)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-44454838949496966752009-03-18T04:09:00.000-07:002009-03-18T05:01:03.000-07:00Are you willing to bet on yourself?<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313975485615436290" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 133px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb8IjK098gI/AAAAAAAADqw/9XZN8wq5_Xs/s200/gitomer+book+trust.jpg" border="0" /> Found a great little book by Jeffrey Gitomer the other day titled "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jeffrey-Gitomers-Little-Teal-Trust/dp/0137154100">Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Teal Book of Trust</a>." It's only a couple of hundred pages, but it's a wonderful book -- one that I'd consider giving to other coaches and players.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Here's a good excerpt from the first part of Gitomer's book:</div><br /><div>~~~~~~~~~~</div><br /><div>Have you ever looked back at a decision you made and scolded yourself, almost punished yourself, for making the wrong decision or realizing you could have made a better decision?</div><br /><div>Monday-morning quarterbacks are always correct. They see what could have been done or should have been done on Sunday, and talk about it on Monday as though they could have gone back to Sunday and done it themselves.</div><br /><div>People who go back and chastise themselves, or second-guess themselves, for making a wrong decision continue to set themselves up for failure in future decisions simply because they don't trust themselves.</div><br /><div>I maintain that your judgment should always be trusted and never be second-guessed. That doesn't mean you won't make errors. That's why they call it judgment.</div><br /><div>But I'm challenging you to <strong>look at incorrect decisions as lessons</strong>, life's lessons.</div><br /><div><strong>Mistakes in judgement are the best teachers in the world</strong>, and if you choose to learn from them, then you will begin to trust yourself and understand that, correct or incorrect, you were decisive and moved on.</div><br /><div>Oh, you may rely on others. Oh, you may be dependent on others. But <strong>reliance and dependence are mutually exclusive of trust</strong>.</div><br /><div><strong>In order to build trust and become a trusted advisor to others, you have to first trust yourself</strong>. This means you have to trust your thinking, your wisdom, your knowledge, your judgment, your instincts, your powers of observation,your powers of dedication, your ability to reason, and your ability to discern.</div><br /><div>You must be decisive. Trusted people are not wishy-washy. Trusted people do not pass the buck. <strong>Trusted people are willing to bet on themselves</strong>. It's not "trust me." It's "trust yourself."</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-27871018665238375922009-03-17T04:13:00.000-07:002009-03-17T07:27:08.953-07:00A team that's unafraid<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb8BfcHxviI/AAAAAAAADqo/U8moq9UcmYM/s1600-h/geno+a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313967724956859938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 136px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb8BfcHxviI/AAAAAAAADqo/U8moq9UcmYM/s200/geno+a.jpg" border="0" /></a>UConn's women's coach Geno Auriemma, whose team is 33-0 and favored to win another NCAA title, says <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/sports/ncaabasketball/17uconn.html?ref=sports">this year's team has something in common</a> with great UConn teams of the past:<br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><blockquote>“<strong>We’re not afraid to lose</strong>. That’s the biggest thing. We might play bad. We might get beat. But, generally, <strong>the years we’ve had great teams, we’ve been unafraid</strong>.”<br /></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-69516027263204049582009-03-17T04:05:00.000-07:002009-03-17T07:23:50.767-07:00If you're looking for someone to follow, why not follow the one who is sure the outcome of the journey will be positive?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5qQ3FkRdI/AAAAAAAADqA/fmWzaYbb8nc/s1600-h/jeter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5qQ3FkRdI/AAAAAAAADqA/fmWzaYbb8nc/s200/jeter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313801448241513938" border="0" /></a>In Joe Torre's book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Years-Joe-Torre/dp/0385527403">The Yankee Years</a>," there's a section about <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jeterde01.shtml">Derek Jeter</a> that really jumped out at me:<br /><br />What was it about Jeter that enabled him to succeed in clutch situations? He was comfortable with himself. There were never doubts about who he was or what the mission was all about.<br /><br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm an optimist by nature</span>," Jeter said. "That's why when it comes to any negative stuff, I don't like to hear about it. I don't like to read about it. I don't like to know about it. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> I try to be positive</span>."</blockquote><br />Such a strong belief in a positive outcome sustains Jeter, lifts him above any self-doubt or any awareness of the consequences of failure. It is a characteristic he brought to the Yankees as a 21-year-old rookie, not a vestige of the big leauge experience he gained.<br /><br />Teammates tapped into that quality immediately. <span style="font-weight: bold;">If you're looking for someone to follow, why not follow the one who is sure the outcome of the journey will be positive?</span> Why not follow someone, even a kid in his first full year in the big leagues, who stays cool at all times, who is unfamiliar with worry and anxiety?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-54201605435845507192009-03-16T08:42:00.000-07:002009-03-16T08:47:57.542-07:00The need for a "killer instinct"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb50nvqsocI/AAAAAAAADqg/XbZLzfzx6t0/s1600-h/phil+jackson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb50nvqsocI/AAAAAAAADqg/XbZLzfzx6t0/s200/phil+jackson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313812836503036354" border="0" /></a>The Lakers are <a href="http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Div.html">53-13</a> but coach Phil Jackson has <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/la-sp-lakers-mavericks16-2009mar16,0,1691458.story">noticed that something has been missing</a> from his club in the second half of the season:<br /><br /><blockquote>"I thought <span style="font-weight: bold;">we had perhaps a better killer instinct earlier in the year</span>, if you can use that term," Jackson said. "I'm not fond of it, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">when we had a team [down] 15, we'd try to extend it to 25 and tried to take the heart out of teams</span> earlier in the year. Right now, I think that we've kind of played around with teams at times and allowed them to stay around in games and this is one of them."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-36999333965926922772009-03-16T08:33:00.000-07:002009-03-16T08:40:20.487-07:00There's always teaching to be done<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5ypsA024I/AAAAAAAADqY/XLBsRc2wTJo/s1600-h/gary+williams.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5ypsA024I/AAAAAAAADqY/XLBsRc2wTJo/s200/gary+williams.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313810670858591106" border="0" /></a>Was happy to see Maryland <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=527849">get into the NCAA tourney</a> after fighting through the season. The Terps' ability to get to the Dance is a credit to coach Gary Williams.<br /><br />Here's an <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/mens/bal-sp.maese15mar15,0,5806601.column">excerpt from a Baltimore Sun story</a> today that really captures his essence (and the essence of coaching):<br /><blockquote><br />There was a moment late in yesterday's game. <span style="font-weight: bold;">There was less than a minute on the clock</span>, and Duke was inbounding the ball on the baseline near Maryland's bench. Williams stood just a few feet away from where the play would begin, his eyes and attention focused on <a href="http://www.umterps.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/milbourne_landon00.html">Landon Milbourne</a>, who was guarding the inbound passer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Move! Move! Move, Landon! Move!"</span> Williams screamed, his face turning redder than his necktie.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Terps' chances of winning were slipping away, but Williams was still teaching</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">He wasn't ready to stop. He knew he had more coaching to do. He has always known, in fact.</span><br /><br />And now everyone else knows that, too.</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-66020197573852313042009-03-16T08:23:00.000-07:002009-03-16T08:32:10.173-07:00You think you're tough, but are you really tough?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5w1qcOHBI/AAAAAAAADqQ/_llSnYbeYDc/s1600-h/phil+johnson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5w1qcOHBI/AAAAAAAADqQ/_llSnYbeYDc/s200/phil+johnson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313808677571795986" border="0" /></a>Good <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/basketball/la-sp-usc-basketball16-2009mar16,0,257610.story">note here</a> about how USC's turnaround began "two weeks ago during a film session before a game against Oregon, when assistant coach <a href="http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/johnson_phil00.html">Phil Johnson</a> (pictured here) had a harsh assessment of the team."<br /><br /><blockquote>"He got up and told us we were not a tough team and it was time to show people how tough USC was," guard Daniel Hackett said. "We did by winning five consecutive games."<br /><br />"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Coach Johnson is like Papa Angry</span>," forward Taj Gibson said. "<span style="font-weight: bold;">He doesn't say much often, but when he lashes out, it wakes you up</span>. He turned off the Oregon film and just said, '<span style="font-weight: bold;">You think you're tough, but are you really tough?</span>' Guys snapped out of it."<br /><br />USC swept Oregon and Oregon State to finish the regular season.<br /><br />"We took that as a challenge," guard Dwight Lewis said. "Someone saying you're not tough, when you know you are? We wanted to prove we were a tough team and we had heart."<br /></blockquote><br />When asked about his team's toughness," USC coach Tim Floyd said:<br /><br /><blockquote>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">They can kill you, but they can't eat you</span>. Obviously, when you had to take the path we had to take to get there, you're just thrilled to be in this field," Floyd said. But, he added, "At this point, <span style="font-weight: bold;">that's yesterday's news. Put the DVD your mama made under the bed and start getting ready for the next one</span>, Boston College."</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-49879354768452915202009-03-16T08:08:00.001-07:002009-03-16T08:18:47.343-07:00One AD's list of requirements for prospective coaches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5szDpLmMI/AAAAAAAADqI/Fjm5PLUiKlk/s1600-h/louis+orr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5szDpLmMI/AAAAAAAADqI/Fjm5PLUiKlk/s200/louis+orr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313804234750924994" border="0" /></a>Bowling Green's AD <a href="http://bgsufalcons.cstv.com/genrel/061306aaa.html">Greg Christopher</a> has a list traits he looks for when hiring a coach. It's the same list he used when he hired <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Orr">Louis Orr</a> (pictured here) last year to coach the BGSU hoops team.<br /><br />Any coach he hires must...<br /><br />-- Exhibit absolute integrity and high character.<br />-- Have a solid reputation of success and work ethic.<br />-- Show a passion to recruit and evaluate talent.<br />-- Work as a team member in an 18-sport athletic department.<br />-- Commit to his or her players' academics.<br /><br /><blockquote>"If they don't have one of those things on that list, they won't be considered for the position," Christopher said.</blockquote><br />According to this <a href="http://hoopscoach.wordpress.com">post of Hoops Coach</a>, what helped Coach Orr "separate from other candidates was his success at Seton Hall."<br /><br />Said Christopher: "He kept standing out because of his <span style="font-weight: bold;">credibility</span>."Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912828069338702147.post-29912996316004158822009-03-16T07:45:00.001-07:002009-03-16T07:55:36.415-07:00Real coaching is teaching people to play the game better<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5oFDcgm-I/AAAAAAAADp4/a8WBbHL_BNg/s1600-h/the+genius+bill+walsh.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DwVZxvcY_7I/Sb5oFDcgm-I/AAAAAAAADp4/a8WBbHL_BNg/s200/the+genius+bill+walsh.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313799046377282530" border="0" /></a>Interesting thoughts from the late <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Walsh_%28football_coach%29">Bill Walsh</a> in David Harris' book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Genius-Reinvented-Football-Created-Dynasty/dp/1400066654/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237215137&sr=8-1">The Genius</a>" about how he formed his coaching philosophy.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />"[When he began his coaching career], there was this religion of 'toughness' in coaching circles those days and all coaches were trying to be like marine drill sergeants and scare people into playing well. I got caught up in that for a while but I concluded it didn't come close to working. It was kind of a mass delusion.<br /><br />All the coaches thought the players loved them despite how badly they treated them, and all the players were doing were putting up with the coach so they could play football. Instead of loving and revering the coach, they couldn't stand im and were disgusted with him but they wanted to play football. They wanted the fellowship, they wanted the association, they wanted the excitement, and only put up with the bullying because they had to. Most played football in spite of the coach.<br /><br />By the time I left Cal I had decided that if you taught people to play the game better, that was real coaching -- being a teacher rather than a thug."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com