WILL BE BACK - STAY TUNED!

Will be back in March for hoops blogging - stay tuned!

Gilbert Arenas - Common Sense

I'm not usually one to criticize players or writers, but I did notice this today and felt compelled to put something down.

Now I've always been a fan of Gilbert Arenas, the player that is. He heats up quick and he plays with a fearlessness that I love.

A few years ago I came across Gil's blog and became a fan of Gilbert Arenas, the personality. He's quirky, pretty well spoken and entertaining. Plus, who can forget his sweet Adidas commercial about nobody believing in him, and proving doubters wrong. I love that he embodied that.

But, injuries mounted and production on the court slowed and Gilbert's act began running stale. Well that brings us to this year and a (hopefully) healthy Gilbert Arenas.

At the Wizards' media day, Michael Lee of the Washington Post uncovered this quote from Gil:

"The biggest thing he had to say was that he was done being an entertainer. No more Agent Zero. No more hibachi. No more antics. No more blogging. And he says he has no plans to get on Twitter. Arenas said he is focused only on playing basketball and being more a leader for the team."

Really Gil? It took four years for you to realize that. How about you are in the NBA and are get paid to produce on the court..not entertain fans off the court electronically. I'm just glad that he's finally realized it and I hope we see some of the player that he once was.

Michael Jordan Inducted Into the Hall of Fame

So what would the greatest basketball player of all time say when inducted into the Hall of Fame?

Well, he did what he does best..talked a lot of trash. But he did impart some wisdom at the end. Here was his closing quote:

The game of basketball has been everything to me. My refuge, my place I've always gone when I needed comfort and peace. It's been a source of intense pain and a source of most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction and one that no one can even imagine. It's been a relationship that has evolved over time and has given me the greatest respect and love for the game. It's provided me a platform to share my passion with millions, in way that I neither expected, nor could have imagined in my career. I hope that it's given the millions of people that I've touched the optimism and desire to achieve their goals through hard work, perseverance and positive attitude. Although I'm recognized with this tremendous honor of being in the basketball Hall of Fame. I don' look at this moment as the defining end of my relationship with basketball. It’s simply a continuation of something I started a long time ago. One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50..oh don't laugh. Never say never. Because limits like fears, are often an illusion.

Pretty intense stuff.

Today's Hall of Fame Class

All greats entering the Hall of Fame.

In terms of skill, athleticism, championships and all other ways you can measure player and coaches impacts on the court, this class is as good as you can find.

They also are all true professionals off the court and are role models for today's players and coaches in ways to behave in your profession.

For more thoughts about Jordan, Stockton and Robinson, view this link.

Steve Nash High School

I recently came across this highlight video of Steve Nash playing basketball in high school in Canada:



Now, while this video is indeed a highlight tape - I think its clear that you can see the certain qualities in Nash's game which has made him successful in his basketball career.

What I'm writing about today is for the amazing fact that all the major Division I basketball programs in the country overlooked him in high school and why that could be.

Now one thing is for certain - in every game Nash has played post high school, he probably never once was the tallest, strongest or fastest player on the court. Those attributes being the "staple" of today's basketball player and generally considered "must haves."

But Nash is a great example, maybe even the best example for the idea that more goes into athleticism than those few things. But before we get into that, I'd like to address a few things.

First of all, lets be clear here - in terms of the greater percentage of basketball players around the world, Nash was blessed with great physical gifts. While he may not be the fastest or strongest, Nash is fast and he is strong. I think this pre-conceived notion that since Nash can't dunk that he must be this slouch in movement athleticism is absurd.

But there clearly is more to Nash's game and athleticism in general. Things like coordination, balance, stamina and agility. These are areas that Nash is world class in. Nash is also a master of anticipation and creativity - things that playing soccer certainly enhanced. (Going to be exploring this further in an upcoming post, stay tuned.)

Nash needed not to prove his career anymore than simply making the NBA, that was justification enough. He went above and beyond, however. He's won two MVP's, he will be considered one of the 10 greatest point guards to ever play and if it wasn't for some bad luck, probably would have had a championship by now.

He is a great case study for college recruiters that you can't simply overlook somebody if they don't pass the "eye test." You need to take the whole of a player and consider everything they bring to the table before ruling someone out.

There is more than one way to succeed in the game of basketball and Steve Nash is living proof of that.

Great Expectations

Twitter is an excellent networking tool for coaches and among the coaches that I have met, one of them struck me with his love and passion for the game. His name is Tyler Roberts and he is an up and coming coach. Over his career Tyler has had stops at many different schools in the Rochester, NY area. To name some: St. Johns Fisher, Victor High School, Geneva High School and he is the current head coach at Midlakes High School. I was impressed with Coach Roberts knowledge and asked him to do some blogging over here at Dif's World. Coach Roberts decided to be topical and write about point guard play. Take a look, and you can follow him on Twitter he's @CoachxRoberts.

Here is a list of what most coaches EXPECT an "average" point guard to be able to do on the basketball court consistently.

• Handle the ball under pressure.
• Find the open man.
• Knock down game sealing free throws.
• Recognize/exploit mismatches.
• Defend bigger guards.
• Run the offense.
• Balance the floor.
• Make impeccable decisions in the open floor.
• Pass to shooters with the seams on their fingertips.
• Finish in traffic.
• Make open 3's.
• Act as an extension of the coach on the floor in games and practice.
• Set the tone on defense.
• Stay out of foul trouble.
• Get the ball to the right people at the right times.

If a point guard fails to accomplish these tasks they are considered unworthy of the position, and are either moved to an off guard position or they are simply benched. Often times the expectations of a PG are so demanding that you'll hear coaches say that they are splitting the responsibility between two guards that will play at the same time. This happens more at the high school level.

As a high school coach I like to have at least two capable point guards on the floor at once and designate one of them as a "primary point guard" to receive outlet passes and bring the ball up. I've had as many as four guys on the court at once that could assume the role of PG. I think it's important to have multiple players on the floor with the mindset that they have significant responsibility for relieving pressure and carrying out the other tasks of a PG.

Next time you watch a basketball game ask yourself if you are holding every position to the same level of expectations. It would be safe to say that PGs are expected to do far more than any other position.

What a Point Guard Does

Point Guards can come in all shapes and sizes from the tiny Mugsy Bogues to the big hulking Magic Johnson. They can have different playing styles, from Stockton's pass first attack to Tony Parker's penetration attack.

The point (no pun intended) is they win and they do what's necessary.

Truehoop takes a look at Lou Williams and his attempt to play the point guard position for the Sixers this season, despite not being a "natural".

Take a look. I think its important as long as Lou is making plays, that he will succeed.

PG Links

Here's some links to keep point guard week rolling...

• I think the true measure of a point guard is if he's a winner or not, much the same way a quarterback is judged. In that sense, I love Chris Duhon's attitude. He doesn't care if other PG's are brought in as long as it makes the Knicks better.
  
• The Oklahoma City and head coach Scott Brooks knows made a great coaching hire when they grabbed Mo Cheeks. Brooks a former PG recognized the mind of another former PG in Cheeks to have him join his staff. Says a lot about both of those ego's.
  
• A good sign for Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards as Agent 0 went out to famed Barry Farms in D.C. and put on a show. Only took two jump-shots on the way to 35 points.
  
• Duke getting a recruit to come in a year early and help bolster a back court that could use some depth. Andre Dawkins may be a true shooting guard, but says "If they need me at point guard, I'll play there."
  
• Think Kentucky is going to have a loaded back court next year? Here's the Top 5 NCAA Men's Basketball Point Guard recruits according to Associated Content. #'s 1 and 3 are headed to UK.

Tyreke Evans Tops Rookie Point Guard Edition

As promised for Dif's World of Basketball this was going to be point guard week. In honor of that, I decided to kick it off with a massive ranking of all the NBA starting point guards. If you haven't had a chance to look at that yet, you can do so by clicking here.

If you're coming over from Sir Charles In Charge welcome and you've found the right place. The following is my rookie edition of that rankings list. For the rookies since they don't have any NBA games to go from, I decided to use mostly what I saw during their respective summer leagues and their expectations coming into this season to construct my rankings. Enjoy.

1. Tyreke Evans - Of all the rookie point guards, Evans is one of the two I feel has a chance to become a "star" in the league. By star meaning All-Star. He's a bull when going to the basket and his mind frame of always being in attack mode, whether crafted from the dribble drive or just a product of what's within Evans, is perfectly suited for the new style of play in the NBA. Here's to hoping the Kings allow him to make plays on the move. Right now I believe Evans is slotted to be the point guard for the Kings. Certainly he has some ways to go in terms of play making and helping his teammates get better, but based off his summer, I have to put him at number one.

2. Jonny Flynn - The other potential "star" of this rookie point guard class. I think his game will translate well to the NBA. He's small but explosive. He can penetrate. He can finish. His shooting is coming along. Plus I think he has the competitive edge which is going to set him apart. He's a guy other players can rally around and that is an important (obviously) quality to have as a point guard.

3. Rodrique Beaubois - He was pretty dynamic in the Las Vegas Summer League and was a surprise. There is a lot more to playing point guard in the NBA than just being an athlete, but Beaubois has elite quickness.

4. Brandon Jennings - Jennings certainly has the swagger of an All-Star. I've the two summer games I saw him play I was impressed with his fearlessness. Jennings is going to be a work in progress but the more reps he gets at playing point guard the better he is going to be. As a defender, he's going to give opposing point guards fits and may be a game changer already. He has a certain flair to his game, which is ok, but he is to make sure that flair is always being used for him and not against him.

5. Toney Douglas - This ACC guard proved he's about more than just scoring. During summer ball he was giving out 7 assists a game. He will be a nice addition to the Knicks back court and should push Duhon for minutes.

6. Stephen Curry - One thing Curry made clear to all those watching the Las Vegas summer league, the rookie will not be afraid to put up shots. During summer ball he was putting 16 shots per game. Paired in a back court with another offensive minded guard (Monta Ellis) one of them is going to have to defer. Despite his appetite for shooting, Curry is cerebral enough to play point guard in the NBA. Plus he has really good hands which help him on defense. There were times at Davidson last season, however, where he got caught up trying too hard to make the spectacular pass. This may have been a product of the situation he was in, or simply his way of playing the game. I think if he can tone that down and concentrate on making simple plays, Curry is going to be just fine, borderline All-Star one day.

7. Ty Lawson - Fell into a nice situation being on a contender. Should offer up a significant change of pace to Billups bruising style. He also had a nice summer league and he's proven he can lead a team to a championship.

8. Eric Maynor - Can learn a lot playing behind Deron Williams and he is going to be in some big games as a rookie. With skilled teammates spreading the floor for him his game is going to flourish.

9. Jrue Holliday - Made an impact in the summer league as a defender and that's where I think his most value will be this year. Once his offensive game meets where his defensive game is at now, he's going to be a special player.

10. Jeff Teague - It's going to be interesting to see how Teague handles himself as an NBA guard. At Wake Forest he was inconsistent. There were times though when he was a top guard in the country and that's what the Hawks are hoping they get each night.

So there you have it. Once again, if you're interested in point guard talk then check back here periodically all week as all the content up on this site will be point guard related.

Also, in case you missed the complete rankings, you can find them right here.

Point Guard Week

Just stating in advance. Starting on Monday, I'm declaring the upcoming week "Point Guard Week" for Dif's World of Bball.

No reasoning for it simply other than, I love point guards and point guard play.

Look out for it.

Recruiting

I'm generally new in the whole art of the recruiting thing - that is to say I have barely one year's experience.

This year though I have gotten started in the process much earlier than I did last year and I have to say I am enjoying, so far, the process.

A few times I have been given just a name and a small bit of information about a potential recruit and am left to myself to go ahead and try and track down more information. I think it is the gathering of information part that I am enjoying.

This is also where I feel having a strong network behind you to go ahead and try and track down more information is vital, which is why I am trying to build my network.

Enjoying it though.

Perry Jones, Baylor Commit

Just saw this video of a Baylor Commit, Perry Jones.

Kid is 6-10 and just observe his handle. Sickening.

Remembering Horace Jenkins

Now I know the title says Remembering Horace Jenkins and titles like that are usually left for those that have passed on. Make no mistake about it, Horace Jenkins the basketball player is alive and well. Matter of fact, Jenkins or "Junie" as he was known amongst his friends is not even retired. No the "oldest rookie" in the NBA is still playing the game he loves, this time for Italian team Climanio Bologna.

I came across an article recently from the past, about Horace, and it was this article which inspired me to write.

Back when I was in the 8th grade, my father read a short snippet in the newspaper about how the upcoming Division III basketball game between the Montclair State RedHawks and the William Paterson Pioneers was going to be a big game, with the winner deciding who would win the New Jersey Athletic Conference that season. The game was going to be played at William Paterson and since we lived just minutes from Willy P's gym, he decided to take me.

Really knowing nothing about either team and the concept of Division III basketball fairly new to me, I had low expectations for this game. As we arrived to what I'd call a rather frenzied atmosphere, my father and I were a little late, however managed to find two seats in the home side bleachers. Just minutes before the game was starting, a player on from William Paterson was rewarded for scoring his 1,000th point. Again, this achievement didn't quite mean what it means to me today, but I applauded all the same. Little did I know how much the player receiving the award, Horace Jenkins, was going to suck me in as a fan and change my life as a basketball player.

The first particular game that I saw him in, that game against Montclair State, I had no idea who he was, or that I would pay any particular attention to him. I don't remember much about said game, though I do remember that in the closing moments of the game, William Paterson had the game in hand, and Jenkins got a steal and the opportunity to go to the basket uncontested, which he finished beautifully with a monster reverse dunk. This dunk absolutely brought the house down and hooked me.

As we left the Rec Center that night, all my father and I really knew was that we just watched some amazing basketball player do what he does best on the court, yet we didn't think anything out of the ordinary. It wasn't until we got home and my dad did some further digging to find out Jenkins' whole story. Jenkins became ineligible his senior year of high school and could not play ball. He went on to Union County Community College and through one season he averaged 20.6 ppg, but had to drop out when his son, Hakeem was born. He needed to get a job to support his son and the only ball playing he did was in pick up games.

This wasn't a bad thing. William Paterson's head coach, Jose Rebibmas went to one of these said pick up games to watch another player, Mufeed Thomas. Only one problem occurred, Rebibmas couldn't take his eyes off Jenkins. After the game, he approached Jenkins and told him about the school and if he'd like to attend and play basketball. The rest is history.

Jenkins led William Paterson to their best run in schools history. They made it to two Final Fours and even the National Championship Game in which they lost. I still remember sitting on my desktop computer that day, listening to the audio broadcast of the game. This was way before high speed internet, so the broadcast was bumpy, but I still had to support my guy. It was during his senior year also that they asked Jenkins to compete in the NCAA slam dunk contest. Guys like Jeff Trepanier from USC and other Division I schools all represented and then there was little Horace Jenkins, from William Paterson College as Dickie V called it. Well, Jenkins not only won the thing, but did so in electrifying fashion.

It was in Horace's senior year that there began real chatter about the possibility of Horace getting drafted into the NBA from Division III. During that summer when he went and participated at the Portsmouth Invitational Camp, I read and followed the updates as much as I could. However, as good as his story was, the draft selection was not to be.

Jenkins held his head high though and played in Europe, his shot at the NBA yet to come. Either way this story isn't about Jenkins' time in the NBA. (He did make the Pistons roster in 2004 yet not their playoff roster. He finally achieved his NBA dream at the ripe age of 29.) For me, this is story about all those times, going with my father to the William Paterson Rec Center and watching Horace play. He taught me swagger. He taught me leadership. He taught me perseverance. All and all, he basically inspired me to become a better basketball player and I thank him for that.

Below is one other story I found about him:

D3 Horace Jenkins Shocks the World

Collection of Tweets - Transition Defense

Here's a collection of my tweets from yesterday regarding defensive transition. I pulled this information from notes given by basketball coach, Kevin Eastman. Enjoy.

• 5 Keys to Transition D: talking, pointing, matching up, loading to the ball, switching on weakside only (if necessary)
  
• Talking is the voice. As loud as possible call out first open man. May not be your original matchup.
  
• Pointing is needed in loud arenas where the voice may not be heard.
  
• Transition is unpredictable. When matching up you are guarding the "team" not necessarily the "individual"
  
• Loading to the ball, "shrink" coverage. Requires proper body positioning. Offense should see no gaps when advancing ball.
  
• Transition D is a scramble. If there ever is a switch (big to big, small to small),its on the weakside where your D is less vulnerable.
  
• The 5 keys require - voice, fingers, eyes, body and mind.
  
• There are 2 types of fast break offenses. Pass ahead and dribble advancement.
  
• When playing pass ahead team, its most important to stop that first advancing pass.
  
• Try to be matched up with your player and touch them by the time they reach half court.
  
• On dribble advancement, you need to cover the ball as quickly as possible, without getting beat.
  
• The two defensive wing players should sprint back and get to the elbows. So dribbler sees no immediate gaps or lanes.

Again these were notes pulled from a 6 minute audio of Kevin Eastman discussing the topic. I can be followed on Twitter - @justindefeo.

What is Hustle?

For a small portion of my life I sold tickets for the New Jersey Nets. One of the pages they handed out was called "What is Hustle?". I recently found that paper and thought it was relevant so I decided to post it. Enjoy.

What is Hustle?

Hustle is doing something that everyone

is absolutely certain can’t be done.

Hustle is getting commitment because you got there first,

or stayed with it after everyone else gave up.

Hustle is shoe leather and elbow grease and sweat

and missing lunch.

Hustle is getting prospects to say “yes”

after they’ve said “no” twenty times.

Hustle is doing more unto a customer

than the other guy can do unto him.

Hustle is believing in yourself and

the business you’re in.

Hustle is the sheer joy of winning.

Hustle is being the sorest loser in town.

Hustle is hating to take a vacation because you

might miss a piece of the action

Hustle is heaven if you’re a hustler.

Hustle is hell if you’re not.

Sam Cassell - The Art of the Mid-Range

The mid-range game in a lot of ways is a lost art. With players abilities increasing in both three point shooting and getting to the rim, there aren't many players who specialize in mid-range jumpers anymore.

And although it may be a dying shot in the modern game of basketball, I felt this video from Cassell is still relevant.

He offers up a lot of great suggestions of ways to create space - and creating space can be applied anywhere on the basketball court. Take a look:



Living proof you don't need extroadinary quickness to thrive in the game of basketball.

If you've ever heard the term "wily veteran" or "cagey veteran", I'd have to believe that Cassell in this video is definition of those terms.

John Calipari - New Father of Point Guard U.

Here's a link to this article in which it explains Coach John Calipari's incredible success to bring in top point guards year after year.

It's certainly true and it leads the author to at the end of the writing claim Coach Calipari as the new "father to Point Guard U." assumingly taking over for the former, Lute Olsen at Arizona.

Arizona was formerly the place for premier points that went on to thrive in the NBA - Damon Stoudamire, Mike Bibby, Jason Terry are some of the points that played at Arizona.

Now Coach Calipari has had a string of some great point guards, first at Memphis and now ones that are following him to his new home the University of Kentucky.

His point guards over the past two years have been drafted first overall (Derrick Rose) and fourth overall(Tyreke Evans).

Which leads me to wonder, is it the system that is producing these great point guards or is it the talent? Or is the system simply a great vehicle for these explosive talents to showcase their skills?

First of all this system in question here is the Dribble Drive Motion Offense, which I have written about in earlier posts here. Obviously if you are a strong guard, with great quickness and the ability to penetrate, playing in this offense is going to showcase those skills to the utmost.

This I believe is the case with Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans. Rose you could argue is taylor made to have the ball in this kind of offense. The question is though, had Rose elected to go to say, Wisconsin and play for Bo Ryan's swing offense and slowdown approach. Rose's skill set would be the same, yet his full range of capabilities may or not have been as exposed.

Since Calipari's has taken the job at Kentucky he has signed major recruit and point guard, John Wall. Wall is generally considered the top player of his class and has already been projected as a top 3 pick. Here's some of his highlights to get a better idea of what Kentucky's getting.

Again a perfect marriage of player and system. Wall is going to thrive and Coach Calipari's third straight lottery selected point guard. Pretty unbelievable and definitely the new Point Guard University.

My take: Calipari is a great recruiter and is bringing in players who fit perfectly into his system. Look out for Wall.

Carlos Boozer - Post Clinic

As promised, continuing with the NBA fundamental series. Today's is Carlos Boozer giving instruction on post play.



Some of what I like from Boozer: First of all, love the fact that he is pointing out the work he does before he establishes position. The V-Cut to get down to the block, or the fake screen and then rolling to the block. Establishing position is half your battle. I once read somewhere: You "own" the paint with deep post ups. "Rent" the paint with simply posting up on the block. "Lease" the paint by posting up off the block.

Also Boozer talks about having the ability to mix it up and give the defenders different looks. A post player can be very easy to defend if they are predictable especially with a double team.

Final thing I'll say about post play is the term "having a plan". Guys in the post should have a general idea of what they're going to do, based off the defense. Ex. If he's playing me to the high side, I'm going to do this...

You're not scripting your moves, its just knowing your strengths and what will work. It's knowing what counter to use off your initial move.

Ray Allen Teaching Shooting

I came across these videos of NBA players offering some insight on different aspects of the game on youtube yesterday and I will be posting one a day for as many as there are. Here's some basic shooting instruction given by one of the best shooters ever to play, Ray Allen.



Ray offers some good tips for those looking to either learn to shoot or add to their shot. I'm a big believer in consistency over technique. While its import to have proper shooting form, I think its more important to keep a consistent form and allow for muscle memory that way and Ray highlights this point when he says, "You want to shoot your jumpshot the same way everytime."

The Little Things - 1st Edition

Here is the first of what I hope to be many editions of the "little things" of basketball. Feel free to pass this along to other coaches or if you ever have anything to add to this list, you can email me at justindif@gmail.com or simply comment below. This list is comprising of my twitter following as well as a few emails. What I plan to do is reach out to college coaches - one geographical section at a time and updating as I see fit. Enjoy.

• Make the extra pass.
  
• Make all lay ups in warmups. (Amazing how sometimes a player can just coast through warm ups when in actuality they should be sweating and getting ready. Just never understood that.)
  
• Blocking out your man before finding the ball when rebounding. Reversing the ball. (Such a simple act and requires little skill, yet amazing how a basic fundamental of the game has to be stressed on certain players.)
  
• Finishing your cuts. (This is something I've been stressing lately. Not only finishing cuts, making strong, violent cuts.)
  
• Sprinting in transition.
  
• Ensure your shot fake mimics your shot form. (A good detail to have, will require practice and repetition.)
  
• Sprint into ball screens. (This is a detail for all ball screeners to do. Also a great way to tell if a team is well coached or not.)
  
• Dive for loose balls.
  
• Setting solid screens. (Make 'em count!)
  
• Making the right cut.
  
• Play with energy, enthusiasm, and bounce in your step.
  
• Embrace the game.
  
• Share the ball. (Everyone loves to play with willing passers!)
  
• Communicate.
  
• Hold your teammates accountable. (Love this one. Apply this to off court the issues as well. Make sure your teammates are doing the right thing off the court, taking care of themselves physically and doing what they should be doing in the classroom.)
  Passing - palms out, thumbs down.

This group submitted by basketball trainer, Alan Stein. They are explained in further detail here at his blog: Stronger Team Blog

• Be on top of your schoolwork.
  
• Are you getting 8-10 hours of sleep a night.
  
• Are eating breakfast everyday?
  
• Are you drinking enough water?
  
• Are you tending to any nagging injuries/soreness?
  
• Are you getting 300-500 shots a day? (game shots)
  
• Are you sticking to your workout program?

These next three were submitted to me by Head Women's Basketball Coach at Ramapo College, Mike Eineker, with his thoughts after them:

• Triple threat position with the ball over their knee - It amazes me how many ballplayers immediatley put the ball over their head when they catch it.
  
• Low post players release their shot with eyes on rim - Watch some tape and you'll be shocked how common this is.
  
• Defensively have hands low, not up - I think it is easier to start with your hands low and reach up to deflect a pass than to start with your hands up and stay in front of a driver.

This final set was contributed to me by Coach Ray Lokar. Again, I am just taking out the idea, however, if you click on this link here you can read additional info on each one.

• Play with your knees bent (Basketball is played down. As well as bending your knees, your hips should be lowered too.."sit down")
  
• Get a hand up on every shooter
  
• Gain possessions with two hands.
  
• Pass to the first person open.
  
• Establish a pivot foot.
  
• Face the basket.
  
• Jump to the pass.
  
• Stop the basketball.

Coaches that contributed were: Sam Scholl, Sebastian Pruiti, Steve Finamore, Chris Richardson, Clarence Gaines, Alan Stein, Ray Lokar, and Mike Eineker.

Don Meyer

Legendary college coach Don Meyer got honored at the 2009 ESPY's receiving the Jimmy V coaching award.

Here is video of his acceptance speech:


Meyer is inspirational to all coaches and offers a ton of wisdom. Spend just 10 minutes on his site - coachmeyer.com and you will pick up a ton of insights for both coaches and players. A must read really.

The Little Things

One of the most commonly used phrases throughout all of sports is "the little things." Coaches, players, announcers, fans and basically anyone who regulary calls themselves a sports fan has probably heard this phrase and in all likelihood even used it themselves.

But what does it actually mean? More times than not, it used in this framework - "Player X is a great player because he does all the little things." Or, "Gentlemen, its about details...its about doing the little things."

Everyone who hears this phrase, generally understands it, yet it is often left undescribed and left at just that - "little things." So it morphs into this sort of unstated, undescribed intangible. Well, that day is going to end today.

Without a specific time frame or ending, I am going to reach out to lots and lots of fellow coaches and ask them that question - What are the little things that coaches mean when they say..well..the little things? (in context of hoops). Then I will take what these coaches give me and continue to update this list until it becomes this super extensive list of all little things players should be doing to help them improve as a player or coach for that matter.

Of course, Being an east coast guy, I'm going to start there and work my way down, updating the list as often as I see fit.

The list is going to be started with some notes passed on to me by Sam Scholl who is an assistant coach at Santa Clara University. I will try and not have repeat additions and my thoughts are in the ( ).

• Make the extra pass.
• Make all lay ups in warmups. (Amazing how sometimes a player can just coast through warm ups when in actuality they should be sweating and getting ready. Never understand that.)

Well for now that is the list. I've already posed the question out to the twitter folk and will send out my first batch of emails probably this weekend. If you have anything you'd like to add you can either comment with it, or email me at justindif@gmail.com.

Enjoy.

Magic and Larry

Was doing a little reading of Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs) today and he had a chapter about the Celtics/Lakers rivalry and within that was something interesting that I believe David Halberstam came up with about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

This is taken out of context and is in no way, shape or form intended to be a commentary on race, just something I found interesting. It is in fact discussing race but Halberstam points out that Magic and Larry sort of lived a paradox of pathologies according to Klosterman.

Magic who is African-American had a middle class upbringing, that of which a was a more traditional "white" experience while Larry who is white, lived an impoverished, screwed up childhood which was more stereotypically black.

Once again, not a commentary on race at all in the slightest, yet something that I found interesting and just wanted to throw into my blog.

Grow Your Game

Something that I have always found interesting about basketball is the diversity contained inside the offensive side of the game. Think about it.

When you first learn the game or if you’re lucky enough, taught the game you’re inevitably going to learn either shooting or dribbling first. Arguably these are the two most basic offensive skills of basketball and some never grow from here.

As you grow with the game you’ll learn and develop new skills. Maybe a lay-up is taught, using both hands when dribbling, bounce passes, chest passes. These are skills a player is going to learn to ‘grow his or her game’.

The trend continues. You may learn dribbling moves such as a cross over or hesitation, there are a whole series of jabs and up fakes that you can learn. Perimeter players are going to be taught how to penetrate, shoot from the outside, cut effectively and so on. Post players get to learn a whole different set of skills: various post moves, hook shots, up and unders, passing out of double teams, the correct way to pivot etc.

The important thing is that you are in fact expanding your game and growing your offensive repertoire. Guards should be able to execute all their moves equally as effective with their right and their left. Post players the same way should have the ability to execute their moves going right or left. These are all parts of basketball and developing what you do is part of it.

I’m speaking on adding on to ‘what you do’. Now I had a pretty limited basketball career. I was a better than average, if not good high school player, for a small high school in North Jersey. I had probably just enough talent to make a small Division III school, but not really break into a rotation. Which was fine by me, I had a great time playing basketball and don’t regret anything. It’s now been four years since I’ve last played “competitive” basketball.

Yet I’m still fired up from something I saw on youtube recently. I’ve come across the twitter feed of Mike Lee. He’s a professional basketball trainer who puts up videos on youtube of how NBA players execute some of their patented moves (By the way, Mike does a great job. The videos are concise yet informative. Check out his blog right here) . One of his latest editions is the Allen Iverson fade away. Now I’m only 5-7, so one of my setbacks every time I step on a court is finding ways to get my shot off against taller players. So naturally this shot, perfected by one of the best “little” players in basketball history is a great way to do just that. Now I’m all fired up to get home from trip to work on that shot.

Point is, I’m 24 years old with my best basketball playing days way behind me, yet I’m still interested in adding things to my game. The summer is a great time to do that. Think about it if you’re a freshman entering high school right now. If you add a move to your game each summer, by time your through with college you’ll have seven new moves to your game. Seven offensive moves is a pretty diverse offensive player.

One of the best ways to learn hoop is by simply watching. It’s not always a bad thing to emulate what the greats of the game do (on the court.) Learn a turn-around fall away by watching Kobe Bryant. Learn an inside pivot from Tim Duncan. Heck, learn a skyhook from watching Kareem.

The key though is to expand your game. Don’t be satisfied with where you’re at and its never too late to learn something new.

Basketball Coaches Clinic On Twitter

Ok, so heres the idea. There are a ton of coaches currently on Twitter. And everyday these coaches are offering up amazingly insightful nuggets of information. Twitter truly is a great forum to write a quote or to add a piece of information on a particular subject and many coaches are spreading their knowledge this way which is a great thing. Heres the problem though.

Lets say a jr. college coach in New Jersey writes something thoughtful, creative or insightful about pick and roll defense that no one has ever heard of...that tweet only gets read by his followers and then if re-tweeted, by the followers of that person. But why not have his insightful words available to all coaches by using a common hashtag? For example #hoopsclinic - defense wins championships.

The other thing right now is that unless someone is tweeting a live game, the topics of conversation are of a random mix and come at random times. The randomness is great and all, however, I think it would be pretty amazing if a set date and time was being used on twitter, by as many coaches as can be reached, and all of them talking and discussing the same set topic or topics.

If anyone follows David Thorpe on twitter, he did something like this when he was tweeting from the Orlando Pro Summer League. He spent one afternoon tweeting soley on defense. It was so compelling and also was great because you knew that day what you were getting. And the wisdom was extrordinary.

I don't think something like this would be very hard to organize. It could be a five day thing, with a few hours blocked off on each day, or even the entire day of a week, with each day devoted to a new topic - defense, offense, rebounding, pick and roll, recruiting etc whatever was decided on.

It's going to do two things: It's going to take all this amazing information and pearls of wisdom that is being dished out daily on twitter and organize it somewhat into a nice and neat place where all coaches can see.

Secondly, it would harbor and open up the lines of communication even more than they already are. I picture it to be an open discussion and philosophy sharing experience.

If this takes off, it could be one of the biggest clinics around and the best part is it would be done from your home and be absolutely free.

I think this is a pretty neat idea and I think twitter is the perfect forum for this. The clinic would need a name. I imagine the name of the clinic to also be the hashtag, so the name would have to be Twitter proof and be low in characters yet clever and descriptive. That I would say is step one with spreading the word being step two.

Drop me a line either in email, justindif@gmail.com or on twitter @justindefeo if you'd like to be involved or have suggestions.

For Your Reading Pleasure

I'm going away to Key West, Florida for the week starting tomorrow and while I'll have full internet access, I'm not exactly sure how many original posts are going to be going up from now till that point. But, in the meantime I just want to two more good blogs that should stem the tide.

First is Basketball trainer and consultant Alan Stein's blog. His latest entry is a recap of his week spent at the Lebron James Nike Skills Academy Camp. In there he discusses the now infamous Jordan Crawford dunk on Lebron James.

Beside that though it is a really good read and gives insight into the type of worker Lebron is and what it takes to make the NBA.

Secondly, the guys over at IMG Academy, mainly David Thorpe and Anthony Macri have not only given us the pleasure of launching twitter accounts (@coachthorpe, @coachmacri) but have now also launched a blog called Make Two Plays.

I have to say I am personally pretty fired up for the Make Two Plays launching. Both Thorpe and Macri are so insightful and there is a ton of knowledge to be gained from just checking that blog everyday (when its getting updated regulary).

Thats all for now, enjoy your reading. Both of these blogs can also be found in my links.

Greatness Breeding Greatness

This is most definitely a basketball blog. Nearly all of my posts are basketball related and this will be one of the few that strays slightly off the path of hoops, though not much. Its just that if something comes up worth talking about, I feel this is my outlet to get my thoughts down. The fact that a major story, which is so gripping that you can't help but get sucked in, has sucked me in. Obviously the biggest news sweeping the country has been the loss of the King of Pop Michael Jackson. The loss and subsequent tributes and coverage of Michael has been everywhere, and you just can't help but be consumed by it. I like everyone else has been swept up in it, so naturally I watched his public funeral at the Staples Center which was a very touching event.

What really struck me though and got me thinking was when Magic Johnson said his eulogy and words about Michael Jackson. Magic always is thoughtful and always speaks well so I wasn't surprised the way Magic came off. What got me thinking was when Magic talked about going on tour with Michael (can be found at 2:00 mark of youtube video).

Magic went on to say how Michael always had command of what was going on around him. The crew, his bandmembers, just everything...Michael was in command of it. He said that watching Michael out there performing and the genius of what he was doing, that he truly believed it made him a better point guard.

After he said this, my girlfriends mother who I was watching the funeral along with remarked how she thought that it was silly, that Michael made Magic a better point guard, based on the logic of - one is music and one is basketball.

And while this makes sense, certainly Michael Jackson is not going to make Magic Johnson a better dribbler or passer, I do believe that you can become a better point guard from watching him. Let me exlain.

It is obvious that when you watch Michael Jackson perform that you are watching genius. Genius. A simple Youtube search and you have endless footage of video where you can see that. It is a lot like my last post, the cream rises to the top, sometimes the talent is just so immense that it just comes through the screen. It becomes real. That was Michael Jackson performing.

Now, lets say you're Magic Johnson. An emerging point guard, blessed with all the full toolbox of skill set that would allow to become the best point guard he would like to be. You're there, up close and personal with Michael, watching him, studying him. You are seeing a true master of what he is doing, up on stage, executing to perfection, and you are seeing him reap the benefits in fan approval. As a competitor, wouldn't this be inspiring? Would you not get to a gym immediately to try and perfect your craft the way Michael had his? These are the kind of effects I believe Magic was talking about when spoke about Michael making him a better point guard.

Greatness really does breed greatness. One great of music (Michael) was inspiring another emerging great of basketball, Magic. Inspiration can come from anywhere, be it song, written word, spoken word, video. Basketball players can be inspired by teammates, coaches, competition. Michael Jackson's music and performances can do a lot of different things, but for me its been an inspiring thing. Its sad that he has passed for sure, but his music will live on forever and will inspire future greats at whatever they do forever. RIP Michael Jackson.

Cream Rises to the Top

Hello all. Finally back to the blog after a long July 4th weekend spent in the Jersey Shore. Some great hoops being played down there over the long hot weekend. Lots of good fun but now its back to hoops talk.

Before I went down the shore on Thursday night I attended a mens league game played at a basketball complex nearby me. I was going to watch the team I coach with, so we brought our 10 or so Division III players.

The team we were playing had a mix of older men and younger men. The one young man was an outstanding player. A guard about 6-2, could handle, could shoot. He had one of the quickest releases I had seen and had deep range.

We threw a bunch of different players on him, but really couldn't do much to slow him down. After the game I found the player I'm talking about is headed to Columbia University next season. A Division I player.

Skip ahead to today. I had the opportunity to watch the entire game one of the Orlando Pro Summer League between the New Jersey Nets/Philadelphia 76ers team and Indiana Pacers.

Summer league rosters in the NBA if you don't know are mixed with unsigned rookies and free agents as well as bonafide NBA players. During the game the bonafide NBA guys, and in this game it was Chris Douglas-Roberts, Marreese Speights, Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert, the bonafide guys really showed why they are legit NBA players.

The talent they have to get into the league and last and the skill and development they've achieved while in the league really show. The lesson here, is that the cream will rise to the top.

In both cases, the men's league game and the NBA summer league, in both cases the sheer talent was evident and shone through. When I've been out recruiting, often times I just wait and see if the talent will just show itself.

More times than not the talented players will stand out.

Impress Your Coaches - Come to Camp In Shape

I coach at a small Division III college in NJ and recently we had our players in the gym to work out. This is the first time the guys have been back up to campus since they departed for the summer in early May.

This also has been the first time they've all been together to play semi-organized games since the season broke in March.

There are a few things I'd like to say about this. First of all, all players were given workout sheets at the end of the season (by the way we were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, so no one should have been satisfied!) that were specified to what they needed to be working on.

From March till June the work being done was mostly on them. This was the time though where as coaches you can really see what guys are truly committed to getting better and to the team and which guys maybe lack such committment.

My memo to all players though is do yourself a favor and keep yourself in shape. There is a lot more to being a college basketball player than simply getting into the gym and shooting shots. While I'm not knocking shooting and believe shots should be taken as often as possible, there is much more to getting better than simply that.

Your workouts leading up to camps and to the season should be intense. They should be done at game speed. Faster than game speed actually. You should be physically exhausted at the end of workouts. This is the way that development is truly going to occur.

As coaches its obvious which guys have been going to work and which guys haven't. We had two different players show up to camp in vastly different shape than how we left them in March. The first was an incoming freshman we were recruiting all season. Since we last saw him in February, he not only looked two inches taller (pleasant surprise) but his arms also grew and gained definition. He also was the first person in the gym that day!

The other player was our third string point guard the previous season. His game lacks in skill and other areas but his body has always been at the collegiate level. He showed up to camp however looking in worse shapes, with less definition and it showed in his play which was lethargic and frankly not good.

In order to be at your peak performance you need to be in your peak physical condition and shape. Do yourself a favor and impress your coaches. Whatever the methods are (and there are probably 100+ of them) do what your coach is asking of you this off season and really attack your workouts. It will show up in your play on the court!

Twitter

You have to love twitter and if you're not on it, I seriously suggest you sign up. It has the unfortunate stigma as being a "self absorbing" medium or a way to find out what other people are "literally actually doing."

But if you are following good people who are actually provide value in a subject area that you care about, I promise you will be addicted.

Besides the plethora of other benefits - marketing, networking to name a few - twitter provides a value and a place for knowledgeable people to engage in discussion about things they care about.

Not sure why Twitter took off as it did, but it certainly has a place and value for people looking to stay engaged with what they care about!

Follow me @justindefeo!

Blogging About Coaching

The internet is an amazing place really. The thing I love most about the internet is the wealth of information available to someone in any particular area they'd like to discover. For me, through the interent, and Twitter I've been able to find a whole group of fellow coaches who love the game just as much as I do. One of those coaches is named Steve Finamore. He is the Head Basketball Coach at Jackson Community College. He runs his own blog about coaching. As a young coach just trying to learn the craft, his blog has been extremely helpful and informative.

One of his latest entries which I have enjoyed thoroughly has been a three part series on coaching. Take a look and enjoy.

Part 1 - Improvement

"We often ask our players/athletes to improve. Some coaches demand it on a daily basis. I tell my guys ‘do something every day to get better’. My thought tonight is, ‘am I as a coach working to improve my team and myself as much as I can’?"

Part 2 - Work Ethic

"Working hard is doing what has to be done regardless if it takes you 8 hours or 14. If you work your tail off, anything is possible. But you have to be willing to work. Give so much time to working hard; don’t leave any stone unturned. One of my favorite actors of all time Steve McQueen said, “Hard work is essential to any lasting success. Don’t let work bug you."

Part 3 - Why I Coach?

"Dean Smith once said not to chase the money when coaching. When it gets right down to it, money is a factor, but shouldn’t be the overall reason for coaching. Prestige and fame are two reasons why you shouldn’t coach."

Hope you enjoy and if your at any stage of the coaching game - just starting all the way through to established veteran those three parts are must reads!

10 Ways to Elevate Your Game

Something I'm always on the hunt for even now after I've been done playing is ways or methods to improve one's game. I came across this article published by Core Performance. Gives you 10 ways to elevate your game.

Most of the tips found in this article are ways to improve and prepare your body so that when it comes time to play, you're body is in its peak physical condition. Remember young players much like a carpenters tool is his hammer, a basketball player's tool is his body so its important you have it worked out to where it needs to be.

Here is the full article: 10 Ways to Elevate Your Game - Click to Launch Slideshow

Dribble Drive Motion

Ever since the dribble drive motion was made popularized by Vance Walberg and then by John Calipari at Memphis I have been overly intrigued with it. When my team, the New Jersey Nets, decided to adopt principles of the dribble drive last season I decided I needed to learn more.

So I read about it online, read books, bought the DVD the whole bit. I still continue to try and collect and information about the offense. This year, the team I coach with has decided to incorporate the dribble drive into our offense, so I'm getting a first hand look at the breakdown and development of the offense. I will try and keep my thoughts and observations here on this blog.

In our first day of implementing the offense we just went over the most basic reads that our guys are going to be needing to make. The basic terminology of the offense (the rack zone, the drop zone, etc.) and our overall spacing. So we really didn't get into the finer details yet of the offense, but so far here is my observations.

- First of all spacing is going to be the key to the offense. The driving lanes become wide, very wide when the correct spacing is obtained. When the spacing breaks down, so to do the driving lanes. Without the driving lanes the dribble drive is not nearly as effective. Making sure that ball side wing stays down in the corner is going to be important.

- Our team is composed mostly of guards and players who can knock down the three which is a big reason we decided to change to this offense. That being said, I noticed yesterday that with one of the products of the offense being drive and kick opportunities for open threes, it now makes everyone on the floor that much more dangerous and really puts a premium on shooters.

- Through one day it seems the kids are having just an overall more fun time with playing. Who wouldn't like playing in an offense where the focus is attacking?

Vince Carter's Greatest Nets Moments

As a die hard Nets fan losing Vince Carter this week was hard. I felt the best way to honor him would be to compile his greatest moments as a Net and put it all into one place. Not going to bother ranking them or anything like that, just want people to enjoy the moments.

This first one is from this past season. Vince collects ball at mid court after it was tipped and decides to pull up from 35 feet which of course was wet. Actually was at this game, good win for the Nets as they stayed in playoff contention.



Another game winning three this time from 2005. Probably a sweet moment for Vince since it came against his former team the Raptors and it was in Toronto. Vince was booed this entire game everytime he touched the ball.



Yet another Vince game winning three pointer this time against the Jazz and again from 35 feet. From what I remember the Nets needed this win badly and they also were running a little streak in which they were beaten by game winning shots.



2005 Playoffs vs. the Heat Nets down two, Vince catches ball in corner, fires up a shot that hits the rim, bounces straight up, comes down catches rim again and somehow goes in at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Love the delayed crowd reaction. Another game I was at.



Vintage Vince Carter. Throwing down a vicious dunk on Alonzo Mourning. Was even more sweet considering it was on him.




Highlights of Vince going for his career high 51 points vs. the Heat in 2005.



Finally Vince stroking a long game tying three pointer with Anthony Parkers hand in face to force overtime. Then in overtime catching a lob and reverse dunking for the game winner off an inbounds.



Goodluck Vince! You will be missed Vince! VC for threeeeeeeeeeee

Showdown In Chinatown

Just getting back from the Showdown in Chinatown held by Steve Nash and Claudio Reyna at Sarah D. Roosevelt Park in the city.

This years game and event had a slightly different feel than last years. Last year, the original one, felt a little more "pickup" and a little less organized. Last year felt as if Nash got a handful of guys together and said Hey lets go play in the park and people who were walking by just happened to stop and look. This year there was a lot more production involved including a huge set of bleachers behind the one goal and TV cameras as well as a slew of media.

I have to admit though, last year I hardly saw any plays and only was able to catch glimpses of the taller basketball players when they came into my corner. This year, though I did arrive two hours early, I was able to get a seat in the bleachers and see the entire game. Needless to say I was a fan of the produced event.

Unfortunatly in the metro area the weather hasn't been too cooperative and in the hours leading up to the game those fans who arrived early were treated to a nice steady does of rain for two hours. Some were smart enough to think ahead and bring umbrellas or rain gear, others (me) were not. So I had to make do with a ripped plastic bag over my head and shoulders and still got soaked.

The pregame festivities were some freestyle soccer players out there doing tricks. This portion of the show though I could not see because this was at the height of the rain and the person in front of me could not figure out how to hold an umbrella so that he stayed dried and so that I could see at the same time. Fan if you're reading this...it's asking a lot I know, but it is possible to lower the umbrella over your head so that all can see!

Anyways on to the game! Once the players stepped onto the field they were immediately

swarmed by fans and media. The players did interviews and signed autographs for the first 15 minutes they were there. Nash and Reyna hooked the boys up with some sweet gear from a company called Calle so everyone was freshly fitted and looked the part, albeit some more than others. Here were the sides as reported on via twitter by Marc Stein (@stein_line_hq): Team Reyna in Blue - Claudio Reyna, Javier Zannetti, Ivan Cordoba, Adrian Mutu, Salomon Kalou, Chris Bosh, himself, and Tony Parker with Mike Quarino in goal. For the Nash led white team - Steve Nash, Martin Nash, Thierre Henry, Mathieu Flamini, Ryan Babel, Edgar Davids, Grant Hill and Francesco Santoro.

Also on an aside, it was a pretty surreal moment in Twitter history to witness Steiny Mo standing at midfield by himself while everyone else was getting mobbed on his phone, twittering what I was reading. Reminded of the people who have no one to talk to at a party so they just take their phone out to make it seem like they're busy doing something, good stuff.

During the ten minute warm ups there was a clear distinction. While the professional soccer players on both sides were acting pretty serious and getting loose the NBA guys for the blue (Bosh and Parker) were a little less serious during warm ups. I think Bosh was just happy at this point to swing and connect with a ball at his foot. Bosh also had a quick sneaker change before the game going from a white pair of what looked like some sort of Nike Shox to a red and white pair of Air Max's. The NBA guys on the white team (Nash and Hill) were more a little more serious (as expected). Nash seemed to have a legitimate sweat going before the opening whistle.

The game itself was pretty slow paced actually, a lot more so than last year. The professional soccer players especially Davids and Kalou were really providing most of the entertainment throughout with some pretty sweet dribbling moves, though most players weren't getting stuck in on challenges too much (probably afraid of embarrassment).

The game though had some highlights, Grant Hill megging Chris Bosh was one. Chris Bosh then failing to return the favor on Hill, even as Hill stood with his legs open allowing Bosh to meg him back. Tony Parker had the opening goal of the game on a pretty sweet back hill off a cross. Even Stein himself got in there once on a cross, diving to try and score yet came up empty.

As far as our NBA guys go, as I said, Nash was really out there playing hard and just like how he does in hoops, he was always trying to create with the ball at his feet. Grant Hill actually surprised me with how sound he was at soccer. Plays pretty simple, but looked far more natural out there than Tony Parker which came as a little bit of a shock to me. I guess just because Parker is from France I expected him to be a little better at soccer than he was. While he wasn't bad, as I said, he just didn't seem as natural as Hill.

Then there was Chris Bosh. I learned two things about Chris Bosh today. One, Chris Bosh has probably never attempted to kick a moving ball in his life. Actually after watching his performance today, its possibly he has never used his feet for any other manner other than walking, running, or jumping. And two, Chris Bosh is a good sport. He knew he was no good at soccer, yet he made things entertaining and didn't take himself too seriously which I loved. NY Knicks fans made sure to get there "Bosh 2010" calls out to him as well which I thought was pretty funny.

Those were pretty much the highlights of the evening. I have to admit I lost track of the score somewhere around 3-3 but Stein reported the final was 8-4 after a Nash penalty kick got wiped from the board. Take a look at some of the video that I took and I apologize for the shaky camera.

Here is some video:

Here's Nash's penalty kick attempt which according to Marc Stein was later wiped from the game. Nash drew the penalty on the play before attempting a bicycle kick.



This is video of Grant Hill's goal which he got off a rebound. Watch the celebration from Nash and Hill after the goal.



And finally Chris Bosh's best attempt at goal. He should have taken the first shot but then he had a nice header attempt. If he wasn't 7ft tall he would have possibly made it. Good try though anyway.

A Great Ending

For today's post I just want to revisit an ending to a great game. The Division II Championship from 2007 featuring Barton College vs. Winona State. If you have never seen the game, take a look at the video here which gives you the electrifying final 45 seconds.



Down seven with 45 seconds left to comeback and win, incredible finish. Some good lessons to be learned.

-First of all you can see how you let a team back into the game by not making foul shots.

-Second, take care of your inbounds passes. Twice Winona tries inbounding quickly before they were organized and twice it cost them two possessions and turned into Barton scores.

-Finally, don't stop playing. You never know in this game so play it out till the clock is up. Most times its a coach that gives up first before a player does.

NBA Draft Dominating

The NBA draft is dominating most content out there on the basketball web these days..so why not go ahead and join in on the phone. This is something intersting at Truehoop, based off some statistical research done by Synergy Sports.

Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin and Hasheem Thabeet by the numbers...

What it uncovers among other things though -

- Stephen Curry is good in isolation and transition but weak (right now) in pick and roll. Pick and roll being the majority of what teams do in the NBA that could be something to look for.

- Blake Griffin is a monster in post up and cutting opportunities but needs to bone up a little on his outside shot.

- And Thabeet gets a bad rep for not being an offensive player but according the numbers he actually proves to be a pretty effecient scorer in the low post..at least he was in college.

Father/Son Weekend

Ok so I just got done a few hours ago working my first Father/Son weekend basketball camp and actually first basketball camp of any kind.

Good experience to be had all around.

The Father/Son camp that I worked at was held in the Pocono Mountains, PA and is run by the basketball group, Hoop Group.

Let me first speak on the campgrounds and environment. If your a basketball enthusiast and if you're reading this right now, you probably are..then this is a place you'd want to check out if you haven't already.

Really only two things dominate the landscape on the campus at Pocono's. Old wooden cabins (probably about 30) and basketball courts (probably at least 10 full sized courts and over 40 hoops in all I'd assume, just guessing at this point). Point is there are a lot of basketball courts, a truly exciting facility.

The other thing I really liked about the Pocono's campus was the sense of history you had when in their buildings and in the covered courts known as "The Gym." Hanging from the rafters (literal rafters) are numerous retired jerseys of either former players, coaches, or speakers who have came through the camps over the years. Hanging are some truly historic names: Bobby Hurley Sr., and Jr., Chris Mullin, Dave Hopla (who doesn't love that guy), Chamique Holdsclaw, Nykesha Sales the list goes on and on.

Inside the dining halls you have those similiar retired jerseys as well as pictures of again greats of the game who have been at camp: Mark Jackson, Rik Smits again the list goes on.

Outside of having to live in a cramped room which piled three of us coaches together, and had room for two more, eating camp food and having to use community bathrooms, this would have been a place I would have been real comfortable in. But despite the living conditions, which admittedly, I'm a comforts of a home guy, always have been, my time there was great.

As far as the camp goes, if your a father and reading this or for that matter if you're a son and reading this..Father/Son weekends are something you should really look into. Its nice to sort of step away from the "real world" a little bit and just spend some quality time with your big man or little man. On top of all that the opportunity is there to play/shoot hoops almost for an entire day.

Also the camp is based around learning and there is plenty to be had for those willing to listen and take in the information.

Besides all that, its a pretty awesome networking opportunity. In just one weekend I met a few coaches and a few fathers in businesses I could see myself going into, so for aspiring coaches or aspiring basketball business connoisseurs (nice) I'd strongly recommend thinking about this.

In the Need for Some Goosebumps

Absolutely love this and definitely got the juices flowing after watching this video.

Alan Stein (no relation to Marc..I think) is a Professional Basketball Strength and Conditioning Coach and was one of the coaches during the NBPA Top 100 week of camp. He spoke during camp and tells a great story about a high school basketball game, loaded with talent such as: Kevin Durant, Ty Lawson and Michael Beasely among others.

Alan's energy is pretty infectious even through the medium of video, so sit back and enjoy. Here's the video of the speech:



And here is video footage of that game:

Father/Son Weekend

Will be away this weekend working in the Poconos at a Father/Son camp. Not sure what the story is going to be with my internet until I get there so I don't know what I'm going to be able to do blog wise, but I will try and sort of put a ribbon around the whole weekend when I get back sometime on Sunday.

Hopefully will learn and become a better coach this weekend and hopefully the kids come ready to play and work!

Here's a link to the full camp information - Hoop Group Father/Son Weekend

-Dif

Sideline Out of Bounds

Sideline Out of Bounds (SLOB) plays are an intersting part of basketball to me. Because you're far from the basket you rarely see "home-run" plays are quick hitting plays that are one pass shot.

But still there is a lot of options in most plays and they take a fair amount of execution to run. You want to make sure you're getting the ball in the hands of the players you want to. They're also pretty fascinating because often times a game will be decided from a SLOB.

Off the top of my head in the 2009 Playoffs alone I can think of a few games that came down to the SLOB. The Lakers/Nuggets in which Ariza made a steal, the Finals Game 2 in the failed layup attempt to Courtney Lee, Rashard Lewis hit a big three in the Cleveland series off a SLOB and of course who will forget Lebron James' heroics stemming from a SLOB situation.

Here we have some Sideline Out of Bounds Plays designed for potential late game situations, contributed by Lason Perkins.

Love the simplicity of these plays and there are plays here designed for all five guys on the floor. Enjoy.

-Dif

NBA Team of the Decade?

So who is the NBA team of the decade?

Can come down to two different teams, the Spurs or the Lakers?

Read on to find out the answer - Team of the Decade.

-Dif

Knowing Your Role

Came across this article from Globe Sports courtesy of TrueHoop about Reggie Evans and the role he's played in the NBA. If you don't know, Evans is your typical "role player." Doing all the dirty work while others around him get glory. He's a quote from the story, from Evans.

“The only way to succeed in this game is certain people have to bring certain things to the table,” he said. “Everyone has different roles. Mine is playing tough guys at my position and rebounding and bringing a lot of energy to the game. I have fun doing that. I don’t mind doing that. It’s a perfect fit.”

I think the Evans article brings up a lesson in basketball. Everyone on a team has their role, whether be it the star, the complimentary player or like Evans plays the hard nosed scrappy player. The lesson here is...these players are important too.

Too often being dubbed a 'role player' has a negative connotation. And granted nobody is saying you have to be content with your role or that your role is going to be that forever. You can work hard, develop different skills and become a better all around player. Then maybe someday you can take on a bigger role. The important thing about wanting to take on a bigger role is the players motives. Do they want to take on a bigger role to improve the team and have a better shot at winning? Or do they want to take on a bigger role for personal satisfaction.

Either way, basketball is a game of roles and the faster you can, not to quote the Rock, "know your role" and accept your role and perfect your role...the better off the team is going to be.

-Dif

Marc Stein Playoff Winner's and Loser's

Marc Stein breaks down the 2009 NBA Playoffs Winners and Losers.

Kobe and Phil Jackson were winners, really? Also I liked that he included pizza and candy in the mix of winners considering they did gain some notoriety in the playoffs. Especially candy.

Three Cavs top the list of losers including 2009 Coach of the Year Mike Brown. Has anyone had a quicker fall from grace than Mike Brown? Similiar to Dirk winning the MVP during the series in which his number one seeded Mavericks were ousted by the eighth seeded Warriors.

-Dif

Land of Kobe

I was going to come up with my own original piece to kind of 'sum up' Kobe Bryant's accomplishments this season and sort of where he stands in the annals of NBA History. I was. Obviously though, Kobe being the figure that he is and eliciting the response that he does there are going to be tons of written word about him by professional writers. So why throw my hat in that ring really. Instead I'm going to read as much on the subject as I can, because the subject is fascinating really. Then I'm going to link what I think is relevant. The first I've read so far is from national columnist Bill Simmons. Obviously Simmons is the most read sports writer in America so he needs no help from me linking but what the hell. Kobe 09' Change We Believe In.


I think Simmons does a good job investigating what makes Kobe tick and his relationship with teammates and coach. The column is a little more about Kobe's relationships and his evolution in his career than just purely basketball. My only issue with it when Simmons at one point says Kobe had no 'clutch moments' in the 09' Finals. My argument to that is, while there was no 'moment' that may stand the test of time, like a game winning or tying shot, in the NBA Finals every shot is magnified. So when Kobe was reeling off those double digit point efforts in the first quarters or hitting those tough shots in the second and third quarters those are all still clutch shots. I understand that fourth quarter is money time and I understand that when the games got to the final minutes and overtimes he pressed a little. I just don't think you can dismiss a guy averaging 30 points in an NBA Finals as not having any clutch moments so easily. Anyway enjoy that one and I'll post more as I see fit.

-Dif