Steve Nash Showing Us All How To Be Better Teammates

Something I’ve noticed with some of the U17 and U19 soccer teams I train is their lack of interaction on the field, by way of communication, encouragement and just general “feel goodedness” (for lack of a better term) about playing the game of soccer with each other.

We as coaches are constantly striving to build team chemistry. Chemistry is a hard thing to define and you know it when you have it. I’ve been on some teams that I felt had good to great team chemistry and I recently discovered at an alumni game, that that chemistry doesn’t go away, even after a few years having gone by without seeing said teammates.

So what can you do as a player to be a better teammate and build more team chemistry? There may be no easy answer, but I would like to point you all in the direction of an article recently published on ESPN’s basketball blog, Truehoop.

The article and video is about Steve Nash and the amount of high fives he gives to teammates during a game. Though the video is done in a manner to be a little bit silly and poke fun at Nash slightly, the lessons are there for the taking.

Nash is quite an interesting NBA player. Definitely cut from a different mold than the typical NBA player, Nash can teach everyone involved in sports a thing or two about leadership and being a good teammate. For further proof of this, I encourage you to read the chapter about Steve Nash in Chris Ballard’s book “The Art of a Beautiful Game,” and this other article about Nash by Coach Steve Finamore.

A simple thing like handing out high-fives after good and bad plays (maybe more important the bad) can go a long way in helping someone’s confidence and overall team camaraderie. Keep the lessons coming Nashy.

LeBron Posterizes James Johnson But Gets Help From Varejao

It's been a while since I've posted, but now with the NBA playoffs in full gear, I'm hoping to get some more posts up.

What I'm going to try is to pick out a play or two from a game and sort of break down some of the X's and O's of the play.

The first one I'm highlighting is LeBron James' monster throw down against the Bulls last night in Game Two.

Now LBJ does a lot of things right on this play. He's a superhuman athlete and really doesn't need the help of his teammates on most plays, he made that pretty clear last night. But if you watch closely there is a subtle assist from Anderson Varejao on this spectacular play.

Notice in the picture below: As LeBron gets isolated, the Bulls help defenders (mainly Joakim Noah and Luol Deng) are both in good position to help and seem like they are anticipating having to help.


Now, right before LeBron begins his move, Anderson Varejao flashes from the weakside to the center of the rim, seemingly to make himself available as an option for LeBron to pass to. Based on the timing of James' move in correspondance with Varejao's flash, I think this was only done to "seal" off Noah who would be trying to protect the rim on James dunk attempt.

The rest is done by James, who gets unbelievable seperation on a jab and rip through move. Secondly the elevation and ferocity with which he threw down that dunk makes me think that Noah was lucky he wasn't able to come over as a help defender. Knowing the kind of player Noah is and that he wouldn't back down from a challenge, he would have probably attempted to block that shot, and it would have been Noah and James Johnson on a poster, instead of just Johnson.

Here's how the play turned out in real time.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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

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.

Congrats to the Lakers

Lakers pick up their 15th NBA Championship in franchise history.

Hats off to them. They took care of business and did so on the road too which was impressive. Phil Jackson gets career title number 10, Kobe and Fish pick up their 4ths and some veterans like Gasol and Odom pick up their first.

-Dif