When a squad is outmatched, they need to play the game better than the opponent. The simplest way to do so is to create continuous movement: not only the ball but the people on the court as well. When C.S.K.A. Moscow led the Toronto Raptors at halftime during a 2008 exhibition game, it was not entirely due to the Raptors’ poor skill level; the Euroleague Champions Cup holders never stopped moving. The patterns were simple but ceaseless (flex, pass/screen away, and other basic sets). C.S.K.A. ran their offence throughout the shot clock until Toronto committed an error. On the pick-up …
Skills We Should Teach More, Part III: Reaction Time
Introduction: Initially, it was believed that the body and mind were powerfully connected; once a human mind made a decision, the body acted immediately. Galileo Galilei, endeavouring to prove that the speed of light was finite, estimated a human reaction time of 0.5 seconds in the seventeenth century, which was lowered to 0.2 seconds in 1905 by Edward Titchener (Foschi & Leone, 2009, pp. 1255-7). Within the confines of a basketball court – ninety-four feet long and fifty feet wide – both players receive information at the same time and it becomes a matter of who reacts better. Before: Body: …
Player Development, Part I
Today, Ettore Messina held a clinic at the University of Toronto regarding the development of the young post player. I thought that it was a very insightful presentation and included some technical elements which are not usually covered in North American coaching literature. First of all, Messina spoke of developing trust with players. I agree with his point that players will respect you once you prove that you can help them improve. To me, it’s highly logical and creates relationships based on respect, not the one-sided interactions that have become prevalent in schools and teams in North America. As I …