This set comes from Springfield College Women’s Basketball during a practice I watched on January 28, 2016. This was an opponent’s set which incorporates single/double action and depending upon which way the inbounder comes off, another double (gets a baseline double if the inbounder comes off the staggered screen).
Springfield College – Single Double BLOB
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Here is a reminder from Frosty Westering’s “Make the Big Time Where You Are”…
Are you a thermometer (being dictated to) or a thermostat (controlling your environment)?
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Here is an article from the most recent AFCA Magazine that features on Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Football program.
AFCA Magazine – Eye of the Tigers – Paul Markgraff – May-June 2016
I think his sentiment regarding relationship and culture building stood out for me the most.
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I love this response by Steve Kerr in regards to Curry and Thompson and their shooting ability and shot selection.
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors Head Coach – Game 6 Postgame Interview
I think at all levels “what is a good shot” is discussed by coaching staffs for each player. Time, score and momentum are all factors in what makes a good shot.
Coaches, let’s get the conversation started as to what is a good shot for you and/or your offensive system. Please leave feedback below.
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Thunder Road – Sports Illustrated – Lee Jenkins – May 30, 2016
This article by Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated show’s why Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook may stay in Oklahoma City no matter what their fate is this season in their quest to the NBA Championship.
It just goes to show that despite the yearly coaching carousel, the mass exodus by transfers every year in college basketball and NBA free agents bolting for the money, maybe, just maybe, Durant and Westbrook are mature beyond their years.
Sometimes the grass is not always greener and quality of life and building a lasting legacy will mean more down the road.
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Here are a few thoughts on the NBA Conference Finals:
– Isn’t it amazing how fast momentum can turn in a series? A famous saying in baseball is that “you are only as good as today’s starting pitching”. Maybe basketball’s version should be “you are only as good as you are when you are making shots”.
– All the pressure is now on the Thunder. If they lose game six, all bets are off. Durant and Westbrook could go from dominating a the best regular season team ever in a short series to losing a 3-1 lead in dramatic fashion. If they lose a 3-1 lead, the narrative will certainly change to “still can’t get win the big one” instead of “it’s their time and they are the most explosive duo to possibly ever play together.”
– If you are Coach Billy Donovan, you have to like the effort his team played with in Game 5 last night. It would have been easy for OKC to mail it in and say let’s win Game 6 at home. Instead, even with under a minute left, Westbrook rebounded his own free throw miss and kicked it to Durant who had a clean look at a 3pt shot, which would have cut the lead to a one possession game. It was great to see OKC’s bench reaction to Durant’s miss. They all gave him five and knew they were just a few plays away from stealing the game and closing out the series.
– Why does Draymont Green feel the need to kick everytime he jumps for a rebound/shot?
– The Raptors have been in this situation before. You know after Gam 2 when nobody gave them a chance to win. It should be interesting to see what kind of resolve they come out with tonight at home vs. Cleveland.
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Check this set out that the Raptors ran in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals last night:
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Since it’s the middle of the week, I figured it would be a great time for some of Yogi Berra’s best quotes from his book “What Time Is It? You Mean Now?” to get us over the “hump”:
“If you don’t set goals, you’ll never reach them.” (p. 40)
“90% of this game is half mental.” (p. 45)
“Little things are big.” (p. 69)
“Paying attention to the basics – in baseball, it’s the fundamentals – is a little thing that’s a big thing.” (p. 70)
“You can observe a lot by watching – and you learn a lot too.” (p. 73)
“To me failure is just an opportunity to start again.” (p. 92)
“There’s a big difference between losing and failure.” (p. 117)
“I try not to get too upset over things I can’t control.” (p. 130)
“It’s deja vu all over again.” (p. 137)
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Here is an article by Chris Vanniani, who chronicled Stanford Football Head Coach, David Shaw, recently at a “fireside chat” event.
Shaw is simply trying to answer: “Are you sure you want to be a coach?“
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This is a passage from one of the most significant scientific discoveries of our time.
“Scientists particularly enjoy – where there is an intriguing mystery, some obvious significant clues, and nobody has any idea what the what the explanation will be.” (P. 144)
Expressions from the Hardwood 