VALUE THE POSSESSION

It drives most coaches crazy – turnovers!

Careless play, bad passes, zero energy on the pass, no zip, etc.

Wisconsin Badgers only turned it over one time against Michigan State last night! Chicago Tribune Skip Myslenski explains.

“Statistics always speak in a loud tone,” coach Bo Ryan said of those numbers. “But I’ve never coached in a game where that has happened (one turnover). I don’t know if it ever has happened. But our guys do value the ball.”

Take better care of the ball…

*    *    *

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY! 

THE BIG LEAD

We don’t have many followers (a few hundred a day), and I’m sure other basketball purists have more traffic than we do, but that doesn’t really concern us.  All we know is that we try and promote the game to be played the right way.

But any blog that links us up is down with me.  Big shout out to the peeps at ‘The Big Lead’, go check their blog out - it’s pretty good.  I will give them their props in the blogroll to the right…

They get an assist and we’re getting them the ball right back so they can go to work!

Good looking out Big Lead!

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY! 

SHOT DOCTOR

We all know them – they hawk their services claiming they helped ’so and so’ become a better shooter. They tell you they can make 95 out of 100 shots.

Blah-Blah-Blah…

Don’t they tell you NOT to bring the ball down this low?

YIKES!

MOMMA-MIA!

Michael Redd is considered a pretty solid outside shooter. 44% from the field including 37% from downtown and 83% from the line.

Here is an interview with Redd conducted in 2006 via IGN.

IGN Sports: How did you learn to fine-tune your shot?

Michael Redd: Hard work. I was not a shooter in college at all. When I came to the Bucks, my rookie year, I had Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell, all shooters, so in order for me to play I had to be able to shoot the basketball. That was something George Karl stressed. In order for me to play I had to be able to shoot the basketball. I practiced every day for hours, thousands of shots. I am still working on my jumper today…still working.

Reps, Reps and more reps…

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

JORDAN FARMAR

Hoops World writer Preetom B. has a nice piece on L.A. Lakers guard Jordan Farmar.  How about the phrase, ‘Play The Right Way‘ being used?

“We have the legends around us, guys like Willis Reed and guys of that stature,” Farmar told HOOPSWORLD at the NBA’s annual All-Star festivities earlier this month. “It’s important to treat the game with respect and play the game the right way.”

Too bad a lot of players have no idea who Willis Reed is.

But it really comes back to those words for Farmar, “playing the game the right way.” For him, the “right way” is nothing more than fundamentals and focus. “Respect the game, take it seriously, and get it done,” Farmar said, revealing a considerably simple philosophy when asked about fighting through all the distractions that come with NBA life.

So Mr. Farmar, thanks for respecting the game and playing the right way. Here are Farmar’s comments on new teammate Pau Gasol.

“He knows how to play the right way,” Farmar said, showing the genuine respect he has for fundamentally sound skill set Gasol has brought. “The triangle is not that difficult for a big man to get into. We give him the ball, let him do what he does: make some cuts, make passes, or just go to work. He knows how to play; he’s been taught to play the right way.”

Very nice…

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY! 

JUST SHOOT IT…

Former NBA and ABA basketball coach Kevin Loughery once said, ‘you have to shoot it up and sleep in the streets’. 

Of course he was talking about having confidence and not worrying about the results.  Just shoot it!

Many pundits disrespect American basketball by saying that Americans can’t shoot the basketball.  Especially if you happen to be from New York.  Well Notre Dame guard Kyle McAlarney made nine 3’s yesterday against Syracuse leading the Irish to the victory.

The Moore Catholic high school gradauate out of Staten Island, New York broke the previous record of most 3’s made at Notre Dame and finished with 30 points.

Reps, confidence and not worrying about what people say if you miss the shot…

Just shoot it.

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

DRAKE-BUTLER

I had the chance to catch the game today on ESPN2 with Drake winning one on the road in Indy 71-64.

What an outstanding contest to watch.  Do these guys play the right way or what?

Adam Emmenecker the point guard for Drake played 38 minutes and only took 5 shots, yet he was probably the best player on the floor.  He runs the show like a great floor leader is supposed to.  Here’s a guy who didn’t average double figures in high school but somehow has found himself running the point for the #18th ranked team in the country. Emmenecker had 7 assists and pulled down 6 rebounds.

Drake is now 24-3 and they are going to knock someone off in the NCAA tournament.

If you watched any of the game, you saw players move the ball, they moved without it and always made the extra pass for the ‘great’ look.  You saw very good pressure, man-to-man defense, you saw charges drawn, players diving on the ball and of course, you witnessed guys who actually box out and go pursue the rebound.

Drake shot 18-20 from the line as a team.

At one point Butler’s A.J. Graves was on the free-throw line and after watching him shoot my wife said, “wow, he has a great form!”

If you are a young player, be sure to catch Emmenecker or Graves before they leave college.

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY! 

NBA PLAYERS WORK!

The NBA gets attacked by many people.  Jabs are taken almost daily all around the internet on everything from players attitude to their individual work ethic. It’s rare you see a positive article on the ‘good guys’.  Here’s a piece on Sonics rookie Kevin Durant taken from Sports Illustrated.com back on December 12.

“The best thing about Kevin is his attitude,” Carlesimo said. “[He and fellow rookie Jeff Green] know they don’t have all the answers. They know they have a long way to go to become really consistent NBA players, and that’s a huge step in itself. They know how important it is to work, how important it is for the assistant coaches to be working with them before practice and after practice and watching tape with them.

“If I’m sitting in my office late in the afternoon or at night and I hear the ball bouncing, it’s 50-50 it’s Kevin. He texts [assistant coach] Brian Keith when he’s on his way in and he’ll get a couple hundred shots up. You can’t teach that. You can make people do that, but it doesn’t work when you make people do that. They have to want to do that. It’s the kind of enthusiasm for basketball Magic had. There have been some very good players in this league who don’t have that enthusiasm for basketball that he has.”

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

SHOOTING FORM

All the talk around the NBA is about the trade between he Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets involving Jason Kidd.  Check J-Kidd’s shooting form from this picture.

Here’s another from a couple of years ago.

(Thanks Gold Medal Impressions)

More J-Kidd…

Last one, I promise.

ACTIVE OR TECHNICAL?

I’m always in a debate on how to play a zone defense.  Syracuse has been playing it for years under Jim Boeheim.  Some coaches like it, some don’t.  To each his own…

The Orange beat the Hoyas yesterday 77-70 in the Dome and here’s Boeheim on the zone from the New York Times:

“It isn’t technical, it is just being active.” 

He’s right, it’s all about moving your feet, having active hands and never relaxing.  It’s moving on the pass and talking.  Too many guys get caught up in who picks up who when the ball is here, when it is there, etc.  Just talk, bounce, get deflections and be ready to go!

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY! 

HUMMEL

If you caught the Purdue-Michigan State men’s basketball game Tuesday night you saw an incredible performance by Purdue freshman forward Robbie Hummel.

I will admit, I’ve never heard of this cat!

First time watching them. He scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Hummel is from Valparaiso, Indiana

Amongst many great plays Hummel made that night, one sticks out in my mind.

Sporting News.com has the story. 

E’Twaun Moore heated up, and then Robbie Hummel, the reigning Big Ten player of the week, hustled the host team to a huge lead. Moore badly missed a 3-pointer, an airball that seemed heading out of bounds, But Hummel, racing down the baseline, grabbed the ball and flipped it out to Keaton Grant, who almost as quickly flipped the ball back to Hummel in the corner. He drained the triple. “You can’t say enough about (Hummel),” said Purdue guard Chris Kramer, who frustrated Spartans star Drew Neitzel all night. “He’s really elevated his game the past two games.”

Most guys would’ve saved the ball and stayed out of bounds for a few seconds.  But Hummel had the smarts to hustle back on the floor to the open spot in the corner.

Hummel was drawing charges, getting deflections, and of course, knocking down big shots when the Boilmakers needed them most.

“I do enjoy having the ball at the end of the game,” Hummel said. “I think every player does. It’s good to know your teammates trust you having the ball.”

He plays the game with so much passion and energy!

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!