As a coach, you start to look at the game through a different lens. I remember in my earlier days as a fan, flash, style, and showmanship were the most important aspects of the game. I was enamored with Allen Iverson and his innate ability to slice through the lane, contort his body, handle the ball, a take contact to finish tough shots. I would try to get my hands on any video of guys like Skip to My Lou (a.k.a. Rafer Alston) or "Headache", just to see what new and amazing demonstrations of in-you-face basketball mastery would be displayed.
Not to say that I no longer appreciate a bounce-the-ball-off-your-head-alley-oop pass, but I have found that as I moved from fan to coach, there was a premium on substance rather than style. Let’s face it, style does not always guarantee you a win or team success, but substance always improves the odds.
That being said, my time delving into the game and its complexities has been spent looking more at efficiency and ease of motion. What is more effective than a simple chest pass to a shooter coming off a well-placed and well-set down screen? I found this article yesterday regarding the “process” of Ray Allen, sharpshooter for the Boston Celtics. His game, whether or not you are a Celtic fan, is a thing of utter beauty and elegance. And in a game that often showcases a guard pounding the ball for 10-15 seconds, looking for a gap in the defense to penetrate while his or her teammates just watch, the brilliance of constant player movement makes even more sense. Just ask the Miami Heat if all that off-ball player movement has made a difference in their last 20 wins in 21 games…
Please use the link below for an in-depth review of the art of constant motion:
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