One of the questions that concerns many coaches is what size playing rotation should they use to maximize their opportunities to win.

If your goal is to win, eight players seems to be the optimal number to play. For most levels of competition five starters, one post sub, one guard sub, and one “other” is generally the ideal mix. The “other” is preferably a multi skilled athlete who can play a number of positions. If that type of player is not available, then the eighth member of your rotation would be your next best player regardless of position.

Larry Brown, the only coach to win both an NCAA (Kansas Jayhawks) and NBA (Detroit Pistons) Championship liked to base his teams around nine players.  Coach Brown’s ideal roster includes:

1. 3 Guards
   • 2 natural point guards who can play together
   • 1 natural shooting guard
2. 2 Athletic, small forwards (What many would label as 3’s)
   • 1 who can also play the 4 if needed
   • 1 who can also play the 2 if needed
3. 4 Bigs who can play either the 4 or 5 spot

How many players actually got into a game obviously depended on many factors but Coach Brown liked to have the available options that this type of roster provided.

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* Professionalism

* No personal agendas

* Professional / respectful communication

* Think of “now only” – this team, this year

* We commit to making sure everything we do is for the team

* Personal situations will take a backseat to team commitment

* Commit to the teaching and the system that we have

* Efficient team

* Team of execution

* Never have a bad practice

* Responsibility

* Trust

* No excuses

* Holding ourselves accountable to doing it the Celtic way

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In the Ultimate Coaches Career Manual, Pat Williams includes this quote by NBA Champion, Olympic Gold Medal, and Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Daly:

Let me tell you a story. I’m teaching a philosophy class at Duke, some students, some athletes. We met in a room between two handball courts and I am in there one day and I’m telling everyone, “You can get on the players – that’s okay. Because once you leave the court it’s all over. It’s forgotten.” This football player gets right up and says “That’s not right. It’s not forgotten. Whatever you say is remembered. You can’t get on a player one minute and expect him to forget it in the next minute.” The guy caught me by surprise, but that statement, what he had to say that day, has meant as much to me as anything I’ve ever heard in my life. I learned more in those few moments than at any other time in my life.

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In every human activity, a few people through concentration, practice, and deep desire can become so skilled that they excel beyond all others.

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A recent article in The Wall Street Journal suggests that extra high fives and chest bumps may be helping the Dallas Mavericks get a little closer to winning the 2011 NBA Championship. Here’s an excerpt from that article written by Scott Cacciola:

The concept of “chemistry” on a sports team has become the stuff of cliché over the years. Nobody seems to have the same definition for what it is, or what produces it. But last fall, three researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, took a serious look at one of the most obvious signs of camaraderie on a team—touching. The study, which was titled “Tactile Communication, Cooperation and Performance: An Ethological Study of the NBA,” was authored by Michael W. Kraus, Cassy Huang and Dacher Keltner. After reviewing broadcasts of games from the 2008-09 season, they concluded that good teams tend to be much more hands-on than bad ones. Teams whose players touched the most often were more cooperative, played better and won more games, they said.

Keep this in mind when you watch Game 6 this weekend. More importantly, keep this in mind the next time you watch your own team play!

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One of the oldest principles of success simply states that if you’re not getting the results that you want, then you must change your actions.

Tuesday night’s game four of the NBA Finals between Dallas and Miami was a perfect example of this principle. Dallas was in a must win situation in order to stay in the hunt for a NBA championship because a loss would have put them down 3-1 to Miami, which is a deficit that is nearly impossible to overcome.

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle knew that if his team kept doing the same things as the game before they would get the same results and so in order to secure a win the Mavs had to tweak something in their game plan. The adjustment that he made, although relatively small and simple, turned out to be a HUGE factor in the outcome of the game. Instead of having Dirk Nowitzki setting the on-ball screens on the perimeter they had Tyson Chandler set them instead. This small change was so beneficial for the Mavs because:

A) It got more players involved in the offense instead of just Dirk and the ball handler and so their scoring was more evenly distributed

B) Having Dirk as a spot up shooter on the perimeter stretched the defense and gave everyone else more room to operate.

C) The better spacing  allowed for deeper penetration by guards J.J Barea, Jason Terry and Jason Kid, which put tremendous pressure on the help side defenders.

D) Rolling to the basket put Tyson Chandler in a better position to either grab offensive rebounds or to tip them back out top to restart the possession.

It was coaching at its finest by Rick Carlisle and his staff. Game 5 is going to be interesting to see what, if any, adjustments that the Miami staff makes.  Since outcomes are always in direct relation to the quality of actions that are taken, the series is not just about great athletes anymore but has now become a chess match as well!

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Watching Dirk Nowitzki score the Maverick’s final 9 points last night in a variety of different ways to seal Dallas’ comeback win over Miami in the NBA Finals made me think of a quote once said by Abe Lemons, the former University of Texas  coach:

“There’s really ony two great plays in the world – Romeo & Juliet and put the darn ball in the basket!”

Bravo Dirk!

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This past week we heard a lot of comparisons of Lebron and Michael Jordan and they were fueled when Scottie Pippen even said that when all is said and done that Lebron may end up the best player ever.  Here’s my perspective:  Both are two different types of players but if I had to pick one I want MJ.  I want the leader.

Michael Jordan took the Chicago Bulls and made them his own.  He started with Ed Nealy and Brad Sellers and turned those teams into arguably the best teams of all time.  He was the main player on a team that won 72 games and then went on to win 6 NBA titles.  He didn’t do it as a sidekick and he sure didn’t leave Chicago to join another team to win one.  The team had MJ, he handled all the pressures that came with that, added Scottie Pippen and some role players and they were tough.  MJ was the type A personality that is rare in athletes and you know it when you see it.  Kobe is a type A.  Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were type A personalities.  They are the leaders and they elevate those around them to their level and expectations.  Lebron James is not in that class.

Lebron is an incredible talent but we can safely say that he got tired of Cleveland and lost confidence.  He was done with his teammates and was tired of having to carry the load.  MJ relished that.  Magic wanted that.  That is what the separation is.  Like MJ said, “I wanted to beat those guys”.  He didn’t want to join Magic, he wanted to beat Magic and that’s where his joy in the sport came from.  Of any Type A’s that the Heat have it is clearly DWade.  He orchestrated the whole deal and showed the leadership necessary to get it done. 

Is Lebron talented enough to be considered one of the best ever?  Yes, easily.  His numbers, when he retires, will show that he is one of the best ever.  Leaving the CAvs and going to the Heat lifted a burden off his shoulders and you can see it in his game.  If MJ left the Bulls it would have put disappointment and failure on his shoulders and he would’ve felt that and probably never overcome that honestly.  MJ was going to win with that team to prove it could be done.  Kobe wanted to win without Shaq to show it could be done.  He was happy that Shaq left and whether that is right or wrong that is what separates players into classes.  I’ll take the guy who wants the challenge any day.  I’ll take the stubborn pride because they won’t fold when it gets tough, they just come back hungrier.

This is my last blog that I’ll be writing.  I have done this blog for years now and loved every minute of it.  Hoopskills has provided me with a great platform for my opinions and thoughts and I’m thankful for them.  The blog will continue on and other writers will post great stuff for coaches and players alike.  Thanks to everyone for all the emails and comments over the years. You can reach me directly at bscho@infowest.com at any time as I’d love to stay in touch with all of you. 

Brian Schofield

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The NBA finals start tomorrow night and I’m really torn as to what I think is going to happen.  It is one of those series where I think I need to watch a game to see how the teams handle each other before looking ahead at the other games.  In the Heat vs Bulls series you could tell from game 1 that the Bulls played out of their heads and that they would have to do that in each game to win the series.  They couldn’t.  Tomorrow night it is tough to judge because the Mavs have some good talent but the Heat just have better stars.  Jason Kidd is older but playing very well.  Jason Terry is having an incredible playoffs.  Dirk is proving his place as one of the best players and closers in the league.  On the other side you have Lebron, DWade and Bosh.  Bosh isn’t going to be much of a factor in this series but the Mavs have nobody who can guard Lebron.  I don’t want to hear about Shawn Marion being able to do it because he’s going to have to guard DWade or Lebron and he’s a shell of what he was before.  Lebron isn’t a jumpshooter like Kevin Durant so he’ll consistently attack the basket. 

Where the Mavs have an edge is off the bench.  They seem to come at teams in waves and with shooters on the court they are always a threat to get hot and make teams pay for collapsing on Dirk. 

When I think of my pre series prediction I think the Heat win in 6 but I’m reserving real judgment until after Game 1.

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I’m watching the MIAMI HEAT play and I have one thought and it keeps going over and over in my head.  You had better beat these guys now because this is the worst team they will ever have.  Seriously, the Heatles(Bosh, Wade, James) are in their 1st year together and they assembled some pieces around them but they only had one season to do that.  They have Joel Anthony at center and a washed up Mike Bibby at point.  They come off the bench with Chalmers there but he isn’t anything great.  Udonis Haslem is getting older and is average but is a good bench player.  Get this team now because soon enough they will be retooling.

What else can they get?  For one, they can get a center.  Imagine this team with a front line center and then have Anthony coming off the bench.  Imagine the Heat with a solid pass first point guard who can hit open jumpers.  Imagine how good they will be when they win this title and know exactly what it tastes like.  These guys will come back hungrier next season with a confidence that they are still learning to have.  Heck, Bosh hasn’t even done that well yet. 

Other teams had better start to do what they talked about and getting some start together.  If they don’t the NBA will be the MIAMI HEAT’s playground and they will be the bully deciding who can play on the monkey bars.

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