Update: March 17, 2022
The following is an update on an article I posted four years ago in 2018. The original article is included below.
Reflecting on my experience as a coach in the NCAA and Professionally, I find myself more and more saying to players, "At some point in your life, a coach has told you to talk on the floor, right?" or "Boxing out can't be a new concept for you, you've heard this stuff somewhere before from another coach, or at a camp, right?"
At the most, there may be one player on a college team that hasn't been coached up to talk and box out. Even conceding one player is a stretch if we're being honest. Certainly, it's frustrating as a coach to have to review basic elements of basketball that players at the college level and above should have been focusing on mastering, and I've seen teammates get frustrated with each other when one doesn't talk or misses a box out.
Whatever number of players or percentage of players on a team you want to argue that is an "acceptable" or "expected" amount that requires constant coaching-up on the basic elements of the game, I won't argue with you. Any number you throw out is too high.
When applied to a trade or a skilled worker outside of the realm of basketball or sports, there's a much slimmer margin for error, and in most cases, forgetting to employ basic elements of a trade, in any job, is a swift path to a pink slip (getting fired). Granted, college is about fostering learning and growth, but there is a limit.
Now that I'm back on the pro side, I can't help but wonder if players truly understand they're one email sent to a head coach of a player who is available, has demonstrated better and consistent performance in an area such as rebounding (as previously mentioned), and a contract ($$) can be agreed upon, from being given a pink slip.
It seems to me too many pro players either don't appreciate the opportunity they have or don't realize just how expendable they are. That four to five games of not meeting expectations is probably the very most you're going to get before someone in the organization offers up some available players as their replacement.
It's easy to talk about this generation as "snowflakes" or "soft" and I'm not accepting that as a reason for not doing something so basic, like rebounding and communicating, it's taught to middle schoolers around the country, en masse, and reinforced through camps and clinics by high school and AAU coaches, not to mention the incredible amount of information on the internet and YouTube where players can access information to become a better player at their fingertips.
As a coach, I always hold our program and our players to a high standard, anyone who's played or coached with me will tell you that I talk about the "little things mattering the most" constantly. It really is an obsession, and if you're trying to win championships, it has to be. There is not one championship coach in the world who would argue that the little things don't matter.
My concern now, is that the little things don't matter enough to players, and of those players, it appears to me, that they are quickly on their way to becoming the majority.
When this happens, and it will happen, and it will happen soon, don't go blaming the coaches. The formula to win in high school is the same as in college or at the professional level, or in an upstart business: it's all in the details and the details have to matter to every player.
Great Article on Communication The Value of Communication in Basketball
Original Post, December 20, 2018
A model to get you and your teams talking and communicating effectively on the court.
Communication is the lifeblood of any team or organization. Success cannot happen without constant and clear communication. To illustrate this point, Phil Jackson once had his Chicago Bulls team practice in complete silence to demonstrate, amongst other things, the importance of communication. Coach K took us behind the scenes during the 2018 pre-season docuseries on ESPN+ "Earn Everything," and we saw where everyone, is required to get the communication going early and often. Chants of "Let's Go Duke" can be heard the moment players step onto the floor to practice, and it is expected of the team's senior leaders to model the way and get guys talking.
Achieving this level of communication can be a difficult task, especially if young players aren't taught to communicate on the court early in their careers. Silence becomes part of their game, and we have to work to bring it out of them. PGC Basketball has developed many models, philosophies, and ideas for coaches at all levels, and their "NITE Model" for communication is one of the best.
Here's how you can integrate this with your teams and below is a slide from PGC Basketball on how you as a coach can incorporate it into your repertoire and model the NITE behavior.
N - NAMES
Anytime we communicate with another person we should always include their name. Not only does it confirm whose attention we are trying to get, but it also gives affirmation to the other person that what we are about to say is meaningful. Receivers of our communication are much more likely to listen if they hear their name associated within the context of the message.
I - INFORMATION
Words and actions should always carry meaning. It is still easy to convey information over a long period, but it takes a particular skill to communicate relevant information with as few words as possible. Whether it's a timeout or during play on the floor, there is limited time to teach. We need to work on simplifying our words so that we can give the necessary information in the allotted amount of time. This information should be direct and to the point, allowing the receiver to process the information.
T - TONE OF VOICE
The way we say something is just as important as the actual words themselves. A monotone or lackadaisical voice conveys negativity and a lack of trust. Our tone of voice should be enthusiastic and energetic, which allows the person you are talking to establish trust, confidence and a sense of urgency in the situation. Positive words will encourage a positive tone of voice. Always keep your attitude upbeat and optimistic, even when adversity is present.
E - EYE CONTACT
Think about times when you've maintained extended eye contact and times when someone keeps breaking or never holds eye contact with you during a conversation. What's your takeaway from both situations? On a fundamental level, eye contact communicates both respect and confidence. When we're in an urgent or emergency situation, our eyes guide our thoughts, whether it's looking around for an AED or for someone to call 911, our eyes guide us to what's most important, even before we consciously think about it. Eye contact is also an unspoken language of understanding. We've heard about it often but it needs to be emphasized if you're seeking to gain every edge possible in competition.
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