Episode 3 of the Dynamic Coaching Tools Podcast features Coach Ryan Thomas, the Founder and Director of Player Development for HoopGrind Basketball. Coach Thomas spent time talking to us about the role of a Player Development Coach, balancing the job of an Assistant Coach and the individual development of players, what high school coaches can be doing better, and the different plans for HoopGrind Basketball. Below are just a couple of the takeaways from this episode.
THREE KEYS TO A GOOD DRILL
- Level Appropriate
- Translates to the game
- Can be layered up or down
STEPS TO GETTING PLAYERS TO BUY INTO A ROLE
- Embrace the role
- Star in the role
- Grow the role
You can reach Coach Thomas via Twitter and Instagram.
Coaches should also check out HoopGrind Basketball.
Social Media is @HoopGrind
PREVIOUS EPISODES OF DCT PODCAST
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The Truth About Shooting More Threes
“The Truth About Shooting More Threes” by Coach Doug Brotherton was originally published by HoopGrind Basketball
In the NBA, teams are embracing the analytics, which encourages teams to shoot lay-ups and threes. According to the data, mid-range jump shots are inefficient and do not lead to success. Like most things in basketball, the NBA is the trendsetter, so now college basketball coaches are doing the same thing, and even high school coaches are preaching that lay-ups and threes are the key to building a successful team. High School basketball is where the debate heats up, as a lot of long time successful coaches are not interested in adapting to this new strategy. After reading a recent debate on Twitter, I decided to dive into the numbers. Below is the process that was used for this project.
- Use MaxPreps to gather three-point shooting statistics
- Find the three-point attempts per game numbers for all of the 200 teams that qualified.
- Separate the teams who shot the most three point shots per game (30+ attempts per game), from the teams who shot the fewest three pointers per game (under 20 attempts per game).
- Look up the WIN/LOSS RECORD of all of these teams, to find out if increased three point attempts per game correlate to a higher winning percentage.
- Gather the POINTS PER GAME for each team, to find out if increased three point attempts results in a higher points per game average.
Here is the table that I created:
THE RESULTS
DOES INCREASED THREE POINT ATTEMPTS RESULT IN MORE SCORING?
After diving into the data, it supports the belief that shooting more three pointers will result in scoring more points offensively. In fairness, this study does not include pace of play, or any metric to judge the caliber of opponents. It simply shows that high school boys teams who shoot 30+ three pointers per game, score significantly more points than teams who attempt less than 20 three point attempts per game. This remains true, despite the fact that the teams shooting more three pointers, shot a much lower percentage from deep.
- Teams shooting 30+ three pointers shoot at an average percentage of 31% and score 76.9 points per game.
- Teams shooting under 20 three pointers make 37% of their attempts, but only score 63.7 points per game.
DOES INCREASED THREE POINT ATTEMPTS RESULT IN WINNING MORE GAMES?
The results here actually show the exact opposite. Shooting more three pointers, at the High School level, does not correlate to winning more games. In fact, teams shooting under 20 three point attempts per game won 73% of their games, while the teams shooting over 30 three point attempts per game won only 67% of their games. As one can see, this study only involved the 200 teams that MaxPreps listed. The requirements to be listed are that a team must have played at least 18 games, and attempted a minimum of 226 three pointers on the season.
- Teams shooting 30+ three pointers won 67% of their games.
- Teams shooting under 20 three pointers won 73% of their games.
In conclusion, this project is far from perfect, but it supports something that most experienced coaches already know. There are a lot of different ways to win high school basketball games. If your philosophy is to score more points, then attempting more three point shots should help your team accomplish this goal. It is just important to note that shooting more three point shots does NOT guarantee that your team will be more successful. If you want your team to maximize their ability, then you must find the balance between what your players do well, and how that can be incorporated into your system.
To further the discussion, you can contact Coach Doug Brotherton via Twitter: @CoachBrotherton
Or you can reach him via e-mail at: CoachBrotherton@gmail.com
You can also reach us via Twitter at: @DynamicCoaches -
New Year: Is your team ready to win?
As the calendar turns over, basketball coaches begin conference play, and hope to have the answer to how their team can win. Through the experiences gained from October to December, most teams have had an opportunity to be challenged, learn from adversity, and establish an identity. Below are three questions that you had better know the answer to, if you want a chance to win your league:
✔ What does your team do better than anyone else in your league?
✔ What is your team’s biggest weakness, and how can you help your team overcome it?
✔ Do your players know and accept their roles?
These three questions are guiding thoughts, which will give your team a chance to play their best basketball. We hope this helps your coaching staff evaluate where your team is at, as you prepare for the most important stretch of the season.
You can follow Dynamic Coaching Tools on Twitter at @DynamicCoaches -
Control the Controllables | Draymond Green
There is no doubt that Draymond Green has played a critical role in the Golden State Warriors’ NBA Championships. He is a versatile player, who provides a level of toughness that compliments the Warriors’ explosive offensive attack. The one constant criticism of Draymond Green has been his emotional instability. A lot of people think of scenes like the one below, when they think of Draymond Green.
Draymond got a technical after disagreeing with this foul call: pic.twitter.com/MYxukvrAoQ
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2019
In Game 5, of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the Warriors seemed to be in serious trouble. Kevin Durant hurt his calf, and was expected to miss some serious time. Despite this set back, the Warriors responded by winning back-to-back games to eliminate the Houston Rockets, and took a commanding 3-0 lead over the Portland Trailblazers. During these games, Draymond Green has played some of his best basketball.
This is the Draymond from the 25-game winning streak 3 years ago… just incredible. Didn’t think he could get to this level anymore.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 19, 2019
One of the obvious adjustments that Draymond Green has made, other than increasing his aggressiveness offensively, has been his mental approach. After winning Game 3, Draymond talked about it.
Draymond’s playing with a different energy.
“I had got to the point where I was doing more crying than playing.” pic.twitter.com/4pOTg85bmk
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 19, 2019
Draymond Green has clearly taken a “control the controllables” approach to his game. Instead of majoring in the minor, he is choosing to focus his energy on helping his team win. This was most clear when he put his leadership on display, following a Jordan Bell missed dunk.
With Draymond Green’s focus being on winning 🏀 games, it allows him to provide mental stability and confidence to his teammates.
This is great leadership! #Leadership#GrowTheGame🏀 pic.twitter.com/x2w1c35bNt— Doug Brotherton (@CoachBrotherton) May 19, 2019
In the post game, Draymond Green also displayed the importance of allowing other people to strengthen the influence of a leader. In this case, it was a message from the Warriors’ video coordinator. As the tweet below states, every person around a team has an impact on the group’s culture. The best cultures are “exclusively inclusive.” What that phrase means, is that each person must demonstrate the standards that are required to be a part of the team. Once they do that, then they deserve to have their voice respected, which allows the group to perform at their best.
Great Leaders 👀 what is going on around them, and 👂 what others have to 🗣. They encourage other voices, to strengthen their influence!
Every person around a team has an impact on a culture. The best cultures are “exclusively inclusive.”#CultureWins#GrowTheGame🏀 pic.twitter.com/rAoBtobi4I
— Doug Brotherton (@CoachBrotherton) May 19, 2019
With Draymond Green demonstrating his ability to block out the distractions, and “control the controllables,” the Warriors are going to be tough to beat. This is a lesson that can be used with any team, as there is no escaping the threat of outside noise. Look for Draymond Green to continue to play at an elite level, as long as he can maintain this focused mentality.