Please enjoy the following notes from David Fizdale’s clinic at Coaching U Live 2017 on creating a culture and style of play.
Taking a New Job
Common ground — where I’ve come from & where they rare right now.
Book Recommendation: Thick Face, Black Heart: The Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business & Life by Chin-Ning Chu
Interview Preparation: studied their team to death, how to modernise their style of play, how to maximise their roster, what I had learned from Miami.
Be direct with your senior players, they will respect you for it.
“Kids today want the why, adapt or die.” — Fizdale
Vision: if we could shoot the 3 and guard the 3, we had a chance.
Flow Offence
Emptied our rim running big to the weakside block.
Wanted to keep wings in the corners, give space for Mike Conley.
“Open”
“77”
If bigs are not ahead of the ball, find the nearest sideline.
Same side, double drag.
If we have two bigs up we go into double drag or “77”
“Horns”
If bigs are on opposite sides, horns and always dive Randolph.
“L”
If the guards are on the same side, we run into horns on an empty side of the floor.
Screener hit the lower body and roll quick.
Developing a Style of Play
Turn pieces of actions into your drills, get game shots 3v0 into 3v3.
My philosophy was: use the 3, guard it and use our post punch.
Marc Gasol: shot and made more than 3’s than ever before, sold to Zac Randolph to come off the bench and he become the leagues best 6th man.
Develop your players with relation to your offensive system.
Open your players up to new potential, take them out of their box.
First year with the big 3, we didn’t adapt to the team we had.
Defensive Transition
Spoelstra: we must get back “on the release”.
How quickly can you get 5 guys below the line of the ball.
Drill: 5v4, 7 seconds, offence can shoot but can’t dribble.
Practice ‘X’ing out, back to 5v5 full court.
5 Action
3 has choice in the corner (a) curl cut (b) back cut and © long cut which is run hand off with 5
If you like your actions in the half court, make them part of your SOB.
Pick & Roll Defence
Never change calling screen left or right, push it one way.
“stunt and stick” out of the strong side corner.
Never give up that you look like you’re switching. Talk, touch, take.
If the ball gets over the FT line, then “peel switch.”
Attack the roller and veer back.
Final Thought
“Do the best job you can, no matter where you are.”
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