Tips on Point Guard Play

Steve Smiley, former Head Coach Sheridan (Wyoming) College. Currently Assistant Coach at Northern Colorado.

1. Vocal Leadership – If your PG isn’t vocal, they can’t command the team. It’s not enough to just “lead by example” on the court; the PG must be able to control the game and keep their team organized (calling out sets, etc)…

2. Lead by Example – We all expect our PG’s to be leaders, so they must lead by example on and off the floor. They have to have leadership qualities to be able to run a team. One good “on-the court” example would be their defensive stance and on-ball pressure as the ball moves up the floor. If they are a ball-hawk and showing extreme pressure to the ball, there is a good chance the rest of the team will also buy in to being in a stance.

3. Have a good relationship with the coach. We all say that the PG must be an extension of the coaching staff on the court, so there must be a solid relationship between the coach and PG so they can always feel comfortable communicating with each other.

4. Not a “Shoot-first” player . They don’t necessarily need to always be a pass-first PG, especially in high school where the PG might also be the best scorer, but they can not be a player that typically will bring the ball up the floor looking to go one-on-one and creating shots just for themselves. The offense will become stagnant and other players will shut down, because they know their chances of being involved offensively are low.

5. Have a high IQ for the game / feel for the game – They have to understand special situations, the flow of the game, the time & score, when to attack, when to pull it out, etc.

6. Have a high conditioning threshold – if the PG isn’t in shape and is expected to play big minutes and minutes at the end of the game, they will break down mentally once their body breaks down, so it is huge for them to be in great shape.

7. Make the easy pass, and not always the “assist” pass – Sometimes PG’s make foolish passes because they know the ball will be in their hand much of the time. Have them keep it simple. The reason Steve Nash can make the passes he can make is because he works on it every day and he is the best in the world. There aren’t a lot of Steve Nashes out there, so use the KISS principle – “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.

8. Be able to knock down the open shot – I couldn’t shoot, and I played a lot of minutes, and it definitely hurt my team at times. The PG typically won’t get a ton of shots off of set plays or screens because he or she is setting up others, but the PG must be able to hit the open shot in transition, on post-feed kick-outs, etc.

9. Have “Gears” – I’m talking about a change of pace in their game. The toughest PG’s aren’t the ones who are extremely fast, but the ones that are always playing at different speeds. They have deception in their game.

10. Have a “Motor” – summarizes a lot of the points already made, but the PG has to play extremely hard, and be eager to do all of the dirty jobs. The PG must be willing to guard the full length of the court, push the ball in transition, be vocal, and play with a tremendous amount of energy.

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NOTES FROM RED AND ME BY BILL RUSSELL

-The notes were take by Chris Iversen-Rochester RazorSharks–and sent to me by Coach Brandon Rosenthal of St. Edward’s University.

– “True friends occupy special places in our psyches. They don’t have to interact with us every day, or every month, or every year. They’re always a part of us. It’s not that we take them for granted. We just incorporate them into our lives so naturally, we don’t realize they’re there.”

– Cherish those that you hold dear to your heart.

– “A friend may well be reckoned a masterpiece of nature.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

– Advice that Bill Russell’s father gave him…”Son, I don’t know what you’ll be when you grow up. But here’s what I want you to think about. When you take a job, if they pay you two dollars a day, give them three dollars worth of work. The reason is, if they’re paying you two and you’re giving them three, you’re more valuable to them than they are to you…”

– Take pride in doing things well, the right way, and to the best of your ability. Don’t do things to just get through them. Work hard when no one is looking.

– “Let the first thing out of your mouth be your second thought. It will greatly reduce the number of apologies you have to make, either to yourself or the person you’re speaking to.”

– “The greatest thing about waking up healthy each day is that we have a choice. A choice to be happy or sad. A choice to be upbeat and ready to go, or a choice to mope about the responsibilities and challenges that await us.”

– This should be an easy choice for most of us. We are lucky to be able to do what we do every day, and have the people in our lives that love and support us unconditionally (win or lose). We’re blessed to be able to work hard at something we enjoy. Sure, some days are going to have their obstacles. Just something to think about the next time something doesn’t go your way or keep in mind during a “losing streak”.

To read  a sample of one of the book on Amazon, click the link below:

Click on the search inside this book link

Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend

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Timeless Wisdom and Insight of John Wooden

Notes By:

Chris Iversen – Rochester RazorSharks

Before Success comes patience…When we add to our accomplishments the element of hard work over a long period of time, we’ll place a far greater value on the outcome. When we are patient, we’ll have a greater appreciation of our success

People with initiative will act when action is needed.

 

Criticism and correction differ, especially when it comes to methods and motives. Criticism puts someone down. Correction means I want to help.

Be slow to correct and quick to commend. No one likes correction, but we learn from it. If we commend before we correct, the person will accept the correction better. But we must listen before we correct. There is usually another side to every story. If we listen to others, they will be more apt to listen to us.

Loyalty is the fundamental quality that gets us through hard times. Will we compromise our integrity when temptation is great? Or will we remain loyal to our core beliefs and values?

If I’m prepared, perhaps my chance will come. But if I’m not primed, I’ll miss my opportunity, and it isn’t likely to come again. I have to think as if I’m only going to get one shot, so I must be ready.

Most people have a tendency to look for shortcuts or at least for the easiest way to complete any given task. If we only put a minimum effort we might get by in some situations, but in the long run we won’t fully develop the talents that lie within us.

When we are reliable, others know that they can depend on us.

Reliability takes sacrifice because of the many things that can distract us from consistency. Being there for someone means focusing on an individual or circumstance and taking on the responsibility of seeing things through.

Reliability also requires a high level of selflessness.

People can bet the farm on us and still be able to sleep at night. Reliability earns the respect of those around us.

A leader’s most powerful ally is his or her own example.

Purity of intention is really a reflection of the heart…the heart of a person with integrity always wants to do what’s right, once he or she is sure what “right” is.

Helping others in any way – with a smile, a nod or a pat on the back – warms the heart.

There is always great joy in learning that something you’ve said or done has been meaningful to another, especially when you do it without any thought of receiving anything in return.

The most important profession in the world is parenting. The second is teaching, and everyone is a teacher to someone.

Each one of us has a different mix of talents and a distinctive set of circumstances…if we put forward our best effort, we can consider ourselves to be successful.

Don’t measure yourself by what you accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability. You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

Friendship comes from mutual esteem and devotion. Friendship is doing for others while they are doing for you. Friendship goes both ways. …It’s based on mutual concern.

With competitive greatness, we can deliver our best when our best is needed; at the same time, we can make those around us better, too.

Resourcefulness is using our wits, proper judgment and common sense to solve problems and meet challenges… dreaming up ways to meet our goals.

If we want to succeed, we must readily adapt to circumstances as they unfold – this includes both what we cannot change and what will take some time to change.

It is easier to reach our potential when we learn the value of including others in our quest.

Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not [only] for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

…we are most likely to succeed when ambition is focused on noble and worthy purposes and outcomes rather than on goals set out of selfishness.

When our emotions dominate our actions, we make mistakes.

Patience is the ability to wait and calmly persevere.

…the outcome was merely the byproduct of preparation and hard work.

I’ve always wanted to be the best I can be. I still do, so I work at it.

Catching up leaves no room for them to do their best tomorrow. People with the philosophy of putting off and then working twice as hard cheat themselves.

No individual or team will become great without loyalty.

When we are disloyal, we compromise our character. Essentially, disloyalty is a betrayal of friendship.

I have often cautioned people that we can become great in the eyes of others, but we’ll never become successful when we compromise our character and show disloyalty toward friends or teammates.

To read more insights from John Wooden by going to a sample of one of his books on Amazon, click the link below:

Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court

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These are some notes from a clinic presentation given by Larry Shyatt, assistant men’s basketball coach at Florida.

General Topics

– “You have to take care of people you admire”

– Question asked to Coach Daily; “Any regrets in coaching?”  Response: “I wish I would have talked with my players more”

– Need to talk to your players outside of the office —- get to know them

– Jeff Van Gundy: “Stop using the word great to describe a player —- he needs to be the best offensive and defensive player everyday in order to be good.”

– “The people who love you the most, tell you what you don’t want to hear”

– Talk to your players about rules (not just team rules, but defensive rules……)

– Buzz Williams:

* “Old people talk about the past”

* “Young people talk about the future”

* “Successful people worry about the now”

– Each year, every coach talks about how he is going to play up tempo

– Off-season workouts always seem to designed for just offense, yet as coaches, we always say that defense wins championships

–  Players need to talk — #1 priority

– Need to have a defensive vocabulary

– Use drills where the coach does not talk

– Talk needs to be ELC (Early, Loud, Continuous)

* Example: Blitz – Ball screen

– To have a successful defensive culture, you cannot expect the assistant coaches to do it….the head coach needs to lead it

– Need to show game footage of how drills work —– so players can make the connection of how a drill pays off in a game

– Do you have a coaching syllabus? (should start from back to front)

1. Offensive syllabus

2. Defensive syllabus

3. Special situations syllabus

– Your syllabus is going to change—–should be detailed

– Keep hustle stats —- “On your worse shooting nights, are you still going to be able to win the game?”  Hustle plays is what will give you that chance

– “Timing can change everything”

– What impacts winning?  — Whatever you believe it is, the players need to believe it

– “Don’t ever have an excuse not to play the ball”

– “Don’t ever stop the drills when the ball goes through the hoop” (add the next element after a score)

– “The thought that someone can out work us, frightens us”

– “Start every talk with a defensive thought”   —- it builds a defensive culture

– Defensively, you need to keep the ball out of the paint

– Your defensive rules need to be clear to your players, but you cannot be a slave to them

* Each player is different

– Example: A fast player can be farther up the line when one pass away when compared to a big slow kid.

– If a blind person were at your practice, he/she should be able to know what you emphasize and what your weaknesses are

– Today’s players have no fear — they don’t fear their parents, coaches, or other players

– FT’s, open 3’s are going to beat us

– Don’t let the ball get to the paint (pass or dribble)