Monthly Archives: January 2011

THE JOB

Sad story on a coach who passed away last month. Les Carpenter of Yahoo Sports writes about Scott Lang a coach who loved his job and gave everything he had. You just never know when it will all end. So embrace your job, don’t take it for granted. Get the most out of every minute.

Scott Lang was 41 years old when he died last month. He was not married. He had no children. He spent almost all of his adult life as the basketball coach at La Roche College, a tiny Division III school in the north hills just above Pittsburgh. He had an apartment and eventually a house but he might as well have lived in his office at the Kerr Fitness and Sports Center, the one he kept tidy with each picture perfectly lined on the wall and every file in order on his desk.

A Michigan assistant coach keeps notes and notes and notes. Lavall Jordan former Butler player on his way to improve in coaching via Ann Arbor.com. I have known Lavall for a few years, he’s one of the good guys in coaching.

The small, spiral-bound notebooks sit in Michigan basketballassistant coach LavallJordan’s home office.

They have traveled with him through three coaching stops and contain recollections of seasons past, reminders of how certain situations were handled and tidbits he heard from coaches.

“Just a collection,” Jordan said. “Something happens and you make a memo and you probably don’t look at it then. But if you’re in a similar situation or doing something that reminds you (of something), you go back and go, ‘Oh, I think I wrote something down.’”

The Indiana Pacers fired their coach-are they looking at Mike Brown, former Cavs coach? Yahoo once again is our reliable source.

Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski has heard from multiple sources that former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, who once worked as an assistant coach for the Pacers, “will be a primary focus of the search to replace O’Brien on a long-term basis.”

Great Q&A with Jim Fassal via Las Vegas Sun.

From a football standpoint, it’s the same. The competitiveness, the intensity of it, the feeling … it’s the same. The only difference is that the world is watching the Super Bowl. But once you kick that ball off, as a coach, you’re just honed homed in on, “What have I gotta do? What have I gotta do?” It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the Super Bowl or the UFL Championship, as a coach, you still feel the same juice.

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

Follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore

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SATURDAY’S NBA SUPER 7

1-San Antonio Spurs: 39-7… (Next: TONIGHT home vs Rockets)

2-Boston Celtics: 35-11….(Next: SUNDAY at Lakers)

3-Los Angeles Lakers: 33-14…(Next: SUNDAY home vs Celtics)

4-Miami Heat: 32-14…(Next: SUNDAY at OKC)

5-Chicago Bulls: 32-14…(Next: WEDNESDAY at Clippers)

6-Orlando Magic: 30-17… (Next: SUNDAY home vs Cavaliers)

7-New Orleans Hornets: 31-16…(Next: TONIGHT at Sacramento)

Who Got Next? Dallas Mavericks (30-15), OKC Thunder (30-16)

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FRIDAY’S NBA SUPER 7

1-San Antonio Spurs: 39-7… Beat the Jazz Wednesday night 112-105. If you don’t think the Spurs are the best team in the NBA, you don’t know basketball. (Next: SATURDAY home vs Rockets)

2-Boston Celtics: 35-10….Beat the Blazers Thursday night 88-78. Kendrick Perkins gets 10 points and 9 rebounds. (Next: TONIGHT at PHX.)

3-Los Angeles Lakers: 33-13…Jerry West was quoted in the Orange County Register as questioning the Lakers’ ability to play defense.  ”I don’t think the Lakers will be good for much longer. … You can keep a car running for a long time by changing the tires, etc. You can’t change a player’s tires.” Hmmm…(Next: TONIGHT home vs Kings)

4-Miami Heat: 31-14… Lost to the Knicks in the Big Apple 93-88. D-Wade goes for 34 points and 16 rebounds. (Next: TONIGHT home vs Pistons)

5-Chicago Bulls: 31-14… Derrick Rose is fast becoming involved in ‘best point guard in league’ discussion. (Next: FRIDAY home vs Magic )

6-Orlando Magic: 30-16… Beat the Pacers Wednesday night 111-96. Magic make 16 three-point shots for game.  (Next: FRIDAY at Chicago)

7-New Orleans Hornets: 31-16…Welcome to the Super 7 Party. Won for the 10th straight time Wednesday night beating the Warriors 112-103. (Next: SATURDAY at Sacramento)

Who Got Next? Dallas Mavericks (30-15), OKC Thunder (29-16)

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THURSDAY’S NBA SUPER 7

1-San Antonio Spurs: 39-7… Beat the Jazz Wednesday night 112-105. If you don’t think the Spurs are the best team in the NBA, you don’t know basketball. (Next: SATURDAY home vs Rockets)

2-Boston Celtics: 34-10….”It’s been a terrific season so far, but we’ve had some bad losses. I tell our guys that some of the teams that have beaten us are under .500, and those are tough losses for a team that shouldn’t lose those games. So, more lessons learned, and I’ve just got to keep teaching them.” said head coach Doc Rivers. (Next: TONIGHT at Portland)

3-Los Angeles Lakers: 33-13…Jerry West was quoted in the Orange County Register as questioning the Lakers’ ability to play defense.  ”I don’t think the Lakers will be good for much longer. … You can keep a car running for a long time by changing the tires, etc. You can’t change a player’s tires.” Hmmm…(Next: FRIDAY home vs Kings)

4-Miami Heat: 31-13…While in NYC, where do you think LeBron had dinner last night? (Next: THURSDAY at New York)

5-Chicago Bulls: 31-14… Derrick Rose is fast becoming involved in ‘best point guard in league’ discussion. (Next: FRIDAY home vs Magic )

6-Orlando Magic: 30-16… Beat the Pacers Wednesday night 111-96. Magic make 16 three-point shots for game.  (Next: FRIDAY at Chicago)

7-New Orleans Hornets: 31-16…Welcome to the Super 7 Party. Won for the 10th straight time Wednesday night beating the Warriors 112-103. (Next: SATURDAY at Sacramento)

Who Got Next? Dallas Mavericks (29-15), OKC Thunder (29-16)

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THE DECISION

I hope basketball fans are finally over LeBron’s ‘Decision’.

One decision as a coach you will never escape; no, check that, make that ‘decisions’ you’ll never avoid, is making them on a daily basis.

Men and women who coach will have many decisions to make, and with these decisions comes a win or lose outcome.

You must make a decision on playing time, discipline, offensive  and defensive philosophy just to name a few.

When it comes to playing time, you will always have someone upset regardless of the outcome on the scoreboard. As a coach you will also have to decide on your starters.  That too will have some questioning your decisions.

How do you deal with your decisions? Do you ever second-guess yourself? Do you seek outside help? Maybe you have a mentor you bounce things off?

Don’t be afraid to stand for something.  Make your decision with confidence. Don’t be wishy-washy.

College guys and gals have a decision to make when it comes to recruiting.  High School coaches have tough decisions to make when it comes to cutting players after try-outs.

As a coach, you will have to make decisions that may not be the most popular, but always have a deep belief in your decision. At times that may be a decision to remove someone from the team for one reason or another. Some call it addition by subtraction.

I recall Notre Dame men’s head basketball coach Mike Brey once stating, “as a coach, you have to put out more fires than anything.” Putting out fires usually has to do with making a decision.

Stand by your convictions!

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