NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE!

Please keep in mind in no way am I questioning anyone’s strategy or philosophy on the following study. There are way better coaches than me out there who do what they feel is best for their team. This is just a research study to see what coaches prefer to do in this late game situation.

Last night in the NBA during the Memphis Grizzlies win over the San Antonio Spurs in overtime, the Grizzlies were in a Foul or Defend twice!

In regulation Memphis was heading back on defense and the Spurs Tony Parker rushed the ball up the court and got off a three-point attempt from the left-wing (27 feet away)…nothing but net at the buzzer.

“That was an incredible shot by Tony to give us a chance to stay in the game and get five more minutes to figure it out,” Spurs forward Tim Duncan said.

Parker on his shot: “Pop told me to push it and if nobody came to help then to take it.”

“I had told them when Tony Parker hit the 3, I said, `You have two ways to go. You can hold your head and feel sorry for yourself, or you can suck it up and go back and win the game again.’ We got down, we fought back, and we did win the game. It was a good test of our mental toughness and our togetherness because we did stick together.” -Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins

In overtime, the Spurs took the ball out on the left sidelines with 3.2 remaining in the game. Manu Ginobili caught a pass and threw up a shot from the left side…no good.

The Grizzlies gave up a three in regulation but still elected to defend in OT.

This was the second meeting of the year for both clubs and the second time the game has gone to OT.

There were three other Foul or Defend situations last night around the country.

In high school basketball there were two.

Mt. Clemens decided to rely on their defense against New Haven and what do you know? New Haven banged a three to force overtime.

At Olivet, the Eagles were up three and decided to defend against Pennfield and got the stop.

And in college basketball last night, the University of Dallas played defense against Colorado College and came up with the stop. Dallas assistant coach Matt Grahn told me, “We haven’t practiced fouling.”

If you happen to see or are involved in any Foul or Defend situations, please let us know. Up three, on defense and :07 or less remaining in the game.

Numbers:

268 total “Foul Or Defend” situations

Teams that have fouled have won 27 of the 28 games.

240 times a team has defended and 46 have given up a three-point shot. (19% success rate)

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

Twitter: @CoachFinamore

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT 101

Luis Scola’s attitude has been known to inspire teammates.

He plays relentlessly, grabbing and fighting for every loose ball. He has great hands. He sticks up for teammates.

He does the stuff that isn’t always glamorous. That’s not an easy mentality to sustain.

“I think I have no choice,” Scola said. “I don’t have extraordinary ability. I’m not very athletic. I have to play that way if I want to be successful in the world of basketball. I find out early in my career, if I don’t go 100 percent, it’s going to be very difficult for me to compete, to be an impact player for any team. And any time I stopped playing that way, I start playing bad. So this is the only way it’s going to work.”

Manu Ginobili on Scola:
“I’ve been playing with him for 15 years, I know him very well. He’s definitely a hard worker, a hard-nosed player. He’s going to run on every single possession. Up 20, down 20 or tied, he’s going to play. He’s going to try to play every game possible. He’s not going to rest five games because he’s tired.”

“He’s going to try to play 82 (games).”

Translation: He won’t be complaining about fatigue, using the Olympics as an excuse to report late or ease into his new surroundings.

Resource: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/2012/08/02/20120802phoenix-suns-fans-will-love-hard-working-luis-scola-argentina.html

TUESDAY’S TIP-INS

Everyone talks about the 4 D-1 schools that are undefeated this season.

How about the schools that have yet to get a ‘dub’?

Towson, Hartford, Binghamton, Grambling, Chicago State, and Northern Illinois are six teams yet to beat another D-1 team. Binghamton and Hartford are in the same conference and play each other January 15.

Let’s run the offense…

Nick Baumgardner of the Ann Arbor News with Michigan’s highest ranking in a long time.

Joe Rexrode of the Lansing State Journal on Michigan State-Wisconsin tonight in Madison. Bo Ryan’s club coming off a home loss to Iowa. The Badgers shot 3-28 from distance for the game. How about the Spartans? After losing their first two games of the year (and sports talk show geeks saying “they ain’t that good“) MSU has won 13 straight games. No Top 25 pre-season ranking by the so-called experts either.

ABC Action news in Las Vegas on the Rebels fantastic season thus far.

Ken Kush of the York News-Times on Nebraska basketball head basketball coach Doc Sadler. I’m not a fan of this writer as he plays the blame game with Doc. It’s not like Sadler wants to lose games, he works his tail off. What would they rather have in Lincoln, a guy that cheats and doesn’t graduate players?

Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe on Rhode Island’s double OT win over Boston College.

The Trentonian with Rider’s win over Manhattan.

Keith Idec of the Bergen Record on Kyle Anderson, a player at St. Anthony’s of Jersey City. He’ll be playing for UCLA next season.

Nice to see Joe Jackson of Memphis is going to stay with the Tigers and not transfer.

Spurs guard Manu Ginoblli broke his shooting hand against the T-Wolves.

Flip Saunders was ejected 106 seconds into the Wizards game last night with the Celtics. Not sure if I have ever seen a guy get tossed that early in a game. Washington lost, they are 0-5.

I don’t get all the excitement over the lob passes guards make up to the rim for slam dunks?

Hawks beat the Heat last night as T-Mac scored 13 of his 16 points in the 4th quarter.

20 of the 30 NBA head coaches played in the NBA. 16 backcourt guys, 4 played up front. What’s up with the pivot guys?

Hoops135@hotmail.com

Follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore

DAY 84: DRAW A CHARGE!

I’ve been holding off on final days of the 90 Day Basketball Improvement Plan…I hate to see all good things end. The feedback has been great, thanks to all who have taken the time to write.

Day 84 – Take a Charge

For the last couple of days I have seen great players step in and take a charge to help their team. Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs stepped in the lane last night against the Denver Nuggets on Carmelo Anthony and drew the game-winning charge.  Here’s the clip from last night.

One of my top players has taken 2 charges in our first two games…I am so proud of him.

Drawing a charge on defense seems to be a lost art.  Why more players don’t step up puzzles me.

It takes a special player to want to give up their body for the good of the team.

It takes courage, toughness and ability; the ability to set your feet, and know exactly when to step in.

Seems like Phil Jackson of the LA Lakers rewards his players when they take a charge.

The charge-taking competition, however, has yet to involve Ron Artest, who said he learned from growing up on the New York playgrounds, that when you take a charge, fall and then call an offensive foul, well, bad things — like serious bodily harm — can happen.

“I don’t even know how to take a charge,” he said. “To get the charge you have to fall. I’d rather not fall. You call an offensive foul, possibly be a fight. That’s just how we grew up playing basketball.”

I wish more players would step up and draw a charge.

“What I try to do on defense is make the offensive man do not what he wants but what I want…Defense is hard work because it is unnatural.  Defense is a science…You have to fight the natural tendencies and do things naturally that aren’t natural.”

-Bill Russell

(Gilbert Rogin, “We’re Grown Men Playing a Child’s Game,” Sports Illustrated, Nov 18, 1963  p75)

 

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

Follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore