Some Offensive Thoughts From Kevin Eastman

I’m always looking for nuances that help explain things. I like finding patterns and see how to apply them for added advantage. From some notes that I received a little while ago, here are some interesting “truisms” courtesy of Kevin Eastman, the Assistant Coach for the Boston Celtics

TRUISM # 1: There is a direct correlation between the number of ball reversals and defensive breakdowns. 

Our players have to understand that the hardest thing to do defensively is to close out — to be running out at a player from the help position. Having said that, we need to understand that an advantage our offense must look to create is to get the defense to close out as often as possible; we want the ball to be reversed from side to side. With our team I can tell you that our scoring proficiency goes up as the number of passes and ball reversals goes up. Of course we have a shot clock that forces us to shoot the ball quicker, but we still would like a minimum of 3 passes as we then know the ball is getting reversed. When we only throw 1 or 2 passes we find that it is very easy for the defense to load up to the ball

TRUISM # 2: The closer you run your offense to the basket, the more physical your screens can be.

We have found that the officials are more apt to let contact go when it is closer to the basket as they are used to seeing more contact down there as opposed to out by the 3 point line. We feel that is why the flex action is allowed to get away with some physical baseline and pin down screens, and why we have to be careful when setting a back screen out by the 3 point line. So give some thought to having some part of your offensive system where you run your stuff closer to the rim.

TRUISM # 3: The faster the ball moves, the closer the defenders stay to their man.

We have found that when we move the ball a little faster, the defensive players are more concerned with staying up with their man and tend to not jump to the ball and get in help position. We also feel that that leaves us with more room to drive it as the defenders are out of position just enough to allow us to get a good driving angle on them. I would say if you do not have a good scoring post man, you should look to move the ball a little faster at times and create driving opportunities. If you do have a good post man you would want to slow it down and give the post man a good look.

This was pretty good.  Only in New York!

Sad state of the Knicks if 2 sections of people were more into this than how the game was going.

I want to watch Iverson is Eddie Jordan’s Princeton-style offense.

Watching San Antonio vs. Washington.

Saw a nice inverted High Split used as a pressure release for PTG:  Used with good passing center (Duncan), with Back Door action into inverted High Split.

CLICK for DOWNLOADABLE / PRINTABLE Play

The coffee house’s, the corner bar, the chat rooms all asked… Why would the Grizzlies take this chance?  Everyone says they knew this would happen.  Not so fast.

Allen Iverson

From this…

Iverson Meeting with Grizzlies

Then…

Iverson Worth the Risk

To…

Iverson Takes Leave of Absense

Now the end game…

Iverson Grizzlies Part Ways

There’s a simple answer… you know “The Answer,”… what other 10-Time All-Star, former MVP was available for a struggling team at a bargain price.  In 889 career games, Iverson has AVERAGED 27.0 ppg… 24,020 points!  That, alone, is the reason.  Professional teams, at least in basketball, will spend whatever they need to to get more wins.  Iverson, potentially, gets you wins.  If they can get what they need to get more wins, for less… Go For It!   At a one-year, incentive based contract it was a no-brainer.  No harm, no foul.  A few million is nothing to risk for potentially 18 extra wins.  Could Iverson at 34 provide 18 extra wins?   He averaged 26.4 ppg in ‘07-’08, season before last at 32.   With the other new players on the Grizz roster… maybe.

The Grizzlies at 22-60 in 2008-09 a potential improvement to 40-42 in 2009-10 is was worth the risk.

The NBA’s Southwest Division:  San Antonia, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans and Memphis is arguably one of the leagues toughest.  The trouble with a 15-game improvement is that in the Southwest Division, Memphis wouldn’t have moved up at all based on last season’s finish.  They need a lot more help.

There are reports now that the New York Knicks have interest in Iverson.  Why not?!  New York is the Memphis of the Eastern Conference.  The NBA can’t afford New York to continue to be one of the worst teams in the league.  It is not healthy for the league.  Remember New York BEFORE the Patrick Ewing draft pick?  The league was not healthy then.  The league is much healthier now, but the economy could change that rapidly if it doesn’t improve.  Signing Iverson also may distract New York fans from the potential fact that the #1 overall pick might have been traded away this year.  Doubtful.  How would an Iverson signing impact LeBron’s thoughts of being in New York?  There are major questions here.

On another thought New York already had Iverson, right…. sorry, that was Stephon Marbury.  Different player, potentially the same result?

We will see where this continues or if it continues.

ABR: Iverson Worth the Risk for Grizzlies

That really wasn’t a hard on e to call though.

What’s the latest?

From nba.com

After complaining about his back-up role with the Memphis Grizzlies, Allen Iverson left the team Saturday following a meeting with the team’s owner and Coach Lionel Hollins.

Happier days for Iverson and the Grizzlies

“It’s a personal issue,” Hollins said before the Grizzlies played the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. “And it’s indefinite.”

Memphis owner Michael Heisley gave the four-time NBA scoring leader permission to skip the Grizzlies’ game Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to a team spokesman, Iverson participated in a walkthrough at the team’s hotel in the morning and then hopped a flight in the afternoon after he and personal manager Gary Moore met with Heisley.

Iverson, a former NBA rookie of the year and league MVP, played Friday night in a 114-98 loss to the Lakers, scoring eight points in 22 minutes. He had come off the bench in the previous two games after sitting out the first three with a hamstring injury.

“I just want to win, I hate losing more than I like winning,” Iverson said prior to Friday’s game. “Its just a frustrating feeling losing. I’ve never been a loser in my career and I don’t want to start now. I’m not trying to be selfish or anything like that, I just want to win.”

Iverson, who signed a one-year contract with Memphis in September after a tumultuous stint last season in Detroit, has been open about his displeasure with his reserve role. On Friday, he also told reporters he also wasn’t communicating with Hollins, who was hired last January to replace Marc Iavaroni.

“I think that’s probably the worst part of all this,” Iverson said after the loss to the Lakers. “That while all this is going on, we have never talked to each other. That’s probably why it’s at this point right now. We’ve just never had a conversation, so it’s probably going to always be hard for me and him to see eye-to-eye, because we’ve never even talked to each other. Obviously that’s what you do if you’re trying to accomplish the same goal.”

When asked before Saturday’s game to respond, Hollins bluntly: “If Allen wants to talk to me, my door is open. I talk to him during the game before the game and after the game.

“I understand star power, and that’s to be expected,” Hollins added. “I wouldn’t mind even talking about Allen’s star power if it was about the game and his performance during the game, versus what Allen has said and what he will or won’t do.”

Hollins said third-year player Marcus Williams would likely assume Iverson’s minutes during his absence.

Latavious Williams from Rivals.com

Latavious Williams made history Thursday when he became the first high school player ever to jump straight to the NBA D-League.

The Tulsa 66ers chose Williams with the 16th overall pick. Tulsa is an affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

His high school coach said Williams turned down a $100,000 guaranteed contract to play in China in favor of entering the NBDL Draft because he felt it gave him a better shot at reaching the NBA. The average D-League salary is between $35,000-$40,000.

“He had a contract on the table that could’ve paid him $100,000 or better in China but he had to weigh the pros and cons,” said Carlos Wilson of Humble (Texas) Christian Life Center. “It came down to taking the money and getting some financial stability for now, but still you’re a long way from the NBA when you’re in China. Or taking the least amount of money and being a step closer instead of four steps closer.”

The 6-foot-8, 205-pound Williams initially committed to Memphis in May but faced academic hurdles that endangered his eligibility. He then announced in July that he would play overseas instead.

“Obviously if a kid has a chance to play professionally and have a chance financially to better him and his family, again, you have to support the kid because that’s No. 1,” Memphis head coach Josh Pastner told the Memphis Commercial Appeal in July.

Brandon Jennings skipped college last year to play professionally in Italy and ended up being chosen No. 10 in this year’s NBA Draft by Milwaukee. He is now the leading contender for NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

Jeremy Tyler, a 6-10 junior from San Diego, is suffering through a rocky time in Israel and plans to enter the 2011 NBA Draft.

Two American college guards, Nick Calathes of Florida and Terrence Oglesby of Clemson, opted to leave college early to play professionally overseas.

But Williams made history by jumping to the D-League, which he hopes will eventually lead him to the NBA.

“Somebody from the NBA is going to see your every move,” Wilson said. “I think that was it. It was basically closer to making it to the NBA.”

According to Tulsa’s official Website, three players on the Thunder’s opening night roster saw playing time with the 66ers last season.

Kyle Weaver averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and nine assists in two games, while D.J. White averaged 18.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in six games on assignment in Tulsa. Shaun Livingston played 11 games for Tulsa, averaging 9.3 points, six assists and 3.5 rebounds per contest, before being called-up to the Thunder on March 31.

In addition, Ramon Sessions of the Minnesota Timberwolves played on assignment during the 2007-08 season, while Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova and Orlando Magic forward Brandon Bass each played on assignment during the 2005-06 season.

Williams hopes he can follow in their path.

Jeremy Tyler

Here is the latest…

USA Today LINK

Obviously, everyone knew this would take some time, but there seems to be a mixed review out there if this was even a good idea at all.

Jeremy Tyler’s European Experiement Gone Wrong

Jeremy Tyler’s First 100 Days from the NY Times

We’ll see where this one goes, but maybe it will be a good lesson for future phenoms.

Coach Wooden’s teachings are always profound.  This week…. for me, 8 practices in 4 days so far… have convinced me of that even more.  So many different styles, personalities and ways to teach with all the same goal:  Teach the game, play hard and try to be in a position to win.  Coach Wooden’s words and philosophy are always good to go back to , to ground us, to remind us of what is important.

Most have probably already seen this, but watch it again.  Especially now as we all start games.  Good luck!

Below are some notes from the video:

Victory with Honor

- there is too much emphasis on winning today

- the coach is first and foremost a teacher

- before Coach Wooden was a coach, he taught English for many years

- the 4 laws of learning in English, are the same applied to coaching

- the teacher has to be more concerned about the entire learning process, than just in the content. Same goes for sports

- its easy to get carried away with win loss record

- Coach Wooden was more disappointed in parents who were concerned with their children getting an A or B than in whether they really learned anything

- Our society is too concerned about athlete first, and not student before athlete

- high school coaches, are really teachers.  Teachers first, in the classroom and on the court.

- it made Coach Wooden a better coach, the fact that he taught English before. It helped in organization skills, and helped in dealing with athletes as individuals

- the job of the coach is therefore to analyze each individual and help them achieve their maximum potential

- each player is different, therefore they must be treated differently

- Please always ask, “what is your most successful team??” Coach Wooden’s response, “I won’t know in 25 years.”

- most treasured medal or prize according to Coach Wooden was the academic medal, it holds the most value for individual achievement

I have heard players say, this is too “Old-School.”  I don’t know, academic goals, humility, hard work, selflessness, team first…. if that is “Old-School”, count me in – I’m guilty.

On October 14, Coach John Wooden will turn 99 years. Let’s all wish Coach Wooden a Happy Birthday! Click on this link:

Coach John Wooden