Off-Season Preparation

When you play playoff basketball, you are zoned in on the game one minute and then, after you lose, thrust into the off-season. You go from playing your most intense (and hopefully finest) basketball to preparing for the next go-around. All in (at least it seems) a minute.

Well one thing that I have learned over the years is that after one season ends, it is good, first, to take a breather. To get away. To relax. Regenerate and rejuvenate. How much time away varies on the individual. But no matter who you are, time off is necessary and good.

During that time, however, it seems vital (and this is the second thing) to think through the season that just passed and to spend some time preparing for the preparation period for the season that comes next. That might be a mouth full, but that is what I am trying to communicate. Prepare to prepare for the coming season. Rest, rejuvenate. Absolutely. But while doing so, think through how you might best utilize the off-season for the season that comes next.

In order to do this effectively, it seems best to write things down. Don’t just think through some things now and again. But set aside some time to brainstorm a bit. Watch a few games from the previous seasons. Note your strengths. Note your weaknesses. Then think about how you might better strengthen both your strengths and weaknesses. Do you need a personal trainer? What summer leagues are best? How can you tailor your workouts to improve your game, so that the player you are for next season is much, much better than the player you were before.

You know there are a lot of players that are very talented at a young age, but never really improve upon their game as the years go by. This is due, in large part, to a lack of commitment to get better. Or a lack of vision for who they want to be. Or a lack of preparation for how they are going to get there.

So take advantage of this off-season. It is the time to improve. So it is well worth setting aside the time to adequately prepare for the season of preparation.

Rhythm Disruption

For the first time in a very long time, I was able to enjoy a full basketball game last night. The contest: Game 7 between the Hornets and the Spurs.

The game itself wasn’t pretty. The Spurs were in control of the game throughout and were able to stifle a late run by the Hornets in order to win the contest and the series. Neither team played their best.

Some might attribute this to nervousness in Game 7, but I don’t think that was the case at all. In the end, I think it was in large part due to the scheduling of the game by NBA officials. For the teams last played one another on Thursday. That leaves three days in between the final and decisive game. Now that might not seem like a very big deal, but when you have been playing every other day during the last 3 weeks or so, three days off is a very big deal.

Overseas I usually play once a week. But I get into a rhythm with that schedule as well, so that when we have a week off, it is usually very difficult to keep the same rhythm. Same goes for 2-3 days off when I am used to taking only one. That doesn’t mean you don’t do such a thing. In fact, it is oftentimes needed and necessary. And actually, it might be best physically and mentally to take 2 days off every week if possible. But that is another post.

Anyhow, back to the game. Both teams were clearly not in rhythm. Why? Because the scheduling threw a wrinkle into their basketball rhythm and they had a difficult time dealing with it. The first lesson then is for the NBA: Don’t do that! I, like many other basketball lovers, was looking forward to a great game 7, but in large part because of the scheduling, the game wasn’t nearly what it could have been. The second lesson is for the players. Rhythm is good, but you can’t rely on it too much, because it is bound to be disrupted at some point. Therefore, when those times of disruption come, find a way to switch things up in preparation for the game. It might be an intense game of one-on-one or free pick-up or whatever.

Also, for Coaches, understand this reality. Recognize that your players need rhythm, but also need to understand how to play when their rhythm is disrupted.

In the end, I know the NBA had their reasons (business reasons for sure), but I think they could have done a better job with this one so that both teams could have played their best and felt good ending the series, with either a win or a loss.

Off-Season

Well, with the season over, my family and I returned home to New Jersey late last week. We have had a pretty good period of adjustment, even though we wake up very early in the morning because our body clocks are still off. Actually, this is a practice that I like and hope to continue.

Anyhow, my summer will consist with preparations for next season, a lot of family and friends’ time, a few camps, workouts, vacations and various other things. Regarding next season, I am not sure what the Lord has in store. Banvit, the team I just finished playing for, expressed interest in my return, so that is a possibility if the various factors involved line up. In the end, I never know what comes next, but will surely be looking forward to seeing what that next step may be.

For Crispin Basketball, I am getting to work in filling up our camp in June and possibly preparing another small, three-day camp in State College. I am also available for individual workouts as well.

When I find out more regarding next season, I will be sure to update everyone here.
Checking out for now,
Joe

Soccer and Hoops

My wife sent me this article from the NY Times today. It’s entitled “Soccer as N.B.A. Building Block” and summarizes the influence of Soccer on many players within the NBA. It’s an intriguing article and one, in my experience, that has plenty of support.

One parallel between the two games that the author didn’t mention–and one that I believe is one of the most important–is the rhythm or flow that is found within the game of Soccer. For I believe that the game of basketball is best played when it is played more like Soccer and less like American Football. For if you take a casual look at the two games, you can see that Soccer is a game that requires the players to read the defense and take chances and communicate with one another and learn how to play together. That’s true in American Football as well, but in a much different sense. For American Football is much more detailed and/or structured. Rhythm is necessary, of course, but it is a different kind of rhythm. After all, you run a play (that you have mapped out) and then return to the huddle to prepare for the next one.

From my vantage point, Basketball encompasses the best of both worlds. For there needs to be a good deal of freedom while playing the game. But at the same time, more structure is needed than in the game of Soccer. At times, you need to play with greater freedom, make reads, etc. and at other times, you need to stick to the game plan and make your reads in a more limited context (like American Football).

That being said, I believe the most dangerous teams (and the teams most fun to watch and play for) are the teams that know how to play the game of basketball with that Soccer element….with that element of freedom that makes the game so fun and your team so dangerous because you don’t know what they might do next. It’s the element that helps you work together, communicate with one another; the element that enables everyone on the squad to be on the same page and to function as one.

Structure will still be found (as it is in Soccer), but not in a restrictive sense, but in a sense that brings true freedom and, in my opinion, a greater chance for victory.

Season Over

It ended up being a high scoring contest today, but sadly, we didn’t end up on top at the end.

Final score: Banvit 96 Besiktas 102

We had our chances, but just couldn’t connect on the shots we needed to take control of the game. Meanwhile, Besiktas hit some big ones in the fourth quarter that enabled them to take control. But such is the game of basketball. A shot here. A turnover there. You win. Or you lose.

Consequently, the season is over here in Turkey (for us). We lost the series 3-1 even though we really only lost it 2-1. We played tough, but just not good enough to stretch it out to game 5. That really would have been fun! But it was not meant to be. So it’s all good.

I ended up 23 points and 5 assists. I scored 17 in the first half and only 6 in the second. They were all over me defensively, so I think I only took about 3 shots in the second half, 1 of which came during the final seconds. Considering that statistic, they must have been playing some really good D! For it is rare that I only take 3 shots in a half!

It has been a good almost 5 months here in Bandirma. I had my ups and downs (particularly at the beginning), but am thankful to finish well. The difficult thing is that I was just feeling like myself and now the season is over! But that is a major reason why I will be looking forward to signing with a team for the beginning of next season, Lord willing. I am thankful for the group of guys I had an opportunity to work with and for our coaches and the entire organization itself. It really has been a good experience for us here in Bandirma.

So now it is officially the off-season. Time to sign up with a team for next year, wherever that may be. And time to rest and regenerate my body so that I can improve my game for the coming year. It will be interesting to see what comes next. Always is.

Thankful for the game,
Joe

Playing Like its Your Last

I have a memo on my phone that I sometimes review before games. One of the realities on that memo is that if the Lord wills, today could be the last time I play the game.

Now it’s true that with today’s technology, I could come back from most injuries, but it is also true that there are injuries out there that one cannot return from. Or at least, cannot return from full strength. Then there is a thing called death. Though as a Christian, I believe in a coming day in which all things will be made new (including hoops), you get the picture. I don’t know when my final day of life is coming. Neither do I know when the final day of my career is coming. Who knows? It could be today.

Reminding ourselves of our own mortality as human beings helps us to more fully appreciate and invest into today. So also, reminding myself of my own basketball mortality helps me appreciate the opportunity to play the game…today. It gets me outside my own little world for a moment and enables me to give thanks for the opportunity to live and play (no matter how tired I may be). It humbles me, as it forces me to recognize that I possess today an opportunity that will not always be there. Sooner or later, my career will come to an end.

The day to day grind of basketball can, and oftentimes does, lead a player to get bored with not only practice, but the games. But to remind yourself that you won’t always have the opportunity to compete at the level you are now is to help yourself get ready to make a focused investment into the game (or practice). It gives you perspective and enables you to better appreciate the opportunity you have and, in turn, to take better advantage of it.

When you think like this, you can’t help but ask yourself: If I knew this would be my last day to play, how would I compete? An answer that comes to my mind time and again is this: wholehearted.

Sure, there are other things, but in the end, if I can walk away from today’s game (and I do have a big one today) knowing that I gave it everything I had, I can walk away quite satisfied–whether I played my finest game or not. I can know that I took advantage of the gracious opportunity that was presented me. I can know that I controlled what I can control, namely, my own investment into the game. When the buzzer sounds and I am in the quiet of my own living room, I can know the satisfaction that is found when you give the game your wholehearted best.

So I commend the practice to you. Think often of your basketball mortality and, in turn, give each day your best.

Corporate Energy

I had the joy of playing game 3 of our first round playoff series last night. We ended up winning 90-89 in OT. I hit a fall away with one second left to put us up by win. It was a definitely basketball highlight of mine.

One of the things that struck me after the game, however, was the energy that was, in seemed, almost tangible during the final moments of the contest (and especially during and after that final shot). Our ‘arena’ isn’t very big at all, but like any building, when it is packed with a group of people focused on a single objective, it’s a fun place to be.

The way we as human beings have been created, there is certainly a degree of power in numbers. But not simply in numbers, but in numbers united in one aim. For the energy found during a sports contest (or church service or concert) isn’t present simply because there are a bunch of people there, but because those people (or at least most of them), are focused on victory (or worship or the entertainer himself). This union of mind and emotion and physical expression lead to a ‘spirit’ about the contest that is unlike anything you can find alone.

This is one of the reasons why I give thanks not only for the game of basketball, but for the opportunity to play the game of basketball in front of a house full of fans. There are few things as fun as a great athletic contest…especially when a season is on the line.

Staying Alive

We got a great win today at home in overtime to keep our season alive. Final score: Banvit 90 Besiktas 89. I was thankfully able to hit the last shot with 1 second remaining in OT. It was and will certainly be a great basketball highlight of mine (especially if we can keep on winning!).

Our team really came together and persevered until the end. I ended up with 29 points. Many of those came from the free-throw line in the final minutes of regulation. The other team was fouling us even though they were ahead. Thankfully, we were able to make all our free-throws and ended up tying the game to put it into OT.

Game 4 is set for Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Again, we either win or go home. I am hoping we can play well together once again and push the series to a game 5. That would definitely be a fun game to play.

Thankful for the game,
Joe

The Need for Vision

Here are three quotes from one of my favorite books, Getting Things Done by David Allen. The focus of his book is organization, but the following quotes certainly relate to some important lessons about life and hoops.

“There are only two problems in life: (1) you know that you want, and you don’t know how to get it; and/or (2) you don’t know what you want.” - Steven Snyder

“A vision without a task is but a dream, a task without a vision is drudgery, a vision and a task is the hope of the world.” - From a church is Sussex, England, ca. 1730

“You’ve got to think about the big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” - Alvin Toffler

Each of those quotes is worth some reflection, but the first lesson I want to point out here (with a second soon to come) is the necessity of vision. In short, every basketball team and every basketball player needs to be clear about what they want. They need to have a clear goal, a clear objective, a clear vision that they work in light of. For without such a goal, all tasks (such as practice, weight lifting, etc.) are bound to become drudgery (as the second quote states).

Not only that, but every team and every player needs to consistently rehearse their respective goal to itself or him/herself. That is, they can’t forget about it. They can’t write it down on paper and place that sheet of paper in the bottom desk drawer. No. They need to keep their objective, their goal, their vision, before themselves every single day. No matter what they may be doing, they have to remember where they are headed. They have to remind themselves where their daily, detailed work is taking them. For without such reminders, burn out is soon to come.

I didn’t understand any of these realities when I was a 13 year-old kid playing on the Kindle School playground in Pitman, NJ. That is, I couldn’t have explained them to you. But experience oftentimes precedes explanation. For I realize now that the thing that kept me working day in and day out (oftentimes for hours in 95 degree weather) was vision. Goals. Objectives. My vision of a High School State Championship, big time College Basketball, and playing in the NBA led me to workout without getting burned out. It enabled me to push myself beyond known limits during the grind of basketball training.

I remember countless days when I didn’t want to practice. But then my goals would come to mind and I would be reminded that if I wanted to obtain them, I would have to put in the work today. So I would go up to the court and let my imagination run wild. I would daydream as I played. I hit countless imaginary game winners and had countless imaginary great games. I kept the big things in mind while practicing the small things. Consequently, I continued to move in the right direction.

There are lessons here for everyone involved in the game of basketball. For the good of the team, a Coach must be a man or woman of vision. If he is going to keep his team from getting burned out by the day to day grind of practice, he needs to set goals for his squad and remind them of such goals daily. For I have seen (and been a part of) numerous teams that have burned out for lack of vision. They forget about the big things and therefore, lose all motivation to diligently work on the small things that make the big things happen.

And so it is also for the individual basketball player. In order to keep yourself motivated to do the little things (ball-handling drills, shooting work, etc.), you need to remember the big things. You need to have a clarity of vision, to know your objective, to be clear about your goals. Even now, at 28 years of age, if I lose sight of what my goals are as a basketball player, I am done. I have lost the ‘why’ for work. Burn out is soon to come. But if I have a clarity of vision for where I want to be as a basketball player, I can go to practice with eager expectation, knowing that the tasks for the day fit into the big picture. I can push myself time and again by being clear about where I want to be.

That being said, do you have a clarity of vision for your personal development of your team? If not, I would encourage you to clarify your goals before you do anything else. Of course, if you are just playing or coaching for fun, that is great. But if you want to have fun and find (or by finding) success, you are best to be clear about what you really want in the end.

Using Your Gifts

The following quote got me thinking yesterday about hoops:

“The gifts we have learned to use most efficiently are not always the gifts that people want from us.”

That’s nothing terribly profound (though the book itself is filled with great thinking), but it is something that every basketball player must learn. To understand why, substitute one word in for people.

“The gifts we have learned to use most efficiently are not always the gifts that coaches want from us.”

Now in a perfect world, it would seem that what the Coach wanted from the player would be exactly the gifts and abilities that the player wanted to use–exactly how he wanted to use them. But actually, that wouldn’t be a perfect world, because it would remove the opportunity to learn and develop other aspects of your game. And though learning is more difficult, without it, you are bound to become bored.

Yes, it is true (in my understanding at least), that a Coach’s job is, in part, to understand the various the gifts and abilities and desires of his individual players and, in turn, to develop a training program and playing style that enables them to use those respective abilities for their good and the good of the team. That is one major reason why being a Coach isn’t easy. For the various players come to the team not only with gifts they are used to using, but with certain individualized desires on how they like to use them and develop them. To mesh such individuals into one, unified unit is by no means an easy task.

So there is bound to be failure. But even when there is a good deal of success on the Coach’s part in this area, the player must recognize that it is impossible for the Coach to maximize the ability and gifts of every player on the team. Something (or someone) has to give. Indeed, everyone has to give. Every player has to sacrifice for the good of the whole. Numerous problems result when this simple reality is not understood or not communicated.

Practically, it seems wise for Coaches to first, understand this reality, and second, after doing all they can to understand and develop and utilize their player’s individual gifts, to make sure that they communicate with their players about the gifts they want them to use and how they want them to use them and why it will be good for the team. Such conversations can go a long way.

For the players, we must recognize first, that we must sacrifice something for the good of the team. That is a given reality that must be accepted by all or else dissension will soon come. And second, we must do all we can to communicate with our Coach, so that we can understand what exactly he wants us to do. If he isn’t clear, well, that is tough. Really tough actually. But that is where we need to be quick to return to point number one.

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