Great teams, tightly woven at the seams, I deem to be just stuff of dreams? In this modern day has the team shrunk, to the whim of her or him, maybe good day , maybe funk?  Is “give it to me… get back on D” the team philosophy? If it’s not the best shot for the team each trip, then every guy or girl needs to get a grip.   There should be no mystery of chemistry…just check the annuls of  history.

In science,  chemistry is the study of matter, energy and the interactions between them -whatever they may be. In social life we generally think of chemistry as the manner in which people  interact in a benevolent way. In sports, chemistry is the relationship between the parts of a team and the outcomes of their interactions. Those great Celtic teams, the 1975, Rick Barry led NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, the Show-time Lakers and the UnbeataBulls all had talented  players, but more importantly, outstanding team chemistry.

It’s the same for all levels. Developing chemistry should be the number one consideration in assembling a team and subsequently important in positioning them for success. What are the keys to team chemistry?   MPT. The right Materials or mix of players – not necessarily Superstars, and schemes – not necessarily complex. Focus on or Pressure adherence to  KYP, KYC, KYL and KYG principles as they relate to optimal team outcomes.  Lastly, Time to develop  cohesiveness and a team personality. You know KYP, KYC and KYL from “What You See… Is What You Get“, KYG is Know Your Goals and Game plans.

Unfortunately, too many  folks are into player replacement instead of player development. Everyone seems to be chasing the next megastar to make things brighter. Many times teams can find greater value by allowing their present team chemistry a chance to mature.  It doesn’t take a superstar to make a quality team, only quality players. But how do we define quality players and  how do you get them. Is it a full-court expedition in hopes of unearthing a gem of a player… or do you simply (lol) process the ores already available to you?

What are Quality Players?

Quality players are skilled players that make quality basketball decisions. Both are both achievable, although developing and/or tweaking players is a tough proposition. It’s also difficult to determine which players to invest in. There are so many factors the process can become complex quickly. The most critical factors are  the proficiency (potential) and efficiency (game-time production) levels of any given player. Proficiency denotes absolute skill value and efficiency concerns effectiveness of skills during play. In other words, it comes down to technique and application. Focusing on these two elements is a valuable tool in helping differentiate top players from the crowd. It’s also useful system in helping players gain a truer sense of their games at face value.

Evaluations are twofold: (1) Rating players (1-5) according to defined roles as an Efficiency Rating (ER); and (2) Rating players (1-5) according to their capability – PTAG (Physical skill, Technical skill, Application of physical and technical, and Grit-factor). No performer can escape his or her PTAG. This is the stating point for player assessments, which is the start of determining how the team puzzle pieces fit together.

Player development (if the player has legitimate potential , of course) advances the player and team without compromising team chemistry- which requires personnel continuity – if possible.  There are times when you must look outside your current circumstance for answers, but mostly I think  Red Auerbach and Al Green had it right— “… Let’s … let’s stay together!”

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE “VIRTUAL PLAY ” PAGE AND OTHER ARTICLES ON THE SIDEBAR UNDER NEW POSTS!

I tried to warn  you m@#%f’s (I guess I can say that in a Blog) in” eMPTy Without It“. Maybe you got the  message … maybe you didn’t. Ok. Sorry for the harsh tone, but it seems to be the kind of verbage y’all  can relate to.  I guess it’s true… pimpin ain’t easy.

Everybody seems to have a personal trainer. But… the question is… is he or she a developer (“Gainer”) or like most–a “Maintainer?” Like I said before, “maintainers” have a certain value, only they’re just what the term implies– maintenance people. Can’t have a fancy high-rise without a maintenance plan . The structure would lose its value before its time ( I agree). That’s why Maintainers are great for what they do and necessary for top-level competitors. But who in the world would hire a maintenance person to build an annex, a new floor or even remodel a facility.  Maybe an architect, or developer… but a maintenance person only!?  WTF#@$?!

So I ask. Why are so many top-level players hiring maintenance people for “additions” to their game? I’m curious what the maintainers are saying to these guys and gals to get them to believe they are actually changing skill levels. Unless, it’s the players simply taking advantage of the “luxury” of not having to change too much and being satisfied with where they are (maybe scuurrred….. of work of this type– at least). I understand the reluctance. Being good, outrageous and ridiculous already makes it even harder (psychologically) to initiate change and get better beyond that. Plus, programming new information into your  (brain) and in many cases, over-writing existing programs, is no joke.

On top of that, it seems that too many top-level Maintainers are “Pimps” who have positioned themselves with ridiculous “game” of their own.  I know of one “top flight” maintainer who never played or coached… but he did go to law school and presumably slept at a Holiday Inn?  Maybe that’s when he came up with his workouts and the lyrics needed to sway his faithful following.

So if Trainers or Maintainers are “pimps”, doesn’t that make the players with maintainance people Ho’s? I mean they are giving up that booty and Maintainers do fly around city to city collecting checks. I’d like to get my hands on an audio of one of the sessions…

“Say Mayne… look here! I need you ta dribble down to da blue right der there three times, wit two basketbawls. Ima strap diss here harness around yo sculptid lil waist… hah, hah. Then I want you to make six jumpas wit me holdn owne to da pulley. Nahmean?

Now if you can make jumpas with me hangin on yo ass… you can dam sho make em when it counts in da in the game wid ain’t nobody holdn you ….hanhanhan!!!!! Nahumsayn?”

I don’t understand why so many players accept staying the same or settling for the marginal gains of the common “workout.” If you’re a level 80 player, It IS still possible to get better, and I don’t  just mean in better shape. Getting in better shape will enable you to demonstrate your current skills more easily– perhaps; but it won’t get you to level 85 or beyond in terms of your skill development.

I  hope you haven’t been duped to believe you’re maxed out (skill-wise) and all you have to do is get a little wiser…the 100th percentile of function, across all skill sets, is a long way off— even if your name is Kobe or LeBron. Tragically, convincing most players they’re “there” isn’t that hard since so many players have a higher opinion of themselves than the level they are actually on.

The maintainer swoops in and convinces you they are the answer to keeping you where you are (in the league?) a few years longer? I don’t know. I don’t claim to understand the Pimp game…but it seems to work quite well on the street and in basketball . You would think at some point the Ho would call BS on the arrangement. Yet it remains a thriving industry… for the Pimp.

Is there a solution? Is there anyone  or any model– other than Virtual Play, that verifiably pushes any player to the next level (regardless of what level he or she  may be  on). Most of the time people  pick up a drill here and a drill there…maybe they ‘re even privy to “top-level” workouts. After they’ve collected enough drills, they start calling themselves “Trainers.”  But at the end of the day what they offer is … Yep– a workout.

Either you have a optimization plan to move your game towards the 100th percentile of function (the basketball Matrix) or you don’t!!!!! Any thing short of that is just good “game.” What you really want is a good “Gainer.”

Related: Virtual Training

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER ARTICLES ON THE SIDEBAR UNDER NEW POSTS!

Slow down man,  please…you’re going absolutely too fast. Don’t you see  these people out here? Where are you trying to go…huh? C’mon now … you really need to slow your roll before you run over somebody.  I know you know how to “drive.”  I’m just saying,  it’s  much easier  to negotiate “traffic” moving more   s  l  o  w  l  y.

Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger.  It’s not  just  you, everybody seems to be in a hurry? I don’t quite get it. Yeh, yeh speed kills… in football maybe. In basketball going fast usually just kills your  ability to be in control.  Speed may be necessary sometimes, but mostly makes negotiating the terrain more difficult. Besides, going fast may not even get you there more quickly.

Let’s just say that speed is about how fast you can go. Quickness on the other hand is how efficiently you can get there. You don’t have to go fast to be quick. In fact , speed and quickness many times is based on the ability to stop fast, which makes you fastest in your shortest steps– relative to any opposition.

Basketball is one of the few sports in which the offense has the advantage. Unfortunately, many players and teams give theirs away with poor technique and a flawed offensive approach. One of the keys to offensive manipulation is the right to move first. This gives the offensive player the ability to deceive or control opponents with intentions or false intentions to go places or do things. If all of our movements are in frames – as in motion pictures – and we can learn to control our movement in each frame, then we should then be able to mislead and manipulate opponents with our intentions in early frames of movement. It is extremely difficult to predict anyone’s start, stoppage or change of movement. Furthermore, the defender must match the rate of the proposed movement in those early frames or risk being moved past. Therefore, we can control our opponents by proposing an action and being continuously contrary to their responses. Given the typical controlled rate of a Virtual Player’s movement, it becomes easy to make necessary changes to exploit or maintain advantage.

-The Virtual Game of Basketball-

It’s no coincidence that the best players not only play slow, but seem to slow the game down as well.

TBL: You don’t need speed to succeed. Act  like you know and go slow…er!

You must believe to achieve success. Without belief performance shifts into the realm of should’ves and could’ves. Without belief even the most talented can fall by the wayside in the moment of truth;  lost in the quagmire of external factors and other superlatives reeking havoc on internal features (skills and mindsets).

When an individual’s skill level is greater  than  his or her self concept, performance is compromised.

To stay balanced (in any field):

KYC (know Your Capacity), KYL (Know Your Limitations), KYE (Know Your Environment)  and of course, KYP (know Your Personnel) 

Understand your strengths to operate inside them–  constantly

There should also be some type of analysis to identify   weaknesses (which is a major strength in itself). After that it’s a matter of  impetus and resolve  to follow through on those improvements. Otherwise– inside the spirit of resistance to change,  delusion( about prowess) sets in (quickly). We all know far too many of these cases.

The ability  to  operate constantly inside your strengths creates expectation (to have success) and develops extra confidence of application (swag). Confidence is the key that opens the door to  skill sets.  It helps you operate in stressful environments and in the face of other detractors/distractions ( negative opinions/feedback, doubters/haters, whatever it looks like).  

You’ve seen performers (maybe you’re one of them) that  seem to be on a mission to conquer the task at hand–period.  These types not only can see themselves perform (in a certain way), they actually saw it done before it started.

This understanding is the product of visualizing or seeing the action in your mind’s eye; which after all, is the precursor to actualizing  or producing performance.

That’s what it’s about … seeing, believing and receiving the fruits of  your labor and talents.

Brain and will power squared