How Would We Respond

As stated in my last blog, the local basketball season is underway and the team that I coach had it's first game and it was a loss. The practice after was a hard one but one spent working on weaknesses I saw when I reviewed the game footage.

Due to weather and some scheduling conflicts (BABA SERIOUSLY needs to get their act together...but I digress) our next two games were rescheduled. We finally got back on the court after nearly two weeks on Monday, April 18th 2011 and the team was anxious to get back on the court and show that the first game was not who we are.  I must say that the guys represented themselves much better this time around. Nerves were replaced with aggression. Uncertainty gone. Purpose fully in sight. Unfortunately we fell short of the goal, losing 48 - 42.

With injuries sustained in our first game, I had to tinker with the starting line up. This unit got off to a slow start allowing the opposing team to score the first four points of the game. This didn't last long as the defense clamped down, taking away the other team's most effective weapon and forcing them operate in a half court setting. With the defense in gear, it was time for the offense kick in. We went on a 9 - 0 run. The rest of the first quarter got a bit sloppy for both teams and ended with a score 13 - 12 in our favour. 'We won a quarter...let's keep it going' was what I told the guys during the break.

The second quarter saw the sloppy play continue. Rushed shots. Missed lay ups. Turnovers. To be honest...there isn't much to really say about this quarter because it went so quick. We lost this quarter 6 -5. Yes...it was that sloppy lol. Although we didn't win the second quarter, we were still in the game. Tied at half. 

Now if you read the last blog, you would know that third quarter was where we lost our first game. I decided to forgo any long half time talk in favour of the team getting properly warmed up to start the third. Before the team took to the court, I reminded them that the first game is gone and that we are a better team than what we showed. Told them to forget about it and put their minds to the task at hand. This seem to work as the different units on the court did their job. Not all the units on the court contributed offensively but they sure did defensively. It got sloppy at different intervals for both teams but a quick time out got the teams back in the right frame of mind. 34 -33 at the end of three. We're taking a one point lead into the fourth.

The fourth started with the opposing team hitting a 3 pointer to take the lead. We responded with a potential 3 point play but the ensuing free throw was missed. For the next ten minutes both teams tried to gain control of the fourth. It seemed that experience of our opponents would see them gain control of the quarter as they held a five point lead with under two minutes to go [44 - 39]. A rushed (or was it a missed shot...can't remember right now lol) by the opponent lead to my point guard getting the ball, pushing in transition and finding the shooting guard for a wide open three. ALL NET!!! Within two. [44 -42] (I think to myself...a stop and a solid offensive possession and we are tied). They inbound the ball and they get a lob pass over our defense for an easy two. [46 - 42]

[I know what you are thinking...how did they get an easy two at this point. Well, I am not a big fan of Press Defense but I do know the uses of it and if I do employ it, it is merely to take time off the clock and not to create a turnover. For the Press Defense to work effectively it has to be set from the time the ball is scored. Normally if the Press Defense is going to be used I would alert the unit on the floor prior to the score but I also allow the unit on the floor the right to implement it if the conditions are right. The mix up here was that the unit on the floor 'put on' the Press after the ball was inbound and in the rush to get to a man, a couple of the opponents got behind us and scored easily]

Despite the easy score the guys on the court didn't hang their heads, instead the once again pushed the ball in transition looking for the early offense. It worked...well kind of. We got what is an easy lay up but the ball didn't go down. Rebound opponents and another lob down the court and yet another easy score [48 - 42]. We attempted a whole court inbound in hopes of getting an easy score but this pass was intercepted and with just seconds left in the game I instructed the guys not to foul.

Like I said earlier, the end result might be the same but I am damn proud of how my guys responded. We may have let this game slip away but this is all in the learning process. We took steps forward. While we may have had our lapses, they were for extended periods of time. As I told the team after the game, there are positives that we can take from the game. Don't dwell on the end result.

The first win for Melrose Thunder is getting closer!!!

Only Way From Here Is Up

Not sure if I mentioned this in a previous blog, but this year I have hung up the sneakers..well sorta...and taken up coaching. Thursday, April 7 was the first game of the season and unfortunately we lost...not exactly the start to our first season that I would've liked/hoped for. It didn't help that the first team we played were a perennial playoff team. That being said I still believe we could have beaten them.


The first half went pretty much how I thought it would, especially the first quarter. I could feel the nervousness and that was just me lolol. The team showed their nervousness and it seemed that no one wanted to be the person to take the first shot..which is quite funny considering the louses [Louse: A player that has no hesitation about taking a shot at any point throughout a game. See Kobe Bryant for perfect example] that are on my team. Despite the hesitancy on offense, the unit on the floor made up for it on defense and as ugly a quarter it may have been we were only down four at the end it. 


The second quarter saw us falter at the start of it which led to us being down double digits within the first 3-4 minutes. As a coach, when this happens you have a few options...you can call a timeout and try to break the momentum of the other team or you can let the unit on the floor figure it out. I chose to go with the second option because I know what the guys can do at practice, I needed to see what they can do under the whistle and for the most part they figured it out [with some yelling from me on the side lines but I digress lol]. With about 3 minutes to go in the half we had reduced some of the double digit lead and that caused the opposing coach to call a timeout. I used this time to reinforce our defensive and offensive strategies. Again, as a coach you have to find that balance if you will on how to bring over your point to the team. Sometimes you have to be aggressive other times the calm approach works..this time the calm approach worked. For the rest of the quarter, both our offense and defense picked up and we managed to go into the half only down five. Not bad for a rookie team.

The third quarter was bad. Some might use stronger words and I can't fault them. This quarter saw lots of turnovers, missed lay ups, forced shots, lack of ball movement and a let down on the defense. No amount of timeouts, yelling from the sidelines, substitutions could help. It was just 'that quarter' for us. ['that quarter': In almost every basketball game there is this one quarter where a team will have a lull in their productivity...for some teams it may be a minute or two for others it may be the entire quarter]. Now you may think that I am being dramatic but believe me....no need to be dramatic when you are outscored 20 - 2 for an entire quarter. Say it with me now....OUCH!!!!!


As I mentioned earlier, this is my first official year being a coach and although on other teams which I've played on I've experienced this type of thing, as a coach it is quite different. The team is down huge double digits and I have to find a way to lift the morale of the team. I'll admit I was having a hard time coming up with a way to this but then it hit me...use this quarter to get out all of the jitters and work on our ball movement/defensive rotations while being under the whistle. I know it doesn't sound very inspirational but somehow...someway this worked. The different units on the floor really played together and gave the most effort they had for the game. We still had our lapses but I could see the guys start to get their confidence back and take it to the opponents. 


The final score was 61-37. Again, say it with me now OUCH!!!!!


Something that I've told my guys on more than one occasion at practice is that in a loss there is much that can be learnt. What did we learn you may ask? We learned that we must bring the intensity from beginning to end. That when we play to our potential, we can play this game as good as anybody. We learned how it feels to be at the bottom and from here we will learn how to climb to the top.


As I was typing this earlier, I got a call from one of the captains updating me on an injury to my starting point guard. Seems that he has suffered a minor fracture and will be out for at least 8 weeks, which is basically the entire season. This is a chance for other players to step up and fill the void.


As I told the team, the only way from here is UP!!!!!