Wise, well said, and it may be appropriate…or not.

Wise, well said, and it may be appropriate…or not.
by BabaGhanouj (2019-02-08 21:38:17)
Edited on 2019-02-09 07:42:02

In reply to: This is the kind of team that drives a coach crazy. posted by Kayo

When times are tough, and the team is up against it, we all have an explanation. It's the lob. It's lack of focus. It's not hustling. It's lack of team chemistry. It's Shepard not heavy enough. It's time for Jackie to step up. It's the half court offense not dealing with the current personnel (currently my favorite). It's lack of leadership.

I like it, until I think of Marina Mabrey. She's not a point guard, but was made one because of her leadership. She takes command on and off the court. You can see her instructing players, and you know Marina's not backing down for anyone. She may be the most vocal leader the team has had since Skylar. "This team does not have a leader" may be true, but I think we should keep looking for more explanations.

As for CJC's questions, Kayo's thoughts would be instructional, but Muffet looks for leadership when she is recruiting. She has said that leadership takes toughness and intensity, at least in women's basketball, and intensity, she believes, is not something that can be taught.

Looking ahead....

...I noticed your comment on MM looking for players with leadership attributes (potential and/or kinetic) and intensity. One can easily see that in incoming 2019 players Sam Brunelle and Anaya Peoples. Ditto for Alli Campbell.

It's interesting how much of this leadership attribute can be shaped and learned as well. In the radio show, Abby admitted that she is a perfectionist and can get down on herself, which we often see on her doubting herself in taking shots. The striving to be perfect is a great motivator, but it can trip you up (hell, stuff happens in hoops, hockey, soccer, etc.). Interesting to see how Abby/coaching staff work on that with Abby, who was renowned for her leadership abilities at Lakota West. Her coach there listed that as her #1 attribute.

Lastly, back to the half-court offense, there are variations on what ND does depending on personnel, teams we play against, etc. A high post has traditionally been the inner spoke of a Princeton offense, but it can be generated in other ways; ie., various screens, back cuts, etc.

One reason I think Sam Brunelle is such a good fit here is she will be a natural or this type of offense, whether at the 4 or some other role.

A note about perfectionists

They often are hard on the people around them, but they are harder on themselves than they are on anyone else. Those in the "anyone else" group need to know that.