2010 Summer Workout Season

By Don Kelbick

The Summer training season is in full swing.

So far this summer we have worked with Raja Bell, Anthony King, Brian Waters with Guillermo Diaz and Denis Clemente due in shortly. Other regulars, such as Rasual Butler and Carlos Arroyo have not been in yet due to scheduling conflicts and might be in to get ready for training camp.

I am very selective with whom I work with. I work very hard and appreciate the way all these guys work.

Raja is in a free agent summer. As usual, he comes with a laundry list of things he wants to improve on. After so many years of playing with Phoenix and being a designated shooter, he wants to improve on his game off the dribble. This is a different summer for him, not only being a free agent but also because he missed most of last year with a torn tendon in his wrist. He is 100% now, in great shape. I hope he signs with someone who has a chance to win. He will be out for 3 days this week as he meets with the Lakers and the Bulls.

Anthony King is one of my favorite people. Not a big scorer in college, his offensive game had really come a long way. He played last year in Cypress where he was the 4th leading scorer and leading rebounder in the league. I think that we need to expend his game a bit. At 6’ 9” and 240 pounds he is a big undersized for his skill set. I made a small adjustment in his shot and now his range has increased dramatically. My hope is that he carries the adjustment to the foul line. Last season he shot 68% from the foul line. Based on the number of foul shots he took, if he can move his percentage up to 80%, which is not unreasonable for him, he would be first in both scoring and rebounding. He must be doing something right because he has been invited to summer workouts with the Miami Heat.

Brian Waters played at Elon College in North Carolina. He is a great athlete and really quick. He was not really a heralded player in college and I want him to be ready when someone calls to give him a chance.

Denis Clemente is coming off a great senior year at Kansas State in is currently in the summer program with the Charlotte Hornets. I hope he plays well enough to get an invite to training camp.

Guillermo Diaz played with the LA Clippers and is now making a great career in Europe. He has had opportunities to go back to the NBA but prefers the stability he has found as one of the best players in Italy.

For more information: www.DonKelbickBasketball.com

Friday, July 20, 2010

This was a pretty good week of workouts. The week started with Raja Bell missing Monday due to the fact that he was in Utah to sign his 3 year guaranteed contract. It reflects the respect NBA people have for him. While not for huge dollars, by NBA standards ($10 million), the fact that he will be 34 years old in September and all 3 years are guaranteed is very unusual for a player of his age playing his position. When he returned from Utah, his work ethic was unaffected. I will match his work ethic against anyone.

We also learned that Anthony King was named Most Valuable Player in his league in Cyprus. He had been working out with the Heat but but is now back in our workouts. He may not be able to pass up the offer that has been extended in Cyprus.

Jonathan Rodriguez has joined us. Jonathan just graduated from Campbell University. He finished his career as one of the few players in NCAA Div. I history to score 2000 points and grab 1000 rebounds. He is 6’6” and the challenge with him will be to expand his game by improving his ball handling and increasing his shooting range. At his size he will be a full time perimeter player at his next level. He will face quickness that he has not faced before. In addition, he has to be able to stretch defenses. I’ve made a small adjustment in his shot that will result in more arc, which will increase his range. It has paid immediate results. Hopefully he can carry it over to competition.

For more information: www.DonKelbickBasketball.com

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Workouts are going well. This week we were greeted with some good news.

Anthony King, who was selected as MVP of his league in Cyprus, has resigned in Cyprus. After spending some time this summer with the Heat and hoping for an NBA break, decided to accept an offer that doubles his salary. Anthony is now the highest paid player in the league.

Denis Clemente, who spent time this summer with the Charlotte Bobcats and played summer league for them, has signed a 2 year contract with Maccabi Rishon in Israel.

Workouts are going in 2 groups. My emphasis on footwork and the way the workouts are structured, allow me to work with players of different positions and ability levels at the same time. Jonathon Rodriguez has been working on increasing his arc and his footwork. He seems to be coming along. He has much better rhythm in his shot, due to the footwork and the increased arc has allowed him to stretch his range. Whether he can do it in competition remains to be seen. When confronted by stress, we invariably revert to what is comfortable for us. He needs a lot more repetitions to ingrain the changes he has made.

Anthony King is a great example of that. He has increased his range a good 5 feet and is now comfortable a big step behind the 3 point circle. His footwork has been solid since we started working 3 years ago, and now, I no longer have to say anything to him regarding the height of his shots. The results have been impressive.

Raja Bell continues to work to recapture his playing form. In the past, he has come with a shopping list of things he wants to improve. But, after missing almost the entire season last year, he feels that he needs to recapture his intensity and conditioning. Workouts that in the past covered specific things are now more universal, combining a number of skills at once. And every drill involves a cardio aspect to challenge his conditioning.
For more information: www.DonKelbickBasketball.com

Thursday,  August 12, 2010

Workouts are significantly more intense and challenging than they were just a couple of weeks ago. Players need to be rounding into better shape now so there are more repetitions and less breaks during the course of the workouts. They are not longer workouts (I try to keep them under an hour 15 minutes) but there is much more work in each one. Training camp for European players starts much earlier than here in the States. Anthony King leaves Sunday for Cyprus, Guiilermo Diaz leaves for Italy on August 23.

Guillermo Diaz is recovering from a deeply pulled groin muscle that hampered him in Italy and in the tail end of his Puerto Rican season. He is just now returning to form. He has played in the NBA with the Clippers and the Bobcats but feels he can carve out a great career in Italy, so instead of trying to catch on with another team, he is committed to becoming an Italian favorite. Always a great shooter, if he can stay healthy, he will become that.

Jonathon Rodriguez continues to come along. Corrections have become less and less in regard to his footwork and shot. I am now concentrating on trying to have him become more efficient but moving in straight lines and eliminating any drift in his shot. Slowly but surely, he is stretching his range, which he must do to have success at the next level.

I have begum to introduce some competitive work into the workouts with the second group. I don’t usually do that. Because Raja Bell missed most of last year, he wants to work on his instincts and recognition. So, we play some 2 on 2, starting with some type of pro action (zipper cut, ball screen, etc.) and play a few games. After that we do a lot of pure shot repetitions. Before we play, the work is very heavily cardio intensive. Before we play, within about 40 minutes, we try to get about 250 shots per player with a 3 man group. Afterwards, we try to get in about 100 shots more.

Carlos Arroyo is once again in Puerto Rico training with the National Team as team captain. they will be playing in the World Championships in Turkey at the end of August
For more information: www.DonKelbickBasketball.com

Tuesday August 24, 2010

It’s funny how things go. Most of the summer I have been pretty busy. Every day at least 2 groups kept me busy from 8 in the morning until at least noon, non-stop.

Now it is time toplay. Anthony King has left for Cyprus, Jonathan Rodriguez left for the Domincan Republic, Guillermo Diaz has left to play for Puerto Rico in the World Championships and then will go on to Italy others have left to other parts of the world. I am left with 2 guys, Raja Bell and Keenan Browder. That’s ok, because now we can really concentrate on specific needs.

We have transitioned from volume shooting to more specific techniques. We still take a lot of shots but we have moved on to things such as reading screens, spot up shots off penetration, reading defenders in the post, etc. Most of the trigger movements come out of Raja’s role in Utah’s offense.

Keenan has some significant minor league professional experience and we are trying to make a higher level opportunity for him. He has really benefitted from Raja’s experience and advice. He can really shoot the ball and hopefully we can add enough to his game to get him a chance.

Another player who is off to play is Ralfy Portuando. I don’t write about him because he is not a professional. But, he is the person whom I am most proud of. Ralfy came to me as a 15 -year old part time HS player. He is the definition of a gym rat. Every day he would call and ask if we could work out. We would go a 6 am before he went to school. His work ethic earned him a spot a a dedicated workout partner for Raja and Rasual Butler. Imagine a HS player who got not much playing time turning into a mandatory piece in a workout plan for NBA players. They just would not work out without him.

He must have paid attention He went on to play a year in Junior College and now, he is on the way to play at Florida State. The kid who did not know what to do to get himself playing time in HS has worked his way into playing in the top conference in college, the ACC.

Pretty special kid.

For more information: www.DonKelbickBasketball.com

Should You Remove Competition When Teaching?

By Joe Haefner

Here is an excerpt from the FAQ section of the Post Player Development book by Don Kelbick.

What about practicing post moves with a defense? I’ve read that players need less 1-on-0 and more 1-on-1 and situational drills. Once they have a base for some moves, they need to practice those moves against competition. Otherwise, they won’t develop the “feel” of when to make the right moves. Why wasn’t that addressed?

I am completely on the opposite side here. I think players need more 1-on-0 work and less 1-on-1. I don’t believe in competitive teaching. I don’t teach reading the defense. I teach action and counter. There is no right move, there is only what you do well. 90 percent is mentality. The information in this book is exactly what I teach. Then I just send them out to play.

Now you’re probably wondering why I don’t believe in competitive teaching and reading the defense. Even though my feelings on this are too extensive to cover here, I’ll try to address some of my thoughts.

My philosophy has developed over 30 years of coaching in both team and individual situations. I combine that with three degrees in Education. I say that not to blow my own horn or to minimize anyone else, but to emphasize that it is not an arbitrary method.

I believe that to be an effective teacher you have to remove stress from the classroom. I don’t believe in negative reinforcement, running for mistakes, placing penalties for missed shots or turnovers, or winners and losers in teaching situations. All that adds to the stress level of the players you are trying to develop. A basic effect of stress is that it narrows the perceptual field. It limits what the player is able to see, and how they form perceptions.

When you are a big picture teacher, as I am, anything that prevents the players from seeing all the possibilities or puts them in a position to fear failure, as competition does, would be counter productive. I have seen situations where players fail over and over again because they are working out against a better player. That affects self-image and retards development. I have also seen players take advantage of lesser players and never fail. This gives them a false sense of accomplishment and when they fail in a game, it is a hard fall.

I put my competition into scrimmages where they actually have to play and do the things they practice. Admittedly, it goes slow at first but then the curve becomes very steep. I don’t teach reading the defense. Having a defense there so it forces a particular turn does not fit with my philosophy. Shooting over a hand or having to deal with contact are moot points because I try to build an act and counter mentality to the position. I also really push the mentality that shooting is all rhythm. So, getting a shot blocked, bothered or shooting with contact doesn’t matter because I want to ignore those things and just concentrate on rhythm.

In practice, not using competition in your teaching allows for a better pace of learning, more consistent situations, less dropped passes, less bad passes, more skill intensity and better self image.

And then there is the biggest issue; if a player can’t get on the floor they can’t improve or help you. If I had one hair on my head for all the players that got hurt in competitive drills and had to sit out practices or games I would have more hair than the ex-Governor of Illinois (I can’t even say his name properly, no less spell it, but I do know he had a lot of hair). An injury in a game or scrimmage is acceptable. But an injury in a teaching situation is tough to defend. To say they need to knock heads to become better when it knocks them out instead is not acceptable.

Practice Players Versus Game Players - Why Do Some Play Better/Worse In Games?

By Don Kelbick

Question:

Why do some players look so good in tryouts/practice but totally become invisible during a game, while some look average in tryouts/practice but then go kick butt during a real game? How can I decipher through this during tryouts/practice to choose the best game players? Thank you.

Answer:

What you are asking about is one of the challenges of coaching and there is very little you can do about it.

Firstly, let’s look at basketball tryouts. What is it that you do in the tryouts? How long do they last? How many days? If you are running one of those one day tryouts where players are on the court for 10 minutes and then they are done, you are working with a very small sample size. Have you ever had a bad 10 minutes on the court yourself, maybe gone 0-5 from the floor in your 10 minutes. If that is the only time someone will look at you, they will think you can’t shoot. They won’t see (or care) when you hit your next 32 shots in a row because they weren’t in your tryout time.

Players who shine during practice but not in games usually have one of two (or both) issues. One is talent. When playing in practice against his teammates, he might be more evenly matched with his opponent because, as a coach, you are trying to make practices competitive. You construct your competitions by finding players that are evenly matched so they are challenged but can experience some success. In a game you don’t have that luxury. He might be simply playing against a better player in a game.

More than likely, though, his problem is self image and confidence. Practice is a very comfortable atmosphere where there are more knowns than unknowns. That comfort breeds confidence and better play. In a game, where all the situations are different and the competition is a mystery, poor self image and doubt control the situation. It also has a tendency to snowball. If you don’t understand what is happening, think about how confused your player is. You have to be very careful how you handle this situation. Once he starts believing he can’t do it, he can spiral downwards and never become an effective player.

In regard to the second situation where a player is hidden during practice and plays well in games, again, there might be two issues. One is he might be bored in practice. You have to find different ways to focus him and to teach him the value of practice, even if he feels he isn’t challenged.

The second situation is simple, players play better with good players. In practice, everyone gets on the court. In games, theoretically only the better players get to play at the higher levels of basketball. It could be possible that his game is helped by the other players. Getting the ball at the right time in the right spots, having other threats on the floor to occupy the defense would even make my game better.

As far as how can you decipher as to what players will do in games, become a coach and guess with the rest of us.

The Player’s Point Of View (They Like Defense Too!?)

By Joe Haefner

Here is another guest post from our friend Coach Ken Sartini.

This is a response from one of his former players about his favorite things playing for Coach Sars.

• Playing against 6 defenders.
• Defense footwork drills. These built endurance and desire to play D!
• Working on running our fastbreak lanes.
• Help side defense. Learning how to play up the line.
• Having knowledge of what our opponent was going to do so we can prepare with repetition on how we will run our sets in games. EX: the GNB game (they were ranked #8 in the State at the time) we executed that game plan perfectly both offense and defense. The way we practiced was how we played the game…… We were always more prepared than the other team.
• I think the way we practiced…ALWAYS HARD…. Made us have that same mentality in games, very important!

To be honest, everything we did in practice had a direct correlation to our games, we had no wasted time.

New Article: Do You Yell At Referees?

By Joe Haefner

Check out the new article called Do You Yell At Referees?

NEW Coaching Article: The 9 Most Important Questions for Every Basketball Coach. Ignore Them at your Peril.

By Joe Haefner

Check out our new article: The 9 Most Important Questions for Every Basketball Coach. Ignore Them at your Peril.

Building Team Mental Toughness - Are You Doing This?

By Joe Haefner

Use this great rule for your team that I picked up from Alan Stein:

Do not allow players to bend over and put their hands on their knees when they’re tired. If so, discipline with some conditioning.

Have you ever tried this when you’re tired? It’s tough, and it’s supposed to be. This little intangible will help tremendously in building your team’s mental toughness.

Not to mention, it messes with the opposing team’s psyche if you never look like you’re tired.

NEW Article: Developing a Team Covenant

By Joe Haefner

I’m a big believer in developing “synergy” within your teams in order to over achieve in season. One of the things we are doing this year at UW Stout is working on developing a “team covenant”–a set of ideas that each member of our squad agrees to do that will help us establish norms and positive attitudes.

Below is a list of “I CAN COMMIT” statements that we will be reviewing with our team.

For the rest of the article written by Larry Ronglien of UW Stout Men’s Basketball, visit Developing a Team Covenant.

New Article (VIDEOS) - Early Specialization & Playing Multiple Sports With Pete Carroll, Dom Starsia, and Bob Braman

By Joe Haefner

If you’ve been reading articles at Breakthrough Basketball for any length of time, you probably have heard us say that athletes at the youth level, and at least through the junior varsity level, need to stay involved in multiple sports to become better athletes.

Watch Videos and Read More

Basketball Shooting Tips - What Part of The Rim To Focus On & The Guide Hand

By Don Kelbick

Question 1:

Do you focus on the front, middle, or back of the rim?

Response:

My teaching methods are a bit “out of the box” (non-traditional) and not everyone takes to it. I will answer you questions the best that i can, relating to the methods that have been successful more me but I don’t know if they are the answers you are looking for.

I do not teach target. I believe that shooting is a kinesthetic skill, not a visual one. I believe you shoot by feel, not by sight. I often teach players to shoot with their eyes closed. I want them to concentrate on form and feel, not whether it goes in or not. Given enough repetitions, they learn to adjust their feel for distance. I can routinely make 80% from the foul line with my eyes closed. That is based on that the monstrous amount of repetitions I have had in my life. I don’t expect young players to do that but it serves as a good illustration. Pro players routinely shoot for a higher percentage than I do. The direction of flight is determined by your follow through. Just follow through straight at the rim. To be more traditional, why not aim for the hole? Isn’t that where you want the ball to go?

Question 2:

Where is the guide hand placed exactly? Do the fingers and the thumb point up in the air or to the rim when holding the ball/releasing?

Response:

When I teach shooting early in the process, I teach it 1 handed with no guide hand. Once we add the guide hand, I usually stress comfort. As long as the ball is steady and and your guide hand doesn’t interfere with the ball and shooting mechanism, you can place it however it is comfortable for you, as long as it is the same every time.
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