WE is Greater than Me
A basketball coach’s most difficult job is getting 15 individuals to fully acknowledge and embrace this fundamental concept: This is not an easy task. Human beings are inherently selfish. We are programmed at a very early age to always look out for #1. Trust me, I have 3 children under the age of 4 years […]
4 Steps to Easy Practice Planning
I have compiled four easy steps to help you create an effective practice plan that keeps your players engaged on a daily basis. Evaluate the Defensive Level of your Opponent How do they guard the ball? How is their help-side defense? Match the Read & React Offensive Layers to the Defensive Level of your Opponent […]
Misunderstood Spacing of the Read & React
Whenever I find myself in a conversation about my favorite subject: the Read & React, I will invariably talk about the 3 possible formations: 5 Out, 4 Out 1 In, and 3 Out 2 In. My listeners will make some telling comments like: “5 Out does not have an inside threat…” “I’m worried about spacing when using 5 Out, […]
3 Keys to Success
I saw the following statement on Twitter and it really made me think: Talent, luck and persistence – pick any two to achieve true success. Hmmm… let’s take a look… Talent To some degree, what most people refer to as ‘talent’ is nothing more than passion. If you love to do something… you will do […]
One Punch Knockout
Often when I watch basketball on TV I feel like I need to take anxiety pills. Heck, my family won’t even watch games in the same room as me. One aspect of the game that drove me to create the Read & React Offense, is this notion that you must run false offense for a […]
Finish Strong
What does finishing strong mean in the game of basketball? To me, finishing strong applies to 3 distinct aspects of the game: Finishing around the basket Finishing the end of a game Finishing the end of the season (Playoffs) Finishing, in all three cases, has more to do with mental toughness than anything else. How […]
Losing Your Best Player
READ: LOSING YOUR BEST PLAYER REACTION: THE TEAM BEGINS TO WIN The example I’m pulling from is a team that was in their third year of running the Read & React. This team’s leading scorer, leading 3-point shooter, and 5th leading scorer in their conference goes down for the season with an injury. The injured […]
Positionless Basketball
“Positionless” basketball is one of the main reasons I created the Read & React. As far back as 1983-85. I experienced the need for a positionless offense. On one team, my point guard was my leading rebounder. The next year, my best post player, outside shooter, and the best player to bring the ball up […]
Do You Really Love the Game?
Do you really love the game of basketball? Or do you love the idea of being a basketball player? That is a very powerful distinction. There is a big difference between truly loving the game and loving what the game can do for you (fame, money, etc.). If you truly love the game you WANT to […]
Importance of Read & React Layer 1: Pass & Cut
Occasionally, I will hear the following phrase from College coaches and even certain levels of High School. It sounds something like this: “When we first began using the Read & React we scored (some or a lot) from Passing & Cutting. But now, we very rarely score with this action. I’m concluding that it’s good […]
