Shaq gone by Feb

Mark my word ... the Cav will dump Shaq by the trade deadline in feb. O'Neil has been notorious for being a part time player. Once the all-star break happens (he may even be an all-star this year) they will look to move his salary to make room for a younger superstar to team with LeBron (maybe two) and stock pile more money for the LeBron contract.

I don't think the Cavs know exactly who they want but they'll keep their eyes on guys that can keep up with LeBron-- don't be shocked by a Chris Bosh or a Chris Paul level of player coming on board. Watch an up and comer like Boris Diaw, Troy Murphy, or dare I say David Lee of the Knicks.

It will be interesting as to which big goes-- Ilgauskas or Shaq-- Ilgauskas represents roughly an 11million dollar salary that can be dumped at year end ... wait and see. Danny Ferry is sitting on a goldmine with LeBron.

If he views LeBron as the power forward he could put together a weapon more powerful than the 80's showtime lakers.
DD

Missing Shots??

In evaluating your misses, you must remember that there are only four ways to miss-- LONG, SHORT, LEFT, and RIGHT ... or any combination of the above. Lately, I have been reading questions about problems when missing off of the dribble. Here are some thoughts:

1. If you are missing short ... you need to look at mechanics. Body posture needs to be slightly bent over and the position of the ball needs to be out in front of the first step. The closer the ball is dribbled to the body the more the body fights itself to maintain proper shooting posture.
2. If you are missing long ... you need to pick your head up when you dribble and focus on the rim a little longer. You are probably trying to pick your target up at the last minute.
3. Pay close attention to the power you use on your dribble when going to your weak side. There needs to be a conscious effort to really pound the ball and stretch it out in front of you.
4. When dribbling strong side, keep your guide hand at the same level as the dribble so when it is time to rise up and shoot, you just have to slap the guide hand onto the ball.
5. When it is time to shoot the ball, use the momentum of the ball traveling upwards to iniate your body movement upwards-- do not uncoil to early. It needs the be a total body commitment towards one spot on the rim.

DD

The Role of a Coach

One of the most common portions of recruiting dialogue revolve around personal development of a young man. Once a program gets the attention of the recruit with all of the promises of money and fame in the NBA and the AAU coaches have been smoozed enough to feel like "big deals" ... it's now time for homevisits. This is where all of the adult figures in the life of the recruit congregate in the livingroom of their home to review the basketball issues and to speak about the real reason a kid goes to college-- the get an education and to grow up in an environment where he can become a man. The growth of an individual during the ages of 18-22 is extreme ... it's the first time kids are away from their parents for an extended period of time and they begin to be influenced by other people and ideas.

The role that college coaches promise to take on is that of a parent figure. They cannot replace the parent but they promises to return that young man exactly as if the parents have raised him. They proclaim that "basketball is merely a vehicle to teach life" and that their program is "bigger than basketball ... if it is not, then it is a shallow situation."

I do not believe that people turn it on and turn it off-- you will hear coaches preach this constantly. Do they hold themselves to the same standard when looking at their lives?

These are the challenges that will face Rick Pitino when he sits face to face with his next family. When all of the smoke clears and people stop chanting his name, it will be him and his family standing together. As someone who enjoys watching a Rick Pitino team play and believes he is an innovative basketball mind, I hope he and his family get through this situation. He has had a loyal wife, who endured his long very mobile career. He has a son trying to get started in the business. His family endured the loss of a child while he was at Providence... I hope they come together to get through this.

As a father, husband and coach (notice the order) I no longer lose sleep over preparation for a game-- that's the easy part. What keeps me up at night is helping those people I am with see the importance of doing the next right thing right-- that is about as perfect as anyone can every hope to be. Rather than going through the scruples of Pitino, let's pay attention to how he handles the next right thing-- and let's hope his family does not suffer too much as this drags through the media.

My best to the family.
DD

Mastering Footwork

I have had the unique opportunity this summer to work with several young men and women one on one in an effort to help them establish a style of play. In doing so we have started with a very similiar foundation for all of them-- with the feet and the brain- and have seen each game grow in very different directions. All kids have or are in the process of developing their own style.
The degrees in ability and experience are as broad as can be-- anywhere from pros to grade school kids-- boys and girls. I have been asked by each parent and player to put a finger on the drastic curve in their progress ...

Here it goes ... basketball, as taught in my gym is not intended for utilitarian purposes only or for pure aesthetic enjoyment. It is an effort to train the mind and to bring it into reality with the nuances of the game. Shooting for example, is not practiced solely for the purpose of hitting the target-- just like a dancer doesn't dance purely to perform a certain rythmical movement of the body. The mind of a basketball player has to ultimately reach an unconscious state. We have all heard the announcer scream "that guy is unconscious" when a shooter gets in a zone where he/she cannot miss.

The kids I have worked with are beginning to master an art-- individual moves and footwork. Technical knowledge is not enough ... each player has to transcend technique so the footwork grows from their unconscious. They are getting to a point where they are becoming one with developing the technical skill and realize that their accomplishments cannot be traced back to a progressive study of the footwork and/or drill work used. It's almost like a great painter-- when he reeaches a certain state he no longer needs a brush and a canvas ... just his mind and his body.

Hope that helps.
DD