“And Down The Stretch They Come……”
This phrase was made famous by the legendary horse racing announcer Dave Johnson. In the NBA, it refers to the last 20 games of the season. As teams come out of the “Dog Days” of January and February, the stretch run presents several different challenges. For contending teams, it is the obvious urgency of positioning for the playoffs. For non-contending teams, it may be a question of playing younger players to gain experience, and, positioning yourself better for the lottery. Some teams try and win as many games as possible to instill a culture of playing to win every game, no matter what the circumstances.
Having been on both sides of the fence, here are some observations that may help as your team comes down the stretch. It may be the high school coach preparing for regional and state tournaments, or the college coach heading into conference tournaments.
1. 70/30 RULE
At this point in the season, I think it is important to realize that your team is physically who they are and that probably won’t change. Your identity and style of play has been established. Therefore, I think that 70% of your time should be spent approaching your team from a mental standpoint. Make sure your players are on the exact same page as the coaches. Talking to EACH of your players individually EVERY DAY is very important. The head coach will speak to the team as a group during film, before and after practice, but it is the individual communication that can ensure everyone is in sync. (For example, you may shorten your rotation for the playoffs. They need to understand this, and if that changes their role.) The other 30% of your time should be spent on the physical part. Practices, individual work, conditioning/treatment,
and weights.
2. FILM
Included in the 70% mental preparation is film study. The amount of time and film presented to each team will vary according to their experience. My feeling is that a maximum of 20 minutes per day be spent in film with the team. In addition, encouraging input and discussion from you team will make the sessions more meaningful and give them some ownership. Having assistants present segments, (offense, defense, personnel) will give the team a different voice, which can prevent boredom that can occur when only the head coach is allowed to speak. Our video staff also prepares edits on IPads which highlight individual players from upcoming opponents. From my experience, it seems that players much prefer video edits on player tendencies as opposed to reading player reports. Once the playoffs begin, film sessions usually tend to be more extensive as you focus in on a specific opponent for the series.
3. PRACTICE
At this point in the season, practice times are cut back considerably. Efficiency is the most important element when designing a practice schedule. To keep the players mentally engaged, I would suggest putting in at least 1 new set each practice. Maybe you add a new BOB or SOB play, or a new look against a zone. These additions engage the players. We encourage input from our guys, especially the veterans. We like to do as much shooting as we can during these late season practices, including position shooting as well as game shots from specific sets. Defensively, I think it is important to practice Pick/Roll coverages in 5 on 5 at about half speed. Make sure you get the “Dance Steps” down so everyone is on the same page. If you play any zone defense, cover it quickly against your zone offense 5 on 5. Special Situations, especially end of game offense, should be covered for at least 10 minutes each practice. We limit 5 on 5 contact considerably at this time of the season. However, when we do go live, we limit it to half court with a defensive emphasis on the 3 or 4 main sets our next opponent will run. In addition, we spend 10-15 minutes during practice on individual development. The most important thing is to keep them fresh and energized for the game, so being aware of the toll practice takes on your players is critical.
4. TREATMENT/REST
Down the stretch, the training staff becomes even more important to the success of your team. The coach should have a report each morning from the trainer on the status of each player. Who can’t have contact? Who is out? Who is getting treatment? Who has a time limit on practice minutes? This information is needed in order to plan practice. Rest and treatment are crucial at this time and sometimes the trainer needs to be stern on his stance concerning the availability of players as he sees best.
5. WORRY ABOUT YOUR TEAM, NOT THE OTHERS
It is normal during this time to start scoreboard watching. Coaches can be heard saying, ”Who do we want to win in this game tonight?” We all naturally want the outcome of a game that effects your team to go your way. But don’t get caught up spending useless energy in rooting for one team or another. It doesn’t matter anyway. Better use of your time would be scouting the game, game planning, or getting away from it all for a while. Your wishes and hopes have nothing to do with the outcome.
Hopefully these thoughts can help as you prepare for the games coming down the stretch.
