Donte Smith finds his way off the bench behind Mike Gerrity

Good article here on the point guard situation at USC. Donte Smith (pictured left) was the starting point guard for the first eight games. Then, teammate Mike Gerrity became eligible Dec. 18th and has started every game at the point since.

Smith has seen his minutes go from 32 per game to 7 per game. Since the change, USC hasn't lost. Says Smith:

"It was frustrating at first, but I thought about it, and, hey, I've got to go with it -- we're winning."

Smith and Gerrity get along well. Each acts as the other's eyes.

"In Hawaii, every timeout he was coming up, slapping me on the back, encouraging me," Gerrity said. "Whatever he could do, whatever he saw. He was telling me, 'Hey take advantage of this, look for that.' He's just been the ultimate teammate."

CP's Work Ethic

Golden State guard and former All-American Stephen Curry had the chance to work out over the summer with all-star Chris Paul. Here is what Curry says about his work ethic:

"It's just his work ethic, what he does in the offseason to prepare. What's this? His fifth year? And he's working four hours every morning, going hard. I was trying to keep up. I can pick and choose some stuff that I saw him do, but nothing specific. It's about being in the gym working. "

Just Do It

"Just do it. Just do the best job you can, go as hard as you possibly can, practice as hard as you possibly can. Just leave it all out there on the floor. That's all you can ask of yourself at the end of the day. If you're comfortable going home, looking in the mirror and saying you played 100 percent every single night, that's fine."

-Kobe Bryant

Passion & Purpose

From Coach Kevin Eastman:

Another great exercise for players is to read up on players at the next level. Not only will it (hopefully) inspire them, but if they search well enough, they’ll get some guidance as to what it takes to get where they want to go. If players search enough and do their research on the best in the business, they’ll find that two words can sum up what these players are all about: (1) passion, and (2) purpose.

The best in any field have a true purpose as to why they are out there. It’s never about what they can do for themselves. It’s always about what they can do for the team. They know their purpose. They know what they have to do to get the team to win. They know that their personal success must come after their team contribution. This is how the great ones operate.

Once they have a firm grasp of their purpose, they then separate themselves from others by their passion. It’s a passion that’s with them at game time, in the weight room, on the track, and in practice. The best never leave their passion in their lockers.

I am fortunate in that I get see passion displayed on a daily basis by one of the best to ever play the game — Kevin Garnett. He has worked on his skills to hone them to the level of a true talent, but what puts him in a category of his own is his passion for the game. He brings it every time he gets into a basketball setting, from practice to pregame preparation.

Every player needs to evaluate himself in these two key areas. The results will tell if that players has a chance to reach the levels he seeks!

Characteristics of Great Point Guards

From Coach Randy Brown.

The following eight skills are necessary for great point guards:

Study and understand your teammates-The point guard more than anyone of the floor knows each of his teammates inside and out. He knows all roles on the team and makes it a priority to enhance each of their strengths. He knows how to put them into situations where each player can be successful. For example, a post player is instructed to post up on the blocks and not float out to the perimeter. His skills and ability will impact the team most by playing around the basket. Roles are crucial to good teams and the point guard can solidify the team unit with good leadership skills.

Be the coach on the floor and in the locker room-A good point guard embraces his coach's philosophy of the game and instills it on the floor. Knowing what the coach wants and does not want is a rare trait among players. For example, it a team's philosophy is to shoot as many three point shots as possible, the point guard needs to get the ball in the shooter's hands in scoring areas often. If the style of play is to push the ball up the floor, then the point guard needs to organize the break, push it hard, and attack the defense. The term "coach on the floor" belongs to great point guards.

Earn the players trust- For a team to follow a leader, they must believe that he would do anything for them. Not only must he play extremely hard, but he can motivate teammates to do the same. Without confidence in your floor general, a team is left vulnerable.

Set the tone in practice-Your point guard must understand how a successful practice is run and what the goal of practice is. By serving as a model, he can set the pace for a good practice. Conversely, when a leader is not willing to give it his all, the team will suffer by having a bad practice.

Knowledge of each possible situation-Understanding what to do in every situations is the duty of a great point guard. He must know who is in the game and how he can set up teammates to be successful. Offensively, the game plan must be played out to perfection. Good shots, smart passes, and good screening are a must and can be dictated by the point guard. Point guards are responsible for knowing the time and score at all times, the importance of each possession, and control the tempo. He need to be aware of what is taking place and what needs to be accomplished on both ends of the floor. A good test is to watch a leader take over a game at winning time. When his team is out of time outs, the great players take over the does what it takes to win.

Unselfishness-Many coaches interpret this to mean the point guard should not look to score. This is not the case, especially if scoring is a strength of your point guard. Unselfishness means that he will sacrifice his game at times to find better opportunities for teammates. Great point guards always make others on the floor better because of his presence.

Defensive leadership-A great assist to a teammate for a layup is great, but can't match the impact of solid defensive play. Defense wins games and by taking a charge or forcing a turnover, any player helps his team win. It is more difficult to inspire teams to play defense at times. Players love offense and tolerate defense. A great point guard can lead a team to take ownership of the defensive end of the floor.

Handle success and defeat in perspective-Athletic competition is a constant flow of highs and lows. Young players are often greatly affected by the outcome of games. By developing a solid point guard, you will provide your team with a peer who can keep them grounded. Winning often breeds complacency in a team and a good point guard can keep success in perspective. Conversely, a loss can be tough on a team. Good point guards are able to pick up the team with his toughness and work ethic. This characteristic is the foundation of all great point guards.

You don't have to have talent for effort

Good story on Derek Jeter told be A's General Manager Billy Beane:

Eight years ago, to his recollection, Beane watched Jeter run out a routine ground ball to shortstop in the late innings of a routine game in which the Athletics were beating the Yankees. Jeter ran down the first base line in 4.1 seconds, a time only possible with an all-out effort. Beane was so impressed by the sprint that he ordered his staff to show the video of that play to all of the organization's players in spring training the following year.

"Here you have one of the best players in the game," Beane says, "who already had made his money and had his four championships by then, and he's down three runs in the seventh inning running like that. It was a way of showing our guys, 'You think you're running hard, until you see a champion and a Hall of Famer run.' It wasn't that our guys were dogging it, but this is different. If Derek Jeter can run all out all the time, everybody else better personally ask themselves why they can't."

Told the story, Jeter says, "It makes you feel good whenever anybody appreciates how you do things. My whole thing is, you're only playing for three hours a day. The least you can do is play hard. You have what, four or five at bats? O.K., it's not difficult to run, to give it a hundred percent. It's effort. You don't have to have talent for effort."

Handling Adversity

Peyton Manning had a good quote yesterday talking about the Colts mindset after being down 17-0. The Colts came back to win by 8. Said Manning:

"We don't get overexcited certainly when things aren't going the way we want them to. We don't panic, we don't yell, we don't throw helmets. We just try to put the series behind us and move on to the next one. There was a lot of that today."

NBA TNT Fundamentals with Carlos Boozer on POST MOVES

Working that Left Hand

Ohio State junior Evan Turner was asked by head coach Thad Matta to switch positions this year from forward to point guard. Last year, Matta was weary of making the switch because of Turner's inability to make an accurate pass. Here is how Turner gained the confidence to make a pass with his left hand:

Matta has used Turner as a de facto point forward in the past, but he was reluctant to shift him to the lead spot until Turner proved he could handle it. Last spring, Matta asked Turner to throw 10 passes with his left hand at a target. He missed all 10 times. A couple of weeks later, Turner came to Matta and pointed at a spot on a far wall. Then he fired the ball with his left hand and nailed it. "I said wow, how did you do that? He said when he walked through campus, he picked up rocks and threw them at street signs with his left hand," Matta says. "That shows you the type of kid he is."

Wanting to be Coached

Timberwolves rookie point guard Jonny Flynn speaking about head coach Kurt Rambis:

"Oh, he's definitely on me. But it's good for me. He's got to be harder on his point guard. Every coach in the league is going to be tough on the point guard because that's the heart of the offense, that's the engine that makes the train run. So I welcome it. ... Kurt being on me, wanting me to be my best, it's really helping me. Sometimes you need the toughness of a coach to make you a better player. It's motivating me, hopefully to be something special in this league."

Having Challenges

"It's having a challenge in my life, having something to go to bed thinking about and wake up having to pursue. Without that, life can be difficult. Some days are hard, but for the most part I still love it. I love being one of the guys, I still love waking up and going to work and trying to get better every day and trying to prepare to play, and after I play try to recover and get ready to play the next game. It gives me something to set goals and challenge myself and be directed."

-Steve Nash

Thoughts on Rebounding

Saw this in some of my notes the other day:

Rebounding is:

1.) Athletic ability

2.) Effort

3.) Basketball IQ

& 2 & 3 can make up for 1

Hayes fever grips Rockets

Terrific article by Richard Justice in the Houston Chronicle this week about Rockets forward Chuck Hayes, who is a favorite in the Houston locker room:

Chuck Hayes is the most remarkable player on the NBA's most remarkable team. How's that for an opening sentence? Good one, huh?

Don't believe me? Let's check in at Toyota Center and run it past some people who should know.

“Luis Scola and I were talking in the weight room this morning,” Shane Battier said, “and we both agreed Chuck Hayes is our favorite player in the NBA.”

How so?

“It's pretty amazing what he does,” Battier said. “He's a huge reason we've been one of the best defensive teams in the league the last few years.”

How about you, Carl Landry? Do you love Hayes as much as the rest of us?

“He's the perfect player,” Landry said. “He rebounds, plays defense, takes charges, gets steals. He does the dirty work.”

Is that right, Scola?

“It's a pleasure to play with him,” Scola said. “He plays hard. He does everything a basketball player should do. He's a great teammate.”

Surely someone disagrees. Coach Rick Adelman, are you ready to get rid of the Chuck Wagon?

“He's incredible,” Adelman said. “You watch him play that game (against the Lakers on Wednesday) against a 7-1 guy (Andrew Bynum). That guy is a really good young player. He gets 17 points and 17 rebounds. Chuck ends up with 14 and 14.

“When he's on the court, we're so different. Right now, he's confident and making some plays for himself. He's playing with a lot of freedom. I marvel at what he gets done against certain people in this league.”

Once upon a time, Hayes was one of the NBA's best-kept secrets. Only the Rockets seemed to know how good he was. Jeff Van Gundy fell in love with him midway through about one practice, and then Adelman arrived and did the same thing.

Size doesn't matter

Hayes' teammates love him, too. He's likable, decent and funny. The Rockets love Hayes because of who he is and what he is.

He's an NBA center. He's also 6-6, 238 pounds.

“And that's being generous,” Battier said.

Almost every night, he's assigned to guard a guy at least 6 inches taller and 30 to 40 pounds heavier. He does it because of his heart, drive and smarts. He's maybe the NBA's strongest player, with strong hands and a strong base, and when he positions himself in the low block, no one moves him.

Opposing centers can shoot over Hayes or pull him away from the basket and get a shot off. But if they're hoping to make a living against him in the low post, they're going to have the fight of their lives.

These first few games of a new season have amounted to a coming-out party for Hayes. The Rockets no longer have Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo, and so Hayes is averaging 29 minutes a game.

That's around 10 more a game than he has gotten in the other four years of his career. No Rocket is doing more with his minutes. No Rocket is more indispensable.

Hayes is averaging 8.8 points and 7.8 rebounds. He's out there because of what he gives the Rockets defensively, but when teams ignore him on offense, his teammates have begun to look for him. His 64.7-percent shooting percentage is the NBA's fifth-best. He's seventh in the league with 2.4 steals a game.

He does not fly like Kobe Bryant. He does not have Dwight Howard's size. He doesn't have Tim Duncan's slick moves.

All Hayes proves is that guys who care and work hard can still do special things.

“He's a competitor,” Rockets assistant coach Elston Turner said. “It's the way he competes every night. It's the way he's coachable and knowledgeable. Those are things we love. When you can compete, sometimes it doesn't matter if you're undersized. Sometimes winning and losing is just a matter of who plays the hardest.”

Bingo. If someone had told you last summer the Rockets would open this shorthanded season by splitting a pair of games with Portland, by winning at Salt Lake City and Golden State and by taking the Lakers to overtime before losing, you probably wouldn't have believed it.

Becoming a believer

The Rockets might be the NBA's smallest team. They have zero All-Stars. They're just a bunch of guys who exemplify how much can be accomplished with teamwork and unselfishness.

General manager Daryl Morey has said that playing hard is a skill, too. He meant that plenty can be accomplished by teams that outwork the other guys.

Around the NBA, they've taken notice. Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson both singled out Hayes and the Rockets for praise. Inside the home locker room at Toyota Center, there has been zero surprise factor.

“In our locker room, we believed,” Hayes said. “It's going to be a collective achievement throughout the whole team. Everybody has to do their part.”

Leadership of Dwyane Wade

Miami Head Coach Eric Spolestra on the developing leadership of Dwyane Wade:

"What we've seen Dwyane grow into is a complete leader. Last year, he took a step forward when everybody wanted him to be the leader, and this year he's taking the lead in another step. Every timeout he's echoing what the coaches are saying; he's the one stopping practice and telling guys to focus and finish, and when guys are losing concentration, he's the one stepping forward. For a coach to have a player step in, it makes it all the more powerful. So it doesn't always have to be me who blows the whistle and says, 'Hey, let's get it together.'"

Says Wade:

"Of course we all want to win as many championships as we can. But at the end of the day, you want to be respected by the effort that you put out every night in this game, and that's what I try to go out there and give."

Sefolosha Up for Any Challenge

Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Thabo Sefolosha routinely draws the assignment of the other teams best player. Last night it was Kobe Byrant, who he did a very good job on:

“Definitely going up against a guy like this is a challenge,” Sefolosha said of Bryant, “and I love that.”

Sefolosha knows that there isn't much he can do to stop a great player like Bryant, so he just tries to keep him in front of him:

“There’s not a lot you can take away from him but just make every shot he takes difficult with a hand near his face or close to his shooting hand,” Sefolosha said. “You know he’s going to go with different moves. He can do it all. He can penetrate and shoot the outside shot. You can’t really take it away, just stay in front of him.”

Thunder veteran guard Kevin Ollie has very high praise for Sefolosha, who was recently rewarded with a new four year contract:

“That’s all that defense comes down to: it’s heart,” Ollie said. “ It’s some technique but it’s heart and trying to stop your man because a lot of guys don’t want to play defense, they don’t want to challenge themselves because it’s not a glamorous spot where you’re going to be on SportsCenter or do anything like that. It’s just a man-on-man desire to stop your man and have that self fortitude and I think he has all of those characteristics.”

He will stay on top of you

Some quotes from Charlotte coach Larry Brown and Point Guard Raymond Felton:

"Point guard is such a vital position," Brown said. "You're an extension of the coaching staff. You hope they all realize early on how much we expect from them. I've been blessed to be with some pretty special ones and these two guys really want to learn and want to get better."

"[Brown] stays on top of you," Felton said. "He has the mentality of a college coach where he screams at you and stays on top of you every play. Even when you do something right, he still finds something you could have done better. That makes you better."

When the shot isn't falling, get to the rim

Good thoughts from Portland all-star Brandon Roy on getting to the rim when his legs are tired. Portland played their 1st back to back games the other night which is very tough to do in the NBA. Said Roy:

"I'm maturing and learning the game and saying when you get leads you've got to try to build on them by getting to the free throw line. You don't have to always shoot jumpers."

"I was a little tired and I noticed it on my jump shot. I said, 'I've got to be aggressive to get to the basket.'

"They did a good job of trapping me in those pick and rolls and not leaving me, so I just started trying to get early breaks -- when we're bringing it up, just try to attack right away and try to get to the cup and try to draw some fouls and try to put some pressure on them."

Art of the point guard

Great stuff from the master, Steve Nash

Harriman Brings Toughness

From the World Herald on Bluejay forward Casey Harriman:

Harriman is lauded for this toughness and energy that he brings to his team. "Just the way I was brought up," Harriman said. "Work hard, play hard."

That simple philosophy has earned the 6-foot-5 junior his teammates' respect.

“He's one of the tougher guys we have,'' center Kenny Lawson said. “For being only 6-5, he's a guy who's not afraid to go get the ball on the offensive and defensive end. He takes charges. He brings toughness and energy to this team, and you rarely see Casey taking a play off.''

Regardless of where Carter plays, head coach Dana Altman said, Harriman's toughness is going to get him on the court.

“Toughness is measured in a lot of different ways. He is our most physical guy right now. He's taken over for Josh Dotzler, who was our most physical player a year ago. He's been doing a good job of putting a body on somebody and being physical.''

Not Making Excuses

The Houston Rockets are off to a 2-1 start after beating Portland last night. With Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady out with injuries and former Rocket Ron Artest departing for the Lakers, Houston is picked as a long shot to make the playoffs. However, guys like Shane Battier keep plugging away and fight through adversity:

"That's a testament to the guys in this locker room," Battier said. "We have guys who don't make a lot of excuses, who play to win, regardless of the situation. People take that for granted, but it's rare in sports over a long period of time. This is the third year we've faced pretty significant adversity and not once have we made an excuse, 'Well, Yao's not here, Tracy's not here.' We plug in the next guy and play harder.

"It's been pretty impressive. It's as impressive a three-year span that I've ever experienced, at least in terms of team attitude. The attitude sometimes can last for a year and then it crumbles the next time you face adversity. But we've always had a good attitude here in this locker room."

A Commitment to Team Defense

Some quotes from the Boston Celtics camp on their goals and thoughts about being the best defensive team in the league. Comments came after Boston held Charlotte to 59 points in a 31 point victory. Here is an excerpt from espn.com:

"I think night in and night out, we want to come in and defend more than anything," said Perkins. "Obviously, you've got to put points up to win the game, but I just think we want to defend."

But coach Doc Rivers identified something special in this year's team and challenged his charges to be remembered like the 1985 Bears: one of the greatest defenses of all time.

"Doc brought it to our attention in the preseason," said Perkins. "We just kind of built from there. Doc asked if we wanted to be the best defensive team in history, like the '85 Bears. I think we've bought into it. We're playing intimate team defense and we just need to continue to do that."

"It's one thing to talk about it and another thing to actually do it," said Williams. "We're striving to [be the best defense], but we've got work to do. That's the mindset we have to have day in and day out. We're stressing defense every single play, ever single minute."

Which is why the Celtics enjoyed every moment of Wednesday's defensive-dominated victory. Asked what he prefers, shutting the opposition down or shining on the offensive end, Garnett didn't hesitate.

"Shutting people down," he said. "Because we work so hard in practice, man. Y'all have no idea what our drills are like.

"You know the majority of our practices are schemes. How we're going to defend, consistencies, schemes night-in and night-out for different people on different types of teams. But we work at it every single day.

"Every day, it's the same thing, same repetitive stuff, if not more. You know, when you shut a team down, that's hard work and effort."

"When you feel like you're forcing turnovers, it's just like it gets contagious and guys were everywhere," said Pierce. "It's great to watch."

One goal

Quote from Kevin Garnett after the Celtics beat the Cavs last night in Cleveland. KG was asked how the Celtics gelled together so well two years ago when they won the championship and how Cleveland can get there:

"The secret is that we came in with no egos, no agendas. One goal and we stuck to that. There wasn't something for your guys' morning papers, there wasn't something for headline news. That was what we was living. I think that's been the onus since we've been here. You've got to leave the ego at the door. Whatever swagger you've got, you bring it in here and you make sure it ain't cockiness. You do your job, you get the shooters open, you play defense, you talk, you give yourself up to get better as a team. ... That's the reason we work. I don't know what they have over here in Cleveland and what their beliefs are and what their studies are. But that's the formula for the Boston Celtics and why we were so successful our first year.''

Competitiveness

Story on the 2005 Duke team led by J.J. Redick:

Before a pickup-game session in early October senior Lee Melchionni approached Redick with an idea: "Let's play freshmen against seniors and show them what it's all about." All Duke pickup games go to seven--no need to win by two--and the rookies started off by matching the seniors basket for basket. With the score 6--6, Boykin tipped in Boateng's miss for the upset--and a chorus of primal screams echoed through the gym. "The freshmen were celebrating like they'd won the national championship, hugging, high-fiving, all that stuff," says Williams. "We got kind of mad about that."

For the next five games the seniors abused the freshmen, piling up win after win, not one of them close. When Boykin started laughing with Melchionni after the seniors had finished off the freshmen, the fiery Redick turned and delivered a stone-faced rebuke: "Jamal, if I'd just lost five games in a row, I wouldn't be making jokes about it."

Sharing the Ball

Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles has put an emphasis on ball movement during training camp:

"We put a lot of emphasis on moving the ball," Skiles said. "If you get into a playoff series against a really good ballclub, and in the regular season as well, you've got to move the ball, strong to weak. The guys right now are good at it. They're really playing unselfishly, looking for the open man and hitting the open man."

Carlos Delfino, who was accquired by the Bucks during the offseason, has always been known as a great passer:

"When you share the ball and you're pushing the ball without dribbling, it creates a great up-tempo game. We have many guys who can do that, and for me, it's great basketball.

We understand sharing the ball makes the team grow. As long as we continue to understand that, we have a chance to be a very good passing team. "

"Push the ball, not dribble. It's nice to watch. It's faster and everybody is involved on the plays. When you catch or make a good pass, it creates a good atmosphere. You're talking about creating shots for everyone."

Rebounding and more from Bill Russell

*To succeed you can't play any other way than with passion. We enjoy the game more because of what we put into it.

*I didn't have to rely on extraordinary inner resources, flashes of inspiration, to tell me to get my body where it had to go. My objective was clear. I wanted to make sure of the rebound.

*The guy who insists on going up as high as he can every time is reacting -and losing- rather than taking a specific positive action necessary to accomplish what he wants. Most of my rebounds came from positioning, where I was able to get the ball while in heavy traffic.

*To me, knowing how to act is everything. You cannot just throw yourself at at problem and expect to succeed. You cannot win the NBA championship on the first day of the season. It has to be won at every practice, every meeting, each and every game on the schedule. During the season, you learn to master all the important skills needed to get you to the championship game.

Paying the Price

Pictured above is a hill that 49ers head coach Mike Singletary had installed this summer at their training facility. What had been a gentle slope is now padded with 2,500 tons of dirt. It takes a run of about 45 feet to get to the top.

Coach Singletary calls his creation, "Pain"

Singletary said that athletes who trained that way “were a cut above some of the other competition around the league and had a long playing career.”

“It’s something you can’t get in the weight room. Something you can’t really get on the track,’’ he said. “It builds something that’s kind of a mystery.”

"We set the bar high, and these guys worked their tails off,” Singletary said. “You do that, and something develops inside a team. You can’t buy it. You can’t talk through it. You have to do it. We paid the price.”

Your habits make it happen

"The things that you do when you're practicing, you don't know how it's going to benefit you," Reynolds says. "But if you create those habits all the time, then when it's time to make the play or make the shot, your habits are going to make it happen."

-Scottie Reynolds, Villanova guard

Taking his defense to the next level

Brandon Roy has received a challenge that he likes from his head coach Nate McMillan, to be 1st team All-NBA:

"You should make a goal to defend on a high level every night," Roy said McMillan told him. "Not only would it take us as a team to the next level, but it would take me to that next level as a player that I want to be at. This is just the next natural progression in my game. A lot of people may say I got my contract because of scoring. But I think I got my contract because I am all-around, I'm versatile, and I'm always looking for ways to improve my game."

Said coach Nate McMillan:

"All the good players who win big -- All-Stars who are not only All-Stars, but who win at a high level -- they all do that. We know that this was what he needed to do. He can do it. And he knows he can do it."

Pop Quote

"If there is no humor, there is no ability to take criticism or handle embarrassment. We really are big believers in getting over yourself. If you're taking away from the group, you don't need to be here. It's that simple."

-Gregg Popovich

Calm in the face of a storm

Teammates and coaches have raved recently about the composure and poise that Carson Palmer has shown while the Bengals have won 3 straight comeback games with Palmer leading the game winning drive on all three occasions. Palmer is showing his teammates the face they need to see in adverse situations.

Said coach Marvin Lewis two weeks ago after a big home win against Pittsburgh:

"We've got a quarterback who's comfortable at those points in the game. He's got a calm about him."

Here is what WR Chad Ocho Cinco had to say after a comeback last week against Cleveland:

"The whole thing keeping me going is No. 9. He's so confident in the huddle. The way he has been the last two weeks is unbelievable. Especially the situations we've been in.

After the comeback win today over Baltimore, Ocho Cinco said the same thing:

"That was Carson in the huddle, being very confident, being very sound, keeping everybody calm. When he talks the way he does in that huddle, with that confidence and that swagger like that, there's no doubt that we're going to go down and score."

2009-10 GM Survey Results: Defense

Click on this link for a survey on who are the best individual & team defenders in the league. There is a common theme among the players listed: they are all leaders on their teams:

Manning and Preparation

Good article in the USA Today on Peyton Manning & they way he prepares his young receivers to be great:

Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy gives a glimpse of Peyton Manning's singular drive — in this case, those three-hour drives that distinguish the three-time league MVP.

The Football Night in America analyst revealed the regular three-hour commute Manning made from Indianapolis to Columbus, Ohio through May and June 2007 to get then-rookie receiver Anthony Gonzalez oriented to the Colts offense.

Manning's commitment to integrating Gonzalez, then an Ohio State student restricted by NCAA rules from joining the Colts for spring workouts, is reflected anew in his mentoring of rookie receiver Austin Collie, running back Donald Brown and second-year wideout Pierre Garcon.

Many expected the 4-0 Colts to take a step back without Dungy and veteran receiver Marvin Harrison and with Gonzalez sidelined by a sprained knee since Week 1.

"Peyton has tons of ability, but really his preparation is why Peyton's great," Dungy said. "I remember Anthony Gonzalez's rookie year, he couldn't come over to practice with us until June.

"Peyton drove over twice a week to Columbus to throw with Anthony. That's the type of preparation people can't really appreciate, the extra time he spends bringing those young guys along as quick as he has."

When the Colts won Super Bowl XLI, Manning broke down every regular-season and playoff game of the Chicago Bears' defense and had backup Jim Sorgi analyze their four preseason games.

"He digested 22 games in two weeks to get ready for one game," Dungy said of the Super Bowl MVP.

Manning's coaching of Collie resulted in a diving, 21-yard touchdown off an audible in Sunday's 34-17 rout of Seattle.

"(Colts coach) Jim Caldwell told me Peyton would go out and work on one or two concepts with his young receivers every day," SIRIUS NFL Radio analyst Rich Gannon said. "He'd talk to Garcon, Collie and Brown about all the different adjustments that come off of that route based on coverage, down and distance, corner technique.

"He makes everyone around him better."

Manning, 33, leads the league with a 114.5 passer rating, 1,336 yards, has nine touchdowns and has thrown for 300 or more yards in his first four games for the first time.

"Throw in the lack of a consistent running game, Peyton's been absolutely magnificent," ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Ron Jaworski said.

Said Dungy: "I appreciate what he's doing even more now because in 2004 he threw 49 touchdowns with Marvin, Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokely, Dallas Clark, familiar weapons," Dungy said.

"He's hotter and doing it with Collie, Pierre Garcon and Donald Brown. He makes it look ho hum.

"But he's never satisfied."

Kevin Eastman Newsletter

As I study successful teams, I see one common characteristic very clearly. Every one of these teams has a person or people who hold themselves personally accountable. These are the special people who only need a coach to teach them what and how to do something; then they take that and run with it. They understand that a major part of their job is to be self sufficient and personally accountable for their improvement and productivity. As I look around the NBA at these special players, I see some other distinct traits, all related to this personal accountability. These players:

• don't blame others first; instead, they look first for what they contributed (or did not contribute) to the situation

• don't complain; instead, they look for ways to correct things that aren't working

• don't procrastinate; instead, get things done now

• always give more than they ask of others

• always look to take on as much as they can handle, rather than look to pass things on to others all the time

• are constantly trying to improve their game so they can bring more to the team and consistently fulfill their role

• are self starters and study the game (and themselves) enough to know what needs to be done; then go about doing it

• do the unrequired work, knowing that it simply needs to get done -- extra shots, extra weight training, extra film watching, etc. – without constantly needing a coach to tell them to work

• hold others accountable for their jobs and roles because they know the importance of accountability as it relates to winning; this creates a collective responsibility

• always be among of the most trusted players on the team, by coaches and players

Taking the next step

Article from espn.com on Portland wanting to take their team to the next level. Here is an excerpt on their mindset defensively:

Regardless, Portland will have to take another step forward from a year ago to challenge the likes of L.A. And to do that, it's counting on improving the defense -- again, a goal about which Pritchard, McMillan and the key players seemed to be in lockstep agreement.

"For most teams, when they took that next step, when they won consistently and they won big, those stars that team had committed to the defensive end of the floor," McMillan said. "It seems to me every team that wins the title, they end up talking about how they committed to the defensive end."

"Two years ago when Boston won it, some key guys who weren't really known for playing defense, that's all they talked about, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Kobe talked about it this past year. You're going to need offense, but those teams that seem to commit to the defensive end of the floor, they've taken steps to put themselves in a position to win [a title]."

He's walking the walk on that front, too. McMillan devoted the entirety of Portland's first practice on Tuesday to defense.

Mbah a Moute drinks in the work on road to improvement

From the Milwaukee Journal

St. Francis — During a water break at a recent Milwaukee Bucks practice at the team's training center, forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute positioned himself alone at a basket and hoisted a number of jump shots while the other players quenched their thirst.

It's also not uncommon to see the second-year player stay after practice and put up even more jumpers with assistant coaches.
Improving his mid-range jump shot has been high on Mbah a Moute's list since the end of last season and it's something he took seriously over the summer and in training camp.

"He's put in hours and hours on it," said Bucks assistant coach Bill Peterson, who worked regularly with Mbah a Moute over the summer. "And good, quality time. Not just messing around. I think we'll see progress. Will he be where we want him to be? Not quite yet. He's only a second-year player. He's really focused on it. He wants to get better."

Said coach Scott Skiles: "He's worked on his shot tirelessly."

Last season as a rookie, Mbah a Moute averaged 7.2 points on 46.2% shooting and he and departed forward Richard Jefferson were the only two Bucks to play in all 82 games. Mbah a Moute's 491 field goals attempted were the fewest among the players in the regular rotation. Mbah a Moute, though, didn't take long to establish himself as the team's top defender.

In an effort to avoid a drop-off in his second season, Mbah a Moute has worked in the weight room to get his legs and upper body stronger. He wants to improve at taking contact and finishing around the rim and develop his low-post game.

But sharpening his jump shot was as important as anything, and Mbah a Moute thinks he's made progress.

"I got better," he said. "My shot got more consistent. I worked a little bit on my defense. I was also trying to develop a post game a little more and be more aggressive there."

Asked what he's hoping to bring to the table this season, he said, "The same thing I brought last year. Come in and play hard and defend every night. Compete and give my best for the team. Be unselfish on the offensive end and try to make plays for the team. That's all."

For the most part, the Bucks have had Mbah a Moute working on the mechanics of his shot, getting him to follow through more consistently, keep a wider base, as he tends to keep his feet together when he shoots, and use his legs to get into his shot.

"When you get a wide base, you have balance," said Peterson. "When you have a wide base and push you have more force when you shoot the ball. He's pretty good when he steps in to shoot. Where he gets in trouble is when he is just standing. His feet tend to get inside his shoulders and he's got no lift and he ends up hitting the rim. Or he's short, something like that.

"Here's a young man who has put in a lot of time. He's not a natural-born stroke guy like Carlos Delfino or Mike Redd. He's put a lot of time in and he's gotten better and better and will continue to get better. It's a work in progress."

Working with Peterson and assistant coach Adrian Griffin over the summer, Mbah a Moute would shoot until he made 2,000 shots a week, doing so for five or six weeks. Some of those shots were even from the three-point line as the coaches tried to extend his range.

"From where he was last year at this time to now, he's way, way better," said Peterson. "He can do it. He just has to keep doing it; repetition, repetition, repetition."

Leadership 101- Bo Pelini

Good notes from Bo Pelini on leadership:

Building a Culture:
*#1 Job is coaching your coaches/leaders
*What do you what to be know for?
*You get what you ask for and demand
*Surround yourself with the "right" people
*Committed to the little things (NO gray areas)
*Base principles & accountability
*Win with people- "Coach'em up"
*Leaders don't point the fingers- they point the thumb back at themselves
*Don't leave things open to interpretation
*Give feedback (Honest-Fair-Critical)
*You are who you are in ALL things (Classroom-Practice-Games)

*Coach Pelini spoke extensively about Jerry Rice. He worked with the 49ers early in his coaching career and was simply amazed with Rice's "everyday perfection". He said that he was the absolute best football player he has ever seen. He did everything with perfection on the forefront of his mind. His preparation (in-season & off-season), TEAM relationships, coachability, family, and even in the locker room and training room was done to perfection. Jerry set the bar for the 49ers- who's setting the bar in your organization?

Brandon Roy Workout

Adversity

Bears assistant coach and former Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli had a rough go at it last season but maintained the respect of his players through his work ethic and attitude. Here is what he says about adversity:

"You become more creative, you become more determined and you embrace that," he said. "You embrace that. Adversity is something special. It really is, if you embrace it. If you run from it, it'll wear you out. But if you embrace it, try to find a way to get better - that's what I tried to do."

Scores and Stops

"There's not a team in the league that can't score the basketball," Wallace said. "But the good teams are the ones that can do both -- score and get stops. Some nights you really can't control whether that ball goes in the basket or not. You can get the best look, get the best shot, but sometimes it just don't go.

"You can always control your defensive energy. You can get up and pressure guys and make their job tough."

Working Out: Chris Paul

Greatness

"Greatness is not about someone who has the ability to be great. "Greatness shows up when someone might not have that ability but finds a way to succeed. They outwork their opponents, they outhit their opponents, they outfight their opponents. They want it more. Don't give me the guy who's supposed to be all-world and you've got to try to talk him into something. Give me the guy who has maybe just enough talent to be on the field but thinks he's great, and who's willing to do whatever he can do to contribute, to make his team better. That's what I want. Now trust me, I want some talent too. But give me the right type of talent."

-Mike Singletary

Togetherness is Everything

Kevin Garnett on last season's Celtics team and what he expectst this year:

“Togetherness is everything,” he said. “I think we lost a little bit of that through the course of a year. It’s human. It’s always going to happen. But for the most part you learn from it and you move on.

“I think last year did one thing for us. If anything, it humbled us. I think it showed that team is everything - no one or two players can get things done. I’m eager to see how we come in, our minds and how we are in camp and everything. This is all bonding. I’m eager to see what this looks like.”

Chandler gives Bobcats a strong voice in the middle

Good article today on newly acquired Bobcat center Tyson Chandler. Chandler has already made his mark on the team by the way he communicates with this teammates:

It's my nature - I'm vocal, I'm going to speak out. I feel like (by being vocal and candid), it's going to make everybody gel. I think with me, it's always constructive criticism, but I have a passion for the game and wanting to win."

Says veteran guard Raja Bell:

"It definitely helps if you have someone who can quarterback (the defense from the center position) because he's the only one who can see the whole floor from under the basket. For him to give us an audio of what's going on, when you can't see it (coming), helps tremendously."

Chandler considers himself somewhat expert at low-post defense. He expects to share that knowledge.

"I wouldn't be doing Raymond (Felton) any favors if I wasn't telling him about something he's doing wrong defensively," Chandler described. "And Raymond wouldn't be doing me any favors (by not speaking up when) I'm letting Amare (Stoudemire) or Dwight (Howard) go for 30 on me and I'm playing lazy.

"It's about holding each other accountable to win. That's the ultimate goal and that's what I'm trying to bring here."

NU's Lee has a ball, just keeps rolling

Ron Brown calls it “rubber ball resiliency.”

“When you squeeze it, it pops back into shape,” the Nebraska tight ends coach said.

Consider Saturday to be Zac Lee's rubber ball bounce back.

The NU junior quarterback, fresh off the worst performance of his young career, rebounded with a sharp outing Saturday during Nebraska's 55-0 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.

It was light years from his 11 of 30 and two-interception showing against Virginia Tech. His 238 yards on 15 of 18 passes tell part of the story. The way he handled himself in getting from one Saturday to the next tells another part.

“The thing about Zac is that he's got so much resiliency,” Brown said. “He has a tendency to not let things get to him.”

Lee said he did almost everything the same this week, other than maybe a little more film work. After two NU wins in which he amassed 553 passing yards and six scores, the struggles at Virginia Tech were a reality check.

He said during the week he just “focused on ball,” while trying to move on and have a short memory.

“Mistakes are going to happen. Bad things are going to happen,” Lee said. “You've got to deal with it, move on and learn from it and make sure you don't repeat it.”

The guy who may have seen Lee's resiliency the most this week was backup quarterback Cody Green. The freshman said there was a “new notch” in Lee since the loss to the Hokies. He was the first one there and the last to leave. There was a different determination in everything he did.

“You could tell he just had a look in his eyes,” Green said.

There was little evidence of the highly publicized thumb injury on his non-throwing hand. Lee brushes it off as a nonissue.

But it was one of the things guys noticed as he fought past his first dose of disappointment, Green said.

“People saw the battle in him because he kept fighting,” he said.

And Brown says Lee isn't the only one. The veteran coach went as far as to say he has been “very impressed” with the way the Huskers as a whole have dealt with adversity.

“They came out Monday and they got after it,” he said. “I love the way this football team has responded in the last year and a half. We have really learned some great things about not sitting around pouting. We've had short memories. We've been able to come back from some tough losess and come back the next week and play well.”

And Green said the guy he shadows on a daily basis is the undeniable leader of that group.

“He's running the thing now,” Green said.

Rigorous Off-Season Gave Revis His Edge

From the Ny Times:

Before Darrelle Revis shut down two of the N.F.L.’s top receivers to open this season, before he entered the discussion for the league’s top cornerback, he went to Arizona and trained like a boxer preparing for a championship bout. There, he found sweltering heat, marathon workouts and the personal torture chamber that is Will Sullivan.

Sullivan is Revis’s off-season coach. They meet at Fischer Sports in Phoenix, where Revis works on strength and conditioning for four hours each morning and trains on a field for three hours every afternoon, alongside pros like Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb.

This was two-a-days before two-a-days, Sullivan joked.

“He wants the punishment,” said Diana Gilbert, Revis’s mother. “Just to see how much he can endure.”

Revis arrives in Arizona in late June, when many of his N.F.L. counterparts relax or take vacations. Everything with Revis and Sullivan is a competition, be it basketball, video games or training, filled with jawing back and forth.

But this year, as Revis sought to become the best cornerback in football, the training took on added intensity.

Revis came with a goal sheet that included, for the first time, earning top honors at his position.

He brought a list of opposing receivers he would be shadowing across the field under the new defense installed by Coach Rex Ryan, with film on each.

Sullivan and Revis broke down that film together, then went about preparing for each receiver on the field. They fine-tuned Revis’s footwork, focused on his weaknesses, discussed receivers like Atlanta’s Roddy White whom Sullivan had trained.

Sometimes, after seven hours of training, the two headed to the basketball court, where they engaged in one-on-one games that lasted hours without water breaks.

“I’ve been training Revis since he was a junior at Pitt,” Sullivan said. “He’s always been focused. But this year, he took it to a different level.”

Before Revis heads to Arizona, he spends one week with his family outside Pittsburgh. When he leaves, he shuts off most contact with the outside world, turning down tickets secured by his agent to award shows, finding a singular, obsessive focus.

To that end, his family has noticed a newfound maturity in Revis as he begins his third N.F.L. season. Diana Gilbert said her son had tightened his inner circle, dropping bad influences and keeping those who spoke truthfully and kept him grounded.

None keep Revis more level than his uncle, the former N.F.L. defensive end Sean Gilbert. After Revis shut down New England’s Randy Moss on Sunday, Gilbert told him, “Two games down, 14 left, you still stink.”

When Revis entered the league, among the first advice dispensed by Gilbert was this: Do not believe all N.F.L players have heart, because they do not. Ultimately, the game comes down to will.

“There are two ways to deal with the pressure,” Gilbert said. “You feel it. Or you apply it. I ask him every day. ‘Which are you doing?’ I want him to go after their best player, and I want him to take his will.”

Wise beyond his 24 years, Revis has matured on the field, becoming smoother in his footwork transitions and quarterback reads, as he increases his awareness.

The Jets have bestowed the nickname Shutdown upon Revis, and on the NFL Network last weekend, Deion Sanders ranked Revis among the top three cornerbacks in football.
This came after Revis shadowed Moss and Houston’s Andre Johnson. With help on both players from his teammates, Revis held Johnson to four catches for 35 yards and Moss to four catches for 24 yards, and Revis intercepted a pass against the Patriots.

Most instructive, though, were those receivers’ numbers in the games in which they did not face Revis. Johnson tallied 10 catches, 149 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second week. In the opener, Moss caught 12 passes for 149 yards. They call this the Revis Effect.

Revis possesses a rare combination of speed and strength for a cornerback, built in part by those training sessions in the Arizona heat. Revis played Moss physically, bumping him at the line, jamming his routes, even sitting across from Moss when both players were on the bench.

“If he went to the bathroom, I went, too,” Revis said.

Moss and Johnson played down the impact of a cornerback like Revis. Both said all cornerbacks received help from safeties, or other cornerbacks, and Moss even went so far as to suggest he could play cornerback in the right defense.

Regardless, the Jets’ defense has yet to allow a touchdown in eight quarters, and Revis may be the single most important piece of Ryan’s system. He stands alone on what teammates have started calling Revis Island, matched up each week against the best receiver on the opposing team.

Of course, Revis studied all of them back in June and July. Sullivan reminded him of that Monday morning, via a text message that read simply, “Who’s next?”

Bobby Gonzalez notes

Notes from Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez:

*You can't be good at everything. Pick 2-3 things (maybe 4) to answer the question "What are we going to hang our hat on?"

*It's not how much you know, it's what you can convey to your players

*We don't always run the best stuff, we don't always have the most talent, we don't always play as smart as we should, we don't execute nearly as well as we'd like, but one thing I demand is that we play harder than the opponent.

*Teach with the bench. After all these years it's still the best disciplinary tool. The worst thing that can happen to a kid that truly loves the game is to sit down. This is the best way to get a kid in line.

*It's more important to coach attitude every day than X's & O's. Teach your players to maintain eye contact, how to dress, how to have a proper handshake, how to be respectful.

*Kids will respect you for disciplining them. They secretly like that you hold them to higher standards than they hold for themselves.

*Best thing you can do for a kid is to take the time and work with them on their game.

Making practice into game situations

“The quarterback position is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” Brees says. “I try to simulate the game as much as I can in practice and visualize every play and every defense we could see. In essence I’m playing the game over and over so that no matter what situation happens, I’ve already played it and can anticipate what will happen.”