Possession Focus By Kevin Eastman

Focus is a big phrase in sports. We constantly hear coaches and players talking about having to “focus more” or “focus better” or “improve our focus." Without question, this is an aspect of sports that we all know needs to improve, yet we’re all still searching for the best way to make sure it gets done consistently.

To ask a team to focus for a full game is a worthy demand, but to expect this to happen is often a frustrating exercise for a coach. Though I don't have a tested and proven solution, I strongly believe we must try to address the art of focusing, as it is a major factor of success.

Make focusing an every minute/every day endeavor for your team. Give it verbal repetition (coaches constantly reminding players) every time you hit the floor. Define it even more by having your team become a group that focuses on one possession at a time, no matter if it’s a drill or a scrimmage. Get them thinking and trying to maintain focus for short periods of time while in practice to start the habit.

Drills are designed to improve a specific area of the game; constantly remind your team what this specific area is for each drill they're working on. Demand that they truly focus on this intended area of drilling. Stop the drill when it gets sloppy, and remind them of the intent and focus of the drill. Get them to focus on the execution possession by possession in every drill and scrimmage.

I believe focus is the ability to know what to do, how to do it, and actually doing it that way every time through intense concentration. Demand this concentration every possession until it builds into a game in/game out habit.

These are steps toward developing focus. The major responsibility first falls with the leaders of the team -- your staff and any player who may be a leader. They actually have to have a focus first, before they can begin to remind the other players to focus and concentrate every possession. Just as we improve skills through repetition, we can improve focus through repetition. Focusing every possession every day will get you on the road to improving in an area that can be a big time difference-maker for your team!

Start a new streak

Read a good story on new Memphis head coach Josh Pastner and the difficulty of taking over a program with such high expectations due to the success of former coach John Callipari. Memphis recently had their 64 game conference winning streak snapped. Coach Pastner offers tremendous perspective on what a loss in basketball means:

The loss left the seniors in tears after the game, and when Pastner noticed them moping around in practice the next day, he brought them in for a pep talk.

"For crying out loud, there's no reason to be so depressed," said Pastner, who unlike Calipari and just about every other coach in America does not use profanity. "We just lost a game. Do I need to take you over to St. Jude's [Hospital]? No doctor called to say you're sick or that you're dying. We lost a game, that's all. Let's start another streak."

Want to win? Don't do these things

Jay Bilas has a list of six things in college basketball that will get you beat. This is a list that he complied from years of talking to the best coaches in college basketball about what gets teams beat. Lots of great stuff for every level and every sport:

1. Defensive Breakdowns:

Teams with defensive breakdowns lose. The best defenses are difficult to score upon and do not allow open shots. The best defenses are "help defenses" that require little help because they guard the ball well by closing out under control to take away the open shot and because they take away the middle drive. The best defenses sustain a physical and intense defensive effort, play the ball and communicate at a high level, and they do it consistently throughout the game. Bob Knight has said that action is quicker than reaction, and help defense is the solution. If the defender containing the ball gets beat, he must have swift and decisive help, and the helper must be helped with a similar sense of urgency. The best defenses are committed to taking away any open shots and forcing one quick and contested shot, with five defenders committed to getting the ball before converting to offense. Teams I have seen that consistently have the best first-shot defense and fewest defensive breakdowns are Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Duke, Temple, Syracuse, Tennessee and Florida State.

2. Outcompeted on the Glass:

The best teams understand the worth of additional possessions and make rebounding a priority on both ends. The best teams understand that defensive rebounding is a five-man effort to deny the opponent the opportunity to get additional possessions to score before you can. The best teams understand that offensive rebounding allows you to get additional possessions to score before your opponent can. The best teams are committed to going to the glass and not surrendering to or staying attached to blockouts, but instead overcoming obstacles to pursue the ball with both hands and secure it. The best rebounding teams I have seen this year are Michigan State, Kansas, Baylor, Kansas State, Tulsa and Kentucky.

3. Losing the Free Throw Battle:

The free throw line is the best and most efficient place from which to score on a basketball court. The best teams work with a purpose to get to the free throw line, coach to get to the free throw line and hit free throws when they get there. The best defenses keep the opponent out of the middle, play tough and physical defense without fouling, and understand that there is no such thing as "fouls to waste." Fouls should not be wasted, and when a substitute enters the game with no individual fouls, that is not license to commit a needless foul and put the opponent closer to the bonus. Getting into the bonus earlier takes away opponents' aggressiveness, and putting the opponent into the bonus takes away your aggressiveness.

4. Losing the Turnover Battle:

The best teams understand the value of the ball, and being loose with the ball provides the opponent additional possessions and results in empty possessions for your team. The turnover total is not the best marker -- it is the turnover margin, because that is the number of additional possessions gained or lost based upon how each team values the ball. Some teams protect the ball better and other teams have more takeaways than miscues. The key is the additional shot attempts gained by valuing the ball on offense and defense. The teams that value the ball the best are Michigan, Missouri, Northern Iowa, Duke, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Virginia and UNLV.

5. Poor Shot Selection and Offensive Execution:

The best teams consistently work for and take high-percentage shots and are committed to passing up early, contested shots to find a teammate with an open one. The best teams are committed to working together and are not hung up on "my" shot, understanding that every shot is "our" shot. The best teams understand roles and have all five players on the court working hard to get open and be threats to score. The best teams understand that working hard to get a good open shot and taking it is not selfish. Taking bad shots, such as contested shots early in the clock, is selfish. The teams I have seen that have exhibited the best shot selection and offensive execution are Kansas, Duke, Syracuse, Ohio State, BYU, Gonzaga, Georgetown and Cornell.

6. Poor Communication:

The best teams not only talk, they listen. It does no good to have five talkers on the floor unless you also have five good listeners and actors. The best teams are connected to one another on offense and defense, and are connected to the bench. Whether at home or on the road, breakdowns in communication result in corresponding breakdowns in Nos. 1-5 on this list. Communication is a skill, and the best teams value communication as highly as any other aspect of the game.

Paint Touches Lead to Three Point Success for Marquette

Marquette University is leading the NCAA in three point field goal percentage this season at 43.4%. Coach Buzz Williams has a good idea as to why this is getting done:

"I definitely have a strong belief in numbers - if you study them in an objective way," said coach Buzz Williams. "We have never mentioned a specific number of threes, or what our percentage has been recently. However, we constantly stress paint touches and creating for others. We believe the combination of those two things will typically turn into a good shot for our team."

"I'm not sure if we have a team full of shooters, but I think we have developed into a team that understands the foundation of a good shot."

Playoff Time Brings the Best Out of Warner

“Playoff time is just special, and it’s different. I said that to somebody last week, ‘It’s time to elevate, it’s time to raise that standard.’ You have to bring your game up. You have to bring up your consistency level. There is something about knowing that this is it, that every game you could be going home, that it’s just more fun. It’s more exciting.

“You don’t get a second chance. You don’t get another opportunity. This is it. So, you better bring it every time, and lay it all on the line. To me, that’s fun. Having the success that I’ve had, it even pushes more in that direction. I’ve accomplished the ultimate goal in this business, and I really don’t have anything else I play for. It’s all I play for every year.

“I don’t care about the stats. I don’t care how many touchdowns I end up with. I want to win a championship, so that’s fun. When you get here, it’s like throw everything else aside and forget what we’ve ever done. It starts right now and you see how long you can keep it going.”

-Kurt Warner

Struggling Florida finds itself at a crossroads

Found a really good article on Billy Donovan talking about Florida's struggles lately. After beating Michigan St. and Syracuse earlier in the year, Florida has dropped its first two conference games and Coach Donovan is asking himself how his team is going to respond. Here is a little from the article:

Gators coach Billy Donovan has had quite a philosophical viewpoint while coaching an elite program. He has plenty of experience managing egos with a roster that has had its share of big-time players mixed with classic four-year players who are necessary to win at a high level. He has been to three national title games and won two, and consistently has Florida known as a national name, even during the past two struggling seasons.

Donovan said he has seen the arc of a season.

"Every team is jacked up for the start of practice, but then the excitement wears off," Donovan said. "You have the first game and then everyone is focusing on minutes. Then you start to distribute them and then you start to understand there is a ceiling to get better. We have a high ceiling."

But Donovan admits there was a dip in intensity when the Gators came off the Michigan State win and Syracuse effort but then landed with a thud when they failed to hold on to a double-digit lead against Richmond in Sunrise, Fla., and then fell flat by losing at home to South Alabama.
Getting beaten at Vanderbilt was arguably expected because the Commodores are always a tough out in Nashville, especially when they are as talented as they could be this season. Kentucky simply was more talented.

"I'm anxious to see how this team responds against LSU," Donovan said. "It's critical for us to separate ourselves. Do they come together as a group? How will this team come together for practice Thursday? What kind of effort will we have? There are external motivational things that happen, like playing Michigan State or Kentucky. But how internally motivated are you?"

"We've got some stuff there, but every team comes to a crossroads," Donovan said. "You can go into the league with false sense of who you are. We're at that crossroads right now, and which path will we choose?"

That's Durant with a capital 'D'

CNNSI had a good article today on how Kevin Durant has stepped up his defense this year for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are having their best season in years so far.

Says one Western Conference scout:

"Anyone with his length and wingspan can be an above-average defender by putting in the effort. This year I noticed he's more engaged. He's getting into his stance much sooner and not standing around, and getting back [in transition]. That's great because he's still very young -- he just turned 21. When you're that gifted offensively as a teenager, you just don't think about defense that much. I give a lot of credit to [Thunder coach] Scottie Brooks for getting him to buy in."

Says coach Scott Brooks:

"I spent time with Kevin watching the NBA playoff series and talking things over this summer," Brooks said. "There were so many great moments where great players were the ones defending -- Kobe, Carmelo, Paul Pierce -- and so many times the winning basketball play was on defense.

"Kevin always had the effort, but he didn't have the knowledge or the physicalness in his body to go through an entire NBA season playing defense. This summer he got his mind and his body right. He understood that if he was committed, we would be a much better team. We focused on defense from Day One, and when one of your better players is one of your better defenders, it makes coaching easier. I mean, he leads our team in rebounding, steals, blocks."

"Knowing when to stay with your man and when to help out is one of the hardest things for young players coming in," Brooks said, "because you think you're playing defense if you're guarding your man, but you also have to be aware of what might happen three passes away.

"We like to be as disruptive as possible, pushing people to the baseline, defending tight in the paint and closing out on shooters. We constantly talk about having a hand up in guys' faces -- you have to contest to make NBA players miss. And we like to force extra passes and get deflections. Kevin is a big part of all of that."

Never Give Someone the Chance to Question You

Great article in Sports Illustrated on Cowboys WR Miles Austin, who was recently voted to his 1st Pro Bowl appearance. This is a good story about what going hard on every single rep can do for you:

Fifteen months ago Austin slumped into his seat on the Dallas team bus in St. Louis, confused and hurt. Work hard, and you'll get your shot, he was told after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Division I-AA Monmouth in 2006. Now the Cowboys had acquired Roy Williams from the Lions, further cluttering the depth chart. Austin wondered, What can I do?

"He came to me, and he was a little down," says receivers coach Ray Sherman. "I told him, 'This isn't about you. This is about Jerry Jones going out and getting a good player. You control you. Nobody else.' And I talked to him about being consistent on every play, in practice and in games."

Austin had gotten his shot in the NFL because Bill Parcells—who signed him in '06—thought he was a little engine that could. "The more I thought about it," Austin said last week, "the more I thought I never really gave them the consistent product on every snap. Nine out of 10 plays, I put it all out there. I decided I'd never give them the chance to question anything about me again. Every time I ran a play, in practice or a game, even when I knew it wasn't coming to me, I killed out there. I tried to win every play. I still do."

Thoughts from Steve Nash

Words of wisdom for point guards (presented bySteve Nash at the Nike Point Guard Academy:

"You should always want your coach to be critical. It gives you an opportunity to learn and to over-come adversity."

"You maximize your potential by being humble,develop a work ethic, strive to be a good person,and to be the best teammate you can be."

"Use your scoring ability to be a better passer,and your passing skills to become a betterscorer."

"You can't be a point guard who gets into thelane and always passes. Capitalize on the realestate you have gained."

"Point Guard must be able to pass with both handsequally off the dribble."

"I am always thinking how can I get myself better."

"On the fast break, after 2 or 3 hard dribbles youshould see the whole floor and know where allyour teammates are."

Two Good Teammates

Good article on Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and WR Julio Jones. Both of these Alabama stars are big time playmakers who have done a good job of buying into the team concept. Here is a little from the L.A. Times:

Offensive linemen don't win Heisman Trophies. Neither do running backs without a few 300-pound bulldozers clearing a path.

That's why Alabama running back Mark Ingram's Heisman acceptance speech last month included a shout-out to his five faves.

"Everything I do starts with them," Ingram said Monday."I try to give them as much praise, as much acknowledgment, as I could because they're kind of like the unsung heroes. They talk about me, but they're never on the picture, they're never on the highlights."

The linemen said they felt like they're part of the excitement, though. Peek said he was so touched by Ingram's winning the Heisman that he sobbed. Johnson said, "We felt like we were sitting there with him. It was a really special moment for the five of us. . . . I think we all felt like we had a hand in it."

Here is a little about the mindset of Alabama Julio Jones:

Sophomore receiver Julio Jones is on a significant uptick, making 29 of his team-leading 42 catches over Alabama's last six games. The increased production wasn't a result of any just-give-me-the-ball demands.

"I've been around guys demanding the ball, making problems, making issues when they don't receive the ball, but Julio never complains," quarterback Greg McElroy said. "He's a joy to have in the locker room, a joy to have in the huddle."

Said Jones: "I really don't care about stats and everything. I just go out there and play the game like it's supposed to be played and try to block . . . it's how I was raised."

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.