Going through your DVD collection again I see...

Yeah - and they're in 3-D!!!

3-D is ok, as long as you don't have that "Smellivision" or whatever John Waters used for his weird movies. :eek:

Randy -

Bottom line. Watch out for the "step on sneaker" trick. I don't think you have to look for the scrotum assault.

I had one of my players tell me her MS coach taught her to step on the sneaker of the person in the lane box next to her on FTs. I told her she would sit if that's how she needed to get an adavantage on rebounding. And i told her to re-learn how to block out.

But moving into the HS ranks of AAU, I see a lot more shirt grabbing, off-ball forearms, body shots, etc. Especially stting under the basket scouting other teams. Never underestimate the creativity of older players to try to get an advantage, whether coached to do it or doing it on their own volition. They want to win and will do what they can get away with doing.

Hawks Coach,
I have told players, when they ask if something is legal or not, that they can go illegal as long as it's free, but they should be ready to adjust when it's being called.
mick

I do tell my players to adjust to how a game is being played and called, but am not a fan of using illegal tactics to gain an advantage. You can win just by playing well, if you spend your time teaching or learning how to play well. It sounds a little optimistic, but I have watched it work through the years, and you can win the tightly called games if you are solid and another team likes to cut corners.

It's hard to win if you only know one way to play and they won't let you play that way that day.

That's a fact!
(<I>eg, Pistons-Lakers</I> :) )

My Pistons Lakers analysis is a bit different. I saw one team that came to compete and competed. I saw another team that thought the NBA Championship would be a coronation rather than a competition.

The Lakers never were mentally or physically prepared to fight for a ring. They quit in every game, because as a team, they didn't have that deep down commitment to do whatever it takes to win. Part of that is style of play, and part of that is will. The team with the stronger will clearly won.

And here I thought it was all about conditioning, defense and playing the same way they played all year, instead of attempting to play a brand new reactive style. :)
mick

I would agree that the Lakers mailed it in all year and got away with it, didn't in the finals!

Might be even simpler to say than that. Just say that the "team" won. And deservedly so.

Duke v. UConn may be more appropriate here.