Put :30 On The Clock

When it comes to your development as a hooper, you have to be very aware of why you're doing the work that you're doing. Today's players are far more skilled with the basketball than players were in the past, but the IQ of today's player is also WAAAAYYYYYY BELOW that of the player of yesterday. Why is that? It's clear to us, and in this episode we share not only how to se...

Each and every person that plays competitive basketball has an agenda. It is no secret, but to many it is considered wrong to have personal goals and targets to hit while playing a team game. Even though there is a time to be really selfish (the off-season) we have to keep in mind that this very selfishness is what allows every great player to be great, and every role player to contribute the abso...

Everyone wants to go pro. Everyone wants to say that they get paid to play basketball, to live out their childhood dreams; but we also know that most don't get to live that dream out. For those that do, they get checked when they walk through that door, finding out that their fantasy is far from the reality. Both on and off the court there is a lot you have to consider when it comes to hoopin...

Most hoopers prefer offense over defense, that isn't a secret. But coaches are always on your neck about how important the other side of the court is. There is a CLEAR disconnect between the coaches and the players, and in this episode that disconnect is exposed & dealt with. It turns out that it's nothing more than a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding that we won't have anymo...

It happens all the time. Roles and responsibilities change based on the circumstances of the team, and you have to be ready to embrace those changes, especially in today's game of "position-less basketball." You may have more added to your plate or have some things taken away, but it will serve you best to be prepared for whatever may come your way.

Being in that zone where you feel like you can't miss a shot, that's a really special place to be. When it happens, as a hooper you try your very best to stay in that zone for as long as you can. Once it's over, it's like waking up from an incredible dream; you're happy that you had it but you're a little upset that it's over. Is there a way you can stay in that...

When watching film, hoopers are often told to just see what mistakes they've made so they can make corrections the next time they get on the floor. Without the proper approach to it, though, players have a hard time keeping focused, even though they were given clear instructions on what to do. As usual, we address the APPROACH to watching film so that the exercise is actually something player...

There's the obvious answer, and then there's the honest answer. The truth really rests upon who you are on this team and how everyone else conducts themselves. The only wrong answer is the one that ignores the truth, which is whether anyone DESERVES to be trusted. Real conversations lead to real results.

Coach Phil and Taurean get into a wide variety of topics ranging from what players should be spending their time developing, all the way to what they can do to help themselves get recruited, even if the high school coach doesn't help out at all. They also touch on where the game is going and what hoopers can do to get ahead of it to give themselves the best chance to succeed in that changing...

Hooping with old heads is always cool because you can see that they really were a bucket in their day. They find crafty ways to get it done despite their physical limitations and it begs the question: what can you pull from that? If these people, who get teased for being way past their prime, can still find valuable ways to contribute to a young man's game, there's no telling what steali...

Do you add new skills to your game? Do you sharpen what you already do well? This is a question that plagues young hoopers far too often, and is ultimately responsible for a lot of the stagnation in their game. Being able to discern and decide where to go next is the real problem to solve, so that's what should have our attention.

You complained about the travels, and the NBA heard you. Executives are making bad decision after bad decision and somehow get paid really well to do it. One final bow is tied on the Deion Sanders situation. Coach Phil and "Bubba" Brown of the "On The Bench Podcast" dug into a few topics of the day and as expected, brought home the reality and the jewels they picked up from the...

It's easy to say that the referees play a major role in every game, but at the same time, for whatever reason, hoopers do not really spend much time considering how they will deal with them. From the greatest of the officials to the absolute worst, we need to understand not only how they call games but who they are as people, because at the end of the day, they are human. Truly understanding...

This game is too competitive to rely on what you've already done. You are always competing against someone who wants to prove they are better than you, so the progress can't ever stop. At the same time, we have to be wise with our approach, because "too-much" actually exists. We don't want to burn-out, and we definitely do not want to invite injury, so how to we keep the t...

Somebody had to say it. You open your phone, go to social media and you see a highlight of a player BLATANTLY breaking a rule; but because it "fooled" the defender, it resulted in a bucket. It may be one thing to call this behavior out, but it is the fruit of the training done when no one was watching. There is a bigger issue to pay attention to, so we dive into the issue of what's...

Every hooper faces this challenge on his/her journey to be the best they can be. They run into the competition that is not really here to play a sport, but is in fact playing the game of life. Everyone has a story: a goal they are chasing, an issue they are dealing with, a passion they want to embrace. Whatever it is, you have to deal with it, but more importantly, you have to identify AND EMBRACE...

Whether we want to admit it or not, we can clearly see the path we are on, and if it leads to the dreams that we have. Whether we become the #1 recruit in the nation, the #1 pick in the draft or if our road leads us elsewhere, we can take so much from this game that will lead us towards multiple lanes of success. This game we love can provide us with an incredible life if we allow it to teach us....

These days, when it comes to Ben Simmons, there is no shortage bad news and mockery thrown in his direction. There is always someone with something negative to say because he is playing well below what we've seen from him in the past. We can't say that it isn't fair, but what often goes ignored is what can be learned from his example, the things we can take from those attacks. The b...

Too many players often talk about how "unfair" it is being on the team because they don't get to do certain things or play certain roles. But the real question is this: do these players actually want the "fairness" that they're asking for? Or, deep down, are they looking to receive the same favoritism that they see their teammates have? 

Russell Westbrook. He is getting dragged in the media whether he plays well, plays bad or does not play at all! Marquis Jackson, better known as @EditzByQuis on all his social platforms, and Coach get into what is actually happening to Westbrook from a hooper's point of view instead of from a fan's perspective. Be aware of the fact that what is happening to Russ can happen to you. The sa...

We're using high school as the example, but this applies to everything you aim for going forward. To get what you want, both on and off the court, there is always someone you have to convince or prove yourself to. There is always at least one person you have to sway in your favor, and we believe that taking this approach is the best way to go about earning the trust you seek.

At the top levels, players are identified by one or two attributes that stand out about them. "He's a slasher," or "she's a shooter" are things we are so used to hearing. The best players bring more than one stand-out attribute to their teams, but DO take notice that one is enough to be a pro. Understanding who and what you are as a hooper is the foundation to everyth...

Welcome to the show!!! More than just basketball, we are creating a home for hoopers to learn and share the valuable lessons learned on the journey. We are also creating a place for coaches to open up about their side of the experience. We will have a good time over here, that's guaranteed, but we're also going to walk away a little better as players and people every time. Can you tell w...