THOUGHTS ON HABITS VIA TIM ELMORE

Below are some wonderful thoughts to remember as we work with young people via Tim Elmore.  If you aren't reading Tim's books or signed up for his email blogs you are missing out on one of the best resources available today as we teach and coach millennials. In fact, since being introduced to Tim's materials by Georgia head coach Joni Taylor this past summer, he has become the most important resource I've had this season -- an absolute must if you are a coach, a teacher or parent.

As you work with students to build a healthy lifestyle, remember these truths:

1. Human beings are, indeed, creatures of habit.

2. Habits become addictions as they enable us to cope with life.

3. We often trade one habit for another as we attempt to quit bad ones.

4. We must help youth strive to replace bad habits with good ones.

5. Teens often don’t end bad habits until they feel the consequences of them.

6. One secret to maturity is to live free from the bondage of an addiction.

7. Healthy leadership begins with self-leadership. I must lead “me” first.

THE LEADERSHIP PLAYBOOK

Anytime we can pass along a resource that could be valuable to you or your team we do so.  Such is the case with "The Leadership Playbook" by Jamy Bechler.  It's one of those few books that would be beneficial to a coach as well as a player to read.  A big component to teaching is story telling and Jamy shares so many great stories to help get important points across to your team.  Don Meyer says "Your example isn't the main thing -- it's the only thing."  And Jamy has so many examples in this book that can relate to so many different areas to your players.

Each chapter also starts out with several motivational quotes -- something we are always looking for to help us paint a picture for our players.

Jamy has done his homework as well including this passage on Kwahi Leonard of San Antonio:

During the 2015-16 season, Kwahi Leonard shot 44.3% from the three-point arc.  Only J.J. Redick and Steph Curry shot better.  Considering that Leonard was First-Team All-NBA, that hardly seemed strange.  However, a few years earlier he had been a very poor shooter.  I his two years at San Diego State University, he shot 20.5% and 29.1% from the three-point arc.  It is a testament to Leonard's coachability and work ethic that we was willing to honestly evaluate his game and his goals.

There are so many of these types of stories that can help motivate a player.  We have used several with our team already.

TIM ELMORE'S iY GENERATION

During one of the stops along the way during the July recruiting period, Joni Taylor told me of Tim Elmore and his work in communicating and leading millennials also know as the Y Generation.  She told me of his book series titled "Habitudes."  She had so much passion in her voice I went back to the hotel that night and researched it.  Joni is someone I greatly admire and respect so when she says "you gotta check it out," I did.

I went to Elmore's website and purchased a series a books titled the "Coaching Millennial Athletes Bundle" which included the book "Generation iY."  Elmore refers the Y Generation as "iY Generation" because of their nature of their information gathering and communication through things such as their iPhones and iPads.

The book was amazing and is an absolute must read for those looking to maximize their ability to communicate and teach today's student athletes.  I took 30 pages of notes from the book. 

Elmore goes in great detail to explain how this generation has evolved and then explains the positive and negative ramifications.  Better yet, he gives some concrete guidelines to assist us as coaches. 

For example, how important are our words and messages that we deliver to our team?  As Elmore explains:

"We need to remember that every time we stand in front of our own kids or a group of students, they are silently asking: Why should I listen to you? What do you have to offer me that’s different than the other options in my life?"

Understanding this requires thought and preparation when communication.

The most profound statement from Elmore and one that so many of us have a difficult time swallowing is:

"To connect and influence Generation iY, we’ll likely have to adjust to them."

Another concept that Elmore delves into is the one of the helicopter parent:

"Too many parents invest too much energy in protecting their children, and forget that their number-one job is to prepare their children for life without them. Parenting is ultimate leadership. A parent is the ultimate mentor in the life of their child."

And while this is true, we also see instances of the same philosophy and culture within athletic teams.  Sometimes we as coaches are swift to judge parents without looking that we are guilty of the same sins.

What we must understand is regardless of the facts, that we have inherited a different and unique generation to coach, the responsibility still relies on us to help steer them in the right direction.  I often speak at clinics and one of the things that I talk about is "don't be that coach that talks about how difficult it is to coach this generation."  In all honesty, all coaches could make this statement -- including the ones that coached us.  Be the answer.  Or as Elmore states:

"If we’re serious about transforming the world, we have to be serious about investing in this next generation.  What we do today as adults will no doubt determine who they will become as adults."

As I said, I took 30 pages of notes from this book.  I fully believe I am going to be a better coach for having read it and that's a powerful thing to say about a book.  In closing, here are a few more thoughts from Elmore on teaching:

•Teaching must supply not only information, but inspiration for students.

•Teaching must do more than measure a kid’s memory; it must motivate a kid’s imagination.

•Teaching must cover not just the facts of history but the feelings that history produced.

•Teaching should not just be about increasing intelligence, but also about increasing innovation.

•Teaching cannot only be about what to think, but how to think.

Q & A WITH KEVIN EASTMAN

Those that know me or follow our blog know of our great respect for Kevin Eastman and the responsibility he has assumed in helping us become better coaches.  Last year we brought Kevin in to speak to our team and he had an amazing impact on our Aggies.  His message is dynamic and tailored to your team.  I highly recommend you look into bringing Kevin to your campus -- regardless of what sport you coach.

Now Kevin has a new venture -- Elite Training Camp -- designed again to help coaches reach another level.  If you've attended any of the Coaching U Clinics you can only imagine the level of instruction that you will receive at this event.

Yet another example of Kevin looking to help us?  This 30 minute video "Q's for Coach."  I've watched it twice -- taking notes the second time.

5TH ANNUAL GARY BLAIR COACHING ACADEMY

We wanted to take this opportunity to invite you to the 5^th Annual Gary Blair Coaching Academy.

This August our team will be playing 4 games in Spain which means the NCAA will allow us 10 practices….we will utilize this as part of our Coaching Academy which means you will see how we teach and prepare and get an inside look at several facets of the Aggie program.

The Academy will be held at Texas A&M on August 5-6 and will include the following:

     ◄4 Complete Clinic Sessions featuring the entire Aggie Basketball staff and team.

     ◄A guest speaker (to be announced next week)

     ◄Breakfast and Lunch (Dinner will be on your own)

     ◄Jump Drive that will include:

   •Segments from the Academy

   •Aggie Defensive Drill Notebook

   •Aggie Offensive Playbook

   •Clinic Notes & Book Notes

   •And much more!

All attending the Academy will received an autographed hardback copy of Coach Blair's new book, "A Coaching Life."

The cost for the Gary Blair Academy is only $50!

In our announcement regarding our Guest Speaker next week, we will also give you a list of hotels that will be providing reduced rates for coaches attending the Academy.

We are attaching a flier with detailed information and a form should you want to pay by check.  For those coaches wanting to pay by credit card, simply click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/z3kdggl

If you have any additional question, please don’t hesitate to contact me at rstarkey@athletics.tamu.edu

We look forward to seeing you!

GARY BLAIR'S 4TH ANNUAL COACHING ACADEMY

We are very excited today to announce the dates of Gary Blair's 4th Annual Aggie Coaching Academy.  Our first three have averaged over 120 coaches.  We are also incredibly excited to announce Jim Jabir, former head coach of the University of Dayton, as our guest speaker.  I had the privilege of hearing Coach Jabir speak at a PGC/Glazier clinic a few years ago and he is outstanding.

Coach Jabir is a two-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year transformed the Dayton program, taking the Flyers from 3-25 in his first season to their highest national ranking at No. 11 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls in 2013. In his last six seasons UD has accrued a 162-60 overall record (.730 winning percentage) and posted a 81-23 record (.779 winning percentage) in Atlantic 10 games.

Jabir’s Career Highlights

     ◄Winningest coach in Dayton history

     ◄10 20-win seasons

     ◄6 Conference Championships

     ◄8 NCAA appearances

     ◄Elite Eight in 2014-15

COST: $45

COST INCLUDES:

     ◄Academy Sessions

     ◄Breakfast/Lunch

     ◄Aggie Playbook DVD

     ◄Academy Playbook DVD includes: Scouting, Motivation, Philosophy,

        Conditioning, Playbook (Offense, Defense, Special Situations) and Practice Planning

Click HERE for a complete Academy flier

For more information call 979-862-3218

Or Register at: http://tinyurl.com/z3kdggl

Clinic Schedule includes practices and lecture sessions.

SATURDAY - OCTOBER 15, 2016

12:30 PM   Registration

  2:00 PM   Aggie Basketball Philosophy (Gary Blair)

  2:30 PM   Aggie Basketball Practice

  4:45 PM   Dinner (On Your Own)

  6:00 PM   Jim Jabir

  7:00 PM   Lessons Learned (Bob Starkey)

SUNDAY - OCTOBER 16, 2016

  8:00 AM   Breakfast (Provided)

  9:00 AM   Aggie Point Guard Play  (Amy Wright)

  9:45 AM   Aggie Wing Play (Kelly Bond-White)

10:30 AM   Transition/Man Offense (Gary Blair)

11:30 AM   Guest Speaker (TBA)

12:15 PM   Lunch (Provided)

  1:00 PM   Aggie Defense (Bob Starkey)

  2:30 PM   Q & A with Aggie Staff

GREAT TEAMS: 16 THINGS HIGH-PERFOMING ORGANIZATIONS DO DIFFERENTLY

I got to know Don Yaeger while working for Dale Brown at LSU.  Don spent an entire year around our program and the best thing I can say about him is that he gets it.  He has a great understanding of the human element as it equates to athletics and he understands what goes into successful programs.  It's why I am always anticipating his next book.  This summer he may have topped himself with "Great Teams: 16 Things High-Performing Organizations Do Differently."

I'm going to share a few highlights from the book but if you are involved with any group that you are trying to force as a team, to help an organization achieve it's maximum potential, you're going to want to get a copy of this book!

Chapter 1
Great Teams Understand Their "Why"
"You can try to tell people why what they do matters.  You can try to show them.  But people get what it means when they can feel it."
-Mike Krzyzewski.

"Culture must be reminded everyday. The history gives us a starting point to learn from the past, produce in the present and prepare for the future."
-Kevin Eastman

Chapter 2
Great Teams Have And Develop Great Leaders
"Part of being a leader is getting to know your players."
-Anson Doorance

Chapter 3
Great Teams Allow Culture To Shape Recruiting
"Leadership gets what it emphasizes.  When the recruits arrive to campus, there's so much hype in the facilities and the winning.  But we tell them that all of the hype will not be their happiness.  Instead, their happiness will be in the coaches we surround them with and how we treat them in the locker room.  Culture will determine their happiness."
-Chris Peterson

Chapter 4
Great Teams Create And Maintain Depth
"If you don't have someone on your team that's a capable replacement, then you're going to have a hole in the picture of your puzzle."
-Jerry West

Chapter 5
Great Teams Have A Road Map
As a former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain explained during an ESPN radio interview, Saban "has a vision.  He has a plan.  And yet, I think the thing that keeps him consistent and ahead of the curve, not just football-wise, but everything within the organization -- there's a follow-up, as far as 'What can we do better? What is new out there?  What can we do, you know, to move things forward whether it is offensive, defense, special teams, recruiting, academics, training room," it doesn't matter...What he does is set the vision and then gets great people around him and lets them be creative.

Chapter 6
Great Teams Promote Camaraderie And A Sense Of Collective Direction
St. Louis Cardinals' chairman Bill DeWitt and his management team send a sixty-eight-page book to all new recruits.  The book is packed with historical relevancies, general expectations for a Cardinal player, and specific instructions tailored to that particular player's position.  The information is helpful, but it is the book itself that carries the meaning of "now you're one of us."

Chapter 7
Great Teams Manage Dysfunction, Friction, And Strong Personalities
Great teams understand the reason behind conflict and find ways to rise above it; however, conflict resolution is a skill that must be exercises to be effective.

Chapter 8
Great Teams Build A Mentoring Culture
"In the SEAL teams we figured out very, very early on that specific mentorship of connecting a senior officer to a junior officer has a tremendous value.  It's a fundamental thing that SEAL development looks at.  The minute you stop learning and stop seeking out growth opportunities, you'll begin to rot pretty quickly."
-Rorke Denver

Chapter 9
Great Teams Adjust Quickly To Leadership Transitions
"Change is almost uncomfortable and exhausting.  You are asking your organization to do something in a new way -- every day -- until it's a habit.  The 'old' habits may have taken years to form and were likely linked to rewards to it's normal for individuals and teams to reverse to what's comfortable when difficulties or confusions arise."
-Sharon Price John

Chapter 10
Great Teams Adapt And Embrace Change
"It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive, but those who can best manage change."
-Charles Darwin

"The younger players see the world differently.  And it's up to you as the communicator to know who you are addressing.  Adjustment is hard, but is a lot easier if you, as a leader, are a willing learner."
-Mike Krzyzewski

Chapter 11
Great Teams Run Successful Huddles
Bill Walsh analyzed and even recorded meetings to spot potential lulls and weaknesses in their process.  He wanted to make sure his assistant coaches -- who would sometimes change from year to year -- were teaching his team in a consistent fashion.

Chapter 12
Great Teams Improve Through Scouting
"I think you have to study yourself a lot.  It's important as a quarterback to study yourself, your opponent and be sure you're doing the fundamentals and mechanics right."
-Peyton Manning

Chapter 13
Great Teams See Values Others Miss
Great teams never answer the "why" question with, "Because we've always done it this way."  Instead, they regularly evaluate each situation and seek unique opportunities for improvement.

Chapter 14
Great Teams Win In Critical Situations
Many companies mistake movement for momentum.  By paying employees to work harder, organizations also create an incentive bias when trying to motivate a strong finish.  Paying someone to do more gets movement but not always true motivation.  And teams with higher motivation will always beat teams that only get movement.

Chapter 15
Great Teams Speak A Different Language
Steve Kerr on observing Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks:  "There's no yelling and screaming...there's teaching.  It was liberating to see and had a great influence on me."

"As a leader it is so important to be precise with your language."
-Pete Carroll

Chapter 16
Great Teams Avoid The Pitfalls Of Success
The great John Wooden, whom I have mentioned several times in this book, often said, "Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character."

"How you respond to a mistake is more important than the mistake itself."
-Tim Walton

The appendix in Don's book is 33 pages long with outstanding quotes and concepts from the best in the business and this section alone is worth the cost of the books.  It includes Ganon Baker, Colonel Bernie Banks, Bobby Bowden, Bruce Bowen, Aja Brown, Dale Brown, Jim Calhoun, John Calipari, Pete Carroll, Jack Clark, Jerry Colangelo, Barry Collier, Tom Crean, Randy Cross, Commander Rorke Denver, Bill Dewitt, Jr., Billy Donovan, Anson Dorrance, Kevin Eastman, P. J. Fleck, Willie Gault, China Gorman, G. J. Hart, Sylvia Hatchell, Tom Izzo, Jimmie Johnson, Michael Jordan, Greg Kampe, Steve Kerr, Mike Krzyzewski, Jenn Lim, Archie Manning, Eli Manning, Dan Marino, Mike Martin, Misty May-Treanor, Bill McCermott, Derin McMains, Dayton Moore, Jamie Moyer, Tom Osborne, Chack Pagano, Bob Reinheimer, Jerry Rice, Russ Rose, David Ross, Nolan Ryan, Simon Sinek, Jerry Sloan, Tubby Smith, Bill Snyder, Brendan Suhr, Stan Van Gundy, Bill Walton, Jerry West, John Wooden, Steve Young.

AN INSIDE LOOK AT PAT SUMMITT'S CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE

I've got a great way for you to honor Coach Pat Summitt, contribute to her Foundation and get great insight to why she was such a great coach.  Coach Greg Brown has wrote a book about Coach Summitt and Coach Don Meyer, whom he both worked for.  It is simply an outstanding book because Greg goes behind the scenes to speak about what made each special.  All proceeds from the book go to the Pat Summitt Foundation and Don Meyer Foundation.  

The name of Greg Brown's book is "The Best Things I've Seen In Coaching."  It's an outstanding book and you can order a copy HERE.

An example of the book's section on Coach Summitt includes:

The Tennessee Way -- The values that created the championship culture of the Lady Vols.

Summitt's Five Ways To Maintain Success -- A great list from someone who maintained the highest level of success over three decades.

Game Notes -- 12 pages of game notes from including pre-game, halftime and post game and team meeting thoughts from some of Tennessee's games including UConn.

John Maxwell Talk -- Coach Summitt brought in her friend John Maxwell to talk to the Lady Vols and Greg's notes on this talk are outstanding!

Definite Dozen Overview -- A detailed look at Coach Summitt's famous list.

Practice Expectations -- A great list one that we have modified to use with our team.

Work Ethic -- A list of characteristics of what Coach Summitt believed necessary for having a great work ethic.

Pat Summitt Core Values -- An interview with Coach Summitt on this area

Make Hard Work Your passion -- Another great list on the importance of hard work

Don't Just Work Hard, Work Smart -- Coach Summitt on the mental side of the game

Discipline Yourself So No One Has To -- Two great pages that also became a team passout for our team.

Learn To Be A Great Communicator -- Two pages on keys to being an effective communicator

Put The Team Before Yourself -- Two pages on thoughts that Coach Summitt shares on teamwork (some of which I share below).

Be A Competitor -- The first word I think of when I think of Coach Summitt is "competitor" -- this section by Greg is worth the price of the book by itself.

Take Full Responsibility -- This section deals with coach and player accountability.

Develop And Demonstrate Loyalty -- Coach Summitt talks about it positive and negative effects on a team

Respect Yourself And Others -- Again, another section that speaks to both players and coaches including the topic of body language.

Make Winning An Attitude -- A wonderful list on all that goes in to having a championship attitude.

Change Is A Must -- Greg gives a great list of why Coach Summitt thought that not only was change inevitable but necessary

These are but just a small sampling of some great notes that Greg took while being in staff meetings or listening to Coach Summitt talk to her team:

"Teamwork is not a matter of persuading yourself and your colleagues to set aside personal ambitions for the greater good. It's a matter of recognizing that your personal ambitions and the ambitions of the team are one and the same.  That's the incentive."

"Teamwork is not created by like-mindedness.  It's an emotional cohesion that develops from mutual respect and reciprocity and from coping with good times and adversity."

"To me, the greatest reward for being a team player, far outweighing any personal gain, is that it means you will never be alone.  Think about that.  Life has enough lonely times in store for all of us.  The wonderful thing about partnership is that it halves your sorrow and compounds your joys.  When you are pressure, your teammates will only multiply it.  The amount of success you are capable of enjoying and the pleasure you are capable of feeling, is equal to the number of people you are willing to share it with."

The name of Greg Brown's book is "The Best Things I've Seen In Coaching."  It's an outstanding book and you can order a copy HERE.

HEAD COACHING CHARACTERISTICS

Bill Polion is one of NFL's best General Managers.  He has a proven formula of success and that has transcended from one organization to the next.  Hired as the Buffalo Bills GM following a 2-14 season, he soon had the franchise going to three straight Super Bowls.  From there he became the GM of the Carolina Panthers where he had the team in the NFC Championship Game in only their second year of existence.  From there he took over the Colts organization and one of his first moves was to draft Peyton Manning who would ultimately guide the team to a Super Bowl Championship.

Each spring I'm honored to be a part of Felicia Hall Allen's "A Step Up Assistant Coaching Symposium," which is a unique format to help assistant coaches become better at their craft.  Obviously, one of the topics each year is moving  into the head coaching position.  Felicia brings in a wide variety of people to help paint the picture they need to move up.  One of the obvious speaker choices new head coaches that have just made the jump.  But she also brings in Athletic Directors, Search Firms and Head Hunters to give us a unique look at what the people doing the hiring are looking for.  

I think sometimes as coaches we tend to lean on other coaches maybe too much for information instead of stepping outside our comfort zone and meeting with the true "decision makers."  Have you met with your Athletic Director and discussed what he/she looks for in a candidate?  Do you have the courage to ask that AD what your deficiencies are and what you should look for?

Polion has an outstanding book that I've read a couple of times titled "The Game Plan: The Art of Building a Winning Football Team."  For those interested in becoming a head coach, Chapter 2: Deciding on the Decision Maker is worth the price of the book alone as Polion gives great insight to what he is looking for.  Below, is a brief look in to what he views important.

1. Organization.  That ranges from how he organizes his playbook to his practice plans, from year-round staff assignments to his off-season program.  Each of those areas and many more must be laid out in writing and explained completely, step by step, especially with a candidate who has never been a head coach before.

Today, every coaching candidate shows up for an interview with a “book” detailing all aspects of his program.  But the book is only as good as the person reading it.

2. Leadership.  Does he have the philosophical approach, verbal skills, physical presence, stability, and courage to lead and motivate the coaching staff, the players, and the support staff?

3. Communication.  Does he have good verbal skills?  Does he listen?  Does he respond to questions in a thoughtful way, or does he just tell people what to do?  Is he open to suggestions? Can he interact with ownership, management, and other departments on their terms?

Can he sell his program to all of the team’s stakeholders?  Does he care and communicate that care to others or are they just numbers to him?

Can he teach or is he a lecturer?  A teacher gets everyone involved.  He is able to illustrate his lessons with real-life examples and sometimes funny parables.  He gets his students invested and involved in what he’s teaching.  A lecturer just stands at the podium and spits out notes.

4. Emotional Stability.  Can he function well under pressure from players, staff, ownership, fans and the press?  Does he remain cool on the sidelines?  Does he remain composed, organized, and does he take the lead at halftime?  Doe he use genuine anger as a motivational tool or does he come apart when he’s frustrated?

Is he coherent in his remarks to the players, staff, ownership, and the press after a loss?  Does a loss stay with him too long?  Can he keep everyone in the program, including the general manager focused by his own leadership when the “roof is falling down?”

5. Vision.  This is the most important quality of them all.  Does he have a clear picture of how he wants his team to look and play?  Can he articulate it verbally and in writing?

Can he make long-term decisions in order to implement his vision when pressure is great for him to make a short-term, quick-fix decision?  Has he organized the program in such a way as to implement his long-term plan?

What type of offense does he run?  If, for example, you featured a power running game, as San Francisco, then that would tell you that you had to invest in a certain type of offensive lineman such as Mike Iupati, a 6’ 5”, 331-pound guard the 49ers drafted in the first round from Idaho in 2010.

6. Strategy.  Is he mentally prepared to make decisions on the sideline or does he react?  Does he have direct responsibility for key strategic decisions?  I other words, is he the guy making them or is he going to lean on somebody else?  He’s got to be the one to decide whether to go for it on fourth-and-goal.  He’s got to be the guy to decide whether he’s going to kick a field goal or go for a touchdown.

As Marv Levy always used to say, “If we’re penalized for having 12 men on the field, that’s my responsibility.

7. Flexibility.  Can he adjust to changing trends and rules, personnel, opponent schemes, personality or culture of players?  And then I ask two rhetorical questions.  First, can he change the nuts and bolts of his program to adjust to circumstances without changing his approach to the fundamentals?

Secondly, can he be flexible and take advantage of circumstances or does he buy someone else’s program, lock, stock and barrel?  I other words, does he say, “Oh, gee, Pittsburgh won using a 3-4; let’s switch to a 3-4?”

8. Ability to judge talent. He’s got to be able to see potential rather than just saying, “This is college player A and this is college player B.”  He’s got to be able to see what the potential of college player A is versus college player B.

9. Public relations.  Essentially, it boils down to, can he handle himself well in this media maelstrom that he’s forced to endure these days?

10. Player respect.  Does his knowledge, leadership, teaching ability, approach to squad morale and discipline, and his personal habits and dignity earn player respect? Do they look up to him?

Is his approach to discipline fair?  Do his personal bearing, conduct, and dignity — which encompasses work ethic, temperament, personal habits, etc. — generate respect from the players?  Not liking, but respect.

11. Character.  It boils down to one thing: do you want this man as a standard-bearer for your franchise.

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING OFFENSE (AND THE IMPORTANT OF SPACING)

I've blogged a few times over the last couple of years on the book "Attacking The Zone Defenses" by Del Harris and Ken Shields.  It is simply the best book I've read on attacking zone defenses.  It is over 300 pages and breaks down zone offensive principles but simply and with great detail.  If you are a basketball coach, this book is a must for your library!

One of the topics they went over in detail was spacing (or lack there of):

Most of the winning coaches over the last 70 years thrived on three aspects of the game -- spacing with ball and player movement.  There are not new concepts and will never go away.

The more spread the scoring area becomes, the more territory the defense has to cover.

However, many players, constantly do the defense a favor by crowding in closer to the goal, the longer the possession lasts. We call that "the Incredible Shrinking Offense."

The reason spacing is a problem is likely due to each player's subconscious desire to get himself into the easiest shooting range; therefore he creeps in from the weak side or mashes down from the top of the cricle.  While this may seem to carry the player player into a better range, it actually does three things to limit his team's offensive potential.

1. It allows his man to sag in on the inside players and render the inside game less effective.

2. It gives the weak side defender a shorter run back to his assigned man when the ball is reversed, actually making the player less open by moving in.

3. It compacts the cutting and driving lanes, making it much more difficult to penetrate the compacted defense with dribble penetration or good cuts for catches.

One obvious problem posed by proper spacing concerns the perimeter player who has limited shooting range.  Defenders will not respect this player's shooting range so will sag off him anyway and take a chance on the outside shot.  However, by being well spaced, he may become a better ball mover as a quick relay man, and can look for opportunities as a cutter and/or a screener.  Still, if he has the ability to do so, he may be able to catch out wide and then back his way into a scoring or playmaking situation closer to the goal. Or, he may be able to attack a man seeking to close him out with a dribble penetration.