Blog Development in the D-League
January 30th, 2008I am a fan of the D-League. However, I also am not sure of its effectiveness to this point, though more and more players are matriculating from the D-League to NBA rosters.
To get a better idea, I emailed the Head Coaches of most of the D-League franchises in an effort to interview one about player development for my Hard 2 Guard Player Development Newsletter. Joe Wolf, Head Coach of the Colorado 14ers was the only coach willing to answer some questions.
BM: How closely do you work with NBA staffs, especially in regards to a player who has been sent down from the NBA to get more playing time or improve?
Wolf: The players we work with every day because they are players on our team. The NBA staffs we speak with on a regular basis but never really meet with them during the season.
BM: With a limited coaching staff [most team web sites list a Head Coach and one assistant compared to NBA teams which typically have 4-5 assistants, a player development coach and a strength coach], how do you ensure that players get enough individual attention and skill work?
Wolf: I have a player development coach that works with individuals after practice and I also work with players on an individual basis when needed.
BM: Do you have a player development coach or a strength and conditioning coach?
Wolf: We have both.
BM: How do NBA teams use the NBDL? Do teams offer feedback on players?
Wolf: This year we won’t have any players sent to us by our affiliates. We receive comments and suggestions throughout the year from all different types of NBA personnel.
BM: What is the difference between a top NBDL player and a rotation player in the NBA?
Wolf: Sometimes it’s just the opportunity and sometimes it is experience.
BM: Is there a paid off-season for skill development?
Wolf: Not that I know of, although the NBA does have different summer leagues.
BM: How is practice time distributed? It all depends upon schedule, travel, number of games, injuries,…etc. How much time and how many team drills are dedicated to fundamental skills (i.e. shooting, ball-handling, passing)?
Wolf: We dedicate about ½ of practice to skill work.
BM: How do you approach big-man development?
Wolf: We try to develop basketball players and therefore big men will develop the same way as our guards…through skill work.
BM: What guard skills are most important to success and translate most effectively to the professional level?
Wolf: On the ball pressure without giving up the paint and pick and roll offense are two important factors.
BM: How do you track and measure individual performance improvements?
Wolf: Through film work and various statistics.
BM: How do you balance game preparation and winning with player development considering the league exists primarily as an avenue for young players, coaches and officials to develop and get to the next level?
Wolf: They go hand in hand
BM: Do NBDL players typically need to improve their technical skills (shooting, post footwork), tactical skills (defensive rotations, running a pick and roll) or athletic skills (quickness, strength, body composition)?
Wolf: Yes
January 31st, 2008 at 12:14 am
I guess this is better than no interview at all! However, all this did for me was suggest that skill development might be important to at least ONE coach in the NBDL…and apparently that coach was not able (for whatever reason) to provide enough details to determine the technical quality of skill development being provided. A little more elaboration would have been really helpful. For example, if ‘on ball pressure without giving up the paint’ is one of the most important skills for success, what specific things are being targeted to obtain improvement in those skills (e.g., attack instead of react mentality?…proper lateral acceleration mechanics?…foot quickness, stability and balance improvement work?…etc). Also, what skill-centric statistics are being targeted to track and measure improvement? Just about every coach reviews game films and tracks game statistics. Yet we know many of the true skill performance indicators don’t always show up in game stats. Maybe next time you can catch Coach Wolf when he has a bit more time to elaborate.
From what I have seen, the NBDL is severely underfunded. Apparently, you are on your own for skill development in the off-season. Are the players getting paid to play in the Summer Leagues, or do they have to get other jobs to save money to cover those expenses? Looks like a rough life while you are waiting for your big break. Too bad the NBA can’t fund a better minor-league system.
Rick Allison
LoneStar Basketball Academy
http://www.lonestarbasketball.com
[[[ C2E ]]]
January 31st, 2008 at 1:42 am
I put the interview here because I did not feel it offered anything of value for the newsletter. Next week, I have an interview with Kevin Sutton who offers more in-depth answers. Wolf’s answers contradict the information I received from one of the owners, so it is obvious each franchise runs differently. And, unfortunately, Wolf was the only coach willing to answer questions, so, as of right now, this is all I have. After reading the articles lately about Dave Hopla, I am confused as to the role of the numerous assistants on the bench. The Wizard players praise Hopla, a great guy and coach, for doing things I thought every NBA team did, but the articles make it sound like he is far more in-depth than any of the players’ other experiences.
January 31st, 2008 at 2:38 am
Yeah, I got the same impression about Dave’s positive impacts on the players. From the Washington Post article…’He pays attention to technical matters, like how a player gets his legs into a shot, foot placement, elbow position, release point and follow through…’ and …’he encourages Butler to hold his follow-through on his shot until the ball reaches the basket…’. Success is often in the details. I see this also in the articles by David Thorpe regarding his development training with NBA players in the off-season. It gives the appearance (surprisingly) that many of these players have not been exposed to the fundamental technical details of proper footwork, shooting mechanics and functional movement. Sounds like there is an abundance of drill masters and a shortage of skill teachers at these higher levels.
Rick Allison
LoneStar Basketball Academy
http://www.lonestarbasketball.com
[[[ C2E ]]]