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https://news.yahoo.com/non-tradition...hssrp_catchall
“Who is the Boston Celtics’ point guard? Who is the Denver Nuggets’ point guard?” Mills asked rhetorically. “For me, it’s not a big deal. I don’t get caught up in, ‘You’re the 1, you’re the 2, you’re the 3, you’re the 4 and you’re the 5.’ It’s more about how do you play and what should the spacing look like, regardless of who has the basketball.”
After playing mostly off the ball to mixed results last season for the Shockers, incumbent guard Xavier Bell has shifted to more of a ball-handling role for the team in recent practices. The combo guard role is what he played his freshman year at Drexel when the team reached the NCAA Tournament.
The silver lining of Cortes’ absence is the additional repetitions in practice that secondary ball-handlers like Colby Rogers, a 6-foot-4 sharpshooter, and Miami transfer Harlond Beverly, a 6-foot-6 wing, will receive on the ball.
Another unique solution could be to involve Kenny Pohto, a 6-11 junior center, more in initiating the offense. Mills has studied the film of how the Swedish big man was unlocked in the second half of last season and became a play-making hub for the Shockers at the top of the key. More teams in the modern era of basketball are inverting their offenses and granting their big men the license to initiate the team’s offense around the perimeter. Pohto has the necessary skills to pull it off for the Shockers, Mills believes.
“I do get there’s a traditional way of looking at (positions), but the game has changed and there’s a lot of elements to it now,” Mills said. “Having guys that are versatile, that can step out and shoot the 3, can cut, can offensive rebound, can handle the ball. I mean, that’s Kenny. He can do all of those things. We definitely are going to want to use that skill set.”
In WSU’s first two team practices, Mills has constantly stressed the importance of spacing on offense. He frequently blew drills dead when players didn’t properly space the floor when running in transition. He wants players hugging the sidelines to try to create every inch of space for driving lanes. “The other thing I’ll tell you I think is important is how you keep score in practice,” Mills said. “So if you watch us scrimmage, we’re going to give extra points for an offensive rebound and take away points if you’re giving the ball up to the other team. So if you don’t value the basketball, then you’re going to hurt your team. We try to emphasize that you don’t want to help the other team more than ours.” That was a problem last season for the Shockers, which ranked No. 187 nationally in turnover rate. Outside of all-conference performer Craig Porter Jr., WSU’s collection of guards posted more turnovers (152) than assists (145) with the rest of the team doing the same — 322 turnovers to 273 assists. Mills will have target scores for every player with their assist-to-turnover ratio. “Everybody needs to be at least 1 to 1, I don’t care what your position is,” Mills said. “Then you try to challenge them. Good guards will be 2-to-1. Elite guards are going to be 3-to-1. You try to get them to realize there’s value there besides just scoring. In their minds right now, they’re thinking, ‘The more buckets I get, the more attractive I am.’ Well, that’s not always the case.”
Instead of bogging down the players with trying to install set plays, Mills has focused on teaching players the principles of the style of basketball he wants to play. “Once you get to the NCAA Tournament, even the conference tournament, teams are so good, coaches are so good that they’re going to take stuff away,” Mills said. “So if you’re predictable, teams are going to turn around and take that stuff away. I’ve been fortunate to be part of teams, whether at Baylor or ORU, that have advanced and when I go back and watch those teams, they are always way more organic. “The more their brains are moving, usually the slower their feet are. So the question is, ‘How can you be organic, but at the same time there’s some structure there?’ That’s the kind of stuff you’re up thinking about 24 hours a day.”
How well the Shocks adapt to this approach remains to be seen but I personally like this approach and they way Coach Mills thinks.
https://news.yahoo.com/non-tradition...hssrp_catchall
“Who is the Boston Celtics’ point guard? Who is the Denver Nuggets’ point guard?” Mills asked rhetorically. “For me, it’s not a big deal. I don’t get caught up in, ‘You’re the 1, you’re the 2, you’re the 3, you’re the 4 and you’re the 5.’ It’s more about how do you play and what should the spacing look like, regardless of who has the basketball.”
After playing mostly off the ball to mixed results last season for the Shockers, incumbent guard Xavier Bell has shifted to more of a ball-handling role for the team in recent practices. The combo guard role is what he played his freshman year at Drexel when the team reached the NCAA Tournament.
The silver lining of Cortes’ absence is the additional repetitions in practice that secondary ball-handlers like Colby Rogers, a 6-foot-4 sharpshooter, and Miami transfer Harlond Beverly, a 6-foot-6 wing, will receive on the ball.
Another unique solution could be to involve Kenny Pohto, a 6-11 junior center, more in initiating the offense. Mills has studied the film of how the Swedish big man was unlocked in the second half of last season and became a play-making hub for the Shockers at the top of the key. More teams in the modern era of basketball are inverting their offenses and granting their big men the license to initiate the team’s offense around the perimeter. Pohto has the necessary skills to pull it off for the Shockers, Mills believes.
“I do get there’s a traditional way of looking at (positions), but the game has changed and there’s a lot of elements to it now,” Mills said. “Having guys that are versatile, that can step out and shoot the 3, can cut, can offensive rebound, can handle the ball. I mean, that’s Kenny. He can do all of those things. We definitely are going to want to use that skill set.”
In WSU’s first two team practices, Mills has constantly stressed the importance of spacing on offense. He frequently blew drills dead when players didn’t properly space the floor when running in transition. He wants players hugging the sidelines to try to create every inch of space for driving lanes. “The other thing I’ll tell you I think is important is how you keep score in practice,” Mills said. “So if you watch us scrimmage, we’re going to give extra points for an offensive rebound and take away points if you’re giving the ball up to the other team. So if you don’t value the basketball, then you’re going to hurt your team. We try to emphasize that you don’t want to help the other team more than ours.” That was a problem last season for the Shockers, which ranked No. 187 nationally in turnover rate. Outside of all-conference performer Craig Porter Jr., WSU’s collection of guards posted more turnovers (152) than assists (145) with the rest of the team doing the same — 322 turnovers to 273 assists. Mills will have target scores for every player with their assist-to-turnover ratio. “Everybody needs to be at least 1 to 1, I don’t care what your position is,” Mills said. “Then you try to challenge them. Good guards will be 2-to-1. Elite guards are going to be 3-to-1. You try to get them to realize there’s value there besides just scoring. In their minds right now, they’re thinking, ‘The more buckets I get, the more attractive I am.’ Well, that’s not always the case.”
Instead of bogging down the players with trying to install set plays, Mills has focused on teaching players the principles of the style of basketball he wants to play. “Once you get to the NCAA Tournament, even the conference tournament, teams are so good, coaches are so good that they’re going to take stuff away,” Mills said. “So if you’re predictable, teams are going to turn around and take that stuff away. I’ve been fortunate to be part of teams, whether at Baylor or ORU, that have advanced and when I go back and watch those teams, they are always way more organic. “The more their brains are moving, usually the slower their feet are. So the question is, ‘How can you be organic, but at the same time there’s some structure there?’ That’s the kind of stuff you’re up thinking about 24 hours a day.”
How well the Shocks adapt to this approach remains to be seen but I personally like this approach and they way Coach Mills thinks.
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