As a Celtic fan, I had a negative opinion of Phil Jackson. He used to be a Knick (bad), and eventually he became the Laker coach (worse). That’s reason enough. But that opinion was ignorance-based, the antithesis of facts. After reading his “Sacred Hoops“, I saw a much different guy. The best team is not the same as the team with the best players.
Jackson’s core belief “basketball is sharing”, applies to every action on and off the court. Teams that cannot share, both the basketball and the accountability of defense, will never achieve what lesser talent and better teams accomplish.
For example, imagine defending the low post, a demanding and physical challenge that many low post players do not embrace. If they do not work to keep effective low post players out of their “spots”, the team will not succeed. BUT, to succeed, they must be consistent AND trust the perimeter players to exert ball pressure and weak side (help) defenders to be magnetized to the ball when needed. Having young players “get it” (all the way through high school) is tough. Saying that you understand what the coach wants versus implementing it can be light years apart.
Offensively, symmetry exists. The ball handler suffers when players don’t move or cut to open spaces, don’t present attractive entry targets, and don’t set screens on and away from the ball. Good defenses disrupt offensive timing, take away position and flow that the offense wants. In reality, many defenses either lack the fundamental knowledge or willingness to play tough defense every possession, every game.
Successful teams take something away from offenses, keep them off the free throw line, dominate the defensive boards, and minimize turnovers. Remember that the first offensive rebound generates points fifty percent of the time, and the second eighty percent. The defense never rests.
