timecop

we don't have another game till the first weekend of march now so it really feels like a downtime right now, just waiting for the playoffs to come along and to playout the last 3 regular season games. we're all looking forward to playoffs and the three of us spend alot of time talking about the future and how things have played out for all of us and the diff paths that took us all to this point from three very different backgrounds. you all know my background. sam grew up in l.a. as a good scoring guard in high school but not really scouted by any big programs, he then bounced around a few div 3 schools after trying to walk on at cal st. then found a home in rhode island where he played under a coach that used to play in the league. so he had to work through people doubting him because of his height and attitude. dra grew up in a town in mississippi called natchez, was mr. basketball in mississippi his senior year, went to nike camp(where the top 100 prospects from highschool are invited to come) and started in the all star game of that camp with shane battier, larry hughes, elton brand and tayshaun prince all in the starting five with him. of the top 20 players chosen for that game from that camp, him and one other dude are the only guys not in the league. he went into n.c. state and played a year before transferring to temple where the coaches didn't give him burn for whatever reasons. so he had to battle frustrations of not being able to showcase himself and feeling detoured.

its good to see dra reaquire his love for the game and to get back into shape and to show what he is capable of. sam is going through the learning process of running a team within a framework and really learning to play with a capable big man, and how to apply all the indiv skills he does possess in the flow of the game. at the beginning of the season he really underestimated the ease of that transition and adjustment, but it really is starting to show that he's begining to grasp it. i really realize how far i am behind in experience and coaching compared to all these guys have gone through. my individual skills do need alot of polishing. i have a good understanding of the game though and i just need to be a bit more assertive and show more confidence in bringing some of the things that i know i can do to the forefront. i really do i feel i have alot of potential and physically i'm there, i just need to be a lil crisper with the ball. i've found myself to be alot more of a student of the game, seeing it more as an art form, appreciating lil things like footwork to prepare for certain moves and positioning. there is alot more appreciation and respect for the good players, the more you break down the game

my coaching career continues its inauspicious start, i led the lads of st. mels to two defeats today. it sucks because i try and teach them fundamentals alot instead of plays and tactics so much so it leads them to struggle now, but to be better down the road..... hopefully! its funny watching irish kids play bball, they do alot of laterals, short passes and overlapping runs. things that they carry over from the other sports that they play like soccer rugby and gaelic. its hard to teach them the principles of spacing. 60% of the time they listen to me everytime