Final Stretch

Basketball is a tournament sport and most teams are entering the final month of their season.  What is your philosophy on handling the final weeks of the season and getting your team in position for a tournament run?  I recently heard Brad Stevens ask for 5 more minutes in all aspects of their daily routine.  5 more minutes of shooting, study hall, practice, film, etc.  Does the 5 extra minutes really make a huge difference?  Physically I don't see a huge impact but mentally, YES.  Players feel like this month is more important than previous ones and they feel like they are making a bigger commitment.  Harder work = tougher surrender (Vince Lombardi).  Its hard to argue with Brad Stevens track record in postseason play, however there's always another side of the coin and multiple ways to succeed in basketball.  Maybe its best for your team to shorten everything.  Practice, weights, film, scouting reports, etc...Quality over Quantity.  What is the purpose of each drill you put on your practice plan?  Will it help you win your next game?  If not maybe it can go.  Still yet other coaches will want to eliminate as much contact in practice as possible turning practices into walk-throughs where the shooting drills, 5-0 work, etc. is intense with tons of effort and communication but the physical nature of practice has been removed.

Basketball season can be a long grind with preseason conditioning, games before Christmas, holiday tournaments, conference play after Christmas and then finally tournament play.  Your goal as a coach should be to have your team playing its best during the tournament so base your decisions with the end goal in mind.  Does your team need 5 extra minutes or would less be more?