Big win for Belmont against undefeated Reading

Belmont won an important game, maybe the most important game of the first part of this season. Again, they played a tough 4th quarter, and I don’t expect anything but toughness from this team any more. They took over a close game and made it into a blowout. Overall, the team played well, but the final score is somewhat deceiving. I say this mostly because Reading missed 15 free throws. That’s a big hit even for the best teams to take.

Among good things, the inside defense was solid. Reading centers and forwards couldn’t easily score. Belmont hit more than their typical 20% of threes attempted, which helped quite a bit.

Among not so good things, the defense on penetrations was shaky. It looked like Reading guards could get into the paint any time they wanted.

When you win an important game, the media covers it. Jon Hines wrote “Belmont tops Reading in unbeaten boys hoop battle ” and published it in Daily Times Chronicle. Amara Grautski wrote “Musler carries Belmont to win ” for the Boston Globe. Michael Pina wrote “Belmont High boys hoop wins battle of unbeatens ” for the Belmont Citizen-Herald.

What should Belmont team do better if they want to be a really terrific team? Here are some thoughts:

• Find their defense. In the first 4-5 games, they were constantly switching between press, zone, man. They need to find what suits the players they have the best, execute that well, and use press more judiciously. Opposing teams scored too many easy baskets on broken Belmont presses in the past.
• Make sure that four players score in double digits every game. Why? Because they can, they have enough talent to do it. You can stop one player, you can stop two, it is very hard to stop three, and it is impossible to stop four. I am not talking about the league games any more, although there will be a lot of battles in January and February. I am talking about the tournament and winning against really good teams. Well, that preparation should start now.
• The team needs to understand that good passing is the most effective offensive weapon in basketball. That’s the only play which works against any defense. Good passing makes basketball mesmerizing to watch. Seven games into the season, I am still waiting for a good passing game by Belmont. The game against Reading wasn’t one of them. If you don’t believe my theory about passing just look at the best players in the history of basketball, they were all unselfish players and great passers. Larry Bird thinks that good passing is more difficult than good shooting, because you have to hit a moving target through the forest of hands. But good passing needs to be actively promoted by the coaching staff, not only as the player’s last resort. The best leaders are the best facilitators, they make every other player perform at or even above their current level of capability. I have to say that I am not optimistic in this regard because Belmont basketball programs seem to like players who can “take it to the hoop”, which is often done recklessly, against double or triple teams, without ever looking for an open player.
  Note: On Saturday, I watched Harvard beat Dartmouth. What a beautiful passing game. Every player touches the ball on every offense, often more than once. High school teams should collectively go to one of Harvard games to witness quiet leadership (Jeremy Lin) and  excellence without self-promotion at work. No wonder Harvard beat BC and almost beat uConn. As a side note, I saw the whole Winchester High basketball team at the game.
• Move the ball inside out and not only in circles outside the three point line. Inside out movement is more likely to open three point shots, and a variety of cuts. If executed well, it is much harder to defend. Unlike last year, Belmont has good passers in the low-post positions. They need to understand that passing is a strength not a weakness, especially if they are double-teamed and their teammate is open somewhere.
• Re-introduce the mid-range shot. Despite what I have heard may times in the circles around Belmont basketball, the mid-range shot is not dead! This shot should not be discouraged when missed because it is as good as any other shot, no better no worse. It is certainly better than a forced lay-up or a hasty three. This is true, of course, if you have players who can make it, and Belmont has at least three of them.
• Play some pick-and-roll, but for real, as part of the game plan. Again, the reason Belmont should do it is that they have players who can execute it. Over 60% of all offense in the NBA is pick-and-roll. The reason is simple: it is next to impossible to defend it, if done well. I am aware that there is a lot of zone defense in high school basketball which makes pick-and-roll way less effective. Belmont couldn’t do it 60% of time (and they shouldn’t), but it could be an additional, potentially deadly, offensive weapon.
• Take only smart shots. The line between good shooters and gunners is very thin. I don’t care if you score 25 points on 20% shooting. That’s a bad game by all standards. Imagine if you were sick and your doctor diagnosed your disease right only once in every five attempts – you’d be dead by now. Making good decisions when time is limited is not easy. Here’s my quick definition of a good shot: it is a shot you can make with confidence higher than 50% (try to get this closer to 90%), but ONLY if your teammate is not in a position to make a shot with confidence higher than yours! Otherwise, it becomes a bad shot. As I said earlier, the line is very thin. Not easy to make that decision in 1/2 of a second? Well, that’s what makes a difference between solid basketball players and really good ones. I will not mention great because there are no great players in the Middlesex League, and there are very few in high school basketball in any given year.
• Dispel the idea of “big three”. Last year, I read in the local newspapers and online publications that Belmont had “big three”. Early on this season, one article mentioned Belmont’s new “big three”. It was repulsive last year and it is equally repulsive now. I don’t even know where these ideas come from. Some players will score more than others and maybe they’ll do it consistently, but who is there to decide that scoring is more important than defensive stops. So, you may have a player who works his butt off every night, maybe shadows the other team’s point guard the whole season, and he is not part of the “big three” society only because he doesn’t score 15 points every night. The sole emphasis on points bothers me. I believe this mistaken idea comes from the NBA, and it bothers me there too. Garnett, Pierce and Allen are the “big three” because they suck in two third of the team’s money. I know Perkins is not a superstar and he may never be, nor will he ever get the status that Dwight Howard has in the league. But, he hauls double-digit rebounds and adds double-digit points many nights, and he’s… what… “crappy two”. Belmont has big five, and big seven, and big nine if the need be, and that’s the only right approach. Sometimes, a player changes the rhythm of the game when playing only two-three minutes. In some ways, that’s harder than scoring 15 points in 38 minutes.
• Fast break a bit more. Belmont doesn’t have a typical slow center. They basically play with three guards and two forwards (who could also play guard if the need be). They can throw some long passes from out-of-bounds. They can throw the outlet pass quickly then run the court. They should get more easy points this way. I am not advocating for them to start gambling with risky passes and try fast breaking every time they get a defensive rebound. Like any other offense, if used too often it becomes predictable and easier to defend. But, I’ve seen missed opportunities in the past and, I am sure, more opportunities will arise in the future. They should not be missed. Here’s what great Red Auerbach said about coaches who don’t run fast break: “Coaches today figure you can’t control a fast break the way you can control a half-court offense. These guys don’t want a running game because they lose control if they have one. They want to walk the ball up the court so they can stand up and control every possession, every pass. They feel more secure that way. [...] A lot of coaches get up and scream or call time-outs so they look like they know what they’re doing. It’s all about image…”
• Improve free-throw shooting. It was surprising to see Belmont team struggle in the first couple of games. Free throws often win games. When Larry Bird broke his foot in high school, he kept working on his free throws (and passing) even while on crutches. Most Belmont players can make 80% of their free-throws and I am convinced they will start doing it soon.
• Keep working on the team spirit. Do not worry about who scored most points or got most rebounds. I’ve already seen a player with limited minutes WIN a game with one critical play which didn’t show on the score board. The boom box at the end of the games may help more in this regard than anything coaches may do or say.

Belmont has potential to win the state championship this year, but many teams with potential lost it before they even got to the championship game. It is time to celebrate seven wins, time to enjoy being unbeaten in a solid league. It is not time to become over-confident and stop improving. If things are done right, that time will never come until the season is over.