Basketball Coaching: How To Win With Less Talent

One of the toughest things a basketball coach has to overcome is lack of talent. Some coaches are blessed with incredible athletes or have a wealth of talent to choose from. Other coaches have barely enough players to make a complete roster. However, there is often a ton of pressure on coaches to develop players and also lead a winning program regardless of their talent level. Sometimes this leads to unhappy parents, players, and coaches because tough decisions must be made.

Let's discuss a few ways that coaches can overcome this obstacle, get some wins, and finish with a successful and fun season.

TRANSLATING STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES INTO GAMES

Figuring out player strengths and weaknesses before, during, and after the season can be a tough task for coaches as a season evolves. One the hardest parts is tracking the team's success over time and figuring out how to put each player in the best position to succeed. Rarely do you find players at the high school level that are complete in every aspect of the game. Most players are skilled at one or two different things so it's important to create situations on the court in which they can be successful. 

If you have players that are good at shooting but are not as skilled at creating shots or ball-handling, it wouldn't be smart to force a system around them that forces them to dribble drive and create. These weaknesses can be addressed in practice and in the off-season, but adjust your coaching style to your players every single year and as the seasons evolves. Having a complete understanding of what your players are capable of giving you each day is essential. 

Once you complete an audit of your team, think about how to translate each player's strengths into your game plan. Maximizing these strenghts can lead to more efficient play and more wins.

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

One of the most important things you can do for a team with less talent is to instill confidence every chance you can. Confidence is contagious and letting your players know you believe in them will help more than most coaches know. Negativity never helps in this regard and usually drives players into the ground. Make sure your players know you are ready to give them everything as a coach and that you trust in them as players on and off the court.

When a player is confident in what they are capable of doing, the sky is the limit. I've seen players that are extremely skilled and talented be held back from lack of confidence and trust from a coach. If you get rattled easy as a coach, that will trickle down to your players as well. If you keep a positive locker room and continue to show players you care, confidence will grow and I can guarantee this will help get a few more wins - and definitely many more moral victories!

DR. DISH SHOOTING MACHINES

Another way you can help maximize your teams success for the season is to provide them with the best training equipment available. Dr. Dish shooting machines are like no other in which you can use them in a variety of ways to help accelerate skill development. Everyone knows the saying, "Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard!"

Dr. Dish shooting machines allow for coaches to track their players progress and skill development by tracking shooting statistics and showing overall trends over time. Coaches can really maximize reps and also figure out weaknesses players have by utilizing the analytics and stat tracking provided. 

Coaches: It's easy to get down if you don't have a lot of talent to work with. Do you best not to make any excuses and maximize the talent you have. Remember, you're building these players into young men and women as well and try to be as positive as possible while also celebrating small victories. 

For more info on Dr. Dish, make sure to check out our YouTube channel and this page for basketball drills to see how Dr. Dish shooting machines can help take your program to the next level!