August | 2009 | Basketball with Dino Gomez

St. John’s Grabs Peter Robert Casey as Twitter Blogger

Posted on August 27, 2009 by Dino Gomez

You all know Peter Robert Casey, he was featured here in an exclusive interview a few months back for his impressive work with The Entertainers Basketball Classic a.k.a the EBC, but what you may not know quite yet is that he recently signed an agreement with St. John’s University to act as a micro-blogger covering men’s basketball games for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. Casey will be given a court side seat to each contest and will use his twitter account, @Peter_R-Casey, to broadcast in real time how the Red Storm are doing on the court. Casey has been given the green light to use his basketball I.Q. and personal brand to dissect the play of the St. John’s basketball team in order to reach basketball fans that are online via Twitter when the Red Storm are playing. He will be the first Twitter-blogger to earn a seat on press row.

To put in perspective how many followers and fans Casey has on Twitter, he is among the top ten most followed individuals in the basketball community which includes coaches and players of all calibers. In other words only 9 potential NBA players have a bigger following base than Casey. As a non-celebrity that is amazing. Be sure to check out more details of this story that even ESPN has covered.

Are we following each other on Twitter yet? @DinoGomez

Filed under: General, NCAA News | Tagged: Basketball, Dino Gomez, ESPN, Hoops, Men's Basketball, Peter Robert Casey, St. Johns University, Twitter | Leave a comment »

Posted on August 19, 2009 by coachrb

Here are 10 ideas for effective play against junk defenses

Just when you least expect it, the junk defense can disrupt even the most prepared coach and his team. This can put your team on its heels and possibly alter the momentum and outcome of the game.

The key is to remain calm and attack with a clear, organized strategy. Practice one or two strategies in practice that are proven to weaken junk defenses. Your players will execute the strategies you have implemented in practice but limit it to a couple of things you do well.

1. First determine the goal of the junk defense. Identify which player or players they are keying on. Is it a triangle and two, box and 1, or combination of the two.

2. Consider making substitutions based on their coverage. A triangle and two will leave open gaps on the perimeter, so put your best shooters and penetrators in the game to attack the gaps.

3. Use your “boxed” offensive player as a screener on the ball and away from the ball. A good screen can provide an inch of separation needed for your best player to get open for shots.

4. If two players are being “boxed”, have one set an on ball screen for the other. If the defense double teams the ball or hedges it will create openings needed to get open shots.

5. Set up a baseline runner alignment where your “boxed” player is free to run off two or three baseline screens. Reverse the ball from one side to the other until he gets open. Cutter must mix up his cuts; back cut, fade, and curl cut.

6. Isolate your player being “boxed.” Stand him in a half court corner for a possession or two, leaving a 4 on 4 game on the offensive end. If two are being “boxed”, put both in half court corners and play 3 on 3.

7. Run a set play for your “boxed” player as a decoy and use secondary action to get the ball to another player in his scoring area.

8. Run a “three game” set by putting your two “boxed” players in the short corners. Your other three players spread the floor and penetrate into the paint to score or dish to open perimeter or short corner player. This is a great way to draw fouls with hard penetration and score from the line.

9. Incorporate hand-offs in your offense. A good player can be denied on the wing but can always receive the ball on a tight hand-off. Once he does gain possession, run your other 4 players flat along the baseline to eliminate help and let him go one on one.

10. Use each possession to the fullest. A junk scheme is good for the first 15 seconds of the possession, but favors the offense if you cut hard and set good screens. The team that is most determined each possession will have the advantage. A good offensive strategy can wear down any junk defense in time.
Send me any comments/ideas/questions to // <![CDATA[// rb@coachrb.com

Go to CoachRB.com for coaching articles, advice, resources

Randy Brown

CoachRB.com

Iowa Player Development Academy

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3 Draft Picks to Watch

Posted on August 18, 2009 by Dino Gomez

Summer league has passed and it is now that time for draft picks to get antsy if they haven’t signed a contract yet with their new teams. Of course there are many first round draft picks who have signed large contracts and will be players to watch shine the following years to come. However it is often exciting to keep tabs on those players who are unexpected to do well in the NBA. nbadraft2009

1) Chase Budinger- First mention goes to Chase Budinger. For those who know me well of course I’m going to talk about his recent multi-year agreement with the Houston Rockets. Here’s a player that came into Arizona recruited by Lute Olson himself who felt Budinger was the best high school recruit that Arizona had ever landed! That is a big deal coming from coach Olson who had recruited many current and past NBA players to Arizona. Budinger put up great overall numbers in his three years at U of A but never truly reached his potential. Perhaps it was due to having 3 different coaches in his 3 years with the program and off-the-court distractions. Either way he averaged 17 points a game with 5.8 rebounds in his 3 years in the desert. This resulted with him earning the 44th overall pick in the 2009 draft. He went from a McDonalds All-American to the 44th overall pick in the NBA draft? The Houston rockets were quick to catch on that Budinger must have had his problems in college but that he was still an amazing player. That is why this past week he was signed to a multi-year contract with the organization after leading the club in scoring through out summer league play. Having watched Budinger at Arizona for 3 years I think he will surprise many with his offensive talent in the league.

2) Terrance Williams– With the 1tth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft the New Jersey Nets grabbed Terrance Williams. Now williams did draft quickly and is expected to do well in the league but it seems his talent is still overlooked. Williams averaged 2.3 steals a game this past year at Louisville and is as quick as lighting for a 6’6″ wing. His average of 11 points per game in the 2008-2009 season was the result of playing amongst a team of all-stars in which he did not have to score excessively. With the exclusion of Blake Griffin in this discussion, Williams is my pick to win rookie of the year in the 2009-2010 NBA season. He will certainly have opportunities to shine on the court playing for New Jersey this year which is a huge part of winning the ROY award. Without the chance to play you can’t possibly win the award which is why I’m thinking he’s got the green light.

3) Eric Maynor– Set all kinds of records for his college Virginia Commonwealth which might as well be a junior college? Maybe its just hard to keep track of all colleges these days because until the 2009 tourney I had not heard of it or of Maynor. Either way after some research and after watching his first round performance it’s easy to say that Maynor is an amazing point guard. I expect him to have a successful NBA career although I’m not sure if it will happen in Utah behind Deron Williams. Perhaps this first year he will grab some playing time when Williams needs a break and when he does, watch for him to put points on the board in a hurry. It will be fun to see how he does in his first year. Due to his circumstances in college (which was having to carry his team repeatedly against stronger and more talented teams), I believe the adjustment to the NBA will be that much easier for him.

Who are your NBA rookies to watch for? Follow me on Twitter: @DinoGomez

Filed under: Dino Gomez, General, NBA | Tagged: 2009 NBA Draft, Basketball, Chase Budinger, Dino Gomez, Eric Maynor, Hoops, Houston Rockets, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Summer League, Terrance Williams, Utah Jazz | Leave a comment »

Arenas is Ready to Go

Posted on August 13, 2009 by Dino Gomez

Gilbert Arenas is lethal on the basketball court. He has an amazing pull up jumper and a silky smooth drive to the hoop. Washington fans are thankful that his most recent surgery went well and that his recovery is almost complete. Flip Saunders commented this week that Arenas is almost at full strength in the weight room and is basically at full speed on the court. Saunders continued forward to say that his all star point guard/shooting guard will make them an elite playoff team this year. I’m not sure about that second remark but in regards to the first one, it will be great to see this all star back and contending with those other great stars in the league.

Follow me on Twitter: @DinoGomez

Filed under: General, NBA | Tagged: All-stars, Basketball, Dino Gomez, Flip Saunders, Gilbert Arenas, Guard, Hoops, Linkedin, NBA, playoffs, Washington Wizards | Leave a comment »

Nuggets from the Iowa Player Development Academy

Posted on August 5, 2009 by coachrb

by: Randy Brown, CoachRB.com, Director IPDA skillschallenge_080728

In a few short months IPDA has addressed a need for specific player development in Central Iowa. It is quickly growing and will soon be in locations throughout the state and the Midwest.

The fundamental concept is this:

Long Term Training = Long Term Results
therefore……
Short Term Training = Short Term Results

Is playing 60 games a summer the answer?

Yes…….but only IF a young player has MASTERED the fundamental elements of the game!
Do you know of a player that has?

I haven’t seen one if over 30 years of coaching at all levels.

Of the 12 NBA players I’ve coached, none of them had come even close to mastering these needed skills!

So why are 12-17 year olds skipping skill development for the sake of playing games every weekend?

We are missing the boat by sacrificing skill development for playing games.

In most cases, each game gives young players the opportunity to STRENGTHEN bad habit deficiencies in their game.

If we leave it up to the individual player to improve his game A to Z and bring it to the next 8 game weekend tournament, we will be very disappointed!

We as coaches are responsible to training and developing skills in our players……..

THEN, we are responsible for assembling these individuals and forming a cohesive unit, a team……and then playing games!

If a strict individual skill development program in the off-season is what the great NBA players participate in……shouldn’t it also be mandatory for our 12-17 year olds?

Thanks for supporting IPDA……our success comes from you, the Coaching Community!

Access coaching resources and information on becoming a college basketball coach at CoachRB.

_________________________________________________________________________

IS a SKILL DEVELOPMENT Business for YOU?

For more information how YOU can start your own Skill Development Business, email me at rb@coachrb.com for details.

Filed under: Coach Randy Brown, Coaching Career Path | Leave a comment »

NBA Big-Timmers’ Schedule

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Dino Gomez

As ESPN reports, the schedule for the 2009-2010 NBA season is out and there are a few surprises, but lots of good bait for betting online. There are a some changes from last year however. The Houston Rockets were broadcast plenty in the 2008-2009 season because they were stacked and a force to be reckon with. They pushed the Lakers to a seventh game in the playoffs and all. Amazing how quickly things can change. With Yao Ming and T-Mac injured and sulking on the bench and with Artest NBA-main_Full having left to the defending champions lineup, the Rockets will not receive one nationally televised regular season game this year. Of course they aren’t the only team that is expected to produce boring and lackluster performances. New Jersey, Sacramento, Charlotte, and Milwaukee will also not have a game televised anywhere but on NBA television this year.

That leaves us with the teams that we want to watch and which will receive plenty of camera time. On October 27th on TNT, the season opener will boast the new look Cavaliers against Eastern Conference rivals, the Boston Celtics. Later that evening the defending champs will play their ugly shadow, the Clippers. October 29th will be your best opportunity to see Richard Jefferson dressed in Oakland Raiders attire for his first game as a San Antonio Spur playing against a Chicago Bulls team. And most importantly we all want to know what we will be unwrapping presents to on Christmas day. We will unwrap gifts to a second consecutive year in which the NBA broadcasts a quintupleheader. For those of you who like me had no idea what that word means; a 5 game match up. That’s right, this year on December 25th we will see the Heat vs. Knicks, Celtics vs. Magic, Cavs. vs. Lakers, Clippers vs. Suns, and the Nuggets vs. Trailblazers. It will surely be an amazing day.

Filed under: General, NBA | Tagged: Basketball, Boston Celtics, chicago bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Dino Gomez, ESPN, Hoops, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Richard Jefferson, San Antonio Spurs | 2 Comments »

Freelance Writers/Reporters Needed

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Dino Gomez

Interested in a basketball related career? If so there is no better way to get a foot on-board than becoming a freelance reporter. Currently I’m heading the California segment of a high school basketball recruiting site called Illinoishsbasketball.com, soon to become national with the start of a new organization. What I’m looking for is young and ambitious individuals who have a sincere passion for basketball. You don’t have to know an extreme amount about the game although it helps if you do, all we ask is that you do your best reporting on the game here o VeniceBeach01 n the West Coast. We don’t require any experience and will credit your work on our site by way of your name, your website, and a picture. So if you’re in California and have interest dropping by a few games to watch some of the best players in the country and potentially future NBA players then contact me right away. Remember no experience is necessary just passion for the sport.