Chris Steed

Head Coach @Zenithsbball | Innovation and development for players and coaches.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

🚨 STICKY WORDS Sunday 🚨

HOOP = HELP

~ 27% of High School possessions, have no paint touch and no reversal. ~67% have 0 ball reversals + 1 paint touch. MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THIS.

Quality 3PA = Catch and shoot 3PA.

Quality increases in 3 foot increments:

0-3 feet - CONTESTED
3-6 feet - SEMI CONTESTED
6 feet + - UNCONTESTED

The quality of 3PA's is LARGELY determined by how well you transition, and paint touch frequency. This means that it is a PAIRED ANALYTIC; heavy correlation with one or more stats.

HOOP = HELP
SPACE = SHOTS

No surprise that the 2 most analytically driven teams in the NBA, Boston and OKC, have done this better than anyone in the last 4 years. Both teams are also on the lower end of organized offense rate.

The simple teaching points at younger levels:

- less scheme = higher quality 3PA
- use one or two triggers that enable paints touches at higher %
- master transition/secondary transition

[Chris Steed @csteed]

There is a few core paradigm shifts that players have to go through to understand their process of development, individually.

One of these shifts is called COUPLING.

This is a process that takes skill from a vacuum and into application through decision making. This can involve either the tactical or the technical side of the game.

On the TECHNICAL SIDE ⬇️

The greatest example of a ‘coupling’ is skill is shooting, which 10x’s everything else. This means your handle and passing abilities are dependant on your gravity and should be trained accordingly (triple threat is dead).

Another example is POA defense which sets your floor and minutes. POA defense directly affects your rebound rate and your deflection rate.

Both of the highlighted examples are only possible by coupling a decision. POA D against different PnR coverages, lock left, etc. Shooting against a loaded box, against 2 at the level, drop coverage, etc.

SKILL highlights a proper DECISION.

My favorite example is that footwork doesn’t exist without proper pace. Pace creates misdirection and slows defensive decision making. Luka, Jokic and Brunson have elite footwork. Their footwork would be completely neutralized without elite PACE.

The teaching point for coaches is simply that skills couple, positively or negatively, through a decision. Every learned skill has a domino effect on so many different facets of the game. Create an environment that guides players into making this connection organically; on air will never accomplish this.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

@RK_DRAFT https://t.co/nyy0APDywz ***

[Chris Steed @csteed]

We don’t need a larger sample size to see that this post was spot on.

Positioned perfectly with PG contract ✅

No palpable tension on the floor ✅

Healthy PG = Jaylen production ✅

Ball actually moving on the floor ✅

Tatum unleashed ✅

Like everything else Brad Stevens does, the LOUD critics are awfully quiet now. 🐐

[Chris Steed @csteed]

Digging into the ‘WHY’ behind some of the macro data that shows him as a net negative player has been fascinating and aligns perfectly with the eye test.

Jaylen is high usage which is normal for All NBA players. He also dribbles the air out of the ball from the wing AND is in isolation higher than almost any player in the league.

Seconds per touch:

SGA/Ant/Tatum ~ 3.5
Jaylen ~ 4.0

Dribbles per touch:

SGA /Ant/ Tatum ~ 2.7
Jaylen ~ 3.1

Among non PG’s this ranks the HIGHEST. During the Championship run it was much lower.

This matters for two critical reasons:

- His efficiency goes from ~ 1.10 PPP with < 3 seconds per touch to ~0.8 PPP with more than 3 seconds per touch.

This is NORMAL for the average player. It is NOT NORMAL for supermax/All NBA heavy useage players on winning teams.

- The second part is that he doesn’t have the creation ability that high usage/heavy dribbles per touch players do (Jalen/Luka) so he doesn’t command doubles, and isn’t creating the same long closeout advantages other stars do.

The eye test shows the Celtics get stagnant for long stretches and settle for too many late clock, one pass 3’s. Obviously there is multiple factors contributing, but none bigger than this.

From a tactical stand point, it was absolutely time to move on, for both players.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

@RK_DRAFT https://t.co/SppFjTlzWu player tracking (Touches) for seconds and dribbles per touch. The efficiency split was points per possession by touch length (&lt;3 sec vs 3+), not ORTG.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

@Tucker_5 Depends on the age. The relationship between holding and taking space and the why behind both on both sides of the ball.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

At the youth levels, there isn’t a better offense for player development than DDM.

Push/pull is one of many foundational spacing concepts that transcend every system players learn as they progress.

[Tucker Robertson @Tucker_5]

Maybe the most important offensive concept at any level is push-pull.

Every coach wants good spacing. Does your team have a plan for it, and have you practiced it?

Push-pull is simple enough to teach at every level, and it's one of the fastest ways to improve your offense.

Picture an imaginary line connecting every player to the ball. If it's driven toward you, push away. If it's driven away from you, pull behind.

Here's an example of each: push first, then pull.

Reply "spacing" or send me a dm and I'll send you the breakdown drills we use to teach it.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

No skill multiplies your teammates like shooting does.

No skill keeps you on the floor like shooting does.

No skill multiplies every other skill like shooting does.

[Pull up shoot @NElGHT_]

Like this is pretty wild

[Chris Steed @csteed]

@bourbeau_jesse Facts - your player evaluation was better than Brad Stevens was, who simply got lucky. So because of Brad’s blind luck, it’s still a bad trade.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

@rljo2025 No, it’s push pull. Pull is the loop action you’re thinking of I’m sure. Strongside pull weak side push.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

@rljo2025 Yep same thing.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

@flyverses Footwork is irrelevant without pace. This is why on air development lacks strong corrlelation with the game itself.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

Pace ALWAYS precedes footwork. This is elite stuff from AJ.

Travelmaxxing has hit rock bottom.

[Underdog NBA @UnderdogNBA]

AJ Dybantsa hits John Collins with a fake euro step

[Chris Steed @csteed]

PAIRED COVERAGE SOLUTIONS

Forcing the defense into two decisions at once typically safcriices their low man.

If you run Iverson action, pair it with Spain.

If you run Away action, pair it with a flare screen.

If you run Angle PnR, pair it with a ghost screen.

If you run Spread PNR, pair it with Spain action.

If you run Motion weak/strong, pair it with a twirl action.

If you run Iverson action, pair it with an elevator screen.

If you run Logo PNR, pair it with a grenade action.

If you run Euro ball screen, pair it with an elbow get action.

If you run Floppy, pair it with a backdoor.

If you run Chin, pair it with an STS.

If you run a UCLA cut, pair it with a shuffle screen.

If you run a Drag screen, pair it with a veer screen.

Very rare to see a set being run in the EuroLeague, college or NBA that isn’t paired. Tag manipulation is a MUST.

Leonard Hamilton used to is for two decades at FSU. Switching/hedging SIMILATENOUSLY is TOUGH.

Angle PnR | Cross

[Chris Steed @csteed]

Throwback to the greatest pass I’ve ever seen. 🤯

[Hoop Central @TheHoopCentral]

LUKA DONCIC IS ABSURD

NO LOOK BEHIND THE BACK DIME. 🔥

[Alei Chol @AleiChol]

recent film this past weekend
50% from 3pt for the whole tournament
6’7 G/W ‘28

[Chris Steed @csteed]

The simplest form of critical thinking in sport is to place blame when things are bad, and to take credit when things are good.

This is prevalent in fans the most. Ex. Mahomes fails because of Reid, weapons, line, Gm, etc. (not to pick on Mahomes).

One of the hardest things for a coach to learn is to assign credit for success and to take blame for failure. There are a number of reasons this is so difficult but first and foremost is that it’s human nature to want to be understood and praised. After love and safety, there is no greater human need.

This is EXACTLY why it’s so important. True selflessness comes from delivering the greatest human needs, and few professions give this opportunity more than coaching.

This is a powerful way to built trust/connection, which is the foundation for any sustainable, great program with zero exceptions.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

@RyStar7_ @starwalt_payton This is actually insane on 6 3PM/game. 🤯

[Chris Steed @csteed]

During that era, there a fraction of the programs there is today. Unfortunately, It’s 100% on clubs to provide the value necessary to earn trust and loyalty. If kids abandon ship, then it’s time for clubs to pivot to meet the need of the customer, like any other industry.

As we know, it’s now over-saturated with virtually no programs being able to properly separate themselves as the premier program. They try to do this with anecdotes, promises and stories, while doing the exact same thing they did 15 years ago.

This is what’s been lost along the way.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

‘Pure relentless hoops’ 😂. When you can’t explain what you’re seeing, you insert AT LEAST two buzzwords before hoop, ball or bucket. The final boss of casual fandom is having at least 20-25 descriptive cliches at your disposal.

‘He’s a tireless, authentic bucket just like when Kobe played’.

‘He’s a throwback, certified hooper. It’s like Iverson and Kevin Martin had a baby.’

[Ball Don't Stop @balldontstop]

Darius Acuff is bringing pure relentless hoops back in an era of analytics robotics and you love to see it 🤷🏽‍♂️ This is how the game was meant to be played.

[Chris Steed @csteed]

Optimism is a super power, especially in sport 🚨

According to a study done by Randall A. Gordon at the University of Minnesota, there is SIGNIFICANT impact on performance and 'positive thinking', which is completely in our control.

He concludes that performance in sport is 'more a result of positive thinking towards adversity versus attempting to explain success.'

A COACHES words are powerful. There is no scheme, drill, set, rotation, coverage, etc. we wouldn't instil to have even a slight chance at success. But…

The problem is that subconsciously most coaches scream and yell to detach themselves from poor play; they feel the optics are such that if they yell/scream, fans will know this isn’t their fault.

Be positive through adversity- clap during after a turnover (Jim Larranga), be stoic during a poor shot, and bring solutions during an opponents 8-0 run.

The research says this has a BIGGER IMPACT on the outcome then our Spain PNR, our diamond press and our blood drills.