THOUGHTS ON THE UPCOMING GAMES

The most difficult part of a new tradition is getting rid of the old one.  Central & Aletheia have a long tradition of being the weaker sisters among the 18 siblings in the Panhandle Conference.

Real progress for a team begins when losses start to sting again.  When the perennial conference doormats get tired of being stepped on by the others.  When losing just flat out becomes unacceptable.

Are they at that point yet?  I’m not sure.  But with both teams tasting victory in the Final Four for the first time in more than five years, our weaker sisters are going to try and stand up to us.  They are going to show that are finally tired of being picked on.  

Do they really have what it takes to whip up on the big sister?

Let’s see…we will be in our gym, on our court, shooting at our rims, with our referees, and with our fans in the stands…hmmm, I say no.

Although they may believe they can, it’s not what they believe that matters, it’s what we believe that counts.

I believe speed kills.  I believe aggressive defense beats offense every time.  I believe demoralizing a team early breaks their will to fight back.  I believe confidence is contagious.  I believe the game is won long before either team steps onto the court.  I believe in 4:13.

I believe…and that’s why we will win. 

4:13

The Difficulty of Managing Playing Time

Great quote from Phil Jackson on managing playing time and keeping the big picture in mind:

"It's just trying to keep everybody prepared to contribute.  Sometimes you can only play a guy a couple of minutes.  They just have to understand that whatever they have to do, to go in there and play is an important part of it.  A coach can always read disappointment on a player's body language.  But this is a team that wants to win and they know to do so they have to be willing to put “me” second to team.  That's an important aspect of it."

THOUGHTS FROM PRACTICE

Saw some good stuff tonight...as well as some stuff that needs a lot of improvement.

I wanted to see some physical play from the defense to get the offense use to going in and FINISHING under pressure, but instead, I saw a lot of hacking, slapping and pushing from our defenders tonight.  Mostly because they were getting caught out of position.

This is the first time in three seasons that I have not spent the first two-three weeks of practice emphasizing defense (over offense).  I'm beginning to wonder if I made a mistake.  Our transition defense over the past three practices has been dismal.  We have always taken great pride in our ability to play pressure defense (because it's hard and not many athletes can do it).  

It doesn't do any good to score if we have trouble stopping our opponent from scoring.

Okay, now that the verbal thrashing is out of the way, I did see some promising things on offense.  We are getting a lot of open looks on the perimeter.  Although it is hard to tell whether it because of the RIP offense or that the defense isn't closing out quick enough and they're getting caught out of position.  If you are open...square up and take a confident shot.

I promise you that I am making practices physically harder than what you will experience in a game in order to prepare you for the first game.  How many games have you ever played in that go wide-open full speed up and down the court for 12 minutes with only 1:30 of rest without a whistle (foul) or a timeout?  It doesn't happen that way in a game.  Survive the next five practices and you'll see the reward in our first game as we wear down our opponents.

Keep your head up and don't get discouraged with my constant criticisms...don't take it personal.  It is intended to help you recognize where we need improvement before we play our first game.

Keep up the good work!

4:13

ARE YOU STRESSING?

Being a father, I can certainly relate to the stress many athletes go through between trying to perform on the court, balance college and/or high school classes, clubs, church, chores and still have some type of social life.  

I’ve heard the complaints about homework and stress.  Listened to the worry of maintaining a good GPA, studying for the SAT/ACT.  Listened to how she skipped lunch to study for a test or missed breakfast because she woke up late due to studying all-night.

Stressing out, skipping meals or eating poorly and not getting enough sleep lead to poor performance both in the classroom and on the court.

According to the October Men’s Health, “stress can make you weak…one theory: People who are highly stressed tend to follow unhealthy diets and sleep less, both of which may affect their workout performance," says John Bartholomew, PhD, the study’s co-author.  What’s more, elevated stress-hormone levels can hamper muscle recovery.

 

For coaches, it is often easy to believe that when a player looks frustrated and like she isn’t working hard enough or she is being lazy or pouting, that the real reason may just be fatigue.

I believe most players want to improve and want to excel.  However, when a player is stressed, whether from basketball workouts, school or from a combination of everything they are dealing with in their daily lives, they are often unable to perform to their potential.

As a coach, I do not always know what an athlete is going through or their stress situation.  If a player comes to practice and looks like they are in a bad mood or they just don’t put forth much effort, well, that is usually what I and their teammates assume is wrong…a bad mood or a lack of effort.

However, if fatigue or stress is the underlying cause, then it is the athlete’s responsibility to bring it to my attention so we can get them some much-needed down time.

If any of you need a night off to just exhale and catch your breath whether it be from basketball, school or your personal life, just ask.  Take care of yourself. 

4:13

BEST KEPT SECRET ON THE TEAM

Every athlete that wants to play at the next level should ask themselves one important question….“Am I practicing according to my aspirations?”  If you are, then you already know that “temporary sacrifice = permanent improvement.”  Haley Sheffield decided to put that theory to the test this past summer.  

Haley sacrificed six hours a week in the gym (for 6-weeks) to work on “deliberate practice.”  She didn’t practice just for the sake of practicing (because that doesn’t improve your skills).  Haley spent time deliberately working on her shot mechanics, her defensive footwork and her ball handling.  

The result of her temporary sacrifice?

Covenant College (Lookout Mountain, GA) recently offered her a scholarship to play basketball for them next season.  Haley hasn’t accepted the offer just yet, because there is still another school in the mix.  But Haley will be spending a portion of this week shadowing with some of the Covenant players, practicing, eating and even rooming with the team.  

Haley will repeat the whole "eat, practice and sleep" thing on Sunday and Monday with the team from Asbury College (Wilmore, KY).  Yep...they are interested in her as well.

Wherever she decides to play next season…we know they will be getting an awesome teammate!

CONGRATULATIONS HALEY!!!

4:13

HOW TO BE GREAT

Rising Above the Talent Myth

Published

by Don Campbell

on October 16, 2008

in Mastery

Think of the greatest athlete, musician, artist or business professional that inspires you.  The amazing talents that really stand out.  Michael Jordan.  Tiger Woods.  Warren Buffett.  They were each born with a special gift: wired from birth with talents and abilities that most of us don’t have access to, right?

Research is showing that it’s not that simple.  In fact, many child prodigies don’t go on to major success in the area of their early gifts.  And many of the greatest performers, athletes and business people never showed any early signs of aptitude.

So, how did they become great at what they do?

A couple of years ago I read an article by Geoffrey Colvin in Fortune, What It Takes To Be Great.  The article is fascinating and delves into the question of innate abilities, usually referred as “the talent myth”.

THE RESEARCH ON GREAT PERFORMANCE

In 1993, Florida State University professor K. Anders Ericsson and his colleagues published a paper on ‘expert performance’ which, along with the additional studies around the world that it inspired, made some very interesting discoveries:

Nobody is “great” without lots of work.  Early aptitude is not a predictor for greatness in a given field without consistent practice over a long period of time.  The most accomplished people in any field need about 10 years of hard work before they become “world class”.  They call this the 10 Year Rule.  Many of these scientists are now saying that “targeted” natural gifts do not exist at all.  You are not born a CEO or chess grandmaster.  Rather, greatness is achieved by hard, focused work over many years.

Charlie Parker, widely considered one of the most influential of Jazz musicians, showed no sign of musical talent as a child.  He started playing saxophone at age 11, and was thrown out of his high school band because he was so bad.  But this drove him to practice intensively for many years, for four years up to 15 hours a day.  It was many years after that before he was noticed.

Tiger Woods started practicing golf at 18 months, and was encouraged to practice by his father.   He had been practicing intensively for 15 years before winning the U.S. Amateur Championship at age 18.

But you and I both know people who work very hard.  Many work for decades at a job or hobby without approaching greatness.  Why don’t they become “world class”, then?

It turns out that it’s not just hard work that is required.  What is required is focused, consistent practice over a long period of time.  Something the researchers are calling deliberate practice.

DELIBERATE PRACTICE

Truly great people in any field devote many hours to deliberate practice.  Deliberate practice is an activity that goes beyond repetition.  It is consistent practice where the goal is to continually improve performance, reaching beyond your current capabilities, and seeking feedback on results.

The article describes what is my favorite example of deliberate practice:

Simply hitting a bucket of balls is not deliberate practice, which is why most golfers don’t get better.  Hitting an eight-iron 300 times with a goal of leaving the ball within 20 feet of the pin 80 percent of the time, continually observing results and making appropriate adjustments, and doing that for hours every day — that’s deliberate practice.

And what’s great about these findings is that we can apply them to all areas of our life.  Almost any skill is improvable.  Giving presentations.  Sports.  Negotiating.  Whatever it is that you do and have a passion for, you can improve and become truly great — if you are willing to put in the work, that is.

THE DELIBERATE PRACTICE FORMULA

Approach each critical task with an explicit goal of getting much better at it.  Set goals that are just beyond your level of competency.  As you do the task, focus on what’s happening and why you’re doing it the way you are.  After the task, get feedback on your performance from multiple sources.  Don’t get emotional about it, and make changes in your behavior as necessary.

Continually build mental models of your situation - of your industry, your company, your career. Expand the models to encompass more factors. (A good book on the concept of mental models is The Power of Impossible Thinking by Yoram Wind and Colin Cook).  Do those steps regularly, not sporadically.  Occasional practice does not work.  Consistency is the key here.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

We don’t have to be born with a special talent in order to be great at something.  We just have to have the desire to constantly work at and improve our skill.  This is huge: it means that you can learn to be good, or even great at nearly anything!

Most people won’t go through the long and difficult process of deliberate practice.  But this is what can separate you from the pack.  This is what makes great performance rare: most people either don’t believe they can do it, or aren’t willing to do the work to become truly great at their passion.

So ask yourself, what is your ‘mastery skill’?  What should you work on to improve regularly, practicing, getting feedback, improving and pushing yourself to higher levels of excellence?

Is it your career?  Is it a sport?  Is it art or music?  Now that you know that excellence is a choice, a whole world of possibilities opens up.  Are you ready to pursue your dream and become “world class at it”?

This is an article by guest writer Don Campbell of Expand2Web.

FOUR KEYS TO SUCCESS

From John Maxwell's book, "Teamwork Makes The Dream Work."

If you want to succeed as a team, you have to be able to turn the key.  Here are four keys that will help you to understand how a team can come to achieve its dream. 

Know that…

1.  Personnel determine the potential of the team.

2.  Vision determines the direction of the team.

3.  Work ethic determines the preparation of the team.

4.  Leadership determines the success of the team.

THE KEY TO BECOMING A GOOD SHOOTER

Get open before you receive the ball.

Create a solid lead to set up the shot you want.  However, be sure to time your lead.  Creating a lead too early or too late will not work.

Don't fight defensive pressure.  If/when a defender denies or disrupts the passing lane, back cut to the basket or screen away.  Set and use good screens.

Have good shot selection.

Know your ability and shooting range.  "Hoped Shots" rarely end up in the basket.

Practice and employ your best shots.  Some good practice shooters may become only average game shooters, but there are no poor practice shooters who are excellent game shooters. 

Know where your teammates are before shooting.  Make sure no teammate is open for a better shot.  Be aware of defensive players' and offensive rebounders' locations.

Know when to shoot.  Passing up a good shot is just as important as taking a bad shot.

Shoot with consistency.

Hold ball high with wrist back and elbow pointing directly at the basket.  

Release ball quickly but do not hurry.  

Ball should have good back spin.  

Follow through.  Keep shooting hand and fingers extended until ball goes through the basket.

Concentrate on shot.

Shoot with touch.  Focus on the rim.  

Do not watch the ball - a shooter that takes eyes off the target usually blows the shot.

Concentrate on every shot in every practice and every game.

Concentrate despite any distractions of noise and movement.  You should have only one thought on your mind, and that is making the shot

Shoot with confidence.

Want and call for the ball.  To be a good shooter, a player must have the confidence in her shooting ability. "You are only as good as you think you are".

Follow your shots.  The best shooters in the world only make half of their shots.

Practice.  

The secret to good shooting is countless hours of hard work and concentration.  

Practice the shots that you are going to get during a game.

4:13

WORTH WATCHING

A few months ago, I had an entry on 212 degrees.  This video is much more effective at conveying the idea behind it.

DEFENSIVE STOPS

Good note on defensive stops in the Hoop Tactics newsletter by Bob Kloppenburg and Ernie Woods.

Defensive stops are the determining factor of any game.  A defensive stop is a possession in which the opposing team does not score.   Defensive stops occur as result of offensive turnovers and defensive rebounds.

Defensive stops don’t just happen.  They are a product of solid defensive play.

-- Defensive stops are a key element to all offensive runs: 

It doesn’t do much good to score, if you don’t keep your opponent from scoring.  Mini-runs (easy baskets) like 6-0 and 10-4 are a result of combining defensive stops and scoring.

-- Defensive stops allow you to play through adversity: 

During a game, defensive stops buy you critical time when your offense is performing badly and not scoring.  If you should experience a 4-5-minute scoring drought, defensive stops will keep you in the game and minimize the hemorrhaging.  Instead of falling behind by double digits, you may only lose 2-4 points.

-- Defensive stops neutralize and erase offensive mistakes: 

Offensive turnovers or bad shots, no matter how severe, can be simply “erased” or cancelled out just by hustling back on defense and making a defensive stop.  The only turnovers that hurt are the ones that the opponent scores after.

-- Defensive stops are vital after bad calls and offensive charging fouls: 

A bad call by an official, no matter how bad, can be simply “erased” or cancelled out just by turning up the defensive intensity and making a defensive stop on the ensuing possession.

During a game, a charge/block foul can be a 50/50 call.  Any time an offensive charge is called, it can be “erased” or neutralized with a defensive stop.

-- Defensive stops are a MUST after allowing offensive rebounds: 

Increasing the defensive intensity and determination and making a defensive stop is crucial after giving up an offensive rebound.  Like turnovers, the only opponent offensive rebounds that hurt are the ones that they score after.

-- Defensive stops are also crucial in catching up at the end of a game: 

All the scoring in the world will do you little good if you don’t keep the other team from scoring.

-- Finally, defensive stops are critical to protect a hard-earned lead at the end of a game: 

End of game leads can evaporate quickly without defensive stops.  The best way to protect the lead is by making defensive stops.

The Three Major Causes of Defeat

1.  Poor Defense

2.  Poor Attitude

3.  Gross Individuality (selfishness)

Practice Matters: not to become perfect, but to become prepared.

When questioned by reporters recently about missing team practices, current NBA star Allen Iverson gave a disdainful five-minute tirade on the pettiness of practice.  "We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice.  I mean, listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game... but practice!  How silly is that?  I mean it’s just practice, not a game, but practice!" 

For many sports fans, Iverson's comments were emblematic of the arrogance and me-first attitude of an athlete in the NBA.  If nothing else, his words revealed his underlying attitude: I'm an NBA superstar; I've arrived; I'm good enough to skip practice; practice doesn't matter, it's my performance on game day that counts.

In many ways, we can often find ourselves with the same mindset.  Have you ever felt like Iverson (?) trying to justify your lack of effort or poor attitude in practice by thinking that “it’s just practice – it doesn’t matter.  I’ll play with 100% effort in the game, but this is just practice.”

If you prepare properly, you may be outscored but you will never lose.  You always win when you make the full effort to do the best of which you're capable.

4:13

THE POWER OF DREAMS

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion. The potential for greatness lives within each of us." 

-Wilma Rudolph-

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS....

Here is a short list of things that YOU SHOULD ALWAYS do in practice to prepare for success:

1. You should always Practice With 100% Effort

2. You should always Practice Intelligently

3. You should always Practice With The End In Mind

4. You should always Run The Floor

5. You should always Be Ready On Both Sides Of The Ball

6. You should always Get A Hand Up – Nothing Easy

7. You should always Take Care Of The Ball

8. You should always Take Good Shots

9. You should always Communicate With Each Other (Reminders)

10. You should always Practice That Way!

Winning is an ATTITUDE and PROCESS

James Posey has been a member of two of the last three NBA championship teams. So when he arrived in New Orleans in the off-season, he was immediately regarded as a team leader.

Said New Orleans head coach Byron Scott:

"He has changed our culture because we came into training camp talking about how our defense has to get better in order to win a championship, and no one knows that better than James.

And he's always the first guy off the bench to scream and yell.  We needed that.  All the guys ask him questions, and you know they're going to listen to him because he has two rings and these guys want to win one.

He's like a few players in this league that can affect a game without scoring.  He's going to take the charge, he's going to guard the best players, he's going to communicate at all times.  I loved him for all those reasons.  He's won where he's been.  He hits big shots in big games, he defends the best players almost every night."

As for Posey, he contends that winning is an attitude and a process:

"It's a mind-set, and I'm trying to get my teammates to buy into that.  I'm just trying to share some of the things that I've learned on those two teams where I won and the mind-set as far as preparing yourself to actually win a title.  What I keep telling them is: It's a process.  You can't get bored with it. 

You have to prepare for it each day by practicing hard, getting better and looking at the bigger picture of what you're trying to achieve.  You can't get too high in this game in this game and you can't get too low.  You've just got to keep working and keep pushing."

Playing with Intensity

Came across an article about former Orlando Magic guard Scott Skiles and found a quote from a former teammate that sums up why every team needs at least one player like him on the team.

"I remember his intensity and the fervor with which he played . . . every minute of every practice and every game.  Gave no quarter, asked no quarter, never backed down.  Fearless and pugnacious.  Every minute on the court was a declaration of war on somebody.

I've been around two super-intense athletes in my 40 years in the NBA: Jerry Sloan and Scott Skiles.  That's just how they went about their business.  On the same guard line, those two guys would have been a pair for the ages.  Not the most talented but just played with a ferocity and demanded it from their teammates.  And would not accept anything - anything - less than maximum effort."

4:13

THE ECHO

A Father and his young son were hiking high up in the mountains one day when suddenly the boy slips and falls, badly scraping his knee.  The scrape is painful and the boy reflexively screams out, “AAAHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

To his complete surprise, the boy hears a voice repeating, somewhere up in the mountain, “AAAHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

Now curious he yells, “Who are you?”

Almost immediately he receives the answer, “Who are you?”

Frustrated by this response, he screams, “Coward!”

Quickly he receives the answer, “Coward!”

Now angered, he screams out, “You’re a loser!”

Immediately he gets back, “You’re a loser!”

As his anger grows he yells out, “I hate you!”

Quickly his answer comes across the mountain, “I hate you!”

Frustrated and puzzled he looks to his father and asks, “What’s going on?”

The father smiles and says, “My son, pay attention.”

And then the father screams out to the mountain, “I admire you!”

The mountain voice answers, “I admire you!”

Again the father yells out, “You are a champion!”

The mountain quickly answers, “You are a champion!”

The young boy is puzzled, but still does not understand.  Then his father explains, “Son, people call this an ECHO, but really this is just LIFE!  Life always gives you back everything that you say or do.  Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.  If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.  If you want more competence on your team, improve your competence.  If you want your teammates to be more intense and committed, then you need to be more intense and committed.  If you want your friends to be honest and trustworthy, then you need to be so.”

4:13

MIND GAMES

Although I rarely do so because of Covenant’s goal to win the Wilson Award every season, I am a firm believer in using psychological tactics against our opponents whenever possible. 

For those that remember the PCCS locker room incident in 2007, it helped inject doubt into the PCCS players and added a cocky confidence into our team in the 15 minutes preceding that game.  

The result?  CCS totally dominated PCCS in every category from the tip-off until the final buzzer, avenging the humiliating loss at the Regional tournament a week earlier.

Yesterday’s GA vs. FL football game had an eerily similar feel to it.

The Gators shut down Knowshon Moreno, took advantage of Georgia's numerous mistakes and avenged last year's 42-30 loss in which the brazen Bulldogs used a full-team, end-zone celebration after their first score in the game to energize them.

Florida's response?

How about the worst loss in Georgia coach Mark Richt's career, which left the preseason No. 1 staring at being No. 2 in the SEC East for the second straight season.

Florida coach Urban Meyer added fuel to the fire by calling not one, but two timeouts in the final 44 seconds -- surely to prolong Georgia's misery.  Meyer said he did it because running back Emmanuel Moody deserved a couple extra carries, but no one inside Jacksonville Municipal Stadium believed that.

How important was this game to the Gators?

During each of Florida's conditioning workouts during the offseason, players had to complete 42 reps at each station in the weight room -- one for every point the Bulldogs scored against them last season -- and 188 push-ups, sit-ups and crunches -- one for every yard Moreno gained.

"All because of this game right here," Black said.

Plus, strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti put a picture in each player's locker of Georgia's massive celebration.  The photo next year might be of Brandon Spikes' bone-crushing hit on Moreno early; it certainly set the tone.  Or one of all those empty seats left behind by Georgia fans early in the fourth quarter.

When we face Central in 12 days, what will be on your mind?  I’ve already got a little surprise for Central’s locker room.

4:13

EATING AN ELEPHANT

Whether your goal is to become a better shooter

or

become a better ball handler

or

become a better defender

or even become an All-Conference player . . .

you have to know

how to eat an elephant.

WHAT????

That’s right, do you know how you eat an elephant?

ANSWER:

One bite at time.

In other words . . .

It’s better to do

A LITTLE A LOT

than to do

A LOT A LITTLE.

Pancake Breakfast

The Pancake Breakfast went off without any problems this morning and the girls did a great job!  Chrystal was initiated into the "Pancake Club" (this being her first season).  

Julie did a great job as the main Hostess greeting people as they arrived while Rachel, Morgan, Hannah F, Jess and Maddy took turns waving smelly neon green signs at passing motorists.

Heather, Hannah D, Hilliary, Rebecca and Olivia took care of most of the customers and carried much of the load this morning.  Thanks for their hard work!

Mr. & Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. Gunn, Mr. & Mrs. Ingraham, Ms. Culpepper and even Mr. & Mrs. Robertson showed up for some pancakes.

6 Intangibles

One of the best camps in the country for developing perimeter players is Point Guard College headed up by former University of Virginia standout Dena Evans.  Dena has a philosophy she teaches that most of you have heard in one way or another.

The 6 Intangibles To Master That Make You Invaluable.
Master these six intangibles and you will be invaluable to any coach you ever play for and to any team you ever play on.

SPIRIT
Good teams practice with enthusiasm and zest...a quiet gym is a losing gym...Enthusiasm = Excellence...demand energy.

COMMUNICATION

Talk on the floor, call names & be specific, give them reminders often.

HUSTLE
All the time -- not a sometime thing..."sheepdog mentality"...it's your job,be persistent, be enthused, work at it everyday.

ATTITUDE
Body language is important.  It says you are either confident or you feel defeated.

PRECISION
Exactness...attention to detail...accuracy...sharpness of approach.  Always seek to do it the right way.

ENHANCEMENT
Contribute to the environment -- don't contaminate it...make it better doing something extra...expect to do more that your expected to...do extra...come earlier, stay later, compliment someone, smile, push a broom, pick up trash...and don't expect praise for doing something extra.

One of Dena's favorite quotes:

"Championships are won with high levels of energy, spirit, and enthusiasm."

4:13

What Do You Do Well?

"Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends."

-Walt Disney-

What's More Important, Skill or Talent?

Interesting column on Bloomberg about what's more important, skill or talent.

The column describes TNT analysts Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley debating who is the best player on the NY Knicks.

Smith said it was Stephon Marbury.  Barkley argued that it was Chris Duhon, "saying that just because Marbury has the better skills doesn't necessarily make him the best player."

Said Barkley: "I won't say Duhon has more skills.  But he's a better player.''

As the columnist points out, "It's an important distinction, one that the Knicks -- and other professional sports teams -- are beginning to understand.  You see, superstars such as LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers are blessed with superior skills, which can be developed, AND talent, which can't."

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Take Duhon, who as a college kid played for Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, who, as luck would have it, picked Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni as one of his assistants on the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Beijing.

D'Antoni the other day recalled a conversation with Krzyzewski, who said Duhon is a coach's dream because he never gets tired.

That isn't to say Duhon can play 48 minutes a night.  Rather, Coach K was saying that Duhon won't get bored, distracted or sulky during the emotionally taxing, 82-game season.  Not even in January, the basketball equivalent of the national pastime's dog days.

"I can't tell you how much that means to a coach,'' D'Antoni told me.

It's a matter of skill versus talent.  The rebuilding Knicks are tilting toward talent, which encompasses so much more than a player's ability to put the ball in the basket.

"It's a delicate situation,'' D'Antoni said when asked about Marbury's benching after last night's 120-115 win.  "I know he's not going to be happy about it.''

That's what Barkley was getting at, and what Smith was missing, in the Duhon-Marbury debate.  A player's willingness to admit a mistake, or accept the coach's decision, even one he doesn't agree with, is a talent. 

So, too, is a player's willingness to put forth maximum effort and place the collective good above the individual.  They're talents you either have or you don't.  Too many don't.  They get by on skill alone.

"The minimum you can give the fans is something they can be proud of -- playing hard every night,'' D'Antoni said.  "If you're playing to the best of your ability the New York fan, who is pretty sophisticated, they'll appreciate it.  That's the way basketball should be.  If we play well enough, get some excitement going, they'll come to us.  You earn your right.''