According to your blog, you are a teacher, so I'd be surprised that you'd argue that independent study in whatever form is better assistance by a teacher, with or without independent study.
As a teacher, I can tell you that one of keys to success is when a student works on the assignments outside class and comesp repared with questions. If I do every problem on the chalkboard, 80% of the class will be bored at any time. If I allow students to bring up what they struggled with (much like an NBA player might ask a coach where he should have gone on a certain play, or how he got beaten on defense), the class time is much more effective. Most of the time, having the team watch Jefferson do this or Williams do that in a film session means 8-10 players gain little benefit from what is on thescreen at any given moment.
There might be NBA limits to how much time coaches can spend with players practicing or training. My argument is that whatever time constraint there is, it might be good--at least temporarily--to reallocate some of that time toward watching film.
The best teachers respond to the way students need to learn, and if Williams learns best by watching some film, then I agree filling in some down time in practice with film, a few minutes at a time, is helpful. I think Friday, right after a back-to-back when practice was going to be light anyhow, was probably the right time. When the team has been playing well, Sloan has been known to give a day off instead.
In other words, it's feasible for a coach to lead a film discussion. Let one or more of the assistant coaches do it, Jerry, if you prefer. Just don't put it all on the players. Most of them didn't even graduate from college, so they are not necessarily students of anything.
If they are going to be professional baskeball players, they need to be students of the game.
Phil Jackson is a master strategist. It's no wonder his teams always do well. For example, when the opposing team scores 2-3 baskets in a row, PJ automatically calls a timeout.
Even in the limted number of games I watch, I know that's not true. Jackson will call a timeout if the team is not executing the game plan and things are going badly (as does Sloan), but he will sometimes just sit on the bench and let the players respond when the other team starts a run.
So let me ask the apologists a few things. Did basketball become an individual sport?
No.
Are players supposed to intrinsically know how to best implement team strategy or how others are supposed to or likely react on a play?
My guess would be that this goal is best served by actually running plays in practice, not by watching them.
Is spending 15 minutes on team film session really that costly to other parts of practice?
Is it really that beneficial? More specifically, is it really more beneficial than running plays?
...please tell me your joking?!!! These guys make $100.000 plus PER GAME....
Most players make well under that amount.
and they have practice restrictions mandated by the Union?
Yes.
And some of these restrictions involve limiting the time they can spend watching game film?
No.
Things need to be pointed out and HOW to correct the problem needs to be addressed!
What makes you think this isn't on the DVDs handed out to the team already?
So it's just as good or better for a team watching film and going over strategy/theory to not have the head coach present?
It's better than not going over film at all. Although, I would say the disagreement is over whether it is better to runs the plays or watch film.
