Jerebko started again but his Pistons fell short

Jonas Jerebko started his second game in a row for the Pistons and got the assignment to guard the Turkish NT-player Turkoglu as I thought before the game. The Pistons started the game excellent and Jonas was really active on both ends of the floor. Pistons quick guards and special Ben Gordon just sliced the defense of the Toronto players and got easy buckets. Detroit was up 28-24 after the first quarter after letting the Raptors get started in the end of the quarter. The Raptors flow continued in the second quarter which was where the game turned around. The ten point margin was kept throughout the third quarter and at one point they were down 17 points. But they came back out of the hole, and at one point in the fourth quarter of the game they were back in the lead. But Toronto took back the momentum and won the game, 110-99.

On the Pistons homepage Jonas gets a lot of credits for his defense on Turkoglu and his game in general. I think Jonas did a very good in his 1-1 defense on him. The big problem was the big-big P&R, with Turkoglu and Bosh, that the Raptors used in the second quarter more and more on the top of key. The Pistons tried to hedge and recover but were late to many times giving Bosh easy dunks in the paint. This really hurt their defense and was a big part of letting them score more than 40 points in the second quarter. I know the rules are different in the NBA with the defensive 3-second rule in the paint but it still feels like they should have been able to have better rotations on the P&R situation for example.

I was hoping they would start switching on that screen on the top to let Jonas pick up Bosh and the big man of Pistons handle Turkoglu. After halftime the Pistons came out and did this. They got some trouble with handling Turkoglu out on the floor but they got rid of the open points in the paint. Jonas had only three rebounds, I believe they missed at least one in the stats, but that’s not most important. Jonas is so active on every rebound or loose ball and the “hands on the ball making your team-mate get the rebound” is not counted in the stats.

Jonas first points of the game came on a put-back and that’s so significant for his game. He crashed the board and with his long arms his first two points in the NBA was a fact. He gathered 8 points after nailing an open three pointer, another 2-pointer in the paint and 1/2 on the free throws. In the second half he had a huge two hand block and I think he had his second block in the same defensive possession. Jerebko played 25 minutes but I think if he wouldn’t had got in foul trouble in the second half after some bad calls he would have played even more, and the Pistons would have needed that!

One thing i hope to see more is that the guards of the Pistons passes the ball to the open players when they penetrate. Ben Gordon, Will Bynum and Rodney Stuckey can all beat their defenders 1-1 but they don’t pass the ball when help is coming. Ben had some nice runners which he dropped tonight but I would like to see more of the penetrate and dish game. That would give them more open shots and create more spacing in the offense. Toronto plays much more like that, but I guess thats part of all their European players making them play a more European style of basketball.

On Friday Jerebko and his team head down to Orlando. They beat them the other night and Jonas started and defended Vince Carter. Will we see a replay of that?

Expressen: Åtta poäng av Jerebko i NBA i natt

Jerebko started for the Pistons

In the winning game, 85-80, against the Orlando Magic, the Swedish NBA-player Jonas Jerebko started the game for the Detroit Pistons with the mission the play defense on Vince Carter. As some of us knows Jonas he will always come out with lots of energy and always play hard on both ends of the floor. I am really happy to see that a player like that gets a chance to start a game in the NBA and even if Jonas didn’t score he stayed on the floor for 25 minutes getting 5 rebounds and one block. This shows how important he was for the team and for the success in the game. I believe the fact that he left the game scoreless just shows even more his value.

Coach Keuster:

“Joe Dumars, we were talking today, what a great opportunity for a lot of these young players that we have so much confidence in – this was a total team effort,” Kuester said. “I thought Jonas did a great job. He didn’t know until this morning that he was going to start. He brings an energy to this team that I really like.”

Tonight the Pistons play against the Toronto Raptors in Toronto and probably and hopefully we will see Jonas start this game too. Will we see him start against the Turkey National Team player Turkoglu (last year in Orlando) or will he match up against someone else? The game starts at 7 PM ET.

In the Swedish newspapers there are plenty of articles about Jonas Jerebko’s first game as a starter.

Aftonbladet: Jerebko från start när Pistons vann

DN: Jerebko spelade från start

Basketsverige.se: Jerebko startade mot Orlando

A dig in the archive!

I often think about new subjects to write about on my page, but sometimes I glance back and read through what I have published before. Through my blog stats I can see that some of the articles are frequently read so I thought about posting the links to the most popular articles in one post. Enjoy!

Inside is important
Inside is like the most important street in the game of Monopoly, you really want to be in control of it, and you definitely don’t want your opponent be in control!

What basketball skills takes a player to the next level? Part 1: The shot
I believe that this skill is the most important one of the offensive skills a player can master. Maybe the shot is not the most important when you are on a certain level but when trying to reach the next level when physique and speed becomes more significant a player without the skill of shooting is way more easy to break down.

What basketball skills takes a player to the next level? Part 2: The defense
Is this just something coaches say to make players work on their defense because a  lot of coaches like defense? I would say that the main reason defense is important is that a player who moves up has first to adapt to the speed in the practise and the new group and at the same time to stay on the floor.

Modern day basketball
The game is much faster and everyone on a team needs to be able to run and move. As the game has become faster the reaction time and the time for decision-making has decreased. This is why in modern day basketball you very seldom see fakes anymore. There is simply no time to make fakes, either you are open to take the shot or you have to drive to the basket or to find the next pass. The modern players read situations before they occur and react in a flow.

Chris Ballard: Inside the NBA

Earlier this week Chris Ballard wrote an article in the October 26, 2009, issue of Sports Illustrated, about trainer Idan Ravin who works out some of the best players in the NBA. LeBron James,  Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul are among the players working out with Idan Ravin, who has no playing or coaching pedigree but knows just what they need to hear.

Below are some interesting parts of the article, but I guess you will hit the link above to read the whole story!

…after moving to San Diego, he began coaching kids two nights a week at a YMCA, using unconventional drills of his own creation. Soon enough, as he recalls, all the kids wanted to be on Mr. Ravin’s team. A few years later, back in the D.C. area, Ravin used those same drills while casually running some workouts for college-level players. His big break came when Steve Francis, then a star at Maryland, showed up at a workout and got hooked. He in turn brought a friend who was also NBA-bound, Elton Brand. One referral led to another, and Ravin’s client base grew.

Many of Ravin’s drills are intended to create a state of confusion. In one he throws tennis balls at a player, who must catch them while maintaining his dribble. (Ravin could be seen doing this in a Nike ad with Anthony a few years back.) The goal is not to improve hand-eye coordination but rather to create sensory overload. “You make the player focus on everything else except the game, so that the game skills become automatic,” explains Ravin. “You try to make the unreasonable feel reasonable.”

When working with NBA players on finishing at the rim, for example, Ravin addresses a common shortcoming: On a drive to the basket, most players bring the ball down as they prepare to jump, exposing the ball to the defense. So Ravin has them keep the ball high as they begin their ascent. To drill the move, Ravin stands to the side of a player, let’s say Carmelo Anthony; as Anthony runs, Ravin keeps his hand waist-high, where the ball is. “I tell him to visualize Earl Boykins [defending],” Ravin says, referring to the superquick, 5′ 5″ former Nuggets guard. “You have to give them someone in the league they recognize to visualize. They all know Boykins and Brevin Knight, guys who have quick hands. So if I say, ‘Brevin Knight is here,’ they think, F—— Brevin Knight, if the ball gets too low, he strips it.”

Enjoy the whole article on Sports Illustrated!

Vad är talang? Hur jobbar man med talangutveckling?

För knappt två veckor sedan hade jag förmånen att vara inbjuden till Trollhättan på ett seminarium för att prata om talang och talangutveckling och se den efterföljande Champions League matchen mellan Alingsås och Köpenhamn. Det blev två väldigt spännande upplevelser.

SISU Västergötland har träffar mellan de olika elitklubbarna i regionen. Om jag förstod det rätt så var det de klubbar som har seniorlag på elitnivå och temat för dagen var precis som rubriken antyder “Vad är en talang? Hur jobbar man med talangutveckling?” Tyvärr blev det inte den spridning på idrotter som man hoppats då några inte kunde närvara. Det blev istället en övervikt med bandyklubbarna från Trollhättan, Vänersborg och Lidköping, men det utvecklades till en väldigt givande och spännande eftermiddag.

Som sagt var temat Talang och Talangutveckling och jag utgick från mitt perspektiv från basketvärlden och berättade hur vi ser på talang och talangutveckling inom basketen. Såväl Svenska Basketbollförbundets Spelarutvecklingsplan berördes liksom Regionverksamheten samt mina egna erfarenheter kring ämnet.

Det som är så intressant i ämnet talang och talangutveckling är att det finns egentligen inget rätt eller fel, men det finns tystnad och kortsiktighet eller diskussion, eftertanke och långsiktighet. Givetvis är det senare att föredra, men det är lätt att prata om det och svårare att genomföra det när man väl är ute i sina respektive klubbar.

Klubbar med elitverksamhet har givetvis ett intresse att få fram egna talanger för att stärka verksamheten inom den egna klubben med målbilder till de yngre spelarna såväl som det även är en ekonomisk aspekt i det hela. Det senare blir extra viktigt i tuffa tider som det är för närvarande med finanskris och en tuffare sponsormarknad. Men det kräver ständigt arbete och en tydlig utvecklingsplan inom klubben för att ungdomsverksamheten ska ha en bra och sund koppling till senior- och elitverksamheten. Jag tror att bara genom att diskutera ämnet så lyfter man fokus och tänker mer långsiktigt i att utveckla talangerna man har till framtida seniorelitspelare istället för att man ser på nästa match i ungdomsserien som det viktigaste i världen.

Det var som sagt en väldigt lyckad eftermiddag och de tre timmarna försvann snabbt och vi hade nog kunnat sitta kvar och diskutera och prata vidare i ämnet om det inte var så att en Champions League match höll på att starta inne i Älvesborg. Men en av bandyklubbarna, Gripen, från just Trollhättan blev väldigt intresserade och har redan bokat in en till träff i samma ämne med hela sin klubb. 9 november bär det av igen ner till Trollhättan och en intressant kväll i ett alltid så omdiskuterat tema.

När det gäller Champions Legaue matchen i handboll så var det den första matchen jag sett på väldigt länge hos en av våra konkurrenter, dvs handbollen. Det jag blev imponerad av var vilken stämning och inramning man skapade. Läktarna var kanske inte helt fulla men det var säkert 1500 personer och ett rejält tryck som jag önskar man skulle få uppleva oftare på basketmatcher i Sverige. När det gäller spelet så tror jag det är många saker som hämmar handbollen. Däribland sättet man får stoppa och hålla fast varandra, det hämmar försvarsspelet med positionering, fotarbete osv. Dessutom skulle de må bra av en skottklocka istället för det där fjanteriet kring maskande när domaren håller upp en hand i luften.

Men bortsett från det så var det kul att se matchen och det var framför allt Köpenhamn som imponerade. De spelade ett mycket renare spel i försvar där de var i position, de spelade över passningar, de höll inte fast (foulade) så mycket OCH de tjänade på att spela så här. De bestämde, styrde och i stort sett ägde sin planhalva. När det gäller det offensiva spelet så sprang dom hela tiden. De vände bollen riktigt bra och ska man göra en koppling till basket så hade de ett riktigt bra transitionspel.

Väl uppe i anfall så var det danska laget även här på en helt annan nivå än det svenska. Det klassiska bolla runt bollen runt 9-meterslinjen fanns inte. Det såg man bara hos Alingsås. Köpenhamn däremot attackerade och dishade av bollen. De sökte passningar till spelarna på linjen efter attack och inte bara bolla in den. Likheterna mellan klassisk basket där man passar runt bollen mer och står stilla och det klassiska handbollsspelet med ett bollande runt 9-meterslinjen var stora och likheterna mellan det moderna internationella basketspelet med attacker, rörelse och ett mycket större flöde i spelet kunde man även ana i hur Köpenhamn spelade sitt mer moderna handbollsspel.

För mig var det en spännande iakttagelse och det visar att även handbollen utvecklas som sport precis som basketen gör och att det är på det internationella planet man först ser de nya trenderna. Egentligen är det upp till var och en om man väljer att leva kvar i det gamla spelet som snart kommer hamna på antikhyllorna oavsett om man pratar basket, handboll eller andra idrotter, eller om man väljer att hålla sig uppdaterad och se till att följa trenderna.

När det gäller att kunna identifiera talanger och att utveckla dem är det A och O att man håller sig uppdaterad med nutiden och ständigt blickar in i framtiden. De spelare som man utvecklar idag är de som ska spela i framtiden! Glöm inte det!

Which coach are you? Devil or Angel?

Sefu Bernard writes on his web page The LLaBB about coaching types and about different ways of communication as a coach.

The first post at Sef’s page shows the two coaching styles – Devil or Angel. The two different characters have a  couple of words explaining there characters:

• The Angel: Enthusiasm, Praise, Fun, Patience
• The Devil: Shout, Criticize, Bully, Win Win Win

My personal belief in this subject is that a good coach has the knowledge to move between acting as an ‘Angel’ and a ‘Devil’ depending on the situations and which state of mind of the players and the team. A good guidance to follow as a coach is “to show the face your team needs”.

In the post about Coaching Communication Styles he breaks down different communication styles and together with examples and a chart it helps the reader in the subject. Sef summarize:

The truly great teacher-coaches move seamlessly between the different types of communication: tell & repeat, question & listen; and, collaborate. This is the art of coaching rather than a science.

There’s a time for telling. A time for questioning. And, a time to collaborate. Become a master communicator and you’ll be well rewarded with how much more you’ll be able to yield from your athletes.

Sef is a master of posting interesting subject on his page and you can find the link to his page on the right side of my web page.

Regionverksamhet: Pojkar/Flickor 1995

Årets regionverksamhet för pojkar och flickor födda 1995 börjar närma sig. Första helgen är 13-15 november för Region Södra, Mellersta och Norra (Region Östra smygstartade i september). Här nedan kommer information kring första samlingen i Region Södra vilket är den regionen som jag har ett regionansvar över.

Sista anmälningsdag för anmälan till regionverksamheten är nu på måndag så det gäller att sprida ordet så att alla spelare som är aktuella får en chans att anmäla sig.

På Svenska Basketbollförbundets hemsida kan man läsa om Regionverksamheten och då gå in och ladda ner respektive inbjudan. I inbjudan till Region Södra finns all information kring samlingen som äger rum i Kinna 13-15 november.

Nytt för i år är att anmälningen görs via ett online-formulär. Anmälningen görs av spelare och föräldrar. Detta beror på att spelarna är under 18 år samt att det är en kostnad involverad. Länken kan ni klicka er vidare på nedan:
Anmälningsformulär: www.questback.com/idrott/sbbfregionsodra0910

OBS! Sista anmälningsdag är nu på måndag den 26 oktober!

Hjälp till att sprid till era spelare, coacher och även till andra spelare, coacher och klubbar ni träffar på.

Med vänliga hälsningar,

David Leman
david.leman@basket.se
Regionansvarig Landslag Södra

Moni Fanan 1946 – 2009

The Maccabi Tel Aviv icon Moni Fanan was found dead in his home in Ramat Aviv, Israel, yesterday the 19th of October. I never had a chance to meet Moni himself but I have heard a lot about him and his big passion for basketball in general and Maccabi Tel Aviv in particular. For all of us following Euroleague we have all seen Moni around the Maccabi team as they have achieved big goals at the European stage.

I send my greetings to his family and especially to his daughter Liron who I had the chance to meet at the Reebok Eurocamp this summer in Treviso.

From the Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv homepage this can be read about Moni Fanan:

Back in 1986, Moni Fanan began his journey with Maccabi Tel Aviv. After 6 years, he had become the team’s manager, a position he held until the end of the 2007/2008 season, when he decided to resign. Since then and for all time, Moni will be considered a legend in the world of basketball, and especially in the world of Maccabi.

In 2008 he was recognized for his contribution to sport in Israel, when he was awarded a prize for his lifetime’s achievements by the city of Tel Aviv.

On the 19^th of October, Moni Fanan, age 63, was discovered lifeless in his home.

In Jerusalem Post, Frankie Sachs writes:

In fact, if you were to ask me about Moni Fanan back in the days when I regularly covered Maccabi Tel Aviv, I would no doubt have told you that he simply made my job more difficult.

What I didn’t realize then is that without Moni Fanan, there may not have been an interest or a need to cover Maccabi at all.

Because without Moni Fanan, Maccabi could never have reached the heights it did, or have generated the country-wide interest it did and continues to do.

Jonas Jerebko started against the Grizzlies

Jonas Jerebko started in the game last night against the Grizzlies and reached 12 points and 4 rebounds. The Pistons fell short and lost the game, 94-115. In Jerebkos last games he has had 6 points and 6 rebounds (11 Oct vs Atlanta), 9 points and 9 rebounds (13 Oct vs Washington), 8 points and 6 rebounds (15 Oct vs Dallas) and last night 12 and 4. According to the stats he is getting more and more acclimatized in the NBA and it will be very interesting to follow his and his team’s performance when the regular season starts.

I looked at the beginning of the game vs Dallas. The game started 2.30 CET so I only managed to stay awake for the first quarter. But I remember one offense where Jonas was setting 5 screens on and off the ball. He was moving all over the floor and then he went for the rebound and made a defensive player touch the ball out of bound giving them a second chance in offense. Looking at this situation its quite significant for Jerebko’s game. He didn’t even touch the ball but he was so active and never stopped moving and playing. This is a great skill and it’s a pleasure to watch him play.

Today in the day I visited Jonas Jerebko’s home club Marbo Basket in Kinna in the west parts of Sweden. Look at the Club Logotype below and how they have integrated the NBA logotype to show that they have produced an NBA player. I watched a game from the 3rd league (Sweden, Division 2 West) where the Marbo/Borås team is trying to advance to the second league (Sweden, Basketettan). The club already has a team in the first league (Sweden, Basketligan), Borås Basket. There were a lot of young talents on the floor and of course interesting to see them play. I also had a chance to talk some to Jonas father Chris about Jonas and his performance in the NBA.

Säsongspremiär för Euroleague på Viasat Sport

Ikväll är det premiär för årets Euroleague säsong. Matchen mellan Maccabi Electra från Tel Aviv, Israel och Union Olimpija från Ljubljana, Slovenien är en smygpremiär på Eurolague 09-10 som egentligen börjar nästa vecka. Men Maccabi är på väg till USA för en NBA Tour och matchen blir ett häftigt startskott!

Matchen spelas i Nokia Arena som rymmer ca 10000 fans. Det är bara gult på läktarna och ett enormt tryck för att bära fram sitt hemmalag. Fansen är väldigt krävande och man vill givetvis nå Final Four i år efter att inte ha lyckats i fjol. Däremot så vann man återigen mästerskapet på hemmaplan 08-09 efter att ha förlorat året innan, något oväntat.

På Euroleague TV finns en videopreview inför matchen. Maccabi har ett spännande lag med flera yngre israeliska landslagsspelare. Dessutom har de svensk-polacken Maciej Lampe tillsammans med flera amerikaner. Coach är Pini Gershon som är tillbaka bakom rodret.

Matchen visas på basketkanalen Viasat Sport, uppkast 21:10: Basket Gruppspel, omgång 1: Maccabi Electra–Union Olimpija. Euroleague.

Dessutom kan man på Viasat Sports hemsida läsa att de börjar visa Svenska Basketligan den 27 oktober med nykomlingarna Örebro och Borås i fokus! Det är tisdagar som är matchdag nu under hösten och vi får väl se om det även läggs in fredagsmatcher framöver.