Curiosity is the Engine of Growth

Curiosity is the Engine of Growth

Solid week.

Another W.

I got something out of every day because I was searching for it. It sounds simple, but when you are curious about how to get better, knowledge and learning will find you.

It starts with you being curious enough to look.

CURIOUS :/ˈkjʊərɪəs/ adjective : eager to know or learn something.

Be curious as you read this week’s newsletter.

Basketball Ideas I’ve Been Experimenting With

Attacking “Slow”

Take a look at how current Euroleague player for Anadolu Efes, Elijah Bryant, attacks the paint “slowly”.

Notice how, especially in late clock situations when most players attack frantically or rushed, Bryant will almost glide to his spot before making his move. This slower pace on his drive allows him to control his defender better through timed physicality as well as make very rational and calculated decisions. He is in complete control through his entire attack because he is playing at his pace.

Bryant also does a great job of playing off two feet which allows him to use more fakes and fades once he reaches his spot. This allows him to elevate when his defender is off balance from a bump or coming down after jumping on a pump fake.

This week in practice I really tried to emulate Bryant’s slower pace on some of my drives. What I noticed is that when beginning my attack with this pace, my second acceleration was much much more effective. I first could close space with the probe and then accelerate when I initiated the contact. I felt more in control and also calmer which made decisions more simple.

Watch New York Knicks’ star guard, Jalen Brunson, put on a master class of both the slow drive principle along with playing off two-feet.

I am not saying every drive needs to end in some sort of two-foot finish, but when in doubt get to that stride stop and start using fakes and pivots, I bet you will stumble into a few more open shots. I found playing off two-feet gave me much more options and the game of basketball is all about finding options for solutions.

This is something I experimented with, I recommend you do too.

Handle Pressure With Purpose

This week at practice our focus was on defense specifically positioning and disruptiveness. So, of course, when coach says to focus on defense, all bets are off and the defense can hold, grab, pressure, and beat up the offense. My usual response would be to get frustrated, which I in fact did, but I had a couple of good moments of growth where I recognized my frustration with the situation and consciously tried to find a solution to the excessive physicality and pressure I was being hit with on offense.

Here were two of my findings:

1. Over-Pressuring is a Weakness.

   When the defense is being aggressive they are off-balanced. In the same moment of the increased aggression, there is an exposed weakness if attacked at the correct time. When your defender steps up, you attack forward.

   You define the relationship.

   You make it clear who is in control.

   They are trying to stop you. You are not trying not to be stopped (I know the double negative is confusing, but I hope you get what I am saying).

2. Physicality is Usually an Attempt to Hide a Weakness.

   Often times defenders will use physicality because they can’t guard without it. Defenders will hack, hold and grab because they don’t know how to guard without it. Recognize it for what it is.

   Don’t let it rattle you, let it show you where the weak link is.

   Now there is a difference between good physicality and bad physicality. The good physicality on defense is the stuff the referees can’t call or see, bad physicality on defense is the hacking, holding, and grabbing. Expose bad physicality every time.

My guy, Coleman Ayers, with By Any Means Basketball does a great job showing how to use the defender’s pressure against them.

Check it out.

Mindset Ideas I’ve Been Workshopping

Are You Who You Say You Are?

I have been reflecting on this a lot this week. I believe that in order to be confident in life and in basketball, the answer to this question has to be a resounding “yes”. From my reflection, I found the way for this answer to be a “yes” is to stand true to the promises you make to yourself. For example, I believe I am a high-level basketball player. The only way that I can say that is true is if I do what I believe a high-level basketball player does. Every time I do something that confirms this belief, the stronger my belief gets, the more confidently I can say “yes”.

On the other hand, each time I avoid an action that I believe a high-level basketball player would do, it reinforces the belief that I am NOT a high-level basketball player.

This process is applicable to anything you say you are: a good son or daughter, a thoughtful friend, a CEO, whatever. You will believe what your actions tell you.

Ask yourself who you say you are, and then reflect if your actions support your statement.

If you are struggling with your confidence, then this is a good place to start investigating as to why.

What Does Confidence Look Like?

After my game yesterday (3/30), my dad sent me this text:

It got me thinking… What made him say “you exude confidence”?

The truth is, I am not exactly sure. There may not be a clear criteria for what visible confidence is and it probably changes person to person, who knows… But it was clear my dad saw something when watching me play, so I watched the game film back over and found 5 things I think confidence looks like:

1. Sureness of Movements

   This is what I do and this is how I do it.

2. Decisiveness of Decision Making

   This is the correct solution and now I do it.

3. Authenticity to Self

   This who I am.

4. Announcement of Presence

   I am here.

5. Joy (big one for me personally)

   I am having a good time.

When I watched my film, this is what I saw in my performance. These are the things that I think unconsciously made him text me what he did.

We are all navigating our own confidence journey. I believe it is helpful to be able to recognize how you are when you are confident. Think about this in your own performance:

What do you look like when you are confident?

Workouts to Consider:

@treydrechsel

Shooting Warm-Up for Basketball Players!! #basketball #shootingwarmup #basketballwarmup #workoutsfromaprohooper #tipsfromaprohooper #baske... See more

@treydrechsel

10-15 strength and recovery workout for basketball players! #basketballplayers #hoopers #probasketballplayer #tipsfromaprohooper #workouts... See more

Sunday YouTube Drop:

Quick “Only Hooping Overseas” Storytime:

My game this weekend was crazy. The opposing coach was kicked out of the game 1:30 seconds in. Take a look:

This was a new record time for me in my career. I have never seen it happen this fast, but still that is not where the craziness ended… (really just the beginning).

The team we were playing was CD Povoa, which is in the North of Portugal. The North of Portugal is known for having rowdy fans and the gym was very small so the environment was hostile to say the least. Most of the hostility was not with the players but more with referees, and this hostility came to a climax in the four quarter.

The fans of Povoa were getting increasingly frustrated because they had watched their team’s 6-point half time lead turn to a 11-point 4th quarter deficit. Now with 5 or so minutes to go in the fourth, the ball bounced over the barrier and into the stands right into the rowdiness. A kid caught the ball, I want to say between the ages of 12-15, and he was trying to toss the ball back onto the court, but nobody was really directly asking for the ball. Out of excitement, he passed the ball rather lightly back onto the court. The referee was running down the court and it hit him in the mid thigh.

He didn’t like that and, with these fans having a history of interference with games, asked to have the kid thrown out of the gym. This led to 50 or so fans freaking out. I’m talking going ballistic, shouting, cussing, double-birding the referees, everything. It went to full on mob mentality.

I, not believing what I was witnessing, stared into the stands for I guess what was too long because the venom and hatred switched onto me. These people were probably less than 40-feet from me absolutely losing their shit and staring into my soul calling me every name imaginable.

Once I realized my accidental incitement of the crowd, it was too late. The other team’s bench started yelling and shouting at me as if I was talking to the crowd (I wasn’t at all). Just absolute chaos in the gym.

20 or so minutes go by with zero game play because all 50 or so fans were being escorted out by 5 police officers. It eventually dies down, we resume play and win by 15.

As I am walking to the bus after the game, I pass one of the fans who was the loudest during the altercation with the referee. He smiles, shakes my hand, and wishes me a safe trip home.

What the f***…

This same guy who not less than an hour ago looked like he was going to kill another man was wishing me safe travels.

Life is strange overseas…

I’ll Leave You With This:

I found a lot of growth when I have made it a priority to search for answers both in my personal and basketball development.

Consciously searching has been the key.

Try it.

Let’s all grow together.

Proud of this budding community.

Love you all,

Trey