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Home , Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, Combo guard, Damian Lillard, DeAndre Jordan, Derrick Favors

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September - What are your predictions for the upcoming NBA season, based off summer league/last season? o Player of the year o Rookie of the year o Who will win the NBA Finals? o Who will be the worst team in the East? West? o Which Rookie will struggle their first season? o Which team will be the underdog?

October - Talk about off season: o What has happened in the off-season § Trades § Free agency § Hires/fires § Arrests § picks

November - Do a quick recap from their list from September - o Explain differences between college and NBA § Quarters (NBA) vs Halves (college) § • NBA 24 sec vs College 35 sec § Three- line • 23’9” NBA • 19’9” College § Width of the lane or “paint” • 16 feet NBA • 12 feet College § Fouls • 6 NBA • 5 College § Possession • to resolve dispute in NBA • Possession arrow in College § Defense • Defensive Three Seconds rule NBA o Cannot stay in the lane for more than 3 seconds in the paint on defense • College there is no such rule

Question of the day: Who do you think will win NBA Finals?

Homework: Assign a College team. Have players watch a game and bring back the Coach’s name, their starting 5, what conference they are in, their biggest rival, who won the game and what the score was.

December NBA - Any NBA trades happening or have happened? - Player updates o Injuries? o Suspensions? - Rookies that are making a name for themselves

College - Top teams in each conference - Potential Tournament teams - Players that are standing out

January - Talk about the All-Star Game o Who you think will make All-Star team? § East? West? o Prediction on who will win? East or west? - What All-Star Weekend consists off o All-Star Celebrity Game o § Also known as being the “Rookie Game” § Rookies VS Sophomores o G-League All-Star Game § Consist of the best G-League players o Contest o Three-Point Contest o Skills Challenge § Obstacle course that includes , shooting, and passing § Agility, quickness, and accuracy come into play for this challenge o All-Star Game - What is your favorite part of All-Star Weekend? - How are All-Star teams chosen? o Viewers 50% o Media 25% o Players 25% - Think back to who you thought will be player of the year o Did they make the All-Star list?

February - Do you agree with how they chose the all-star teams? - Did you predict correct on won the All-Star Game? - March Madness o Based on the games that you have been watching, who do you think will win, compared to before? o Explain how selection process works § Each member of the Division I committee evaluate a lot of information • Their opinions, usually made through their observations, discussions with coaches, directors of athletics and commissioners, and review and comparison of data, usually determine selections, seeding, and bracketing. § There are three phases to making a decision • Select the 36 best at large teams • Seed the field of 68 teams • Place the teams into the championship bracket

March – / Day - NBA Predictions o Potential MVP western and o NBA Finals MVP

Point Guard - The best ball handler, dribbler, and passer on the team. - Handles the ball the - Usually brings the ball up the court and initiates the plays - Most of the time is the shortest player on the team, but not all the time - Facilitates scoring opportunities for other teammates - Can score as if they are a shooting guard too

Discuss different types of Point Guards - Slashing point guard o Likes to attack the basket before anything else. o Specialty is scoring from the inside and drawing contact while taking their shot. o Keen ability to drive find an open man while driving in. o Requires a tough, physical point guard who can handle contact from bigger players inside the . o Size isn’t necessarily as important for this position if you are able to compensate with agility and speed down low. o Also tend to be generally weaker from the 3-point line, but it is not always the case. § Example: , - Inside/Outside Guard o Otherwise known as a “point-forward”, an inside/outside guard has the ability to make plays at any place on the court. o They’re prolific scorers, which makes them a matchup nightmare. o They have the size of a big-man but the athleticism and speed of a guard. o They tend to be less than stellar defenders, due to the amount of time spent improving their offensive game. o Nevertheless, they’re one of the toughest types of guards to defend. § Examples: , - Outside Shooter o Otherwise known as a “combo-guard”, the shooting point guard has caused a dramatic shift in how the position is played. o This type of point guard has a dangerous 3-point shot and is not afraid to use it. Their first instinct is to try and find an open 3-point shot, before passing. o These types of guards must be both quick and smart, to find an open shot. o They often run the fast-break to get an open shot before the defense has time to recover. o 3-point shooting guards tend to be on the smaller side of the guard scale, which is why they tend to rely on the outside game more. § Examples: Steph Curry, , - Game manager/pass first o This is the closest you’ll get to a quarterback on the . o This type of guard uses their vision, and patience to find an open pass. o They tend to have more chemistry with their team work with them to find an open shot. o These types of guards won’t blow you away with any flashy crossovers or dunks, but they tend to have a very high basketball IQ and rarely ever turn the ball over. § Examples: , - Defensive guard o These types of guards are lockdown defenders on the 3-point line. o They’re given the assignment of guarding some of the best players in the league. o This position requires a high basketball IQ, extreme fouling discipline, and some incredible footwork. o These guards also tend to have the loudest mouths on the court and use it to get into their opponent’s head. § Mike Conley, Patrick Beverly

Shooting Guard - Combination guard - Best shooter on the team - Handles the ball just as good as a point guard - Able to pass the ball like a PG - Backup point guard, especially when getting double teamed to stop their shooting - percentage is usually and needs to be high.

Discuss the Different Types of Shooting Guards - o As discussed during Point Guard Day: the combo-guard is a player who can pass and facilitate as good as any point guard but has the shooting stats of a pure shooting. o They’re incredibly smart players, who can overtake an offense if their original point guard needs some rest. § Example: CJ McCollum, Dwayne Wade - Lockdown Defender o Lockdown defenders on the 3-point line. o They’re given the assignment of guarding some of the best players in the league. o This position requires a high basketball IQ, extreme fouling discipline, and some incredible footwork. o These guards also tend to have the loudest mouths on the court and use it to get into their opponent’s head. § Examples: , - Shot Creator o These types of shooting guards are masters of finding open space. o Whether it be cuts, or screens, or posting up; these players are masters when the ball is NOT in their hands. o This requires a deep understanding of spacing on the court, quick feet, strong screening, and a deadly shooting game. § Example: , DeMar DeRozan - Spot Up shooter (pure shooter) o This type is similar to the “Shot Creator”, minus a couple differences. o A spot-up shooter might not have the same speed or agility to create their own shot. o What the lack in athleticism, they make up for with a much deadlier shooting game. o Spot-up shooters will rely more heavily on the passer to help create the shot, than a shot-creator. § JJ Reddick,

Question of the day: Who is you favorite Point Guard and Shooting Guard?

April – / Forward Day College - Recap on who won the March Madness tournament to who you thought would win, and what player stuck out to you the most.

NBA - Playoffs / NBA Finals o Who you think will win compared to who you predicted in September o Eastern Conference winner? o Western Conference winner? - Who do you think will get Western Conference Finals MVP? Eastern? - Who do you think will get Finals MVP?

Small Forward - Usually shorter, quicker, and leaner than the power forward and , and typically taller than the guards - Considered the most versatile of all five positions. - The second or third best shooter from mid-range and out. - played by the small forward generally o Plays the point and small forward positions o Able to bring up the ball - Examples: , LeBron James

Discuss different types of small forward play types - Point Forwards o Like the “inside/outside guard”, a point forward is a player with the size of a forward, but he handles and speed of a wing player. o They provide headaches for opposing defenses, because they are big enough to post-up most guards and too quick for traditional big-men to stay on top of. o They have a special ability to make plays anywhere within 30 feet of the rim and are excellent passers. o Examples: Giannis Atenkapunto, Paul George - Shooting forward o Score, score, score. That’s the name of the game for your traditional shooting forward. o The shooting forward almost acts as a 2nd shooting guard for the point to pass to. o They especially tend to excel from the 3-point line and mid-range game. o Examples: - Defensive forward o The name speaks for itself: these types of players are defenders first and foremost. o They’re versatile defenders, can defend at the top of the 3-point line all the way down to the post. o While their performances might not look as glamorous on stat sheet, they provide a crucial piece to teams. o They’re very quick on the feet, incredibly smart with their hands, and are disciplined with their fouls (no dumb fouls!). o Examples: ,

Power Forward - Second tallest player on the team, usually. - Playing style is pretty close to that of a center - Expected to play in the paint, wings, or corners - Must be strong and comfortable to play physical - Effective rebounders, and inside shooters - Expected to shoot at a range farther than a center can, usually mid-range. - Examples: ,

Discuss different types of power forward play types - Stretch 4 o The Stretch 4 has become the most popular style for power forwards in the NBA today. o The “stretch” refers to the player’s ability to stretch the defense thin using their outside shooting ability. In the old days, power forwards were considered multi- talented if they could shoot midrange. o Today, the best power forwards all have outside shooting abilities. o Example: , , - Defensive forward o This is what the old-school position looks like. o A bruising big man who will defend the paint by any means necessary. o These players specialize in blocks and defensive stops. o Their defensive ability should not be limited to other big-men, as defensive power forwards must be able to keep up with the speed of wing-players. o Examples: , Paul Milsap - Rebounder o Also known as a “glass cleaner”, the rebounding type of power forward serves as an asset under the basket. o They have a nose for the ball, and where it’s going after a bricked shot. o In addition to being exceptionally tall, they must be able to jump high to beat other players for rebounds. o The position is known to take some abuse down low, so the player must possess physicality and toughness to handle hard fouls. o A glass cleaner would almost prefer their teammate shoot the ball for them to , then a straight pass to him. o Examples: , - Post scorer o These players are masters of scoring down low. o With their back facing the defender, they’re as dangerous as shooter with an open 3. o They have an arsenal of ankle-breaking offensive post moves to score and aren’t afraid of contact while going up for the shot. o Their outside shooting games tend to lack, due to the amount of time they commit to their post-play. o Example: ,

May – Center Day NBA Finals - Recap on the finals o Were your predictions correct? - NBA Draft o Who they think will be good?

Center - Also known as the “big man”. - Normally the tallest player on the team - The center used to be the main component of the team, but today, the NBA is more of a guard league. - Pass and shoot type of play - Required to defenders, and open other players up for driving to the basket - Should be good at making quick jump shots, hook shots. - On defense, their main responsibility is to keep opponents from shooting by blocking shots and passes in the key. - Expected to get the most rebounds

Discuss different types of center play types - Stretch 5 o Refers to a center who is able to shoot outside from beyond the 3. o Forces defenses to pay closer attention to said player anywhere he/she is on the court. In the old days, a center would primarily shoot from inside the key, making them easy to follow. o This new style of play forces defending big-men to use speed and agility to defend outside and inside. o This position requires exceptional perimeter and post handles, a high shooting percentage, and an eye for open space. § Examples: DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis - Rebounder o Arguably the most traditional type of center o Has one main role and sticks to it. o These players use their height, wingspan, and jumping ability to control the boards. o These types of players need to be efficient at boxing out and must be tough to handle the pressure under the basket. o Most of their points will come from under the basket. o Examples: , - Finisher o Offensive force near the basket. o They are known for their dunks, offensive rebounding, put-back shots, and scoring off the pick-and-roll. o They tend to be less than average free-throw shooters, so teams will intentionally them, because they’re less likely to make two free throws than a simple lay-up. o This position requires a high jumping ability, good conditioning, o Examples: Deandre Jordan, - Shot blocking specialist o This position is a defensive force around the rim and specializes in blocking shots. o Like most center types, this requires a high jumping ability, an eye for the ball, and a disciplined fouler. o While their position might not be the most glamorous, it provides a crucial element to a team’s defense. o Examples: ,

Homework: - Assign a player in the top 20 in the draft and do research on that player o What college are they coming from? o Position o o Assists per game (if applicable) o Rebounds per game (if applicable) o Steals (if applicable)