Friday, January 23, 2009

Work is not a variable; it's an attitude

In his book "The Smart Take From the Strong," the great Pete Carril writes that "defense is the heart of our game. Good defense is recognizable even when you're losing."

"Defense is not a variable. It's a constant. Shooting is a variable. Contesting a shot is not a variable. Skill is a variable. Work is not a variable, not a skill; it's an attitude. Defense has to be deeply embedded in your attitude."

Working hard is a message DAL coach Rick Carlisle is preaching to his team:

"Hard play is the biggest key to winning in this league, other than having enough talent. I love the talent on our team, but we don't have the kind of talent to win on talent alone. That's a fact. And most teams in the league are in the same position. We got to fight every night for wins. It's never easy."

[I just finished typing up notes from Coach Carril's book and will post later today. Even better, you can order the book on Amazon today. It's outstanding.]