Emphasizing Tempo and Pace from Stan Van Gundy

From yesterday's game between the Orlando Magic against the Cleveland Cavaliers. I caught this clip just because I think tempo and pace is extremely important in your preparation for a game. The Cavs were playing their second straight road game and so naturally they were tired. The Magic were slightly rested and playing at home. Therefore, the Magic would run away with this game if they stepped on the gas at every opportunity possible, which is what they did, and they went on to win the game. In this ESPN Wired segment, Coach Stan Van Gundy is reminding his players to keep pushing, not to allow their defense to setup, and to move the ball,



The Magic are a fast team, but they are far from Phoenix Suns or Golden State Warriors fast. Still, knowing when to turn it up and when to turn it down is an important part of preparing for each every game. I remember one coaching year when our athletically superior team played against a mediocre team, but somehow the score was always close and we even lost one game. The other team would slow the game down, use the entire shot clock and played a soft 2-3 zone. Later in the year during the playoffs we played the same team and this time we dictated the tempo, we pushed on every rebound, turnover, and made basket, and we won in a rout. However, later in the same playoffs, we faced another team that was much quicker and even more athletic than we were. We tried running with them but ended up losing by 20. Moral of the story, know when to turn it up or turn it down.

Summary:

The Final Four is tonight, but I'm also really looking forward to the NBA Playoffs. The East is definitely where the big action will be this year. The Magic and the Cavs appear poised to meet in the Eastern Conference finals (although Boston, Miami, and Atlanta will have something to say about that). Based on how they look today, I still say Cavs in 7, but it's going to be really close.

Looking for ways to increase tempo and get to 100 points? Take a look at The Century Scoring System a DVD from Doug Porter on ways to increase possessions and get high-percentage shots. Discuss this and the rest of your favorite basketball topics at the X's and O's Basketball Forum.