On Monday night the Toronto Raptors became the first team in the modern era to attempt more than 100 field goals yet register no more than 10 assists. In that same game, Rudy Gay became the first player since Gilbert Arenas in 2005 to take more than 35 shots and finish with less than 30 points. In his weekly column, Bulls guard Mike James waxes on breaking bad habits, and the importance of ball movement and playing as a team.
There are some selfish guys who play this game.
They have incentives in their contracts that say “if you score X amount of points you’ll get X amount of dollars” or “if you make the all-star team you’ll get X amount of dollars.” So these offensive incentives are so important for them to reach that they forget their goal—which should be to win a championship, or at least make the playoffs. They become less sensitive to the cares of the team and more focused on their own agenda. And when your agenda is different than the team’s agenda, that’s when you get a selfish basketball player.
Basketball is about playing for your teammates. Sometimes guys get caught up in numbers and stats. You’re not going to be a winner doing that—as an individual or a team. When your superstar-type player is doing that, the worry is that selfishness starts to trickle down to everyone else so that whenever someone gets the ball they feel it’s their turn to shoot, instead of playing for their teammates.
It’s about giving up your individual goals for the betterment of the team. It’s about winning. And so many times guys forget about that for the sake of their own stats. It’s not about you; it’s about the other four guys on the court with you.
And there are guys who think that the only way they can affect the game is by scoring. But what happens when the ball isn’t going in the hole? You can’t allow your offence to affect how you play defence or anything else.
The ultimate goal at the end of the day is winning, and there is no individual that has been able to do that without his team. You may get numbers, but if you don’t have the team support, regardless of those numbers you’ll still be considered a loser.
The coach can’t be afraid to challenge a superstar player for being selfish like that. Film doesn’t lie. If you’re watching film and you see a guy shooting with three people on him and two open teammates nearby—and he sees the open guys and still feels that he needs to take that shot—then the coach has to take control of his team and start holding people accountable for what they’re doing on the basketball court.
All the schemes a coach puts together on the court—they only work if the players are willing to believe that they work. Guys get caught up in thinking “This is my play and I have to shoot it,” but no—you just have to make the play, and that doesn’t have to mean it ends in you shooting the ball. Getting the assist, or even a hockey assist, is just as valuable and important to your team. And if making the play means giving up the ball you need to have the confidence that your teammate beside you has put in the work, too, and is capable of hitting a shot.
It comes down to the ability to read the defence and see what they’re giving you. Sometimes the shot won’t be there, so how do you counter that without forcing up a contested shot? Trust your teammates.
Reader Questions:
Q: I was watching the Bulls game and saw Derrick Rose tweak his hamstring. How’s he looking? Do you think it’s serious? –Jenny, Toronto
He’ll be all right. It’s not as severe as everyone thinks it is. It’s an 82-game season so guys are going to have bumps and bruises along the way. But he’s been taking care of his body tremendously this season. And because of that, and all of the weight training he’s doing, I think that his recovery time is going to be better than it’s ever been in the past.
Q: I know it’s early, but I haven’t gotten off the bench all season. And I think it’s because the coach doesn’t like me. I’m thinking of walking away, there’s always next year, what should I do? –Dominic, Toronto
Listen, you always have to stay prepared. What makes you think that if you go to another team it’s going to be different, or if you wait until next year things will change? The only thing you can control is your work ethic.
Be the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. Continue to keep working hard in practice and prove yourself. And when you get your opportunity you take full advantage of it. If the guys ahead of you are better, then you have to wait your turn.
But if you believe that you should be playing then you can’t worry about what the coach thinks; the only thing you can worry about is your work. Focus on working harder, as much as you can. Then when the opportunity comes you play so well that you don’t go back to the bench again.
Got a question for Mike James? Send it in to askmike@sportsnet.ca or tweet it with #JamesWorld
