Put :30 On The Clock

The time has come. For most, their minds are on just getting through the preseason motions, waiting for the official tryout week to begin. Not you. Your mindset is far different from everyone else because your goals require it. You can't afford to just fall in line with what everyone else is doing, and that starts with your approach to what's going on right now. Let's lock in, it officially just got real!

We all know that player. The one that seems to put a shot up every single time they touch the ball. For some of us, we are that player! This episode isn't about creating a divide and choosing a side, but instead how to navigate the ball the hog and to see what common ground we share. Like it or not, we share the same uniform, so we will have to learn how to work with each other.

We're outside with this one! August is in the books, so now we have to make the most of September with equal parts effort and strategy. You have an agenda to carry out and the best wat to ensure things go your way is to plan, prepare and execute. For you, the season has already started!

There will always be someone demanding that you prove yourself. As long as you're trying, this person will exist. Is that a problem? It shouldn't be. You have to know which ones are worth your effort and which ones aren't worth a moment of your time.

With so many variables to deal with when it comes to being successful, you can't afford to let what you CAN control slip out of your hands. You have more than enough to deal with; the absolute LAST thing you need is to hear from your own conscience & guilt gang up on you until regret lands the final blow. It is that serious. 

It is easy to recognize that Tyrese Maxey is having a breakout year, especially with the role he has taken over for his team. What is not easily seen is what it took to be given the opportunity in the first place. You don't get to put up the numbers that he does by being shy; so if you're looking to advance to the next level, you need to take advantage of your chances the way Maxey does his.

If the spotlight is on anyone right now, it's on James Harden. It's almost as if the NBA media forgot to tell us what Wemby had for breakfast because of the fact that the Clippers are still winless since adding The Beard. Things may improve from this point, but AT this point, we need to understand what we are looking at and what we can learn from this very wild situation. 

It’s an unspoken line, that separates players who contribute to scoring, from players who are expected to carry the scoring load. Some get this responsibility, most don’t, and it’s not always fair. What comes with being on either side of that line? It might surprise you to find out.

We never take the time to think about how many stars have to align for us, JUST to be able to play the game that we love. It takes a lot of time & commitment to improve & perform, and if we simply just STOP, take a look at everyone and everything supporting us, we'd play a lot harder and a lot better. Basketball is not guaranteed, we have to act like we know that!

Who you play for, for the most part, is out of your control. Who plays for you, also, is often out of your control.  Practices & games allow you to get a real good look at the other person. What happens when you don't like your coaches/ADs, etc.? What happens when you don't like that player that you recruited? How do you handle that? Tune in, that's how!

It seems like a pretty easy thing to understand: don't get too high when you succeed, don't get too low when you mess up. Simple right? Well, there is a reason why so many hoopers struggle with this. What is often simple is not easy to do, they are two different things. In this episode we dig into why this is a real issue and what you can do to manage your emotions when you do well and when you don't.