Consistent Effort in Practices and Games

Coaches so often talk about the importance of consistent effort through each part of the game. This insistence leads to a wide range of clichés about hustle and grit, but the messages are nonetheless pertinent for teams that want to achieve greatness.

It can be easy for a young player to try to cut corners when they’re first learning the game of basketball. Perhaps they’re tired, bored or simply looking for an easier practice. However, it is imperative that coaches teach their players about steady effort in practices and games. Otherwise, these poor tendencies could show up in the most important moments of a season. With team websites, coaches can highlight good examples of effort throughout the length of a practice or game. In the long run, that extra push always makes a difference.

Magic still seeking lapse-free play

Tobias Harris, forward for the Orlando Magic, missed just one assignment in a game against the Indiana Pacers. He crashed the paint to cover center Ian Mahinmi, but Harris’ teammate Kyle O'Quinn already had his man covered, according to Orlando Magic Daily. Before you knew it, Damjan Rudez was wide open for a three point shot. That brief defensive lapse started a Pacers run that eventually led to a 106-99 victory. However brief, the Magic know they have to clean up these minor details and play with consistent effort and intelligence.

“We don’t have any room to make mistakes,” guard Victor Oladipo told the news outlet. “We don’t really have any room to make a mistake or miss an assignment. We’ve got to be at it. We’ve got to be on our Ps and Qs. We’ve got to do better.”

Inconsistent effort hurts Wizards

After falling into a giant deficit against Charlotte, the Washington Wizards finally started to play tough defense and mount a rally. However, after a listless first half, the Wizards dug themselves too deep a hole to come up with the victory, according to CSN Washington.

“It doesn’t boil down to that, making or missing shots like that,” coach Randy Wittman told the news outlet. “You’re going to have games where you go one for 15 and you’ve got to be able to survive those. I think if we had a first half like we did a second half with the intensity and defensive effort that we did then the outcome might have been different going one for 15. Shooting comes and goes. When you’re a good team, you figure out how to win those games.”