JOE LIPA - Brain and Brawn Basketball

BASKETBALL scholars argue over the ultimate definition of a coach. Some say coaches basically are strategists, 
war generals who burn the midnight oil mapping out game plans. Others say they are teachers, shrewd masters of the routine  who patiently preach the importance of fundamentals until the lesson becomes second nature to the students. A good coach, 
I believe, is both a tough tactician tempered by the wisdom of a veteran academician and more. He must have a full grasp 
of the psychological and emotional conditions that usually afflict athletes, plays a keen, some say innate, eye for spotting talent and maximizing its potential. For the past 12 years, I've sought to make complete basketball players 
out of tall and strong individuals who can jump, shoot and dribble. And to a good extent, I would like to believe, 
I've had considerable success. Still, the deprived greatly outnumbered the privileged. I've seen players bungle a 
3 vs. 2 fastbreak situation, miss uncontested lay-ups, make sloppiest of passes and fumble on the dribble. 
And I'm not talking of high school or college players, either. Basketball is a game of reactions. Defensive players react 
to what the offensive players do, and vice versa. Coaches must recognize what the other team is doing and counter it.
For coaches and players to counter, they must be able to read what their opponents do.