Coach K on today's Vertical Podcast with JJ Redick!

[JetpackJesus]

Coach K on the Vertical Podcast with JJ Redick!

I didn't see this posted anywhere yet. I have not listed yet, but I'm planning on doing that soon. It certainly looks like there are some interesting discussion points.

[Billy Dat]

It is excellent. If you are one of those Duke fans, like me, who can find yourself practially tearing up because our coach is so freakin smart and strategic and with-it, then you'll love this pod. JJ asks good questions and even though coach has heard some of them before, his answers are slightly different than what I have heard in the past. For example:

-When asked about his shifting attitude about one-and-dones, he said that the "one year past high school graduation" NBA rule came with a bunch of more stringent academic requirements attached. As a result, more of the best players were forced to take their school work more seriously which meant Duke could start to get involved with them. I had never considered that point.

-When asked about paying players, K fleshed out how much more they can do for kids now then they could when JJ was a player, including stipends of several thousand dollars a semester, all kinds of insurance, etc. He wishes they could do more and pushes for more. He also thinks that as football and basketball get more money, there will be a shift in how they operate vs the rest of college sports, and that will include enhanced athlete compensation, but he says that can't happen under the current "all sports or no sports" rules because those programs can't support compensation for all sports. He seemed very in favor of any plan that would funnel more $ to the players but that the current structure makes it very tough.

-He talked a lot about how he talks to kids now about their brand - very interesting.

-He also talked about his adaption with social media and texting by basically saying he's always put communication at the top of his list of priorities and this is how people communicate now. If he ignored it, he'd be ineffective.

The overall theme is adaptability and being in the moment - which are the basic tenets of every modern "how to survive the 21st century" self help book - which I say as a compliment because K keeps himself on the bleeding edge. You listen to him and know that very few, if any, coaches have his grasp of everything outside the lines. It's a very very good interview.

[JetpackJesus]

I agree that it was a great listen. My favorite anecdote was about Jason Kidd during one of the first Team USA practices. Coach K said he just wanted to watch what the NBA players do so he could adapt his coaching style to them. Jason Kidd went out during the shooting drills and only passed to his teammates; he took no shots. During the drills, Kidd asked every one of his teammates where exactly they wanted to receive the ball because he wanted to pass each player the ball in whatever position was most comfortable for that particular player. Teammates were initially confused and said he should throw them the ball, but he insisted that there had to be a place they'd be most comfortable receiving the ball and that's where he was going to try to pass it to them every time. I thought that was a fascinating look at the mental aspect of the game and gives a glimpse at something that separates the greats from the rest.

[Billy Dat]

I agree that it was a great listen. My favorite anecdote was about Jason Kidd during one of the first Team USA practices. Coach K said he just wanted to watch what the NBA players do so he could adapt his coaching style to them. Jason Kidd went out during the shooting drills and only passed to his teammates; he took no shots. During the drills, Kidd asked every one of his teammates where exactly they wanted to receive the ball because he wanted to pass each player the ball in whatever position was most comfortable for that particular player. Teammates were initially confused and said he should throw them the ball, but he insisted that there had to be a place they'd be most comfortable receiving the ball and that's where he was going to try to pass it to them every time. I thought that was a fascinating look at the mental aspect of the game and gives a glimpse at something that separates the greats from the rest.

Yes, the Team USA anecdotes were great, I wish there were more of them. I like how K said that the players are so smart that he forces them into active contribution about what they are going to do as a team. It may have been Kidd who said to him, "OK Coach, what do you want me to do?" And K was like, "Well, Jason, you are one of the all time greats so go and do what you do and I'll figure out how to adapt to you." He said instead of telling them how to defend a ball screen, he asks about how they'll like to defend ball screens and, again, adapts to that, which is 100% different than at Duke where he lays down the law.