The Basketball Podcast

Guest: Joseph Blair, Washington Wizards Assistant Coach Washington Wizards assistant coach Joseph Blair joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on accountability, compassion and a community based approach. Joseph Blair has a tremendous basketball résumé, having played for over a decade in Europe and worked as an assistant coach in the NBA, college and G-League. His playing experience saw him play in the NBA, Euroleague and in many other countries and leagues. His coaching experience has led him to three stops with Philadelphia, Minnesota and Washington, and outside of the NBA, coaching in the G-League and in college basketball with Arizona. Perhaps what distinguishes Blair’s past from other NBA coaches is the unique experience he had during the late 1990s playing for the Harlem Globetrotters. Breakdown1:00 - First Game as a Head Coach4:00 - Playing Career6:00 - Coaching Perspective10:00 - Think Outside the Box13:00 - Compassion15:00 - Leadership and Accountability21:00 - Expanding Player's Role25:00 - Use of Video27:00 - Struggling Player32:00 - The Three E's36:00 - Meaning of Leadership39:00 - Psychological Safety43:00 - Community-Based Approach48:00 - Set Up52:00 - Expertise57:00 - Conclusion Joseph Blair’s Bio:Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_BlairTwitter: https://twitter.com/MrJosephBlair Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/

Guest: Nick Friedman, Charlotte Hornets Assistant Coach Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Nick Friedman joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on NBA role players and advanced offensive concepts. Friedman also currently serves as the Associate Head Coach of the Haitian Senior Men’s National Team. He received a promotion to assistant coach after spending the last two seasons with the Hornets as a Player Development Coach where he served in a hybrid role with both the Hornets and Greensboro Swarm’s coaching staff. He previously worked for three years as a coach in the G League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Maine Red Claws and Northern Arizona Suns. Prior to his time in the NBA, he owned an NBA Pre Draft Training company titled “The Preparation” for 5 years before joining The Charlotte Hornets, working with 12 draft picks in those 5 years. Breakdown1:00 - Ego Adjustment3:00 - Mindset of a Role Player5:00 - Long-Term Career Success8:30 - Developing Passing10:37 - 11:16 - JUST PLAY AD12:00 - Making Decisions15:00 - Hitting The Pocket17:00 - Zoom19:30 - Player Directed21:00 - Neutral24:00 - Screening with Guards28:00 - Evaluating Rim Runners31:00 - Dunker Spot31:41 - 32:24 - DR. DISH AD34:00 - Cross Match Ups37:00 - Better Spacing Structure39:00 - Value of Role Player41:00 - Mentors  Nick Friedman’s Bio:Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-friedman-b09a31a2/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bignickwilly Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/

Guest: Casey Hill, New Orleans Pelicans Assistant Coach New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Casey Hill joins the Basketball Podcast to discuss preparation for the season and building responsibilities. Casey Hill enters his third season with the New Orleans Pelicans after spending 2018-20 as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. Prior to joining Doc Rivers’ staff, Hill spent the 2017-18 season as head coach of the Clippers’ NBA G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers, leading the team to a 23-27 record in its inaugural season. Hill joined the Clippers after four seasons as head coach of the Santa Cruz Warriors, G League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors, where he led the franchise to its first-ever G League title in 2014-15. Hill and his staff in Santa Cruz earned the 2013-14 NBA G League “Development Champion” award, an annual honor that recognizes the team that best embodies the league’s goals of developing NBA basketball talent via call-ups and assignments. Prior to joining Santa Cruz’s staff, Hill worked under his father, longtime NBA coach Bob Hill, with the Tokyo Apache, a professional team in Japan. Hill is a graduate of Trinity University (TX), where he was a member of the Tigers’ basketball team that advanced three times to the NCAA Division III Playoffs, including the 2004-05 Elite Eight, and captured two Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships from 2003-07. Breakdown1:00 - G-League Experiences4:00 - Filling his Cup6:00 - Non-Basketball Books8:30 - Handbook Concept11:00 - Concept of Player Matters14:00 - Job Preservation16:54 - 17:37 - DR. DISH ADS17:00 - Simplicity20:00 - Staff Retreat Concept22:00 - Non-Negotiables24:00 - Retreat28:00 - Video and Postgame32:00 - Analytics Perspective36:00 - Discuss, Argue, and Align38:34 - 39:12 - JUST PLAY ADS42:00 - Tactical Stuff44:00 - Video Group Session47:00 - Scouting54:30 - Finding the Balance58:00 - Conclusion Casey Hill’s Bio:Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casey_Hil Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/

Guest: Mike Weinar, Indiana Pacers Assistant Coach Indiana Pacers assistant coach Mike Weinar joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on attack the advantage and NBA coaching insights. Mike Weinar, 37, is in his second season with the Pacers. He joined the Pacers coaching staff in 2021, after spending the previous 13 years with the Dallas Mavericks, including four as an assistant coach. He was a member of the 2011 NBA championship staff. Prior to joining the Mavericks, Weinar worked with the University of Florida men's basketball program under head coach Billy Donovan. Weinar served as a graduate assistant from 2006 to 2008. From 2003 to 2006, Weinar served as a student manager. During his tenure at Florida, he was a part of back-to-back national championship teams in 2006 and '07. Weinar also served as an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater Bronson High School. Breakdown1:00 - Mountain Dew3:00 - From One Organization to the Other5:00 - Most Efficient Offense9:00 - Part of Modern Game12:00 - Relative to your Roles16:30 - 17:08 -  JUST PLAY AD17:00 - Different People on Staff19:00 - Philosophical Decisions25:00 - Hunt The Advantage31:00 - Elite Scout Skill36:00 - Sports Science38:51 - 39:33 - DR. DISH AD42:00 - Educating Analytics45:30 - Over Switching49:00 - Role Change51:30 - Scout54:00 - Disagreement and DiscussionMike Weinar’s Bio:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-weinar-22089619/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeweinar Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/

Guest: Kellie Harper, Tennessee Head Coach Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on defensive concepts to build their defense. One of only two coaches to guide four different programs to the NCAA Tournament, the 1999 UT graduate and three-time national champion point guard joined Jim Foster in that select company in 2020-21. She has done so while reshaping programs at Western Carolina, NC State, Missouri State, and now Tennessee. Foster accomplished that feat during stops at St. Joseph’s, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, and Chattanooga during a career lasting from 1978 to 2018. In 18 complete years as a Division I head coach, Harper has led her teams to a 348-235 record and 14 postseason appearances (7 NCAA/7 WNIT) through the 2021-22 campaign. She has piloted her squads to 14 top-three league finishes and four conference tourney titles along the way, and in 2021-22 she guided Tennessee to the NCAA Sweet 16, equaling her run with Missouri State in 2018-19 before she was hired by her alma mater. Breakdown1:00 - Coached at 4 Different Schools5:00 - Philosophy on Defense9:00 - Matchups13:00 - Throw The High Low15:00 - Fronting The Post17:00 - In and Out17:18 - 18:01 - DR. DISH AD21:00 - Keeping The Ball on Side24:00 - Closing Out27:00 - Top Coach29:00 - Aggression34:00 - Ball Screen Coverage35:50 - 36:28 - JUST PLAY AD39:00 - Ultimate Coaching41:00 - 50 Defense44:00 - Defensive Culture48:00 - 3-Point Shooting51:00 - Evaluating Defense Kellie Harper’s Bio:Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie_HarperTwitter: https://twitter.com/KellieHarper Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/

Guest: Carly Clarke, Ryerson Head Coach Ryerson head coach Carly Clarke joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights on utilizing strengths and winning with your personnel. This past season Carly Clarke took home her first U SPORTS Coach of the Year, doing so on the heels of a dominant showing in the competition on their way to a conference regular season title, a conference tournament title and a national championship to cap an undefeated season. The accolade and success are just the latest in what has been a triumphant stretch for Clarke, as she also served as the Canadian national senior women’s team assistant coach at the Tokyo Games this past summer. Clarke remains with the national program as the team works towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Clarke has been head coach at Ryerson since June 2012, and part of Canadian national team programming for the last 10 years. She has won 2 OUA conference Championships and had 5 final 8 national championship appearances in 9 years. Internationally she has been head coach for 2 world championship medals and been a part of a number of staff that have won medals. The 2021-22 season was historic for Carly Clarke, leading the Rams to an undefeated season, culminating in an OUA and U SPORTS national title. The team went 14-0 through conference play, then concluded the OUA season with a 22-point fourth quarter comeback to claim the Critelli Cup for the program's second provincial title. The team was ranked No. 1 heading into the Final 8 national championship, and the Rams defeated UPEI, Brock, and Winnipeg en route to the team's first national championship and only the second for any team at the university. Clarke was recognized with her first conference and national awards, winning the OUA Coach of the Year and U SPORTS Coach of the Year awards. At the end of the season, she was also named the OUA Coach of the Year across all sports. As head coach the Canadian U19 Junior Women's National Team, Clarke led the squad to its first ever medal at the World Cup, claiming the bronze medal with a victory over Japan in July of 2017. Prior to joining the Rams, Clarke spent three seasons in the head coaching position at UPEI. The Halifax, N.S. native and Level III NCCP certified coach has garnered both national and international accolades working with Canada Basketball as well as various provincial sport organizations. Breakdown1:00 - COVID Years5:00 - Team Experience8:00 - Psychological Safety10:00 - Celebrating Errors13:00 - Strong Hand, Weak Hand17:00 - Building Defense18:49 - 19:47 - JUST PLAY AD20:00 - Off The Ball Cutting22:30 - Defining Strengths24:00 - Personnel28:00 - Integration of a Sports Psychologist32:00 - Defensive Decision Making35:00 - Team Identity35:32 - 36:15 - DR. DISH AD39:00 - University Job43:00 - Immerse in Learning46:00 - Conclusion Carly Clarke’s Bio:Bio: https://ryersonrams.ca/staff-directory/carly-clarke/178Twitter: https://twitter.com/carly_clarke Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/

Guest: Martin Schiller, Former G-League and EuroLeague Head Coach Former G-League and EuroLeague head coach Martin Schiller joins the Basketball Podcast to share European and G-League coaching takeaways. Austrian professional basketball coach who last served as head coach of Žalgiris Kaunas of the LKL and the EuroLeague. From 2010 until 2015, he served as an assistant coach for the Artland Dragons, and afterward for the Riesen Ludwigsburg of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). On August 23, 2017, Schiller was named the head coach of the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League. Schiller has also been an assistant coach for the German national team since 2015, where he worked with Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen. Schiller was named the NBA G League Coach of the Year for the 2019–20 season after leading the Stars to a 30–12 record. Breakdown1:00 - Career Management4:00 - Network and Knowledge9:00 - Managing His Knowledge13:00 - Being Around Coaches15:28 - 16:07 - JUST PLAY AD17:00 - Professional Side25:30 - Personnel28:30 - Denial30:00 - Offensive Rebounding Concept31:00 - Referencing Practice35:00 - Experience Playing Different Places39:19 - 40:01 - DR. DISH AD41:30 - Integration of Sports Science49:00 - A Better Evaluator56:00 - Specific Examples Martin Schiller’s Bio:Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Schiller Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schiller_martin Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/

Scafati Basket assistant coach Francesco Nanni joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights into teaching out of 1-on-1 and European coaching insights. Francesco Nanni is an Italian professional coach, who has coached for over 10 years at various levels within Italy, from mini-basket to pro. Nanni currently coaches at Scafati Basket, one of the top teams in the Italian A2 league. Nanni has worked with some of the top prospects at the youth level in Italy, as well as being well-regarded for the quality of his content sharing on various social media platforms. Nanni uses an approach that combines the best of the European style with evidence-based learning concepts that are the foundation of Basketball Immersion. Breakdown1:00 - Why One-on-One is Important4:00 - Passing6:30 - Dynamic Start11:00 - Perception Process17:00 - Giving Feedback17:22 -18:00 - JUST PLAY AD 22:00 - Small Sided game24:00 - Conceptual Offense29:00 - Being Creative in Europe35:00 - Ball Screen Concept39:00 - Conceptual Basketball39:14 - 39:56 - DR. DISH AD42:00 - Game Preparation50:00 - Post Game Evaluation52:00 - Pair of Eyes54:00 - Conclusion Francesco Nanni’s Bio:Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_NanniTwitter: https://twitter.com/Franz_NanniBK Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/

Guest: Nate Oats, University of Alabama Head Coach  University of Alabama head coach Nate Oats joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights into how they play and practice. Nate Oats has a 157–79 record as a D-I head coach at Buffalo and now Alabama and has many accomplishments and honors. The immediate success became evident in his second year at the helm of the program as Oats guided the 2020-21 Crimson Tide to one of its best seasons in the program’s illustrious history. Alabama finished the year with a 26-7 overall mark, won 16 conference games (16-2), captured both the SEC regular-season and tournament championships, and ended the year ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press’ final national rankings which matched the best end-of-season ranking in program history. Nate Oats’ has revitalized an Alabama basketball fanbase and returned the Crimson Tide to one of the top collegiate basketball programs in the nation. An indicator of Alabama’s resurgence can be seen in the last two NBA Drafts. As a coach known for developing talent, Oats has now had an Alabama player selected in the NBA Draft Lottery (top-14 pick) in back-to-back years – a first in program history. Prior to arriving in Tuscaloosa, Oats spent four seasons at the helm of the University of Buffalo where he took the men’s basketball program to unprecedented heights. While there, Oats led the Bulls to a 96-43 (.691) record, three MAC tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the round of 32 in 2018 and 2019. As a result, he was named the league's coach of the year and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 14 Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2018 and 2019). Prior to joining the Bulls, Oats spent 11 seasons as head coach at Romulus High School in Michigan, winning the school's first state title in 27 years in 2012-13 and finishing the season at 27-1. He was named the 2013 Detroit News State Coach of the Year, the Detroit Free Press State Coach of the Year, and the BCAM State Coach of the Year. Breakdown1:00 - Dribble Drive4:00 - Offensive Perspective8:00 - Fan Base12:00 - Driving the 4515:00 - Player Development Principles18:00 - Attacking the Rim19:58 - 20:41 - DR. DISH ADS23:00 - Quizzing28:00 - Competitive Component31:00 - Scoring System36:00 - How To Game The Point System39:04 - 39:43 - JUST PLAY ADS41:00 - Accountable to the Practice44:00 - Transition System47:00 - Freedom with Sets51:00 - Playing Fast54:00 - Selfless Love Concept Nate Oats’ Bio:Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_OatsTwitter: https://twitter.com/nate_oats Basketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/

Guest: Tomekia Reed, Jackson State Head Coach Jackson State head coach Tomekia Reed joins the Basketball Podcast to share insights into building belief, relationships and defense that wins. In four seasons as head coach, Tomekia Reed has led Jackson State University women's basketball to the top of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.She has guided JSU to four consecutive berths in the SWAC Tournament semifinals (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), three straight berths in the conference tournament finals (2019, 2021, 2022 after 2020 tournament canceled), three straight SWAC regular season titles (2020, 2021, 2022), and two straight SWAC tournament titles and NCAA appearances (2021, 2022). In making the program's second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and the first as a #14 seed, Jackson State led in the fourth quarter in nearly achieving an historic tournament win over #3 LSU. Breakdown1:00 - Instilled Beliefs4:00 - Lessons from 1st to the 2nd Years8:30 - Involving Money10:30 - Guaranteed Games14:00 - Film Watching16:00 - LSU Week19:00 - Tip Play20:25 - 21:23 - JUST PLAY AD22:30 - Defensive Transition25:00 - Flexibility27:30 - Playing Better Offense30:00 - Accomplishments on her Program33:00 - Success35:00 - Parents38:00 - Finding Ways to Persevere38:18 - 39:01 - Dr. DISH AD40:00 - Negotiating Your Worth46:00 - Squeeze and New Plays49:00 - Coaching a Deaf Player51:00 - Conclusion Tomekia Reed’s Bio:Bio: https://gojsutigers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/tomekia-reed/201Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachTReedBasketball ImmersionWebsite: http://basketballimmersion.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bballimmersion?lang=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/basketballimmersionFacebook: https://facebook.com/basketballimmersionImmersion Videos:Check out all our all-access practice and specialty clinics: https://www.immersionvideos.com/