My name is Brandon Bailey, and I am currently the Graduate Assistant for DePaul Basketball.

I am a big believer that coaches should share information as much as possible. I have attached some good articles that I have found this week, as well as quotes and an NBA special. I hope to pass on more information as I get it.

Anatomy of hiring an NBA coach

By RICHARD JUSTICE Found at HoustonChronicle.com

Looking back on a process that included three interviews lasting more than 20 hours, Daryl Morey remembers one moment that sold him on Kevin McHale. It occurred as Morey and his staff peppered McHale on approximately two dozen end-of-game situations as part of a discussion that included topics ranging from coaching influences to player development. OK, Kevin, we're down five points with 50 seconds remaining and have the ball and one timeout? Or We're up three with 90 seconds left and one timeout remaining. McHale answered confidently and without hesitation. "We analyze the heck out of those game situations," Morey said, "and Kevin hit the ball out of the park. It made me realize how smart he is and how he knows his stuff. That was the moment for me. Believe me, he's going to know what to do at the end of games." Before McHale aced that part of the exam, the Rockets believed they had a handle on what kind of coach he would be. They loved his leadership, intelligence and basketball aptitude and were becoming convinced he really and truly was it in for the long haul. "I'm 100 percent in," McHale told them. "You guys are going to get everything from me." The Rockets were anxious enough about this part of McHale to have owner Leslie Alexander ask him the same thing. In the end, Morey and his assistants Gersson Rosas and Sam Hinkie believed they had a perfect candidate. McHale was so perfect that Alexander had them double-check what they had already doubledchecked. With every telephone call, the Rockets were more impressed, and a guy who barely had been on their radar screen at the beginning of the process was on his way to becoming their new coach. Along the way, there would be some tough talks. Why did such-and-such player dislike him? What situations did he handle poorly? Is he committed to working the hours required to be a successful NBA coach? In some ways, Morey probably knew what he was getting. For a couple of years, the Rockets and Timberwolves have co-hosted one of the NBA's largest pre-draft camps.
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Brandon Bailey Graduate Assistant Director of Basketball Operations DePaul Mens Basketball

During those hours in the gym, it's NBA people talking about the game and players and everything else. The great debate Morey never forgot the day McHale, then general manager of the Timberwolves, and Tom Thibodeau, a Rockets assistant, now coach of the Bulls, got into a heated argument about how best to defend the low post. "It was right there in front of everyone at the camp," Morey said, "and it was amazing to listen to. They went through multiple pick-and-rolls and a bunch of other things. I got a sense of him as a person in times like that." Morey began the search to replace Rick Adelman by going through 10 years of files on assistant coaches. With the help of senior vice president Keith Jones and others, that list was trimmed to 20 candidates and then 10. Morey met with Alexander several times for input. "Mr. Alexander mainly wanted a smart guy," Morey said. The Rockets ended up doing formal interviews with six candidates. All the first interviews lasted close to 10 hours. Kelvin Sampson's went 14. Morey wrestled with the idea of hiring a former player versus a career coach. His buddy, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, feels strongly about having a distinguished former player as the coach and surrounding him with quality assistants to help with strategic preparation. Ainge apparently believes no single coaching quality is more important than the leadership and credibility some former players bring. Morey doesn't agree. He has high regard for Jeff Van Gundy and believes two other finalists, Lawrence Frank and Dwane Casey, would have been good hires. But there was something about McHale. His charisma. His smarts. His desire to be a great coach and to learn. "(Former Rockets personnel man) Dean Cooper worked with Kevin and believes he takes the best of his staff and the people around him," Morey said. "Kevin has a Midwestern feel about him. He's very upfront with people. He doesn't get offended. Morey had been impressed at how much McHale improved between his first and second stints as Timberwolves coach. The Wolves got better shots, had better defensive awareness, you name it. Case closed "There was massive improvement," Morey said. Morey and the others became convinced they had their man. Alexander signed off, and McHale will be Introduced today at Toyota Center. McHale's hiring is a gamble only in that he has spent so little time coaching. But there's no situation on the floor or locker room he hasn't witnessed, and in some cases, dealt with. The Rockets have plenty of work to do on their roster, so the hiring of McHale is a step in the right direction with plenty more needed. But it's a significant step, and the Rockets hope, a lasting one.

(847) 609-4595 Bbailey3@depaul.edu Brandon.bailey.24@gmail.com Twitter: @CoachBBailey

Brandon Bailey Graduate Assistant Director of Basketball Operations DePaul Mens Basketball

Dwyane Wade is back with a vengeance

By Brian Windhorst Found at ESPN.com

DALLAS -- This was not a time for ceremonial titles and locker-room speeches. Dwyane Wade acted like a captain under heavy pressure on Sunday night. Because of that leadership, the Miami Heat have retaken control of The NBA Finals. Knowing the enormous implications of Game 3 of the tied series, Wade started to set an example at practice on Saturday. He carried it right on through another taut fourth quarter in a whirl of energy, aggression and spirit. There were several different reasons the Heat struck back for a 88-86 victory over the Dallas Mavericks to take a 2-1 series lead, not the least of which was another great player missed a shot when Dirk Nowitzki was just off at the buzzer. But there was no bigger difference-maker than Wade, who played like a man both immersed in and unafraid of the moment. I took it upon myself as a leader to lead my guys by example, Wade said. Ive been here before. Indeed he has, and it showed. Wade is now 6-0 over his career in Game 3s when a series is tied 1-1, and none of them were grander than this one. He demonstrated his confidence with 29 points and 11 rebounds, plus some high-level motivation that started a day earlier. He grabbed the attention of his teammates by practicing like he was the 15th man on the last day before cuts, being as aggressive on an off day as theyd seen him all season. The Heat couldnt afford to lose Game 3 and Wade knew it, not just because of what history said about falling behind 2-1 without home-court advantage. He and the Heat rolled their eyes at the number that was repeated over and over for three days. Eleven times in the past 25 years the Finals have been tied 1-1 and the winner of Game 3 is a perfect 11-0 in winning the title. No, after personally experiencing what happened in 2006 when the Heat stole a game they probably shouldnt have won against the Mavs, he knew so well how fragile momentum is in a best-of-seven series. Dallas blew a huge lead and never recovered. Of course, he could say this and his teammates could listen. Obviously, they knew it already. Wade did say it, too. He had film review sessions and private meetings with LeBron James to discuss how they were compelled to show up in Dallas with a response that would put the Mavs on their heels in their home building. Wade then communicated that with actions more than any words couldve. It showed throughout Game 3, from his charging drives to the basket from the first minutes of the game right through the soaring rebounds he pulled down in traffic during the fourth quarter. My teammates saw it, Wade said. They can tell I wanted this game. Just a week or so ago it looked like Wades legs had expired for this season. He was failing to get his usual lift on dunks. He was missing layups. He was sweating profusely early in games like it was training camp. He was taking more possessions easy than anyone was used to. The Heat, it appeared,
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Brandon Bailey Graduate Assistant Director of Basketball Operations DePaul Mens Basketball

might have to win with a diminished version of their leader. Now, it seems as though he was just lying in wait to spring forth when the stakes were highest. No one jumped higher than Wade on Sunday. He now has seven dunks in the past two games and in Game 3 made more baskets inside five feet -- eight of them -- than the Mavs (seven) did as a team. He also led the Heat in rebounds on a night when they were struggling so badly to get loose balls that they were constantly getting whistled for fouls as they chased. First and foremost, he pushed himself, said Chris Bosh, who made the game-winning shot, otherwise Wade probably wouldve done that, too. We rode the wave for a while. He set the tone for us. When a guy like that is really getting on you and demanding more, thats what team is all about. At times, Wade barked at Bosh and even at James, his co-star who, up until recently, had performed so much of the heavy lifting. At halftime, Wade was in James' ear. James hasnt been doing that in this series thus far. On Sunday he had a respectable 17 points and nine assists, four of them coming in the fourth quarter. But James, and the rest of the Heat, have badly needed Wade to return to form and he has. As a competitor, you love when guys challenge you, James said. I respect that. As strongly as Nowitzki has played over the three games -- he had 34 points in Game 3, the most the Heat have allowed to an opponent in the postseason -- Wade has been able to best him. And that has meant the Heat have been able to edge the Mavs thus far as well. Its understanding the moment, Wade said. You remember how tough it was to win here and what it takes to win games like these. He got the feeling when the team bus arrived Saturday. Hes been to the American Airlines Center numerous times since 2006 but this brought back the memories and the emotions. The NBA Finals logos were everywhere. The black curtains were up, creating makeshift rooms. Over there was where he and Shaquille ONeal posed with the Larry OBrien Trophy. Down this hall was where he accepted his Finals MVP trophy. Then there was the tiny locker room, where the champagne flowed that June night five years ago. His teammates may have helped the Heat get this far and most likely if theres another one of those trophies headed to Miami, more will be needed from them. But right now Wade is pulling them along and getting them over the hump. In a series that has been defined by narrow margins and extreme competitiveness, Wade's all-around Game 3 performance might turn out to be a defining moment. Im just trying to lead, Wade said. My guys did a great job of following that lead.

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Brandon Bailey Graduate Assistant Director of Basketball Operations DePaul Mens Basketball

Harrison Barnes RSVPs Chris Paul Elite Guard camp

By: Matt Norlander Found at CBSSportsline.com

Don't ever accuse Harrison Barnes of not caring about improving his game. Ever. One of the elite college players -- who would have easily been a top-five pick in this year's draft -- only wants to get better, and he's going to do it in a different way. Not by changing up his workout routine or spending early hours in the gym. That's typical of any player who desperately and earnestly wants to improve his craft. But Barnes has a different approach in the coming days. He's attending Chris Paul's CP3 Elite Guard Camp, which begins this weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C. Barnes is a 2/3 hybrid. For a non-point guard to receive such an invitation, it tells you more about Barnes' reputation, his work ethic and what people think of him. This is the third straight season Barnes will attend the camp. Clearly he's getting something out of it, as most have seen how Barnes' game has improved in the past two years. The UNC sophomore will be joining teammate Kendall Marshall, as well as a number of recognizable point guards from the college ranks: Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine, of Syracuse; Kenny Boynton, of Florida; Seth Curry, of Duke; Jordan Taylor, of Wisconsin; Marcus Denmon, of Missouri; Peyton Siva, of Louisville; Brad Burgess, of VCU; and a few others. To be fair, Barnes isn't the only outlier. Memphis' Will Barton and Duke's Andre Dawkins will also be in attendance. But they, unlike Barnes, aren't seen as polished, NBA-ready players. If you want a vapid reason to speculate why this might not be so great: Kyle Singler attended the camp last year. His ensuing season didn't live up to the hype. Talent aside, it's things like this that help the upper echelon players remain at the top of their game and their sport. Barnes could easily go through typical routines this summer and show up in Chapel Hill next season as a preseason All-America. But he's clearly not wired that way.

Investing in Free Throws Pays Off

By: Ben Hoffman Found at NYTimes.com

The Dallas Mavericks, the N.B.A.s top team this season, are no strangers to winning ways, but in getting an edge on opponents over the past several years, they have gone beyond sheer talent. The Mavericks have what amounts to a secret weapon in Gary Boren, an investment banker who is the N.B.A.s lone free-throw coach.
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Brandon Bailey Graduate Assistant Director of Basketball Operations DePaul Mens Basketball

Boren, 67, has been with the Mavericks as an assistant since 1999 while working in banking. He is an adviser to The Equity Group, which is based in Dallas. Since he joined the Mavericks, they have finished in the top six in the league each season in free-throw shooting, including four firstplace finishes. This season, Boren has them at 80.7 percent, the fourth time his team has been higher than 80 percent at the line. He has been invaluable to us and a big part of our success, the Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, said in an e-mail message. Boren begins by filming the players shooting free throws. Whats amazing is, these guys have seen miles of film running up and down the court and the coaches are yelling at them, but not one in a hundred has been filmed standing still shooting a free throw, Boren said. There are 41 common problems that Boren is looking for in the footage, but he cautions that merely telling a player what he is doing wrong will not help him. He must first deal with the mental barriers that players put up. They all think theyre better shooters than they are, Boren said. Im not trying to make them all look like Mark Price, Boren said of the former N.B.A. guard of the late 1980s and 90s, who played mostly with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Price was a 90 percent career free-throw shooter, the best in league history. Im trying to take what theyve got because theyve already shot thousands of shots and tweak their shot in the most important areas that will give them a shot to get better. Even when the player wants to learn, Boren must conquer another barrier. He tells them: When I look at you, I see two things a brain and a bunch of muscles and the good news is the brain is really clicking. But the bad news is your muscles have been taking a siesta. They like it the old way and theyre not paying attention to any of this stuff. So when we get down there, theyre going to resist. Possibly Borens biggest success story was the 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley. During the early part of his career, Bradley shot mostly between 60 to 70 percent from the free-throw line. Working with Boren, he reeled off three consecutive seasons above 80 percent, including 92.2 percent in 53 games in 2001-2. Shawn worked on the mechanics, did everything I wanted him to, and he went to 90 percent, Boren said. In 1993, Boren approached Don Nelson, who was the coach of the Golden State Warriors, the leagues worst club from the free-throw line, and offered to help. Nelson used Boren as a free-throw adviser with the Warriors and when he coached the Knicks, then made him an assistant when he became the coach of the Mavericks. Nelson and Avery Johnson, who replaced him as the coach of the Mavericks during the 2004-5 season, allowed Boren to have autonomy over free-throw shooting. Boren credits Denny Price, Marks father, with teaching him the fundamentals. Denny Price taught Mark free-throw shooting when he coached him in high school and continued to give his son advice throughout his N.B.A. career. When Boren decided to pursue ways to help players with free throws, he sought out Denny Price, whom he had met, and received pointers from him.

(847) 609-4595 Bbailey3@depaul.edu Brandon.bailey.24@gmail.com Twitter: @CoachBBailey

Brandon Bailey Graduate Assistant Director of Basketball Operations DePaul Mens Basketball

By no stretch am I claiming to have dreamed all this stuff up, Boren said, laughing. I tell people that knew who Mark was and his daddy Denny that 98 percent of what youre hearing from me, just pretend youre listening to Denny Price talking. Despite Borens success, no other teams have hired a free-throw coach. Its so simple whats going on here, Boren said. Its just crazy that theres no other free throw coaches in the league.

"Must be smart enough to be able to practice on your own. Don Meyer "The devil loves it when you say 'I'll do it tomorrow.'" Don Meyer The only way to improve tomorrow is to know what you did wrong today. - Anonymous "Courage is knowing what not to fear." Plato Players dont care how much you know until they know how much you care. Anonymous

(847) 609-4595 Bbailey3@depaul.edu Brandon.bailey.24@gmail.com Twitter: @CoachBBailey

Brandon Bailey Graduate Assistant Director of Basketball Operations DePaul Mens Basketball

(847) 609-4595 Bbailey3@depaul.edu Brandon.bailey.24@gmail.com Twitter: @CoachBBailey

Brandon Bailey Graduate Assistant Director of Basketball Operations DePaul Mens Basketball