We just played Start, Bench, Cut with practice plans (and it got heated)

Hey Coach,

Ever feel like you're throwing everything at practice, hoping something sticks?

Mark and I just did something we've never done before on The Hours – we played Start, Bench, Cut with actual practice strategies.

Here's how it worked:

I'd give Mark an objective (like "we need to compete harder"), he'd give me three ways to tackle it in practice, and I'd rank them:

• Start (best idea)

• Bench (solid but not great)

• and Cut (not making the team)

Then we flipped it.

No prep. No filter. Just two coaches going at it the way you would with your staff.

The objectives we tackled:

• Competing harder

• Better spacing

• Ball handling

• Finishing

• Rebounding

And here's the thing – we didn't always agree. In fact, I broke the rules entirely on one of them because I felt so strongly about what actually works.

Watch the full episode here to see which ideas made the cut and which ones we sent packing.

Don't Have Time to Watch? Here Are the Key Takeaways:

1. Want More Compete? Lock Your Start

Don't just play more competitive games (you should already be doing that). Instead, start every activity with something everyone agrees is tough.

Before one-on-one? Throw a ball out – whoever gets it plays offense. Before five-on-five? Start with a shot and a rebound battle. Thread toughness through every activity in practice, and you'll get way more teachable moments than just telling them to "be tougher."

2. Spacing Starts with Structure

You can't reshape if you never arrive spaced in the first place. Give your five players clearly defined roles and starting positions. The more you limit someone initially, the more freedom they actually have – because paralysis by analysis is real.

Remember: it takes a lot of discipline to play with freedom. Hunt nines with the ball, hunt space without it.

3. Ball Handling Isn't Fixed in Practice

Here's the hard truth – you're not going to develop ball handlers in practice within one season. It's just not going to happen.

What WILL work? Homework Basketball. Every great ball handler I know became great on their own time, not because of what they did with a coach. Practice is for applying skills against adversaries. Development happens alone in your driveway.

(And honestly, if your players can't do 20 push-ups in a row, strength training will help their ball handling more than any dribble drill will.)

4. Finishing = Playing One-on-One

Want better finishers? Play a ton of one-on-one. When you remove the option to pass, players have to figure out how to get a shot. It's also the best shot selection tool you have.

And yeah, strength matters more than you think. The best finishers are always the strongest players. The confidence that comes from feeling someone bounce off of you is real.

5. Rebounding? Measure It

Most of you aren't tracking defensive rebounding percentage – and that which you measure will improve.

Here's the benchmark: 70-80% is where you want to be on defensive rebounding. For offensive rebounding, 40% is elite. If both add up to 100%, you're in a good spot.

Then film it, train it with games like Cutthroat (three teams of four, only score stops, instant violation if you don't rebound), and put your playing time where your mouth is – play your better rebounders more.

This is the art of coaching, right?

You watch film, come up with a measurement, train it in practice with the right constraints, then establish a standard that influences playing time.

Stay SAVI,

-Tyler

P.S. Coach, if you’re ready to help us revolutionize the way basketball is coached and played, join us at SAVI Basketball. It’s free for 7 days, and you’ll immediately know whether or not we’re your people.