The Basketball Podcast: EP 330 with Mike Magpayo on Adjustments and Analytics

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Mike Magpayo Quotes:

“A big part of my job right now is fundraising and making sure we’re competing in that space and the NIL space.”

“I prefer to be solution-based. I prefer to be positive. I prefer to coach in this encouraging, motivating environment. I’m not perfect . . There’s going to be some intense moments, there’s going to be some negative moments that maybe I would like to take back and maybe I was focused on the problem too much as opposed to focusing on the solution.”

“I really feel like a head coach’s job is to manage us through losses. The wins, I don’t celebrate them as much as I probably should. A lot of times as a head coach, you learn this. I remember my first wins. It was just more like relief . . because you put so much into it. But the losses are where you’re trying to manage through.”

“You have to adapt. My two best players are now 6’0. My two best guards, my first three years as head coach, were 6’4 and 6’5 . . So, I have to adapt and it is a challenge. I have to open up my thinking and add more tools to my toolbox. I have to open up my thought process.”

“We play in a lot of advantage games. We play a lot of these 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 to try to see if they [the players] can make reads . . I’m trying to see if we can discover other layers of offensive attack. We have to get back to being a top 100 offensive team if we want to win this league.”

“The biggest misconception is that all these analytics are going to get guys better. I think it’s the measurement, the accountability, and then it’s the kind of person you are. If you’re willing to compete and overcome, if you challenge yourself and try to improve every single day.”

“What makes the team better and the individuals better is that they know that everything has purpose. Every shot they take in a practice, every possession and practice has purpose because you are getting measured.”

“I think that inspiration hopefully comes from something that they have within . . But I’ve got to motivate these guys. I have to have a vision, the pillars of our program . . you better have a mission statement . . Alignment is huge. Making sure that everybody from the top down is aligned and working towards the same vision.”

Mike Magpayo Breakdown:

00:00 Coach undergoes growth season amidst fundraising challenges.
03:40 Struggles in the first half, unable to close.
08:05 Coach improved defense, jumped from 288th.
11:30 Adapting coaching style, embracing commitment to twos.
14:20 Adapting new shape, still figuring it out.
18:21 Improving teamwork, staying calm under pressure.
20:33 Advantage/disadvantaged games stimulate basketball decision making.
24:18 Prioritize playing strong side actions before audibles.
28:36 Adapting to injuries, exploring new game styles.
32:42 Encouraging young guards to think and shoot.
33:34 Accountability, structure, freedom, and flow in coaching.
38:35 Continuous tracking and grading in high academic program.
40:14 NBA analytics and purposeful practice for improvement.
43:48 Successful real estate career transitions into coaching.
46:48 Adapted, persevered, and found success in basketball.
49:51 Asian coaches, inspiration, support for women in sports.

Mike Magpayo

Greg Graber

Kyle Smith

David Yanai

David Patrick

Dave Klatsky

Mike Czepil

Mitch Henderson

Kobe Altman

Kevin McGeehan

Chris Mooney

Joe Pasternak

Ken Pomeroy

Erik Spoelstra

Anthony Santos

Jerome Tang

Jase Coburn