The Basketball Podcast: EP426 with Chris Oliver on Hoops Lessons

My notebook overflowed after 6 months with coaches at every level—hoops lessons from London, Paris, NBA weekends, youth basketball, messing around with my coaching, and the NCAA trenches. Having been incredibly fortunate to talk hoops with coaches at every level of the game over the last six months, I’ve synthesized a collection of insights I believe can move the needle for your program.

• Shared ideas on key coaching phrases including “do you change the room when you walk in the room,” the “sit and wait” concept, and defensive strategies like “chest and contest” and “beat them with your feet.”
• Emphasized the importance of “conceptual defense” and “structured to unstructured” approaches, along with offensive concepts like “the feeder is the leader” and “we don’t slow, we don’t stop” when executing plays.
• Shared specific terminology like “MIG” (Most Important Girl/Guy) and “MIA” (Missing an Action) for defensive assignments and discussed the importance of making practices reflect actual game situations by never starting drills at 0-0 and incorporating scores to create competitive pressure.
• Covered coaching principles including “when in doubt, make it a game,” the “four E’s” approach (Environment, Exploration, Explicit Instruction, and Expectations), and the concept of “unexpected praise” to enhance player development and enjoyment.

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Chris Oliver Quotes:

“Do you change the room when you walk in the room?”

“We’re trying to solve the problem that’s presented to us.”

“Anytime you’re denied cutting to a get, you’re just going to continue to the ball and turn denial into a ball screen… we don’t slow, we don’t stop.”

“Teaching players to hold space and move late, not early, is one of the hardest but most important things.”

“The feeder is the leader… the player who passes the ball is the leader of the trigger and drives the next advantage.”

“When in doubt, make it a game… it’s the simplest and most powerful coaching advice to increase engagement and transfer.”

“Never start at 0–0… starting with a score creates pressure, urgency, and realism that actually reflects the game.”

“Figure it out.”

“If you see two, you know what to do.”

“When in doubt, make it a game.”

“Remind them, don’t run them.”

Chris Oliver Breakdown: