Being in the Right Place at the Right Time is Good Offense
Swen Nater

I’ve never really liked watching ice hockey. It’s probably because of the fights but even more due to the fact I can’t see the puck half the time because it’s moving too fast. I wish they would make it bright yellow or highlight it like they do the first down line in a televised football game. I’m watching a hockey game and I hear, “Goal!,” and I didn’t even see that puck going in the net. C’mon! Make that thing glow or something!

As I write, there’s a hockey game on TV. It’s the 2010 Olympic Gold Medal game between the US and Canadian men. (Don’t worry; I’m taping it and will watch the rest later.) But while I was watching, I noticed something that caught my interest. It is one of the differences between good and great players and good and great teams. Let me explain.

Fourth-Grade Girls Basketball Game
Yesterday, I watched a 4th grade girls basketball game. You’ve seen them also where one, perhaps two, players on each team can actually do something with the ball. Well after the ball is passed, the rest of the offensive players begin to move to other spots, hoping to get the next pass.

High School Boys Basketball Game
Two weeks ago, I attended a boys high school basketball game. At the moment the ball was passed, the rest of the players moved. The response was much quicker than it was in the 4th grade girls game.

US Olympic Hockey Game
In this US vs. Canada hockey game, a player was about to receive the puck on the side. Well before the puck reached him, teammates were already moving into position, one anticipating a pass and moving into scoring position in front of the net, another positioning himself close by incase the first one passed instead of shot, and still another who was expecting a rebound.

There are many differences between teams with novice players and teams with experienced players and one of those differences is Expectation, also called Anticipation. Through experience and coaching, as players get older, they will learn to be ahead of the play and, therefore, ahead of the defense.

 I believe this was one of our strengths at UCLA. We played “together” better than any other team in the country. Bill Walton and Greg Lee knew each other like twins. For example, before Greg received a pass at the top of the key, Bill was already heading backdoo, to the rim, anticipating a lob pass. Larry Hollyfield was already one-fourth of his way to the basket when Bill caught a pass at the freethrow line. And even before a timeout was called, I was already at the Gatorade Jug, pouring myself a cold one.

Teaching Anticipation
How did Coach Wooden teach us to anticipate and be in the right place at the right time? He broke down the offense, taught by repetition, and played a limited amount of players in the games.

Breaking Down the Offense:
Coach broke down the offense into two-on-two, three-on-three (etc) so we could work on the elements.
 
Repetition:
We worked on one of those elements for fifteen minutes straight, over and over again, every day, with incessant correction. As we did, the anticipation became better and better. In fact, sometimes we were too early.
 
Only Seven Players Played:
Those familiar with Coach Wooden teams know, he only played seven players because he believed it helped develop better teamwork. The fewer players in the drills, the better they can get to know each other and learn each other’s idiosyncrasies.

I kind of wish Coach would not have been so dogmatic about that last one. But, then again, I would not have been as quick with the Gatorade.

Conclusion
You know something funny about me not being able to see the puck in a hockey game? Because I am now anticipating where that puck is going to go next, I can actually see it a lot better. Funny how that works.

“A good hockey player plays the puck where it is. A great hockey player plays the puck where it’s going to be.” Wayne Gretzky