G League coach Brian Shaw agreed with Barangay Ginebra mentor Tim Cone that every game is all about preparation.
Shaw gave his nod to Cone’s knack for getting ready for each encounter in the Philippine Basketball Association during a discussion on Monday evening in National Basketball Association Republika Playoffs Party countdown.
“Coach said it, it’s about preparation. But one thing that I’d like to do is hammer home that it’s about us,” said Shaw, who is now handling NBA G League Team for Elite Prospects.
The 54-year-old Shaw, the former head coach of the Denver Nuggets, and an ex-assistant coach to the Los Angeles Lakers before he moved on the G League, listened to Cone talk about his coaching style during the program.
Shaw’s team of crack young cagers includes next season’s top NBA prospect Jalen Green and 7’2” Ateneo standout Kai Sotto.
For Shaw, molding his squad of talents into team players, is something that he is getting into.
“If we put up a game plan, and we execute it, it does not matter what they (the opposing team) do, as long as we do what we want to do,” explained Shaw.
Cone, speaking from the experience he gained from coaching numerous Philippine Basketball teams to a total of 22 titles since 1989, also believes that highly motivated players attract him the most when he goes on a recruitment binge.
“For me, it’s high motive. You have to have a high motive. All the skills are important, and you look at the skills. But for me, I gotta see a guy with high motivation and a desire to play hard,” said Cone.
Many players, according to Cone, can shoot the ball, and some won’t be able to in just three moves.
This is where he sees the difference when he goes to a rookie camp.
He looks for a player who can not only shoot, but can defend. And that is what attracts him the most in a player.
“It’s not about throwing shots every time. Because that throws me off as a coach,” added Cone.