Part 2 of a discussion that Alex and Tyler had two weeks ago, this part of the discussion we go into more depth about reverse engineering your principles of play in a team setting and then using those principles to create your player development sessions and team practices

We talk more about constraints, finding a balance between productive creativity and what's too much as well as talking about when to get general with your training versus specific.

Make sure to stay up to date on all of our social media!

IG: https://www.instagram.com/byanymeanscoaches/

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ByAnyMeansCoaches

Check out Coleman's new book: The Modern Basketball Blueprint

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Basketball-Blueprint-Holistic-Adaptable/dp/B0G34LSST6

Coleman and Tyler take a look into how Coleman built the exact philosophies that you can read about in his book, there's so much to learn from someones journey and their experiences.

Coleman is a trailblazer in the player development space, he's forged his own path and didn't necessarily follow the traditional: play, intern as a rebounder/passer/defender, assistant coach and then finally start to create your own path. He's been creating his own path since he was 16.

This book is a culmination of all of his experimentation, trials and tribulations, the lessons he's learned, the researched he's done, the knowledge he's gathered and so on. One of the coolest aspects that separates Coleman is his vast experience amongst a plethora of different cultures across the entire globe - this has helped shape him as a coach, person, etc.

We touch on what the CLA has meant for him, how important it is and also a little about what the future holds. Lastly we cover his performance background and why it's so important to at least know enough to be dangerous if you want to truly build an athlete in a holistic manner.

There's so much more that we couldn't cover, however, that's why there's a book! This was an appetizer, make sure to go check out the 'The Modern Basketball Blueprint' as well as his first book 'Deep Skill', links are below.

The Modern Basketball Blueprint: https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Basketball-Blueprint-Holistic-Adaptable/dp/B0G34LSST6

Deep Skill: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Skill-Basketball-Understanding-Developing/dp/B0CP4GZKX7/ref=pd_lpo_d_sccl_1/130-0831915-3598138?pd_rd_w=cAgDr&content-id=amzn1.sym.4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_p=4c8c52db-06f8-4e42-8e56-912796f2ea6c&pf_rd_r=D99MQQ52JSXZDEBWYCAK&pd_rd_wg=XaRpY&pd_rd_r=fb09e7d5-a018-4448-b29a-8fb9b38de40d&pd_rd_i=B0CP4GZKX7&psc=1

Make sure to check us out on all social media as well:

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ByAnyMeansCoaches

IG: https://www.instagram.com/byanymeanscoaches/

NBA shooting coach Dave Love joins Coleman and Tyler for one of the deepest conversations we’ve had on shooting development. Dave breaks down shooting periodization, quantifying touch, movement coordination, skill adaptability, the massive misconceptions coaches still hold about shooting mechanics and much more.

He shares stories from working with Aaron Gordon, Tristan Thompson, and other NBA clients, while also offering incredibly practical guidance for coaches working at every level.

This one’s a masterclass.

00:00 – 06:00 | Introduction & Dave’s Background

• Dave Love’s career overview
• How he got into NBA shooting development
• Early mistakes and breakthroughs

06:00 – 23:00 | Shooting Periodization Explained

• How periodization applies to skill development
• The three phases:
  • Movement Coordination
  • Skill Adaptability
  • Performance Training
• Why weak shooters shouldn’t jump into “game-like” training
• The challenge point and avoiding overload

23:00 – 38:00 | Touch, the C-Curve, & Shot Adaptation

• Dave’s research on touch
• Why good shooters adjust angle & velocity together
• Why inconsistent shooters adjust in opposite directions
• How constraints and variability train touch
• Practical examples for coaches to use

38:00 – 59:00 | Self-Organization, Constraints & The Sandbox Analogy

• Why self-organization is NOT “do whatever you want”
• How constraints shape learning
• The sandbox:
  • Walls = boundaries
  • Center = functional variability
• Giving players freedom inside structure
• Avoiding over-coaching explanations

59:00 – 1:13:00 | Case Studies & Coaching in High-Performance Settings

• Aaron Gordon’s transformation
• Tristan Thompson switching hands
• Campazzo and the 50–40–90 season
• Adapting training when you can't add load
• Individualizing intention within team drills
• How to guide players without changing the drill

1:13:00 – 1:26:20 | Future of Shooting Research & Final Takeaways

• The next frontier: studying ball biomechanics, not just form
• Spin axis, ball path, and straight-line set point
• Why the field still misunderstands “smoothness”
• Final advice for coaches at all levels
• Where to find Dave Love and his resources

You can find Dave on all socials @Coachdavelove, check out his website "coachdavelove.com" and make sure to check out his podcast - The Coach Dave Love Podcast

As always, stay up to date with everything we have going on

IG: https://www.instagram.com/byanymeanscoaches/

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ByAnyMeansCoaches

Also, check out Coleman's new book!!

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Basketball-Blueprint-Holistic-Adaptable/dp/B0G34LSST6

In today’s episode, we’re breaking down what actually builds better defenders in the modern game.
Most coaches approach defense with yelling, punishment, endless sliding, and shell drill reps… but none of that matters if your players can’t actually defend 1-on-1.

This episode dives into the three major pillars of developing elite defenders individually (the part most teams skip) and how these foundations translate to better team defense:

1. Perceptual Skills

Elite defense starts with reading the game.
We break down:

• Why offense always has the advantage, and how anticipation closes the gap
• Postural cues and attunement
• Developing angle recognition
• Defensive craft: creative swipes, baiting, pulling the chair
• How to train anticipation through small-sided games and film

2. Movement & Physical Qualities

If players can’t move, they can’t defend.
We cover:

• Transitional locomotion
• General & positional strength
• The defensive first step
• Bracing, decel → re-accel
• Warm-up design that actually builds defensive qualities
• Using constraints to sharpen movement solutions

3. Effort (The Right Kind)

Effort isn’t yelling or punishment, but rewiring priorities.
You’ll learn:

• How to shift a player’s defensive identity
• Disadvantaged scenarios that naturally increase effort
• Defensive-incentivized SSGs
• “Perfect Defense” drills
• Conditioning that builds pride, not burnout
• Why we’d rather scale efficiency in hard-playing athletes than try to wake up lazy ones

Want to Go Deeper?

A ton of what we talk about today connects directly to the ideas inside The Modern Basketball Blueprint, my new book.
If you’re a coach who wants to bridge science, movement, decision-making, and practical training, this book lays out the full framework.

Grab your copy here → www.byanymeanscoaches.com/blueprint

If you found this valuable:

• Share the episode with a coach who wants to build a tougher, smarter defensive team
• Subscribe so you don’t miss the next deep dive
• Screenshot and tag us on IG so we can repost you

In this episode, we break down a mini meta-analysis of three peer-reviewed studies on the quiet eye, or the visual behavior that predicts shooting performance better than mechanics, “form,” or feel. We look at how elite shooters use their eyes differently, what actually happens to gaze under pressure and fatigue, and why the final fixation on the rim is the single strongest predictor of accuracy across conditions.

You’ll walk away understanding the underlying science, how contest and intensity disrupt visual control, and what coaches can do to train quiet-eye stability on the court. This is the foundation behind consistent shooting, and it’s backed by real data.

Make sure you're following us on all socials, we have some incredible stuff coming very soon!

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ByAnyMeansCoaches

IG: https://www.instagram.com/byanymeanscoaches/

Welcome to the By Any Means Coaches Podcast! The podcast has a new look and format, and we're about to bring so much value it's not even funny. The important format changes:

1. Coleman Ayers (@byanymeansbasketball) will be giving you guys 2 solo episodes a week: he'll be taking a deep dive into the art and science of player development, every single episode.

2. Tyler and Alex will still be providing one episode per week in a similar dialogue and feel to prior episodes, discussing pertinent topics around: team coaching, player development, mindset/psychology and much more

3. Guests will be back: Tyler Clark, Coleman Ayers and Alex Silva will be hosting some of the greatest minds in the basketball world. Albeit, coaches, players, agents, front office, researchers, etc

All of us with The By Any Means Coaches Podcast are going to work our butts off to provide as much value as humanly possible and we think this format will execute exactly that.

Besides announcements, Alex and Tyler discuss environmental constraints this week and how/when/why to use them as well as discussing the idea of other constraints and they take you along some of their experience in learning about constraints how the CLA expanded their ability to coach.

Make sure to stay up to date on all platforms!

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ByAnyMeansCoaches

IG: https://www.instagram.com/byanymeanscoaches/

Basketball coaches talk a lot about “consistency,” “repeatability,” and “perfect reps.” But the human body was never built to operate like a robot. It’s built with noise… unavoidable variability in the nervous system, muscles, perception, and movement itself.

And if you don’t understand motor noise, you’ll completely misunderstand shooting mechanics, skill acquisition, and why even elite shooters miss wide open looks.

Make sure to check us out on all of our socials and stay updated on some very cool things happening in the very near future:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ByAnyMeansCoaches

IG: https://www.instagram.com/byanymeanscoaches/

In this episode, we break down the 10 small-sided games I’d choose if I could only do 10 for the rest of my life! Because each game can be constrained and modified in countless ways, this list becomes an infinite toolbox for any coach or trainer.

Whether you primarily run team practices or smaller, PD-focused workouts, these 10 SSGs give you a simple, scalable framework for creating game-like learning environments without overthinking drills or reinventing the wheel.

Make sure to follow us on all socials to stay up to date on everything we have going on, you don't want to miss out on anything!

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@ByAnyMeansCoaches

IG: https://www.instagram.com/byanymeanscoaches/