My family always watches the Warriors games together, but lately it hasn’t been as much fun. My mom played in college and used to coach, and she wants me to pay attention to what the coaches and players are doing — and I just want to watch the game. What can I tell her so that I can enjoy watching?
M.G., Martinez
Every once in a while, I’ll have a player sit by me for a few minutes while I scout an upcoming opponent — and the first thing I say is “Don’t watch the ball.” Almost everything of interest in scouting a team (as opposed to scouting an individual) happens away from the ball.
Unfortunately, when I focus on that aspect of the game, I often have no idea who’s ahead. (I’ll look up at halftime and wonder how the team I think is better is losing by 10. …)
Even when I zero in on an individual player, that means not just watching her while she has the ball in her hands, but what she does when she doesn’t have the ball. Remember, there are 10 players on the court at any given time, and even on offense, the percentages say, all things being equal, one player is without the ball 80 percent of the time. (Throw in defense, and now it’s 90 percent of the time without the ball. …)
So if you’re going to use a Warriors game, or any game, as a teaching/learning experience, almost by definition, you can’t really “watch” the game, and in fact, the whole process is now a lot more like work than pleasure.
Of course, working on your game is important, and watching how the best teams in the world play basketball is a great opportunity to learn and get better. And this is true of every sport — there’s always more to learn, and just listening to the announcers adds to the knowledge base.
On the other hand, sports are supposed to be fun. Having fun, after all, is why we start playing, and though we put in a lot of work to be able to play well, at the end of the day, if you’re not having enough fun, you’re going to quit playing.
What does all this have to do with your question? Simple — there’s a time to work and a time to have fun. Your mom says you should “work” your way through the postseason, but you’re ready to have fun and enjoy the playoffs.
Generally, I’ve found it wise to go along with the mom in any household, but in this case, I have to disagree. Those who have been Warriors fans for a long time know all too well that teams like this one are few and far between — very few and very far, in fact — so now’s the time to enjoy this rare outburst of extreme excellence.
In short, save the lessons and savor the games. The joy of sport is one of its great attractions, and the Warriors at their best are a joyous experience and it would be a shame to miss the magic while trying to figure out who set that weakside screen on the baseline.
Clay Kallam has been an assistant athletic director and has coached numerous sports at a handful of high schools throughout the Bay Area. His column Behind The Clipboard column appears monthly in SportStars Magazine. View more of the at SportStarsMag.com. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at claykallam@gmail.com.
photo: Campolindo guard Aidan Mahaney (CREDIT: David Gershon)
Most professional athletes are over-paid, egotistical primadonnas and are poor role models. Forget the pros and watch college and high school for a better appreciation of the game.
Great info but I kind of feel like you missed the point of the question. They said their mom wants them to learn when they watch the game and they just want to watch as a fan.
Oldest trick in the book. Player points and tells his opponent that his shoe is untied. When the player looks, he shoots and scores!