
Chris Oliver Brain Dump Hoops Lessons (EP426)
From The Basketball Podcast by Chris Oliver
May 27, 2026 · 52 min · Episode 426
About this episode
Chris Oliver shares a collection of basketball coaching insights and strategies gathered from six months of discussions with coaches at various levels.
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…
People in this episode
Host: Chris Oliver
Topics covered
- coaching insights
- basketball strategies
- player development
- defensive concepts
- offensive concepts
- practice techniques
Keywords
- coaching phrases
- conceptual defense
- structured to unstructured
- MIG
- MIA
- four E's
- unexpected praise
- competitive pressure
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NCAA, NBA
Places: London, Paris
More episodes of The Basketball Podcast
- Chris Carrawell on Duke Basketball (EP428) · June 10, 2026 · 54 min
- Stephen Silas on Training Camp and Practice Preparation (EP427) · June 3, 2026 · 43 min
- Charles Klask on Conceptual Defense (EP425) · May 20, 2026 · 59 min
- Steve Donahue on Teaching the Game that Wins (EP424) · May 13, 2026 · 53 min
- Easton Bazzoli on The System That Won (EP423) · May 6, 2026 · 51 min
- Greg Tonagel on Daily Habits and Fearless Players (EP422) · April 29, 2026 · 53 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Basketball Podcast podcast page.