A study on the Portuguese League of Basketball — Part 6
So… where do we go from here?
If you have read all the other 5 parts: thank you very much and congratulations on keeping up with my ramblings. You must now think that I am a pessimistic person who can only see the bad side of things. I probably am, but that’s not the point. Portuguese basketball has a lot to offer and I’m going to start this text with that. We are a small country with a rich history that can overcome any obstacle and find ways to be better. And that can apply to basketball. We are getting better, every day.
Portugal will probably have an NBA player for the first time in a few months. We are home to one of the greatest WNBA players ever. We have kids playing in the United States and Spain. We will have an Under-20 team in Division A of the European Championship. This may not look like a lot, but it is growth. And more is certainly coming. With this being said, we can — and should — aim to do more. Taking into account the study I presented, I will now give my opinion on what is needed and what I would do to help reach an ideal point.
American and other International players
I said and will reinforce it: Portuguese teams need better scouting. Not every team has the resources, I get that, but some have and don’t take advantage of that. It’s impossible for most clubs to just create a scouting department, but even having one person, capable of doing that job with quality is possible and a great investment long term. We have a tendency to try to fix bigger problems with quick, not at all recommendable solutions in the long term. So, those problems will continue to appear as time goes on because we didn’t take care of it in the beginning.
Another important aspect is the duration of their stay on their teams. It is common practice for Portuguese teams to constantly switch between foreign players, but the quantity of players leaving in their first season, many of them after a few games, should be a cause for concern. Finding a way to keep players more time is key, creating in Portugal the habit to be the entrance door into European basketball. We won’t be able to keep the best talent, but will improve steadily if we can attract better players and prove to them that we can develop them and increase their value. This is tricky, again, because of the length of contracts Portuguese teams (and most European teams) tend to agree on, but that would be a welcome change if teams can get players to compromise on that. Getting overlooked players out of college or young guys on lower-level leagues around Europe and elevating their game, using a strategy that is used in football, could be a great way to improve quality.
Division 1 and 2 of the NCAA should be the main market for Portuguese teams. But not every American player will fit. Players from high-major colleges can be good if an interesting scenario appears, but they aren’t usually interested in waiting to move up. Division 1 and 2 players with high usage, similar to what they will face here are ideal. Some players who don’t put up great numbers in college because their strengths are hidden or are not well used (this is where great scouting comes into play) can also be interesting. But it all becomes a question of fit. Different coaches have different ideas and, although they can adapt, a team can’t just sign random players and expect it to work. There has to be a lot more study and work done before signing players.
Portuguese young talent
In here resides the issue with more room for improvement. Portuguese players have a really hard time accumulating minutes and being impactful for their teams. As I have mentioned before, that’s a much earlier stage problem. We don’t work well enough with our youth teams to have the players reaching their potential as soon as they can.
First of all, we can’t take our minibasket (under-12 especially) as lightly as we do. Yes, it should be fun. But no, it shouldn’t be everything about fun. Players at that stage are already prepared to compete more than just having tournaments for fun. We also shouldn’t just throw our first-year coaches into an u12 team and make them do that very important ground work by themselves, with no experience and no support. The focus at this age isn’t to win, but players should know that we are preparing them to be athletes. That this is an opportunity and they have to work for it early on.
Another important aspect is letting the young players fail. Coaches become too focused on winning under-14 and 16 games that they forget that they are crucial for a player’s success later on. Don’t get me wrong, as I said earlier, competing and trying to win should be present. But not at the expense of young players’ development. Your best dribbler shouldn’t be the only one touching the ball, your biggest guy shouldn’t just stand next to the rim and grab rebounds and your best shooter shouldn’t just be allowed outside the arc because he will have his shot blocked inside. It’s of extreme importance that the players experience any and every role in a basketball court in his younger years. Just let them make mistakes, let them take risks and teach them what they can do better, don’t just tell them they can’t do something. Youth coaches are probably the most important coaches a player will have in his career and teams should have a structured project to help everyone succeed.
A big part of Americans being so much better than everyone else is how soon they start playing and the number of hours they collect just playing by themselves. Training without a coach, alone in their backyard or at the park with their friends is so important, improves creativity and decision making and help developing the fundamentals. The coach’s job is to show them how to do something and guide players, but they need the space to make mistakes and try to come up with solutions to better themselves. It’s no coincidence that Portugal has so many talented football players — they start early and play whenever and wherever they can.
To better accommodate young players into the league, they have to grow first. Accompanying them throughout their younger years in various areas (preparing them mentally, technically and physically is essential), if possible, having in the club professionals that can provide expertise in these subjects. And, when they reach the stage when they’re ready, don’t just abandon them. Bigger clubs should use the loan of players to other teams in the league much more and smaller clubs should also look into enforcing that, because that’s where the biggest amount of young talent is. Loaning players is positive for the team that loans out, as they have one of their talents developing with much better competition and positive for teams that receive those players, as they improve their team in the moment.
What the Federation (and all of us) can do
Kids and teens today are overwhelmed with information and possibilities. Rarely they will sit and watch a full game with so many things to do. The Portuguese Federation of Basketball has done a great job at creating a channel to stream games, but more can be done. Having a department to put out content that is of interest to the younger generation. More highlights are always welcome, interacting with them and having ways to help them learn about the game (the work on this is being done, but in a really initial stage at the moment). Having them feel like they’re a part of the action is essential.
We also need better promotion of our own players. Having kids with idols that are not exclusive to the NBA is important. We should put the focus on our players, getting them as close to our young guys, varying from practices to games, clinics and basketball camps. Having our most talented players accompanying the kids and teaching them is a great way for them to create a bond and have someone they look up to. Also, putting up more information on our players abroad, with more visual content that attracts younger viewers could be a way for them to realize that they can also reach that same level.
Something that was being done a few years ago and that we lost a bit are the school tournaments and all the promotion around it. Speaking from experience, I started playing basketball because of a tournament at my school and having the Final-8 of the Portuguese Cup being played in my hometown. That pushed me to try it and I am thankful for that each and every day. Why not go back to that? Creating and promoting tournaments nationwide in cooperation with schools. Even invite the local teams to help organize and have their coaches and staff at the tournament, teaching and helping. Having players from the senior teams being there too. Every action is helpful and can spark a growth of federated basketball players around Portugal.
We can all do something to help basketball grow in our country. I will be sure to try and do as much as I can and I invite everyone to do the same. Also, don’t hesitate to contact me and discuss your thoughts, tell me what you agree and disagree with, what changes would you make and even what we can do together to grow. I was touched by the outpour of support I received when I launched the 1st part of this study and I am always willing to discuss basketball with everyone who wants to. You can contact me on my twitter or by email (aplfd@hotmail.com).
