Hi Teammates! Last week I had a consultation with a player specifically for me to break down his game film that he was shipping out with his resume to agents. I do this quite often as part of my services and usually, I just review one game, but this time I watched two.
I asked him to send me his best and worst games from a combine he had recently attended. My initial aim was just to compare the two but I ended up realizing how differently players judge their games compared to what a coach, scout, or GM would look at it which is the view that I would be looking through.
First, I watched his “worst” game and then the “best” game. After I watched the “best” one, I realized why he thought that was the better game. It was because he scored more points in that one. In my opinion, though, the first game was way better.
Each coach, scout, or GM has certain “No-go’s” that they watch for and if they see them in a film, they will dismiss the player and move on to the next one. I have a few of these “No-go’s”. One of these, he did twice in the “best” game. Had I been scouting him, I would have turned the video off and would have never seen how many points he eventually made. The fact that he did it twice made me livid even though I wasn’t scouting him for a job.
I take notes while I evaluate and I had many more positive notes in the “worst” game than in the “best” game. It dawned on me at that moment that I needed to inform not only him but everyone else interested that they need to reevaluate how they choose which film.
I wrote a blog post here on my homepage called Gamefilm Evaluation. Please check it out if you are putting together a film to send out to teams
One important tip I will give now, however, is for you to watch the game again before you send it out. Look at it as if you were looking to hire the person in the video, not as a player. Be objective. Usually, players know exactly when they did something good, but hardly any remember when they did something wrong.
Keep a tally of things you would not like to see from a person you are about to pay money to. Figure out your own ”No-go’s” that you would not like to see if you were a coach. Watch things that do not show up in stats, such as how the person spaces themselves on the court. What does the player do off the ball? How does the player use screens or pick-and-roll situations? Does the player clap for his teammates when they do something good? Does the player actively participate in timeouts by listening to the coach? Does the player communicate on defense? How much did the player contribute to the win or loss of the game?
There are so many more questions or things you can look for. Be critical of yourself. Understand that a coach will be if he or she is scouting you for a job. Figure out what might make a coach turn the video off and look at another player instead.
That being said, no one plays a PERFECT game. Coaches know this when they take a look at your film. Try to evalute yourself objectively and figure out which film is the most marketable for you. If you only have one full game, then you will have to go with it. At least then you will understand if a coach passes on you. It isn’t just about how many points you score.