Lawrence Frank Coaching U Live 2015 Clinic Notes

Written by Tedi Yaghoubian

Tedi Yaghoubian is a head basketball coach at Northern Suburbs Basketball Association in Sydney Australia – currently coaching Men’s Under 18 representative squad. Last year the Norths Bears won the metropolitan championship and were runners-up at the NSW State Shied Tournament. Coach Yaghoubian’s playing experience includes representative basketball for Norths Bears State League Division 1 team as well as many years of playing at club level.



Basketball Coaching Clinic Notes



0 Comments(s)



October 26, 2015

Lawrence Frank Coaching U Live 2015 Clinic Notes

Lawrence Frank is widely regarded in the NBA as one the best defensive coaches and mind of the game. He is currently serving under coach Doc River’s staff as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers. He formerly served as head coach of the Detroit Pistons and the Nets, and has been an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics and the Nets coaching Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd.

Coach Frank spent 4 seasons as manager for Indiana University Hoosiers basketball team led by legendary coach Bob Knight. During his time at Indiana the Hoosiers won the Big Ten Conference championship twice, once in the 1988–1989 season and again in the 1990-91 season. His senior year, during the 1991-92 season, Indiana reached the 1992 NCAA Final Four of the tournament.

Coach Frank began his coaching career as an assistant coach with Marquette University for two seasons followed by a three year tenure at University of Tennessee. He started his NBA coaching career under Brian Hill at Vancouver Grizzlies in 1997. His responsibilities with the Grizzlies included scouting upcoming opponents as well as practice and bench coaching duties. His first head coaching job in the NBA was with the New Jersey Nets as an interim coach in 2004 beginning with thirteen consecutive wins setting a record for the most consecutive wins by a rookie NBA head coach. After his stint with the Nets, Frank joined the Celtics bench as the lead assistant before becoming the head coach of the Detroit Pistons from 2011-2013. He later joined Jason Kidd’s staff on the Brooklyn Nets squad before becoming an assistant coach with Los Angeles Clippers – a role he currently serves.

coaching u live 2015

In this year’s Coaching U Live 2015 clinic, coach frank spoke about the triangle defensive principles utilised in the NBA that is also relevant for all levels – college as well as high school. Coach Frank spoke in length about various situations including pick and rolls and post traps where the defense has two players guarding the ball and the remaining there defenders are a triangle behind the ball. Coach Frank also lays out the 5 non-negotiables of playing team defense. Coach Frank spends time explaining the Clippers philosophy of guarding special players in various situations. Coach demonstrates guarding great players in isolation situations – high iso and wing iso – and the subsequent rotations in these concepts. Coach Frank emphasises that the effectiveness of each pick and roll coverage or post trap depends on the personnel you have on your team. Ultimately coaches have to decide what shots they are willing to live with and then build their defensive system to reflect that philosophy.

Coach Frank provided many other valuable teaching points which you will find in the attached notes. Diagrams are also provided to further demonstrate various situations explained in this fantastic coaching u live clinic. I hope you find these notes and diagrams useful for your team and your program in the up-coming season.