By Ian Chew
I just have to admit it – it was a childhood dream come true!
Of all the privileges of interacting with NBA coaches and players at the adidas Nations camp and witnessing the highest levels of basketball play, getting to know coach Ed Schillings of Team USA 2010 personally must surely rank up there as one of the best experiences I had at the camp.
Despite getting a team of the youngest players in the camp (Tony Wroten of Team USA 2010 was only 15 years old!), Ed nevertheless stuck true to his vision of how basketball ought to be played. In leading his team to victory, he managed to get his team to play great transition defense as well as draw out best performances from his players.
I managed to catch up with the warm and friendly former assistant New Jersey Nets coach on a bus trip as well as over the final celebratory dinner at the camp for an insight into his life.
Red Sports: Tell me about you influences growing up.
Ed Schilling: My greatest influences were three people, my high school coach, Jim Rosenthil, mentor John Capilari and my dad Ed Schiling, who was a college coach as well. I pretty much grew up in a basketball environment. At the same time, I believe you have to be yourself and have your own ideas. I gleaned from each of the experiences I have been through to come up with own philosophy.
What was your experience like in school?
My dad used to be a coach at a High School and my life revolved around that. When I was growing up, I played for my College basketball team as a point guard. Till this day, I still hold the record for the most number of assists in a game in the Mid-west Conference: 17 assists in the game!
I did not neglect my studies, however. I scored well in my college grades, scoring As for all my subjects and earning All-american honours in education in my two years in college.
What’s your advise for high school students intending to join the NBA?
I generally don't advise students to skip their college education and be enrolled in the NBA. It's a man's world out there and many difficulties abound that outsiders are not aware of. The player should have some level of maturity before going into the NBA. Even for myself, I was pretty well-grounded and stable when I entered the NBA but found it not easy.
How do you find the Team USA 2010 in the adidas Nations camp?
They are a bunch of really talented kids and have bright futures ahead of them. Brandon Knight from Fort Layderale, Florida is a quick and smart point guard. Josh Smith has a great physical presence in the paint. In particular, I felt that LaQuinton Ross played great defense and had a man-of the-match performance in the final.
Tell me about some of the most talented basketball players you have coached so far.
The first would be Marcus Camby because of his exceptional shot blocking ability and unselfish play. He will be turning up for the Los Angeles Clippers next year.
The next would be last year’s top draft pick Greg Oden, currently at the Portland Trail Blazers, because of his size and strength at such a young age.
Another player would be Mike Conley because of his fantastic speed and ability to change directions so quickly.
Carl Landry's ability to perform in the post and also outside at the perimeter makes him such a versatile player.
Mario Chalmers has deep shooting range and calmness to make the big shots in the game.
Finally, power forward Wayne Simien of the Miami Heat/Atlanta Hawks because of his fantastic attitude towards the game and his deep understanding of the game.
List the top three draft picks this year you think will succeed in the NBA.
Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls is going to be terrific because he is such a pure point guard.
Michael Beasley of the Miami Heat is also going to be a force to be reckoned with because he is so strong and makes good use of both his right and left hands.
Thirdly, I think Mario Chalmers is going to surprise many people in Miami because he is so mentally tough and the Heat does have some good players in the squad like Dwayne Wade and Shawn Marion to complement him.
Which are the NBA teams you would be looking out for in the next season?
The Boston Celtics would be a top contender because of their three key players remaining for the next season (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen). Dallas Mavericks would also be a team to watch out for due to the changes to the coaching staff and the presence of a veteran squad. Lastly, I pick the San Antonio Spurs as a team to watch out for. Tim Duncan will be entering into the second half of his career and would be very focused on leading his team to the championship.
What is your personal philosophy in coaching basketball?
Ed: Every player competes to win. Every runner enters the race to get the prize. Similarly, I prepare my players to win the game.
To do that defensively, my players must not give away easy baskets. Offensively, my team must run and execute well. If there are no clear-cut chances, my players should rework the half court set, pass, cut and take the shot at the appropriate moments.
My philosophy is to make a positive influence and contribution to my players in the team. Since God had given me the talent and opportunity to coach basketball, I will do it to the best of my ability. It doesn't matter if I'm coaching a ten year-old boy or an NBA all-star, I will still do my best for God's glory.
Your faith seems integral to your coaching. Tell me about your religious experiences.
Throughout my life, I believed that if I did everything to the best that I can, everything would work itself out. That pretty much worked for my basketball and athletic activities. However, when I got married, I found out that this no longer held true.
Back at about 1991, I looked up an old college buddy who took the time to share his faith with me and encourage me regarding my marriage struggles. At the same time, I was going through some pretty difficult challenges in my life. I decided then to give my life to Christ after that.
What can Asians do to improve their level of basketball in the international scene?
You got to increase your players' exposure to more games and competitions. That's the beauty about camps like these. The Asian players get to see basketball played at the highest levels and know what they have to do to improve their level of play. You have to see before you can know where to aim for.
At the same time, Asians should work to improve their physical upper body strength in an increasingly physical game. You should also not neglect the practice of fundamental skills like dribbling, shooting, pass and cut as well as defensive skills.
Asian teams should also develop their own style of play which is more suited for their physique, making use of their quickness on the court. Players should be trained in making quick passes and executing off the ball runs for opportunities to shoot. You should not try to adopt the American style of play which focuses on overpowering opponents in one-on-one situations.
What are you doing now?
I'm now running Champions Academy, which helps youths from elementary school to college to improve their individual basketball skills and hopefully, also impart some life skills as well. In the off-seasons, we also help prepare NBA players for the season by helping them work on their skills and physical conditioning.
We also help NBA draft picks prepare for their pre-drafts workouts. Some examples of players I have worked with are Greg Oden, who was the top draft pick in 2007 for Portland Trail Blazers; Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies who was the fourth pick; Daquane Cook of Miami Heat who was pick number 21; and Carl Landry of the Houston Rockets.
Ed Schilling has been a college basketball player and a high school physical education teacher. He also led the University of Massachusetts basketball team to the final four as an assistant coach before serving as the assistant coach for John Calipari in the New Jersey Nets, all in the same year. He then took up the head coach position at Division 1 Wright State University for six years. His most recent appointment was the assistant coach at the University of Memphis basketball team before starting Champions Academy.
For more related stories about the adidas Nations Camp, see
Team Asia notches up first morale boosting win at adidas Nations camp
Team Asia runs out of steam in slim loss to Team Africa in adidas Nations camp
Team USA powers past Team Asia Blue for huge second win in adidas Nations camp
Singaporeans Calvin Chia and Lin Shengyu struggle in Team Asia Blue’s loss to Canada in adidas Nations basketball Camp.
Catch video highlights of the game which Team USA 2010 beat Team USA 2009 for the title:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0F_6nwpKs8
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