If only that last shot would have fell in, we could have won the game. The player who missed that last shot opportunity is either crying or feeling like the world has ended. This is where the coach comes in and explains how the game was really lost. This is where keeping game stats and understanding that winning or losing is a team issue comes to play. Yes, your team could have still won the game if the player had made that last shot, but that’s not why and where the game was lost. What about the poor rebounding, no boxing out, the 18 turnovers, 7 missed lay ups (I track these since this is the easiest shot in basketball and of all the shots, this one should be made at a very high percentage), no hustle on defense, the 17 missed shots in the first half? All these things contributed to the loss by taking away opportunities to score for your team as well as converting into opportunities for the other team.
If you think about it, the game could have been won or lost in the first quarter due to the turnovers, or poor defense. If the coach and players understand this concept, work hard to fix areas that need improvement, execute and focus hard on the court at all times (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters) – there may not be a need for any more missed (or made) “last shots.”
