Baron, who barely spent an hour at the stadium on day one of the Coaches Clinic, got right to work. Baron and assistant coach Christopher Clooney used the Army Services Corps team to help the 16 assembled State coaches get a glimpse at some of the moves used by professional basketballers in America. Also present were students from nearby schools and colleges keen to benefit from Baron’s expertise.
The day started with a simple warm-up drill but by the end of the first hour, the LA Clippers player moved to a more advanced level. Three-man rolls and several screen-and-roll moves were demonstrated. Though these drills are taught at the most basic level in India, there was a clear difference in the intensity levels.
While the coaches were busy noting down important plays, Baron and Clooney took to improving defensive positions and also stressed the importance of communication during a training session. “This is my first visit to India and I absolutely love it here,” said the two-time NBA All-Star. “You have to communicate in order to put up a good performance.”
Known to be a crowd-pleaser, Baron spoke with gusto to the students seated on the sidelines but on the court, the man was all business.
He marshalled the ten men at his disposal through some very intricate baseline passes, drive-in jumpers and swingarm jump-shots, and within a matter of minutes, there was a clear improvement in the players’ conversion rate and confidence levels.
“Most people wonder if three days can make a difference to how a player plays, but three days is good enough time. This will not only help players improve, it will also help the younger generation playing with them to learn and become sound players. There is a lot of potential here. We hope to tap into all the resources and make India a basketball-playing nation,” said Baron.
Wednesday will bring an end to the Bangalore leg of the training program.
The NBA wagon will then roll over to New Delhi.
DH News Service
