When Red Auerbach built the Boston Celtics into a NBA dynasty, he relied on basic basketball fundamentals n footwork, passing, team defense, good shot selection n and players capable of thinking on the court.
St. Louis Flight head basketball coach Cliff Levingston believes these same principles believes can work in 2005.
With the Flight playing under .500, and the American Basketball Association being a low-budget operation, Orlando Johnson is his only assistant coach. So Levingston has no choice but to be a hands-on coach who instructs each player to understand his responsibility on the floor.
“Talent alone does not get you to the next level,” said Levingston.
“I teach my players fundamentals and how to think on the court when they play the game. Nowadays, players have lots of tricks. This is a simple game. You want to reach a certain point on the floor with the least amount of effort.”
Levingston designs his uptempo offense around his players’ skills, so he needs a point guard who understands when to push the ball up the floor, read the time on the shot clock and score. Levingston’s point guard also has to know the offense, the plays and where everyone is supposed to be on the floor.
The shooting guard, Cedric Moody, small forward, Justice Sueing, and swingman, De Marcus Hench, are taught how to come off picks, read picks to score, position themselves to find their shot within the offense and play defense.
Levingston calls the power forward, Tyrone Lee, an undersized four with a nice shot and ability to get to the basket. He and center Brian Edwards, who averages a double/double per game, are taught the proper angles on how to receive the entry pass in the paint and how to use their footwork on the block to establish position.
“Most of these players will not be a superstar in the NBA,” Levingston said, “but they can be productive role players and teams need workhorses to win.”
One way Levingston motivates his players is by wearing his championship ring won as a player with the Chicago Bulls.
“I challenge the players to step up and play,” said Levingston.
“I can look in a player’s eye and tell if they are ready to play. If you are not ready, somebody will come off the bench and take up the slack. And pro scouts are coming to the games, so you cannot afford to take a night off.”
Most players in the Continental Basketball Association and the NBA Developmental League are in the minor leagues for two reasons; to develop mental toughness and to improve their games so they can advance to the next level.
“I use the best of a player’s strength to mold him into a mentally tough player,” said Levingston. “Most coaches try to mold players to fit their philosophy. I am a teaching coach. I will accentuate your strengths and upgrade your weakness to make you a better player.”
Levingston’s resumé in pro basketball consists of 11 years n six years with the Atlanta Hawks, two with the Detroit Pistons, two with the Bulls and one with the Denver Nuggets. Levingston also played two years in Europe.
Until he instructed his son, Lowell Grissom, Levingston did not have an interest in coaching. Then, the coaching bug bit, and Levingston volunteered with the AAU team in Fayetteville, Georgia. Levingston got his first professional job in basketball with the CBA’s Fort Wayne Fury under Ken Davidson.
Levingston’s coaching career took him to Division II’s St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana, then to Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis. Levingston’s next move was to Dodge City of the United States Basketball Association as head coach in 2002.
“I always tell my players that I have been in the trenches,” Levingston said, “and you cannot tell me a lot about basketball, because I have more forgotten more basketball than you will ever know.”
