I still remember walking into my first professional practice with San Miguel in 2006, back when Coach Chot Reyes was briefly steering the ship. That experience taught me more about preparation than any playbook ever could, and it's exactly why I believe having a comprehensive basketball checklist transforms good seasons into perfect ones. When Wilson mentioned, "Coach Chot was my coach when I played for San Miguel," referring to Reyes' brief time with SMB in 2006, it resonated deeply with me because those transitional periods often reveal what truly matters in basketball preparation. Over my years both on the court and analyzing the game, I've developed what I consider the ultimate 2019-20 hoops checklist that balances tactical preparation with the human elements of the game.
Let's start with physical conditioning because honestly, you can't implement any system if your body can't keep up. I'm a firm believer that teams should dedicate at least 40% of their preseason to conditioning work, even if that seems excessive to some coaches. During that 2006 season with Coach Reyes, we had this brutal conditioning drill where we had to complete 94 feet of defensive slides in under 8 seconds - repeated 15 times with only 20-second breaks. Sounds insane, right? But that drill alone improved our transition defense by about 30% compared to previous seasons. For the 2019-20 season, I'd recommend incorporating more position-specific conditioning. Big men need different endurance than guards, and I've seen too many programs treat them identically. My personal preference leans toward mixed martial arts conditioning for perimeter players - the footwork and endurance translate beautifully to basketball.
Skill development comes next, and here's where many teams make what I consider a fundamental mistake. They focus too much on what players can't do rather than enhancing what they can. I'll never forget how Coach Reyes transformed our shooting sessions. Instead of the standard spot shooting, we had what he called "context shooting" - taking the exact shots we'd see in games with the same defensive pressure simulated. Our shooting percentage improved from 44% to nearly 49% that season, and I've carried that philosophy ever since. For your 2019-20 checklist, I'd insist on including at least 15 minutes daily of what I call "pressure shooting" - taking game-speed shots when physically exhausted. It's uncomfortable, but so are fourth quarters in close games.
The tactical preparation aspect is where most checklists become too rigid, in my opinion. Yes, you need set plays and defensive schemes, but the best teams adapt like water. During that 2006 season, we had approximately 25 set plays, but what made Coach Reyes' system work was the emphasis on reading and reacting. I'd argue that about 60% of your tactical work should focus on decision-making in various scenarios rather than memorizing plays. Create what I call "chaos drills" where you change the parameters mid-play - add a defender, remove a offensive player, change the score situation. It trains basketball IQ better than any scripted practice.
Team chemistry might be the most overlooked element in most checklists, and I'm quite passionate about this. You can have the most talented roster imaginable, but if they don't connect off the court, they'll never reach their potential. Our 2006 San Miguel team had weekly team dinners that weren't optional - and I mean truly not optional, even if you were nursing an injury. Those conversations over meals built trust that translated to better court communication. For the 2019-20 season, I'd mandate at least two non-basketball team activities per month. My personal favorite is escape rooms - nothing builds problem-solving and communication like being locked in a room together with a common goal.
Mental preparation completes what I consider the foundation of a perfect season. The game happens as much between the ears as it does on the hardwood. Visualization techniques, meditation, and even working with sports psychologists should be non-negotiable in your checklist. I've seen teams improve their late-game execution by nearly 20% simply by incorporating 10 minutes of daily guided visualization. Personally, I'm partial to having players visualize not just success but failure scenarios too - how to respond when things go wrong, because they inevitably will.
Looking back at that 2006 season with Coach Reyes, the real lesson was that preparation transcends any single season or system. The perfect basketball season isn't about going undefeated - it's about maximizing whatever potential your team possesses. My complete 2019-20 hoops checklist ultimately comes down to this: balance the physical with the mental, the individual with the collective, the structured with the adaptive. The teams that will thrive are those who understand that basketball remains beautifully human despite all the analytics and technology. Your checklist should reflect that reality, creating space for both the measurable and the magical elements of this game we love.