Court-side Interview: Raoul Korner

So we learned some great insight in the world of basketball in Germany. It’s our pleasure to introduce one of BBL Germany’s very own coach Raoul Korner. BBL is the top league in the German market. So for those who want to play in Germany read on:

What influenced you to become a professional coach?

I always enjoyed being part of a team and leading it and of course I love basketball. Since my talent as a player was limited, I chose to become a coach. I started coaching youth teams when I was 16 years old.

How does language play a role in communicating with your players and
coaching staff?

Our language in practice is English, within the Coaching Staff, we mostly speak German.

What is your coaching philosophy/style on offense and defense?

As a coach you should never have to describe your philosophy – people should recognize it from watching your teams play!
I want my teams to play aggressively on defense, basics of having a good season is a team committed to playing defense.
On offense we want to play structured and intelligent team basketball, where we dictate the rhythm and speed of the game.
Players have to know, understand and respect their roles on the team and put the team success first.

What do you think the most important qualities in your players are?

My players have to be hard working, high character people, who put the team first and who are disciplined on and off the court. They have to understand their role and give everything they have every day in practices and games. Players who don’t practice hard, will not help you win!

When you search for talent what resources do you rely on?

Any resource I can find! The most important recruiting tool is still the “eye-test”, but I would never sign a player without talking to his former coaches about him first. I think players sometimes don’t realize that coaches communicate and their behavior on and off the court will either help or limit their career.

How do you prefer to be contacted when looking for players to fill up
your roster?

I have a clear vision and profile of the players I am looking for, which I am sending out to agents who I am working with or who approach me. If I then receive a list of overpriced or underqualified players, I am done with that agent. So I prefer realistic and shortlists of players who fit my profiles.

Do you prefer new players to have previous professional experience?

That helps, but experience costs money. Sometimes the chances of getting a “steal” are higher when signing a high-quality rookie. But the risk is higher as well, so you have to find the right balance.

How much preparation do you make before each game?

We write and hand out a detailed scouting report about our next opponent before every game and work on our game plan (offense and defense) in practice. My assistant coaches are busy all day every day to prepare all information about our next opponent.

If there’s any position you would want your player to have advantage at, what is it?

on Point guard!

When do you feel players learn the most, in practice or in games
(explain)?

You need both to develop! At practices, you have higher repetition and can experiment more, in games you have higher pressure, which can hardly be simulated in practice.

What is your formula to helping players become better?

The only formula is hard work and the ability to step outside your comfort zone.

What is the most difficult position to fill?

Point guard.

Would you agree that guards on most ball clubs tend to come from local
talent and if so why?

Yes, because for all other positions you need size and you can’t teach that!