But you could clearly see a shift. He was more vocal on D, more engaged in the team's overall structure, pointing out rotations, encouraging teammates.

  During a blessedly welcome water break, as guys colpsed near the coolers chugging water like desert nomads, Kiyoshi motioned James over to the whiteboard again. Tahera had already added more complex diagrams, yers of Xs and Os that looked like advanced calculus.

  "Okay, James, let's talk strategy," Kiyoshi said, his voice calmer now but still focused. He tapped one of the new diagrams, a meticulously drawn 2-3 zone defense. Xs marked the defenders' spots, arrows indicated typical rotations.

  "Saint Abraham loves running this zone, especially after made baskets to slow the game down. They're disciplined with it." He looked at James expectantly. "Forget the obvious stuff like hitting the gaps."

  "Looking at this setup, knowing their personnel – remember how #12 likes to cheat towards the ball?" Tahera chimed in, adding that specific detail. Kiyoshi nodded. "Right."

  "Knowing that, where are the less obvious pressure points? Where can we consistently exploit this formation if they throw it at us?" He wasn't just asking for an answer; he was testing James's deeper understanding of the game's geometry and flow.

  James leaned in, his focus narrowing onto the whiteboard, the shouts and bounces of the ongoing drills fading into the background. His eyes scanned the Xs and Os, not just seeing positions, but visualizing movement, anticipating reactions. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty. He pointed decisively to the side of the key opposite the ball.

  "Here," he stated simply. "Their weak-side rotation. It's consistently a step slow, especially if their forward," he tapped an X near the baseline, "gets drawn too far into the paint helping on drives."

  He traced a potential py with his finger. "So, if we swing the ball quickly, maybe get it into Ahsan in the high post right here," his finger nded just below the free-throw line, "he draws attention. If he pump fakes and makes a strong baseline drive," another traced line towards the hoop, "it forces this bottom defender"—he indicated the X guarding the block—"to commit fully. He has to help, or it's an easy yup."

  James paused, his eyes flicking across the diagram, predicting the defensive shift. "When that defender commits," his finger darted to the far corner, "Arshad, spotting up right here, should have a clean look for three before the top guard can rotate all the way over."

  He then quickly slid his finger diagonally across the top of the key. "Alternatively, if that rotation is fast, the skip pass," he traced the long pass across the court, "to the opposite wing will be wide open."

  "That defender will be recovering, leaving our shooter there with time to set his feet. It forces them to choose which shot they want to give up."