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He wasn't concerned about the outcome of a single possession, but about linking all possessions together in search of a rhythm, striving for the players to play on the court with mathematical precision and coordination. At the end of the game, if you combined all the possessions and your scoring efficiency was higher than the opponent's, you would win the game.
The key to this rhythm was the control of possession time—when and where to initiate an attack was crucial to the players and the overall rhythm of the game.
Therefore, players meticulously coached by Dean Smith always had a calm and unhurried manner when playing on the court. They were neither recklessly aggressive nor sluggishly lethargic, but instead they moved with a coordinated rhythm.
