Cedrick Joseph is a player development strategist who has been around an NBA locker room, along with inspiring tons of young athletes.
Welcome back to another episode of “Coach’s Corner”, this time I had the pleasure of meeting Cedrick Joseph.
Coach Joseph has experience as a Skill Development Trainer and as an assistant coach at the high school and college levels. He also worked as a DOBO for a D1 program, as well as for an NBA organization in the player development/video coordinator room. During his career he has mainly focused on player development, video coordination, and scouting. Additionally, he has experience in basketball video analytics and player personnel roles.
How did you pursue your coaching career? What stood out about being a coach that made you want to give back to the game?
“Throughout high school I played basketball, football and track and field. Oddly enough, I still had plenty of interest in playing basketball after high school but truth be told, I was way more gifted at football, I just never quite got the memo. I began by working as a work-study student during my first year at Barry University within the athletic department under Jim Cox, who was one of the Associate Athletic Directors for the school.
Every once in a while, I would poke my head into the gymnasium while the team was practicing and it furthered into helping the team out during practice and eventually it got to the point of me working with the team thanks to an invite from assistant coaches Myles Davis, Cody Stephens and Head Coach Butch Estes. As I continued to grow in my understanding of the game at a higher level with them, I think that ignited the appetite to be a coach as well as a mentor (or less formally, someone that someone can rely on and seek out for assistance.)”
Could you share more about your time within the NBA? It’s such an amazing opportunity, but how did you get your foot in the door?
“There was a program that the NBA League office runs currently on a year to year basis called the Future Basketball Operations Stars program and I was able to be selected into the first class in 2022. With that program, it gave me insights and projections of how NBA teams, the league office, the WNBA, the BAL, and international basketball projects were conducted across the board. Afterwards I went to the Washington Wizards to aid the coaching staff within the video room and player development. It’s an age old saying but sometimes, like me, you just get lucky!”
How do you evaluate talent? Do you have a physical or even a mental checklist you refer to when either scouting potential players for your team or when there’s tryouts within the high school level?
“When evaluating talent—whether through scouting or during high school tryouts—I start with physical traits that often separate players early on: athleticism, strength, height, and wingspan. These measurable tools can set a baseline for potential.
From there, I place a strong emphasis on basketball IQ, particularly how players process the game on both ends of the floor. Defensively, I value the ability to guard your position, switch across multiple spots, and operate effectively within help-side principles.Offensively, I look for players who can create their own shot or generate easy scoring opportunities for others. Those decision making scenarios like recognizing defensive rotations, making timely passes, and reading the flow of the game—speaks volumes about a player’s feel for the game. Shooting would also be something that I look for, as that opens up the floor for an individual player even more. In short, when it comes to the on-court traits, I highly value versatility.
I also take note of vocal leadership and body language. While not every player has been developed or encouraged to be a vocal leader, those who communicate clearly, bring energy, and uplift teammates on the floor stand out. Similarly, body language, such as how players respond to mistakes, coaching, and adversity, tells me a lot about their maturity and mindset. These qualities aren’t mandatory, but when they’re present, they’re powerful intangibles that elevate a player’s value.”
Being an inspirational and respected mentor is very vital in youth sports, what’s your approach on being a great role model for your players and students?
“I believe being an inspirational and respected mentor starts with genuinely valuing each student’s day-to-day experiences as they grow, not just as athletes, but as people. My approach isn’t to impose my own values, but to create a space where they feel safe to express themselves, whether that means venting frustrations, sharing personal wins, or asking for guidance. I want them to know I’m here for them with no agenda. Students and student-athletes benefit most from mentors who support them unconditionally, without expecting anything in return. That kind of trust and consistency can make all the difference in their development both on and off the court.”
What is your player development philosophy? Do you specifically focus on a certain area of a player’s game more than the rest?
“This depends on the period of time in relation to the player’s season, but overall the distribution and framework of their player development to me is pretty linear. First, if the season was ongoing, it depends on their position and role within their team and would be a bit more restricted. As an example, a secondary ball handler would work on more play-finishing scenarios (scoring out of off-ball screens, working from a swing pass etc) and a a primary ball-handler being put in playmaking scenarios (scoring and making reads out of P/R, isolation scenarios, etc). Spot-up shooters would take spot up shots, and rolling/rim-finishing bigs would work off scoring out of rolls, post ups, and cuts.
Now out of season, that is where I would like to say the creativity of the player would flourish. Spot up shooters may want to come around and experiment with scoring out of pick and roll. Primary ball-handlers may want to work on a higher volume of spot up shots or shooting off screens. Bigs may want to work on creating more out of P/R as ball handlers (still very experimental but with the increasing versatility of players, I’m a huge fan.)
Above all, I focus on keeping the bread and butter, the core essentials of a player’s game (as the consistent foundation) with the jam and jelly (the sweet add-ons) making up a smaller portion.
As textbook as it may sound, many players work on things they would never actually use in a game — a major issue in developing younger athletes, especially when their trainers lack context about their role within a team’s lineup.”
What are some of the ways you help athletes outside or off the court? Is it similar ways such as giving back to the community or perhaps being more involved in the student’s life outside of basketball?
“I think being involved in their off-court interests, especially for my high-school athletes has been a great way for me to be connected with them. Many of them participate in school plays, or performances with their bands within their communities and they always appreciate me showing up. It is always good to see them outside and interacting with their family/friends in a non-competitive environment.”
Building trust is very important for relationship building and building chemistry, however it’s not something that’s immediately given. Does it happen naturally for you over time? Or does it require a longer timeframe to connect with the player?
“I do think that it happens naturally as it comes with the understanding that I am here to be a resource to them, not just in basketball but in life in general. This goes back to taking an interest in their overall lives, so they know my comments and interactions with them are truly genuine.”
From the youth leagues to to the NBA, what are some of the most notable differences in terms of environment and/or expectations?
“In youth leagues through JV high school basketball, the primary focus is typically on individual and team development. AAU, however, is somewhat of an outlier, especially at higher levels, as the emphasis shifts toward game performance with minimal practice time. This is largely due to the heavy volume of tournaments and events during the spring and summer.
At the college level, the season is highly system-oriented, shaped by the coach’s philosophy and team identity. There’s a strong balance between practices and games, with development occurring within the framework of the system with peak performances coming in late February/early to mid-March.
In the NBA, the high volume of games limits the opportunity for intense practices as the season goes on. As a result, player development occurs more through game reps, film study, and individualized work, rather than the full-team, high-intensity practices more common in high school and college settings.”
This was a great opportunity to meet Coach Joseph and hear his amazing insight and his experience up and down the competitive levels. We had a great time and hope you can learn from Coach Joseph!
Founder & Managing Editor of Behind the Coaching.