Ep. 316 Phil Beckner, NBA Player Development Coach

In this episode, Coach Brendan Suhr is joined by NBA player development coach Phil Beckner—longtime performance coach to Damian Lillard and co-creator of the Formula Zero camp—for a conversation on how great players are actually developed. Beckner took no shortcuts along his path from Buckeye High School as a PE teacher/JV coach, to an unpaid role at Weber State, to now being one of the top player development coaches in the world. He shares what he’s learned studying elite programs and teams, why relationships and trust outlast titles, and how humility and standards—not hype—unlock growth.Beckner also breaks down how he customizes development for veterans versus rookies, what real alignment in player development looks like, and the habits behind players he’s worked with—stories from Lillard to Anfernee Simons, Mikal Bridges, and NBA champion Giannis’s Antetokounmpo. All that and more on episode 316 of the Coaching U Podcast.Noah Basketball is trusted by 28 NBA teams, over 200 NCAA programs, and over 1,000 high school programs to capture and analyze key shooting metrics to help your players perfect their shot and reach their max potential.Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠noahbasketball.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Special Offers!🏀 The Full Video Sets from the recent OHSBCA Clinic, BCAT Clinic, Larry Shyatt's Annual Coaching Clinic & Coaching U Live 2025 are Now Available on Coaching U+Now’s your chance to watch every speaker, every session, and learn every strategy shared at this year’s clinics anytime, anywhere, on any device!Watch NOW: ⁠⁠⁠⁠coachingulive.com/plus⁠⁠⁠⁠Not a member? Save 20% off your membership to Coaching U+ by using promo code PODCAST20 at checkout🚨 We're trying out something new for Coaching U Live 2026... and you can register now for the lowest price we have ever offered! CLICK HERE to learn morePodcast production services by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wayfare Recording Company⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.