---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's much easier to slow a point guard…"
description: "\"It's much easier to slow a point guard down than to have one speed up. That's why one of the axioms in basketball is that if you're going to have to pl..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/rick-carlisle-4940_early_it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-d_2281808.png"
---

#  It's much easier to slow a point guard down than to have…

![“It's much easier to slow a point guard down than to have one speed up. That's why one of the axioms in basketball is that if you're going to have to play fast, you've got to commit to it early in training camp and it's got to become a habit.” quote by Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/rick-carlisle-4940_early_it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-d_2281808.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/rick-carlisle-4940_early_it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-d_2281808.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/rick-carlisle-4940_early_it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-d_2281808.png)

> “It's much easier to slow a point guard down than to have one speed up. That's why one of the axioms in basketball is that if you're going to have to play fast, you've got to commit to it early in training camp and it's got to become a habit.”

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Fast play requires early habit formation; slowing a point guard is easier than accelerating one.

**In simple terms:** Fast play needs early habits; slowing a guard is easier than speeding one.

Key Takeaway

Build speed habits early.

Themes

basketball training habits

Mood

focused determined

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- pre‑season drills
- skill development
- team practice
- conditioning

Key Concepts

skill acquisition muscle memory performance psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you embed speed in daily drills?
- What habit most improves quickness?

A Different Perspective

Neglecting fundamentals can limit speed despite habits.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Axioms Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/axioms-basketball-5329061/) [Basketball Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball-going-377522/) [Early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Guard Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guard-speed-5329060/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Play Fast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-fast/) [Point guard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-guard/) [Slow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slow/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) [Training camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training-camp/)

## Related quotes

> [You can play fast but not in a hurry. As a point guard, I can dictate that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-curry/you-can-play-fast-but-not-in-a-hurry-as-a-point-guard-i-can-dictate/)

[Stephen Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-curry/)

> [If you want to get a lot of quality looks at 3s, the answer is to play fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/if-you-want-to-get-a-lot-of-quality-looks-at-3s-the-answer-is-to-play/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [Caris has obviously proven he's a hell of a starting point guard as well as a hell of a starting two guard. He's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/caris-has-obviously-proven-he-s-a-hell-of-a-starting-point-guard-as/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [Music was definitely a way out. Instead of playing basketball, I was going to recording studios.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flo-rida/music-was-definitely-a-way-out-instead-of-playing-basketball-i-was/)

[Flo Rida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flo-rida/)

> [Everyone thought I was going to die like a year later, they didn't know. So I helped educate sports, and then the world, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/everyone-thought-i-was-going-to-die-like-a-year-later-they-didn-t/)

[Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/)

> [You work hard and you drill daily all the habits that you need to win at basketball and you're going to create a winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-vogel/you-work-hard-and-you-drill-daily-all-the-habits-that-you-need-to-win/)

[Frank Vogel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-vogel/)

> [I like playing basketball and going to the gym. I don't box, but I'll ride my bike and go jogging or running in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/i-like-playing-basketball-and-going-to-the-gym-i-don-t-box-but-i-ll/)

[Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/)

> [I'm not the type of player to let the 3s get me down: 'Oh, I'm missing a couple of 3s. I don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-wallace/i-m-not-the-type-of-player-to-let-the-3s-get-me-down-oh-i-m-missing-a/)

[Rasheed Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-wallace/)

> [Basketball is going to stop someday. But friendships are going to last forever. That's something you can't buy with money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zaza-pachulia/basketball-is-going-to-stop-someday-but-friendships-are-going-to-last/)

[Zaza Pachulia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zaza-pachulia/)

> [Hell, I'm going to play pro basketball. I'm going to maybe be famous. I'm going to write books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/hell-i-m-going-to-play-pro-basketball-i-m-going-to-maybe-be-famous-i/)

[John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/)

> [I always tell the kids, basketball is not going to be there forever, get a good education and make good choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-drummond/i-always-tell-the-kids-basketball-is-not-going-to-be-there-forever/)

[Andre Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-drummond/)

> [“If basketball was going to enable Bradley to make friends, to prove that a banker's son is as good as the next fellow, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/if-basketball-was-going-to-enable-bradley-to-make-friends-to-prove/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [My father was always pushing me to become a basketball player. In Africa, when you're a kid, every kid loves to play soccer, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-ibaka/my-father-was-always-pushing-me-to-become-a-basketball-player-in/)

[Serge Ibaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serge-ibaka/)

> [I discovered early on that the player who learned the fundamentals of basketball is going to have a much better chance of succeeding and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/i-discovered-early-on-that-the-player-who-learned-the-fundamentals-of/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [The only thing that matters in college basketball is going to the Final Four.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-boeheim/the-only-thing-that-matters-in-college-basketball-is-going-to-the/)

[Jim Boeheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-boeheim/)

## More by Rick Carlisle

> [The important thing is that when you get into some stretches of inconsistency that we don't overreact on the one hand and try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/the-important-thing-is-that-when-you-get-into-some-stretches-of/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [Lamar Odom is a guy we have great respect for as a person and as an all-around player in this league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/lamar-odom-is-a-guy-we-have-great-respect-for-as-a-person-and-as-an/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [About five years ago, the courses we run in the Field Trials were 52 percent timber. The hawks live in trees, and the quail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/about-five-years-ago-the-courses-we-run-in-the-field-trials-were-52/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [People don't talk about Tobias Harris enough. You know, he's a tremendous player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/people-don-t-talk-about-tobias-harris-enough-you-know-he-s-a/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [In the case of anything, there is risk, but there are risks worth taking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/in-the-case-of-anything-there-is-risk-but-there-are-risks-worth-taking/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [A big part of life is acceptance of your situation, whatever it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/a-big-part-of-life-is-acceptance-of-your-situation-whatever-it-is/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [Every game you play is going to present different challenges. You've got to be enthusiastic about taking them on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/every-game-you-play-is-going-to-present-different-challenges-you-ve/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [What the great players in history of sport have in common is they can take the understanding of the entertainment side and fit it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/what-the-great-players-in-history-of-sport-have-in-common-is-they-can/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [If you want to get a lot of quality looks at 3s, the answer is to play fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/if-you-want-to-get-a-lot-of-quality-looks-at-3s-the-answer-is-to-play/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [Dirk carried an amazing load with the Dallas Mavericks over a period of two-plus decades that may never be rivaled again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/dirk-carried-an-amazing-load-with-the-dallas-mavericks-over-a-period/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [The piano has been a love of mine ever since I started playing in college, so having the chance to play a little bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/the-piano-has-been-a-love-of-mine-ever-since-i-started-playing-in/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [I partner with Mothers Against Police Brutality - was just a phenomenal group of people and helped me learn so much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/i-partner-with-mothers-against-police-brutality-was-just-a-phenomenal/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [Hey, I love hard play, clean, competitive playoff series.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/hey-i-love-hard-play-clean-competitive-playoff-series/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [I consider Jason Kidd a close friend now. When we were working together, it was a business relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/i-consider-jason-kidd-a-close-friend-now-when-we-were-working/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

> [There's so much that I learned about systemic racism, the history of racial injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/there-s-so-much-that-i-learned-about-systemic-racism-the-history-of/)

[Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

[Explore all 104 Rick Carlisle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/)

## More Early quotes

> [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [I knew music was for me from an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-blue/i-knew-music-was-for-me-from-an-early-age/)

[Jonas Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-blue/)

> [I definitely count my blessings. I feel like I've had such a great ride. Early on, to be able to work with some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-definitely-count-my-blessings-i-feel-like-i-ve-had-such-a-great/)

[Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/)

> [I had been exposed to bitcoin early. I thought the consumer application of it felt, to me, further away. I thought there would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-garlinghouse/i-had-been-exposed-to-bitcoin-early-i-thought-the-consumer/)

[Brad Garlinghouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-garlinghouse/)

> [In the beginning, if you look at those early label albums of the Chicks, we didn't write all that much. We had an A&R…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martie-maguire/in-the-beginning-if-you-look-at-those-early-label-albums-of-the/)

[Martie Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martie-maguire/)

> [With 'Aurangzeb,' I just knew that the film wasn't going to work, though I think it was one of my most underrated performances. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-kapoor/with-aurangzeb-i-just-knew-that-the-film-wasn-t-going-to-work-though/)

[Arjun Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-kapoor/)

> [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/)

[Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/)

> [The early days were really difficult because it was constant no's, I didn't have an agent. I always knew that I had something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madelyn-cline/the-early-days-were-really-difficult-because-it-was-constant-no-s-i/)

[Madelyn Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madelyn-cline/)

> [The latest I like to be to meeting is 15 minutes early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-latest-i-like-to-be-to-meeting-is-15-minutes-early/)

[David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/)

> [“Why'd she leave so early? It's practically yesterday.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/why-d-she-leave-so-early-it-s-practically-yesterday/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [The game business arose from computer programs that were written by and for young men in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-laurel/the-game-business-arose-from-computer-programs-that-were-written-by/)

[Brenda Laurel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-laurel/)

> [For years, I had a top secret clearance and never left Russia. Just once did I go to Bulgaria with my wife for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/for-years-i-had-a-top-secret-clearance-and-never-left-russia-just/)

[Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/)

> [I suppose I'm led to do so by the fact of what happened to my contemporaries - people whom I've admired, people who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-suppose-i-m-led-to-do-so-by-the-fact-of-what-happened-to-my/)

[George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/)

> [Kids in the entertainment industry are at a risk of developing depression, as they see glamour at an early age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divyanka-tripathi/kids-in-the-entertainment-industry-are-at-a-risk-of-developing/)

[Divyanka Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divyanka-tripathi/)

[Browse all 3,940 Early quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It's much easier to slow a point guard down than to have one speed up. That's why one of the axioms in basketball is that if you're going to have to play fast, you've got to commit to it early in training camp and it's got to become a habit.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rick Carlisle"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-down-than-to-have-one-speed-up/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Early"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-down-than-to-have-one-speed-up/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/rick-carlisle-4940_early_it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-d_2281808.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/rick-carlisle-4940_early_it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-d_2281808.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/rick-carlisle-4940_early_it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-d_2281808.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It's much easier to slow a point guard down than to have one speed up. That's why one of the axioms in…” — Rick Carlisle",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Rick Carlisle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It's much easier to slow a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-down-than-to-have-one-speed-up/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/it-s-much-easier-to-slow-a-point-guard-down-than-to-have-one-speed-up/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```