Instruction is not the enemy
Players need explanations, demonstrations and clear boundaries. The issue is not whether a coach should ever tell a player what to do.
The question is how much information is needed now, and what the player should learn to recognise independently.
Ask questions that point to information
Questions such as 'Where was the help defender?' or 'What changed after the screen?' direct attention toward the game.
A useful question is specific enough to guide learning but open enough that the player still has to think.
Practice design can teach without a speech
Court size, numbers, scoring rules, time limits and starting positions can change what players need to notice.
Well-designed constraints create repeated opportunities to experience a problem rather than only hearing about it.
Observe what transfers
A drill can look clean because the answer is known. Transfer becomes clearer when the picture changes and the player still selects an effective solution.
Coaches should therefore observe not only whether a movement was performed correctly, but whether the player recognised when it was useful.