There is a feeling that comes over Rockets forward Ron Artest that he cannot explain, but that he loves.
He must control it, he admits, citing the wisdom gained with years and experiences. But he must use it, too, especially now, with another postseason to begin and another team looking to him to be the difference.
When the stakes are high as they will be beginning Saturday when the Rockets open the postseason against the Trail Blazers, Artest can sense that emotion grow within him. He can feel it drive and change him.
This is Artest at his best. It is sometimes Artest at his worst. It could be the difference between the Rockets ending their long playoff slump, or falling quickly again.
"It’s part of who he is," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "That’s what makes him very good in this league.
"It’s his competitiveness. He’s going to keep coming at you. He may be having a terrible game, but he’s going to keep coming, keep coming at you. He’s not going to ever shy away. That’s good and that’s bad, but that’s the biggest thing, his competitiveness."
There have been times his competitiveness has gotten the better of him. He drove the Rockets to their commanding lead in Chicago, and also their collapse from a 17-point, fourth-quarter lead to a stunning loss.
Yet, he said he has improved over the years and through this season in channeling his off-the-charts aggressiveness and competitiveness. He said he has avoided the mistakes that he made in the past when things have gone wrong, as they often did this season, when he was initially coming off the bench, slowed by injuries and frustrated by losses.
More than that, he said he has learned to cherish the postseason and another chance.
"Now I realize the mistakes I made. You have to play hard, but it’s fun basketball. It’s the best time of the year. And when you win it makes it that much better. The city loves you. All the people around the country are talking about you. It gives you that much more incentive to go out and play".
"Some people, when they miss the last shot and think, ‘Oh I missed the last shot,’ and really get down on themselves instead of being fearless and taking the next one. If the next one goes in, then you’re the king."
The Rockets are convinced Artest, 6-7, is not trying to be "the king." He is driven to compete and win, even if he sometimes gets out of control with the effort.
"Watching him over the last several years, my take is he’s got a very good handle of his game and how he fits into that team," said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, Artest’s coach in Indiana. "I think he knows how to channel his competitiveness in a way that helps their team. He’s grown a lot."
"Ron’s a great player. He brings toughness. He brings a physical dimension to the position. He’s one of the really unusual players in this league because of a combination of strength and skill. Every year he’s been in the league, he’s been one of the more difficult guys to match up with."
But Artest believes he has grown off the court, diminishing issues on it, and preventing the flare-ups of misdeeds in his past. Everything from his own incidents to dealing with his daughter Diamond’s chemotherapy for a cancerous kidney tumor, now in remission, brought perspective, he said.
"That has a lot to do with it," Artest said. Dealing with so many things around you that aren’t about basketball, helped me figure it out.
"I guess you get older and wiser. I always had trouble with losing. I would get so mad. I would let it upset me. It would carry over for the next couple games. It would end up hurting team chemistry for a couple days, or a week or even longer than that. I don’t accept losing, but I know now, if you lose, get better from it. Find out why you lost and improve."
Still, this postseason could be as important for him as for the Rockets organization. A free agent this offseason, he has said he wants to return to Houston and Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said he wants to have Artest back.
"Now I know when you’re down, still play within the team," Artest said. "Just because you’re one of the better players on the team doesn’t mean you have to take it upon yourself. It took a long time to get there, but now I realize that. I understand now, you’re not going to win by yourself. It’s impossible.
"Going into the playoffs with this team is going to be fun. Everybody is ready. The team is really into each other. And we feel confident. We know if we play well, we’ll win."
4.18.2009
RON ARTEST
There is a feeling that comes over Rockets forward Ron Artest that he cannot explain, but that he loves.
He must control it, he admits, citing the wisdom gained with years and experiences. But he must use it, too, especially now, with another postseason to begin and another team looking to him to be the difference.
When the game is tight, or more so, when the Rockets are losing, when the stakes are high as they will be beginning Saturday when the Rockets open the postseason against the Trail Blazers, Artest can sense that emotion grow within him. He can feel it drive and change him.
This is Artest at his best. It is sometimes Artest at his worst. It could be the difference between the Rockets ending their long playoff slump, or falling quickly again. It could be the measure of their experiment to plug him into a team looking for something to push it further than it has gone in more than a decade.
"It’s part of who he is," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "That’s what makes him very good in this league.
"It’s his competitiveness. He’s going to keep coming at you. He may be having a terrible game, but he’s going to keep coming, keep coming at you. He’s not going to ever shy away. That’s good and that’s bad, but that’s the biggest thing, his competitiveness."
There have been times his competitiveness has gotten the better of him. He drove the Rockets to their commanding lead in Chicago, and also their collapse from a 17-point, fourth-quarter lead to a stunning loss.
He got himself in an individual battle with the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, inciting Bryant to dominate him, and then explained, "I like to talk to the guy who’s going to kill me."
Yet, he said he has improved over the years and through this season in channeling his off-the-charts aggressiveness and competitiveness. He said he has avoided the mistakes that he made in the past when things have gone wrong, as they often did this season, when he was initially coming off the bench, slowed by injuries and frustrated by losses.
More than that, he said he has learned to cherish the postseason and another chance.
"Now I know it has to be fun," Artest, 29, said. "Before, the time with coach Adelman (with the Kings in 2006), it was a lot of angry emotion involved toward the other team and not enough focus on my own team.
"Now I realize the mistakes I made. You have to play hard, but it’s fun basketball. It’s the best time of the year. And when you win it makes it that much better. The city loves you. All the people around the country are talking about you. It gives you that much more incentive to go out and play and poke your chest out a little bit.
"When you’re a basketball player you know how much fun it is to put the ball in the hoop to win a game, to hit an off-the-glass shot, a 3, to get an and-one — that’s fun. It looks like it’s a different type of emotion, but it’s fun. When you get a chance to go home, just sit back, eat some dinner and you won a game, that’s fun.
"Some people, I think, when they miss the last shot and (think), ‘Oh I missed the last shot,’ and really get down on themselves instead of taking the next one. If it goes in, then you’re the king."
The Rockets are convinced Artest, 6-7, is not trying to be "the king." He is driven to compete and win, even if he sometimes gets out of control with the effort.
Still, just as he has seemed far removed from the guy that went into the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills, inciting the worst brawl between fans and players in NBA history, he has grown on the court as well.
"Watching him over the last several years, my take is he’s got a very good handle of his game and how he fits into that team," said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, Artest’s coach in Indiana. "I think he knows how to channel his competitiveness in a way that helps their team the most, now. He’s grown a lot. I don’t see anything as being an issue.
"Ron’s a great player. He brings toughness. He brings a physical dimension to the position. He’s one of the really unusual players in this league because of a combination of strength and skill. Every year he’s been in the league, he’s been one of the more difficult guys to match up with."
But Artest believes he has grown off the court, diminishing issues on it, and preventing the flare-ups of misdeeds in his past. Everything from his own incidents to dealing with his daughter Diamond’s chemotherapy for a cancerous kidney tumor, now in remission, brought perspective, he said.
"That has a lot to do with it," Artest said. "Playing under a lot of duress, stress and wanting to get better … when there are so many things around you that aren’t about basketball, helped me figure it out.
"I guess you get older. I always had trouble with losing. I would get so mad. I would let it upset me. It would carry over for the next couple games. It would end up hurting team chemistry for a couple days, or a week or even longer than that. I don’t accept losing, but I know now, if you lose, get better from it. Find out why you lost and improve."
Still, this postseason could be as important for him as for the Rockets organization. A free agent this offseason, he has said he wants to return to Houston and Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said he wants to have Artest back.
But both know that his and the team’s future will depend to some degree on what happens when he gets that feeling.
"Now I know when you’re down, still play within the team," Artest said. "Just because you’re one of the better players on the team doesn’t mean you have to take it upon yourself. It took a long time to get there, but now I realize that. I understand now, you’re not going to win by yourself. It’s impossible.
"Going into the playoffs with this team is going to be fun. Everybody is ready. The team is really into each other. And we feel confident. We know if we play well, we’ll win."
He must control it, he admits, citing the wisdom gained with years and experiences. But he must use it, too, especially now, with another postseason to begin and another team looking to him to be the difference.
When the game is tight, or more so, when the Rockets are losing, when the stakes are high as they will be beginning Saturday when the Rockets open the postseason against the Trail Blazers, Artest can sense that emotion grow within him. He can feel it drive and change him.
This is Artest at his best. It is sometimes Artest at his worst. It could be the difference between the Rockets ending their long playoff slump, or falling quickly again. It could be the measure of their experiment to plug him into a team looking for something to push it further than it has gone in more than a decade.
"It’s part of who he is," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "That’s what makes him very good in this league.
"It’s his competitiveness. He’s going to keep coming at you. He may be having a terrible game, but he’s going to keep coming, keep coming at you. He’s not going to ever shy away. That’s good and that’s bad, but that’s the biggest thing, his competitiveness."
There have been times his competitiveness has gotten the better of him. He drove the Rockets to their commanding lead in Chicago, and also their collapse from a 17-point, fourth-quarter lead to a stunning loss.
He got himself in an individual battle with the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, inciting Bryant to dominate him, and then explained, "I like to talk to the guy who’s going to kill me."
Yet, he said he has improved over the years and through this season in channeling his off-the-charts aggressiveness and competitiveness. He said he has avoided the mistakes that he made in the past when things have gone wrong, as they often did this season, when he was initially coming off the bench, slowed by injuries and frustrated by losses.
More than that, he said he has learned to cherish the postseason and another chance.
"Now I know it has to be fun," Artest, 29, said. "Before, the time with coach Adelman (with the Kings in 2006), it was a lot of angry emotion involved toward the other team and not enough focus on my own team.
"Now I realize the mistakes I made. You have to play hard, but it’s fun basketball. It’s the best time of the year. And when you win it makes it that much better. The city loves you. All the people around the country are talking about you. It gives you that much more incentive to go out and play and poke your chest out a little bit.
"When you’re a basketball player you know how much fun it is to put the ball in the hoop to win a game, to hit an off-the-glass shot, a 3, to get an and-one — that’s fun. It looks like it’s a different type of emotion, but it’s fun. When you get a chance to go home, just sit back, eat some dinner and you won a game, that’s fun.
"Some people, I think, when they miss the last shot and (think), ‘Oh I missed the last shot,’ and really get down on themselves instead of taking the next one. If it goes in, then you’re the king."
The Rockets are convinced Artest, 6-7, is not trying to be "the king." He is driven to compete and win, even if he sometimes gets out of control with the effort.
Still, just as he has seemed far removed from the guy that went into the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills, inciting the worst brawl between fans and players in NBA history, he has grown on the court as well.
"Watching him over the last several years, my take is he’s got a very good handle of his game and how he fits into that team," said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, Artest’s coach in Indiana. "I think he knows how to channel his competitiveness in a way that helps their team the most, now. He’s grown a lot. I don’t see anything as being an issue.
"Ron’s a great player. He brings toughness. He brings a physical dimension to the position. He’s one of the really unusual players in this league because of a combination of strength and skill. Every year he’s been in the league, he’s been one of the more difficult guys to match up with."
But Artest believes he has grown off the court, diminishing issues on it, and preventing the flare-ups of misdeeds in his past. Everything from his own incidents to dealing with his daughter Diamond’s chemotherapy for a cancerous kidney tumor, now in remission, brought perspective, he said.
"That has a lot to do with it," Artest said. "Playing under a lot of duress, stress and wanting to get better … when there are so many things around you that aren’t about basketball, helped me figure it out.
"I guess you get older. I always had trouble with losing. I would get so mad. I would let it upset me. It would carry over for the next couple games. It would end up hurting team chemistry for a couple days, or a week or even longer than that. I don’t accept losing, but I know now, if you lose, get better from it. Find out why you lost and improve."
Still, this postseason could be as important for him as for the Rockets organization. A free agent this offseason, he has said he wants to return to Houston and Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said he wants to have Artest back.
But both know that his and the team’s future will depend to some degree on what happens when he gets that feeling.
"Now I know when you’re down, still play within the team," Artest said. "Just because you’re one of the better players on the team doesn’t mean you have to take it upon yourself. It took a long time to get there, but now I realize that. I understand now, you’re not going to win by yourself. It’s impossible.
"Going into the playoffs with this team is going to be fun. Everybody is ready. The team is really into each other. And we feel confident. We know if we play well, we’ll win."
NATE McMILLIAN - SARGE
His team is almost all hip-hop, choosing to listen to Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne, while he leans mostly toward Luther Vandross and Patti LaBelle.
His team is all video games, and he is all books.
His team is all about sleeping in, and he is all about his 6:45 a.m. alarm.
Among the Trail Blazers, there is no doubting that when it comes to old-fashioned tastes and principles, there's nobody more old school than coach Nate McMillan.
But an interesting thing happened this season as McMillan directed the NBA's second youngest roster to 54 wins.
Mr. Old School went New School.
In the first week of training camp, he took the players and coaches for a team-building retreat in the woods.
During the season, there were innovative one-on-one talks, which included showing a then-sullen Greg Oden a television ad of himself as a happy-go-lucky kid.
"Where is that Greg Oden?" McMillan implored.
There were out-of-the-box pregame speeches, like the one before a late-season matchup with Phoenix, which started with rap music and finished with a highlight video.
Throughout it all, McMillan compromised with the players regarding starting times for shootarounds, and even whether practice was needed.
"It's always been about communicating, reaching these young guys," said McMillan, celebrating above after the Nuggets victory Wednesday. "It's just coaching."
The hard edges of Sarge, as he was dubbed in his first season in Portland because of his no-nonsense approach, had softened. He had become cutting edge. New age. Coaching hip.
"He has shown the ability to adapt or adjust to a bunch of 22, 24-year-olds, and not be afraid of that," guard Brandon Roy said. "I think some coaches could say, 'I'm already up here, I'm just bringing you guys with me.' But with Coach Nate, it's like we are all growing together."
McMillan agreed that he has changed since his first day on the job in Portland. But he shied away from the notion that he did anything more than just do his job.
"It's always been about communicating, reaching these young guys," McMillan said. "It's just coaching."
Whatever it's called -- new school, cutting edge or just coaching -- McMillan in his fourth season has taken one of the NBA's most troubled franchises and steered it back into the playoffs for the first time since 2003.
After finishing with an NBA-low 21 wins in his first season, the Blazers have improved each season. He has done it by shaping a team that plays hard, smart and together, all traits that defined McMillan as a standout point guard during his 12-year NBA career.
McMillan says the rebuilding project in Portland isn't complete: "The next step for us is not only to get to the playoffs, but to win ... win a championship." But the ever-focused coach said his rebuilding project is not yet complete.
"The next step for us is not only to get to the playoffs, but to win ... win a championship," McMillan said. "What we talked about doing when I came here, we can see it now."
As his ultimate goal comes into focus ahead of him, McMillan can't help but look in the rear-view mirror at the road he has taken.
Yes, he admitted, he has changed since those first days in Portland. And he suspected before long he will change again. It's just the nature of coaching.
"I'll be what I need to be, when I need to be it," he said firmly.
Later, he chuckled about those first days in Portland. Matter of fact, it's the first day that stands out the most.
"I guess that's when I came to be Sarge," he said with a smile.
When McMillan arrived for the first day of practice with his team, the plan was set. Training camp would be held in McMinnville at Linfield College, a 45-minute bus ride from the team's facility in Tualatin.
Excited, but daunted by the task at hand, McMillan waited in the front seat of the bus to get started with the rebuilding effort. He would build a team on the foundation of togetherness and respect.
But in his first act as coach, he was disrespected.
"It's our first trip, and we have three guys who are late," McMillan said. "But not just late, not even there."
Athletic trainer Jay Jensen turned to McMillan and asked what the bus driver should do.
McMillan remembered not even hesitating.
"Hell yes, we're taking off," he remembered hissing. "We're gone!"
When McMillan arrived in Portland in the summer of 2005, he inherited a group that lacked heart and discipline. The franchise had invested heavily in Zach Randolph -- a player who had suckerpunched a teammate two years earlier -- and Darius Miles, a player who had berated the team's previous coach.
Both Randolph and Miles were among the three late. The other was rookie Jarrett Jack.
When the team arrived in McMinnville, the players were paired as roommates, a practice uncommon in the NBA. McMillan was hoping the tactic would accelerate communication and camaraderie among the team.
When McMillan first arrived in Portland, it wasn't his X's and O's knowledge but his stern demeanor that left an impression on his Blazers players. Shortly after, the three tardy players found their way to the small college town and learned of their room assignments.
The next item on the agenda was the team dinner, where McMillan would address the team for the first time. Shortly before the dinner, the coach was notified that two players checked out of their rooms.
"And I mean, this is the very first day. The very first day," McMillan said, still incredulous. "I get to the dinner and said, 'Who checked out of their rooms?'"
The hands of Randolph and Miles went up.
"I said, 'Get the hell out!' And that was it," McMillan said. "Just, 'Get out!' So they got up and left, and we went on with the meeting."
The message had been sent. There would be no messing with McMillan.
"Do I remember it? How could you not?" said center Joel Przybilla, then in his second season with the Blazers. "But it was exactly what we needed. It was about time somebody put their foot down."
After the meeting, Randolph and Miles found their coach. They pleaded, McMillan said, that they were grown men, that they didn't sleep with other men. McMillan told them they were missing the point. He outlined his rules. Told them his plan. And once again told them their roommates.
The first whistle had yet to be blown, the first ball yet to be bounced, and McMillan realized he was in deeper than he ever imagined. He would have to be tough. Stern. Unyielding.
He would have to be like a drill sergeant.
When the team finished the week-long training camp, it headed back to Tualatin. In the first practice, McMillan booted Randolph off the court for loafing.
In March, after another lopsided defeat, Randolph complained aloud that the team had yet another practice.
"Sarge, he don't give no days off," Randolph grumbled. "Hell no. Not from Sarge."
The next day, McMillan met with Randolph for 45 minutes, but instead of taking offense to the nickname, he embraced it.
"It was appropriate at the time," McMillan said. "I was being me, and I love Gomer Pyle. So when he talked about Sarge, I think of Sergeant Carter. I'm thinking, 'Yeah, Sergeant Carter is nuts, and I'm probably going to have to be a little nuts here for awhile.'"
Line of communication
Last week, as the Blazers flew to Los Angeles for a Saturday game against the Clippers, McMillan heard rumblings on the team plane about the next morning's 11 a.m. meeting.
Eventually, Roy, the team co-captain confronted him. They had just beaten the Lakers. It was about to be their fifth game in seven nights. Could they get an extra hour of sleep and have the meeting at noon?
Four years ago, there wouldn't have been a soul brave enough to ask Sarge for such a reprieve.
But as McMillan said, this group is different. They work hard. They listen. And he has developed a cohesive line of communication with the team's leaders: co-captains Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, and veterans Przybilla and Travis Outlaw. So McMillan moved the meeting.
"I want them to feel like this is theirs," McMillan said. "It's about them. So I want to communicate with them. When we were practicing hard and long years ago, shoot, we won 21 games. We are supposed to be in the gym. That's how it works. You pay the price. And this group has."
The foundation of togetherness and trust he hoped to build as he headed to McMinnville his first day was cemented earlier this season, when he took the team on a one-day retreat to a camp in the woods.
There were no cameras, no reporters and no mention of it by the players or coaches throughout the year. It wasn't about publicity, it was about them becoming closer.
As McMillan continues to look for ways to reach his players, he also knows he has to keep up with the times. He tries to absorb their music, saying he doesn't like the lyrics, but can feel the beat. And he proudly states that he has become an official user of text messaging out of necessity of reaching his players.
"Nobody picks up their phone anymore," he said. "But if you text, you hear right back from them. It's just a whole different generation of players."
And somehow, someway, McMillan will find a way to reach them.
It's called coaching.
His team is all video games, and he is all books.
His team is all about sleeping in, and he is all about his 6:45 a.m. alarm.
Among the Trail Blazers, there is no doubting that when it comes to old-fashioned tastes and principles, there's nobody more old school than coach Nate McMillan.
But an interesting thing happened this season as McMillan directed the NBA's second youngest roster to 54 wins.
Mr. Old School went New School.
In the first week of training camp, he took the players and coaches for a team-building retreat in the woods.
During the season, there were innovative one-on-one talks, which included showing a then-sullen Greg Oden a television ad of himself as a happy-go-lucky kid.
"Where is that Greg Oden?" McMillan implored.
There were out-of-the-box pregame speeches, like the one before a late-season matchup with Phoenix, which started with rap music and finished with a highlight video.
Throughout it all, McMillan compromised with the players regarding starting times for shootarounds, and even whether practice was needed.
"It's always been about communicating, reaching these young guys," said McMillan, celebrating above after the Nuggets victory Wednesday. "It's just coaching."
The hard edges of Sarge, as he was dubbed in his first season in Portland because of his no-nonsense approach, had softened. He had become cutting edge. New age. Coaching hip.
"He has shown the ability to adapt or adjust to a bunch of 22, 24-year-olds, and not be afraid of that," guard Brandon Roy said. "I think some coaches could say, 'I'm already up here, I'm just bringing you guys with me.' But with Coach Nate, it's like we are all growing together."
McMillan agreed that he has changed since his first day on the job in Portland. But he shied away from the notion that he did anything more than just do his job.
"It's always been about communicating, reaching these young guys," McMillan said. "It's just coaching."
Whatever it's called -- new school, cutting edge or just coaching -- McMillan in his fourth season has taken one of the NBA's most troubled franchises and steered it back into the playoffs for the first time since 2003.
After finishing with an NBA-low 21 wins in his first season, the Blazers have improved each season. He has done it by shaping a team that plays hard, smart and together, all traits that defined McMillan as a standout point guard during his 12-year NBA career.
McMillan says the rebuilding project in Portland isn't complete: "The next step for us is not only to get to the playoffs, but to win ... win a championship." But the ever-focused coach said his rebuilding project is not yet complete.
"The next step for us is not only to get to the playoffs, but to win ... win a championship," McMillan said. "What we talked about doing when I came here, we can see it now."
As his ultimate goal comes into focus ahead of him, McMillan can't help but look in the rear-view mirror at the road he has taken.
Yes, he admitted, he has changed since those first days in Portland. And he suspected before long he will change again. It's just the nature of coaching.
"I'll be what I need to be, when I need to be it," he said firmly.
Later, he chuckled about those first days in Portland. Matter of fact, it's the first day that stands out the most.
"I guess that's when I came to be Sarge," he said with a smile.
When McMillan arrived for the first day of practice with his team, the plan was set. Training camp would be held in McMinnville at Linfield College, a 45-minute bus ride from the team's facility in Tualatin.
Excited, but daunted by the task at hand, McMillan waited in the front seat of the bus to get started with the rebuilding effort. He would build a team on the foundation of togetherness and respect.
But in his first act as coach, he was disrespected.
"It's our first trip, and we have three guys who are late," McMillan said. "But not just late, not even there."
Athletic trainer Jay Jensen turned to McMillan and asked what the bus driver should do.
McMillan remembered not even hesitating.
"Hell yes, we're taking off," he remembered hissing. "We're gone!"
When McMillan arrived in Portland in the summer of 2005, he inherited a group that lacked heart and discipline. The franchise had invested heavily in Zach Randolph -- a player who had suckerpunched a teammate two years earlier -- and Darius Miles, a player who had berated the team's previous coach.
Both Randolph and Miles were among the three late. The other was rookie Jarrett Jack.
When the team arrived in McMinnville, the players were paired as roommates, a practice uncommon in the NBA. McMillan was hoping the tactic would accelerate communication and camaraderie among the team.
When McMillan first arrived in Portland, it wasn't his X's and O's knowledge but his stern demeanor that left an impression on his Blazers players. Shortly after, the three tardy players found their way to the small college town and learned of their room assignments.
The next item on the agenda was the team dinner, where McMillan would address the team for the first time. Shortly before the dinner, the coach was notified that two players checked out of their rooms.
"And I mean, this is the very first day. The very first day," McMillan said, still incredulous. "I get to the dinner and said, 'Who checked out of their rooms?'"
The hands of Randolph and Miles went up.
"I said, 'Get the hell out!' And that was it," McMillan said. "Just, 'Get out!' So they got up and left, and we went on with the meeting."
The message had been sent. There would be no messing with McMillan.
"Do I remember it? How could you not?" said center Joel Przybilla, then in his second season with the Blazers. "But it was exactly what we needed. It was about time somebody put their foot down."
After the meeting, Randolph and Miles found their coach. They pleaded, McMillan said, that they were grown men, that they didn't sleep with other men. McMillan told them they were missing the point. He outlined his rules. Told them his plan. And once again told them their roommates.
The first whistle had yet to be blown, the first ball yet to be bounced, and McMillan realized he was in deeper than he ever imagined. He would have to be tough. Stern. Unyielding.
He would have to be like a drill sergeant.
When the team finished the week-long training camp, it headed back to Tualatin. In the first practice, McMillan booted Randolph off the court for loafing.
In March, after another lopsided defeat, Randolph complained aloud that the team had yet another practice.
"Sarge, he don't give no days off," Randolph grumbled. "Hell no. Not from Sarge."
The next day, McMillan met with Randolph for 45 minutes, but instead of taking offense to the nickname, he embraced it.
"It was appropriate at the time," McMillan said. "I was being me, and I love Gomer Pyle. So when he talked about Sarge, I think of Sergeant Carter. I'm thinking, 'Yeah, Sergeant Carter is nuts, and I'm probably going to have to be a little nuts here for awhile.'"
Line of communication
Last week, as the Blazers flew to Los Angeles for a Saturday game against the Clippers, McMillan heard rumblings on the team plane about the next morning's 11 a.m. meeting.
Eventually, Roy, the team co-captain confronted him. They had just beaten the Lakers. It was about to be their fifth game in seven nights. Could they get an extra hour of sleep and have the meeting at noon?
Four years ago, there wouldn't have been a soul brave enough to ask Sarge for such a reprieve.
But as McMillan said, this group is different. They work hard. They listen. And he has developed a cohesive line of communication with the team's leaders: co-captains Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, and veterans Przybilla and Travis Outlaw. So McMillan moved the meeting.
"I want them to feel like this is theirs," McMillan said. "It's about them. So I want to communicate with them. When we were practicing hard and long years ago, shoot, we won 21 games. We are supposed to be in the gym. That's how it works. You pay the price. And this group has."
The foundation of togetherness and trust he hoped to build as he headed to McMinnville his first day was cemented earlier this season, when he took the team on a one-day retreat to a camp in the woods.
There were no cameras, no reporters and no mention of it by the players or coaches throughout the year. It wasn't about publicity, it was about them becoming closer.
As McMillan continues to look for ways to reach his players, he also knows he has to keep up with the times. He tries to absorb their music, saying he doesn't like the lyrics, but can feel the beat. And he proudly states that he has become an official user of text messaging out of necessity of reaching his players.
"Nobody picks up their phone anymore," he said. "But if you text, you hear right back from them. It's just a whole different generation of players."
And somehow, someway, McMillan will find a way to reach them.
It's called coaching.
TURIAF
Ronny Turiaf is smiling.
Bouncing on an aerobics ball after Tuesday's practice, Turiaf, the Warriors backup center, gazed at the rafters and flashed his trademark smile wide and bright.
"I can't remember when," he said, "but one time Warriors coach Don Nelson stopped me in the hall. He said, 'Ronny, I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were this good.' That made me happy."
Turiaf said he likes being counted on. He likes for people to rely on him, to have expectations of him.
When it was announced in July that Turiaf was signing a four-year, $17 million deal with Golden State, not many thought he would turn out to be considered a bargain.
Turiaf's averages are unastounding: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 assists in 21.5 minutes. They hardly convey his contribution to the Warriors. It certainly isn't how members of the organization gauge his worth.
"He's the full package," said Larry Riley, the Warriors' assistant general manager. "He is great in the locker room and his play and energy on the court is what we need. He's improved all year. The other thing that he brings is his unselfishness. We're thrilled as can be to have him with us."
Turiaf is the defensive catalyst on an offensive squad. He protects the basket like few others in the league — his 4.8 blocks per minute are second in the NBA among qualified players — and he defends the best opposing big man. He also leads the team in deflections.
"People don't understand how smart he is," said forward Rob Kurz. "He's always in the right place. You know he's always got your back."
Ronny Turiaf is smiling.
His understudy, rookie forward Anthony Randolph, had 20 points and 15 rebounds against New Orleans' All-Star forward David West. But what people will remember most about the performance was Randolph's missed break-away dunk in the final moments.
It was an opportunity for Turiaf to step in and offer some words of encouragement, an opportunity he was all too happy to seize.
"He's part of the reason I've developed so much in such a short time," Randolph said. "He's unselfish. He's a great leader, on and off the court. He's one of the best teammates you can have."
Though he's never lost like this before, having played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Gonzaga, Turiaf is credited with keeping the locker room cohesive despite the lack of success. He's often the one lifting spirits, giving pep talks, keeping alive the hope.
Want to know how much Turiaf means to the Warriors? Talk to their rookies.
Randolph will tell you about the time Turiaf got a technical foul for him. At Sacramento, Randolph didn't get a foul called. But Randolph already had one technical not two minutes earlier, so Turiaf went and argued his case for him, picking up a technical foul.
Guard Anthony Morrow will tell you about the time he was famished and Turiaf picked him up at 2 a.m. and took him to hamburger joint. Morrow at the time was living at the downtown Oakland Marriott and didn't have a car.
"I couldn't believe it," Morrow said. "If he can help you, he will."
Ronny Turiaf is smiling.
He's standing shoulder to shoulder with Warriors ambassador Al Attles before Monday's game. Together, they cup a glass plaque that represents the Angela & Chris Cohan Community Service Award. This is something Turiaf can brag about.
He shies away from praise for his shot-blocking ability. He plays down fans' comments about him deserving more minutes. But this, being recognized for giving back, that's commendation he happily embraces.
He purchased 25 season tickets for kids. He visited patients at Kaiser Hospital. He personally gave out food on Thanksgiving. He's done a bunch of meet-and-greets with fans.
"I am from a place where there wasn't much given to me," Turiaf said. "I saw my mom giving back when she had nothing. From a young age, she instilled in me and my little sisters to take care of others before you take care of self."
Included with the blocked shots and contagious energy and leadership, the Warriors got a community ambassador in Turiaf. They got a guy who makes touching others a priority.
For that, the organization is smiling.
Bouncing on an aerobics ball after Tuesday's practice, Turiaf, the Warriors backup center, gazed at the rafters and flashed his trademark smile wide and bright.
"I can't remember when," he said, "but one time Warriors coach Don Nelson stopped me in the hall. He said, 'Ronny, I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were this good.' That made me happy."
Turiaf said he likes being counted on. He likes for people to rely on him, to have expectations of him.
When it was announced in July that Turiaf was signing a four-year, $17 million deal with Golden State, not many thought he would turn out to be considered a bargain.
Turiaf's averages are unastounding: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 assists in 21.5 minutes. They hardly convey his contribution to the Warriors. It certainly isn't how members of the organization gauge his worth.
"He's the full package," said Larry Riley, the Warriors' assistant general manager. "He is great in the locker room and his play and energy on the court is what we need. He's improved all year. The other thing that he brings is his unselfishness. We're thrilled as can be to have him with us."
Turiaf is the defensive catalyst on an offensive squad. He protects the basket like few others in the league — his 4.8 blocks per minute are second in the NBA among qualified players — and he defends the best opposing big man. He also leads the team in deflections.
"People don't understand how smart he is," said forward Rob Kurz. "He's always in the right place. You know he's always got your back."
Ronny Turiaf is smiling.
His understudy, rookie forward Anthony Randolph, had 20 points and 15 rebounds against New Orleans' All-Star forward David West. But what people will remember most about the performance was Randolph's missed break-away dunk in the final moments.
It was an opportunity for Turiaf to step in and offer some words of encouragement, an opportunity he was all too happy to seize.
"He's part of the reason I've developed so much in such a short time," Randolph said. "He's unselfish. He's a great leader, on and off the court. He's one of the best teammates you can have."
Though he's never lost like this before, having played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Gonzaga, Turiaf is credited with keeping the locker room cohesive despite the lack of success. He's often the one lifting spirits, giving pep talks, keeping alive the hope.
Want to know how much Turiaf means to the Warriors? Talk to their rookies.
Randolph will tell you about the time Turiaf got a technical foul for him. At Sacramento, Randolph didn't get a foul called. But Randolph already had one technical not two minutes earlier, so Turiaf went and argued his case for him, picking up a technical foul.
Guard Anthony Morrow will tell you about the time he was famished and Turiaf picked him up at 2 a.m. and took him to hamburger joint. Morrow at the time was living at the downtown Oakland Marriott and didn't have a car.
"I couldn't believe it," Morrow said. "If he can help you, he will."
Ronny Turiaf is smiling.
He's standing shoulder to shoulder with Warriors ambassador Al Attles before Monday's game. Together, they cup a glass plaque that represents the Angela & Chris Cohan Community Service Award. This is something Turiaf can brag about.
He shies away from praise for his shot-blocking ability. He plays down fans' comments about him deserving more minutes. But this, being recognized for giving back, that's commendation he happily embraces.
He purchased 25 season tickets for kids. He visited patients at Kaiser Hospital. He personally gave out food on Thanksgiving. He's done a bunch of meet-and-greets with fans.
"I am from a place where there wasn't much given to me," Turiaf said. "I saw my mom giving back when she had nothing. From a young age, she instilled in me and my little sisters to take care of others before you take care of self."
Included with the blocked shots and contagious energy and leadership, the Warriors got a community ambassador in Turiaf. They got a guy who makes touching others a priority.
For that, the organization is smiling.
BURN THE BOATS
Burn the Boats. It was Boston University's motto all season, and it was never more fitting. The Terriers wore t-shirts under their jerseys with the motto.
"I was sitting in my house in when Ben Smith came by in early September," Parker said. "Ben came by with a printout of a story about Spanish conqueror Cortez. Cortez got four or five ships together and he got the best men he could find and they sailed to Cuba. During the trip some of the people started whining and complaining halfway over, 'This is harder than I thought. I didn't know it was going to be this way.' When he got to Cuba he got rid of all the whiners and kept the ones that were ready to fight.
"Now that he had the guys he wanted he gave one last order, burn the boats."
Parker said it was meant to raise the crew's level of commitment because there was no going back.
"His quote was, 'If we're going back, we're going back in their boats.' There was no turning around and jumping in their ships, they had to go conquer the people if they wanted to get back and that's what he did. It was all or nothing.
"I was sitting in my house in when Ben Smith came by in early September," Parker said. "Ben came by with a printout of a story about Spanish conqueror Cortez. Cortez got four or five ships together and he got the best men he could find and they sailed to Cuba. During the trip some of the people started whining and complaining halfway over, 'This is harder than I thought. I didn't know it was going to be this way.' When he got to Cuba he got rid of all the whiners and kept the ones that were ready to fight.
"Now that he had the guys he wanted he gave one last order, burn the boats."
Parker said it was meant to raise the crew's level of commitment because there was no going back.
"His quote was, 'If we're going back, we're going back in their boats.' There was no turning around and jumping in their ships, they had to go conquer the people if they wanted to get back and that's what he did. It was all or nothing.
4.14.2009
PAT RILEY
Pat Riley was once a marginal NBA player. He told sports writer David Halberstam what Lakers General Manager Fred Schaus told him:
"Do you want a job on this team?" Schaus said. "Your job is to keep the starters Jerry West and Jimmy McMillan in shape, to push them very hard every day in practice. Don't back off and make them work hard."
"Do you want a job on this team?" Schaus said. "Your job is to keep the starters Jerry West and Jimmy McMillan in shape, to push them very hard every day in practice. Don't back off and make them work hard."
STEVE SPAGNUOLO - ST LOUIS RAMS
For Steve Spagnuolo, it's never too early to look for leaders. His first minicamp as the St Louis Rams head coach is as good a time to start as any.
"We'll try to identify those leaders on our team, and hopefully, they'll step to the forefront in those tough times that you know you're going to have," Spagnuolo said. "I remember vividly going through it in Philadelphia. I remember Brian Dawkins and Donovan McNabb at a certain point in the season deciding that, 'Hey guys, we got to pick it up.' They did little things with the other players. Very unseen things, but it made a big difference.
There certainly is a leadership void to be filled with the 2009 Rams. Veterans Torry Holt, Orlando Pace, Corey Chavous and Trent Green have been released.
"I believe that the underlying leaders surface once there's no leadership in front of them," Spagnuolo said. "Hopefully, there's some undiscovered secret leaders on this roster right now."
Over the course of five minicamp practices which span the next three days at Rams Park, Spagnuolo will be looking for leaders.
"You'll look to see which guys jump in front of the lines, which guys are encouraging other people," Spagnuolo said. "When I'm sitting in the back of the meetings, I'm going to be looking for who's taking notes — actually sitting and writing notes. The best players that I've worked with are great note-takers."
During his decade of coaching in the NFL, Spagnuolo has observed that the players who are meticulous in their preparation are the ones who last the longest in the league.
"Because they've figured it out — that it's as much from the chin to the hairline as it is anything that they do with their body," Spagnuolo said.
In trying to foster an atmosphere of togetherness and teamwork, Spagnuolo said leadership has to come from several sources.
"No matter what, it's never going to be about one person," Spagnuolo said. "It's always going to be about the makeup of the whole team. Sometimes I think we all make mistakes when we focus on one position. We know the glory position and the one that's out in the forefront is the quarterback position, but it takes more than just that."
Spagnuolo cited his most recent NFL team, the New York Giants, as a good example of leadership and teamwork combining to do great things.
"We had a great leader in Tom Coughlin; we had a team of people that were heading in the same direction," Spagnuolo said. "It's not one person that creates the losing; it's not one person that creates the winning. It's a team sport. I know it's a cliché, but it's true. I lived it. I believe in it."
For Spagnuolo, that approach is part of his plan to change the culture at Rams Park, a losing culture that has experienced success only five times in the past 32 games. The early results have been encouraging, with renewed enthusiasm.
"It's easy right now," Spagnuolo said. "It's a honeymoon period. It's new. The test will be really a year from now, depending on how the season goes. Will we still be able to feel that way?"
Spagnuolo says he has a better sense of his roster now than he did 2½ months ago when he was hired. But he still has much to learn about the returning players and the newcomers and realizes he won't get complete answers overnight.
"I don't know that I'll feel like we have it completely evaluated until we get through the preseason games and then into a quarter of the season," he said. "That's a ways down the road."
But the process begins with this first minicamp.
"We'll try to identify those leaders on our team, and hopefully, they'll step to the forefront in those tough times that you know you're going to have," Spagnuolo said. "I remember vividly going through it in Philadelphia. I remember Brian Dawkins and Donovan McNabb at a certain point in the season deciding that, 'Hey guys, we got to pick it up.' They did little things with the other players. Very unseen things, but it made a big difference.
There certainly is a leadership void to be filled with the 2009 Rams. Veterans Torry Holt, Orlando Pace, Corey Chavous and Trent Green have been released.
"I believe that the underlying leaders surface once there's no leadership in front of them," Spagnuolo said. "Hopefully, there's some undiscovered secret leaders on this roster right now."
Over the course of five minicamp practices which span the next three days at Rams Park, Spagnuolo will be looking for leaders.
"You'll look to see which guys jump in front of the lines, which guys are encouraging other people," Spagnuolo said. "When I'm sitting in the back of the meetings, I'm going to be looking for who's taking notes — actually sitting and writing notes. The best players that I've worked with are great note-takers."
During his decade of coaching in the NFL, Spagnuolo has observed that the players who are meticulous in their preparation are the ones who last the longest in the league.
"Because they've figured it out — that it's as much from the chin to the hairline as it is anything that they do with their body," Spagnuolo said.
In trying to foster an atmosphere of togetherness and teamwork, Spagnuolo said leadership has to come from several sources.
"No matter what, it's never going to be about one person," Spagnuolo said. "It's always going to be about the makeup of the whole team. Sometimes I think we all make mistakes when we focus on one position. We know the glory position and the one that's out in the forefront is the quarterback position, but it takes more than just that."
Spagnuolo cited his most recent NFL team, the New York Giants, as a good example of leadership and teamwork combining to do great things.
"We had a great leader in Tom Coughlin; we had a team of people that were heading in the same direction," Spagnuolo said. "It's not one person that creates the losing; it's not one person that creates the winning. It's a team sport. I know it's a cliché, but it's true. I lived it. I believe in it."
For Spagnuolo, that approach is part of his plan to change the culture at Rams Park, a losing culture that has experienced success only five times in the past 32 games. The early results have been encouraging, with renewed enthusiasm.
"It's easy right now," Spagnuolo said. "It's a honeymoon period. It's new. The test will be really a year from now, depending on how the season goes. Will we still be able to feel that way?"
Spagnuolo says he has a better sense of his roster now than he did 2½ months ago when he was hired. But he still has much to learn about the returning players and the newcomers and realizes he won't get complete answers overnight.
"I don't know that I'll feel like we have it completely evaluated until we get through the preseason games and then into a quarter of the season," he said. "That's a ways down the road."
But the process begins with this first minicamp.
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE SUCCEED?
What makes successful people different,to paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald. "They are different in their attitudes, behaviors, personalities and goals," Chatzky writes.
They are more passionate, more optimistic, more resilient, more visionary, more connected to others, have great confidence, and they are grateful for their good fortune. These are all things anybody can learn.
The bottom line is nothing is going to work unless you truly want it. You have to believe. It's about making your own luck, not taking no for an answer, and paying very close attention to the things you're doing.
They are more passionate, more optimistic, more resilient, more visionary, more connected to others, have great confidence, and they are grateful for their good fortune. These are all things anybody can learn.
The bottom line is nothing is going to work unless you truly want it. You have to believe. It's about making your own luck, not taking no for an answer, and paying very close attention to the things you're doing.
IZZO - DRAWING IT UP
Michigan State shooting guard Durrell Summers scored a big uncontested basket near the end of Saturday night's win over Connecticut in the national semifinal off an in-bound play.
"From the beginning of his career, coach has always been awesome with special teams, as he calls them," said assistant coach Dwayne Stephens. "We break it down like football. It's something we put a lot of time into it.
"I don't think a lot of teams spend a lot of times on special teams. We feel if we can score anywhere from five to 10 points on BLOBS (baseline out-of-bounds plays) and SLOBS (sideline out-of-bounds) it gives us an advantage."
Other special teams plays include the opening tip and defending those areas.
"Coach talks a lot about executing on plays out of timeouts and I think that's something we've done a pretty good job of all season, especially (against UConn)," Summers said. "We executed it to a T, they bit like we thought they would and I was able to get an easy uncontested layup.
"From the beginning of his career, coach has always been awesome with special teams, as he calls them," said assistant coach Dwayne Stephens. "We break it down like football. It's something we put a lot of time into it.
"I don't think a lot of teams spend a lot of times on special teams. We feel if we can score anywhere from five to 10 points on BLOBS (baseline out-of-bounds plays) and SLOBS (sideline out-of-bounds) it gives us an advantage."
Other special teams plays include the opening tip and defending those areas.
"Coach talks a lot about executing on plays out of timeouts and I think that's something we've done a pretty good job of all season, especially (against UConn)," Summers said. "We executed it to a T, they bit like we thought they would and I was able to get an easy uncontested layup.
TY LAWSON
North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson can't swish jump shots in his sleep but he does convert hundreds of shots while America is sleeping.
"My freshman year and last year I wasn't in the gym as much as I should have been," Lawson said. "So now sometimes I shoot at 2 o'clock in the morning. I just have more dedication than I've had in the past. When I first came to college I tried to rely only on my speed and my athletic ability. Coach WIlliams taught me how much more effect I could be if I improved my shooting ability."
Lawson's decision to remain in school instead of entering the NBA draft, coupled with a determination to make himself a better all-around player, has paid off. He enters tonight's national championship game against Michigan State as one of the country's most talked-about players.
"He's the best point guard in the country," Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas said
Through his late-night shooting practices, Lawson has dramatically improved his aim. His overall shooting percentage has climbed to 54% and his three-point shooting efficiency has risen from 36% to 49% in the last year.
Walton said Lawson's strength is as noteworthy as his quickness, and his only thought on stopping him is "you have to make his shots tough, because if he gets an angle he's going to bulldoze in."
Lawson says he's a better all-around player this season.
"I'm more of a leader, and I'm not turning over the ball as much," he said.
Ty Lawson will be presented today with the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's top point guard.
"My freshman year and last year I wasn't in the gym as much as I should have been," Lawson said. "So now sometimes I shoot at 2 o'clock in the morning. I just have more dedication than I've had in the past. When I first came to college I tried to rely only on my speed and my athletic ability. Coach WIlliams taught me how much more effect I could be if I improved my shooting ability."
Lawson's decision to remain in school instead of entering the NBA draft, coupled with a determination to make himself a better all-around player, has paid off. He enters tonight's national championship game against Michigan State as one of the country's most talked-about players.
"He's the best point guard in the country," Michigan State point guard Kalin Lucas said
Through his late-night shooting practices, Lawson has dramatically improved his aim. His overall shooting percentage has climbed to 54% and his three-point shooting efficiency has risen from 36% to 49% in the last year.
Walton said Lawson's strength is as noteworthy as his quickness, and his only thought on stopping him is "you have to make his shots tough, because if he gets an angle he's going to bulldoze in."
Lawson says he's a better all-around player this season.
"I'm more of a leader, and I'm not turning over the ball as much," he said.
Ty Lawson will be presented today with the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's top point guard.
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