The following article comes via CSNEE.
Fifteen players and a coaching staff make up an NBA basketball team.
That word “team” means coming together as one, working towards a common goal. In this case, it’s winning games.
But it’s also important to realize that within that team are different personalities and types of people who may not respond the same way others do.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens knows this, and as the head coach tries to manage those personalities in a way that is beneficial to all. That said, having the right group makes it easier.
“If you’ve got really good people and can really move forward in one direction, then the challenge is different from if you were just thrown together…So each year, each challenge, each group is a little bit different in how you manage.”
Whether it’s a rookie or a veteran, Stevens spends time with his players to make sure they’re all on the same page.
“You must invest in each person and you do so based on, not their needs for attention or their needs for coaching…more so that they understand that you’re trying to figure out their role in the organization and their role to help the team be successful.”
What about the topic of playing time? Stevens has spread out the minutes and gone into his bench pretty heavily at times. On the other hand, players like Gerald Wallace and James Young haven’t played much.
“I had a great line given to me very early on in coaching, and that is, ‘My door is always open to talk about playing time. If you want to talk about playing time, be prepared for the truth…So the truth can be hard but also when you’re talking about playing time, you have to be pretty direct.”
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