Yell Doesn’t Sell In Nba Intensity Ok For Coaches, But Berating Players Just Doesn’t Work

No NBA coach is more demanding of his players than the Indiana Pacers’ Larry Bird and none nitpicks more than does the Seattle SuperSonics’ George Karl.

Yet Bird and Karl are here being feted as the coaches of today’s All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden, while another demanding coach, Golden State’s P.J. Carlesimo, is embroiled in an arbitration case after being assaulted by shooting guard Latrell Sprewell. Doug Collins, Karl’s slimmer but equally neurotic twin, was fired by the Detroit Pistons last week.

So why are Karl and Bird here while Carlesimo and Collins are where they are? Other coaches and several All-Star players offered a variety of reasons, but most of it comes down to this: Coaches who persevere never criticize a player in front of teammates, are not afraid to delegate authority and make it clear that their critique is of the player, not the person.

“I think the one thing in coaching is I’ve tried to stay away from are individual confrontations in front of the team,” Karl said. “Behind closed doors, yeah, I’ve gone one-on-one with guys pretty hard, but they’ve had the opportunity to come back at me in those situations.

“In general, though, I don’t go after guys very much. I go after the team. And a lot of times you use the team for one or two guys. Sometimes the team resents that. But if you ask me if I’m teaching a class on coaching, I think that’s the best way to go about it.”

There’s more to it than that, though, according to the Sonics’ All-Star guard, Gary Payton. Sonics players know that if they have a gripe, they can go to assistant coach Tim Grgurich. Collins, according to league sources, feared sharing authority.

“We all get mad at Coach (Karl) and then we go to Coach Grg,” Payton said. “He’ll talk to Coach and set up a meeting. And then all three of us will get in there and Coach Grg’ll say, ‘Go at it.’ “I’ll go in there, and I’ll scream first, and then I’ll be quiet and George’ll scream. And after that we’ll be hugging each other. It never has to get to the level where you want to fight. If you’re mad at him, get it out.”

That, perhaps, is where Carlesimo erred when he criticized Sprewell for the way he was passing the ball in a team drill the day Sprewell tried to strangle him. Boston Celtics Coach Rick Pitino said he learned that lesson during his first stint in the league, with the New York Knicks.

“Where I’ve had my problems in the past throughout the years,” Pitino said, “was when it was a one-on-one in front of the group. You better handle it behind closed doors. That’s your best protection from volatile situations.”

It also helps a coach if there is evidence that he knows what it takes to win. While Collins directed the Pistons to two sterling regular season records, they were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round each time. In Carlesimo’s case, the Warriors already were in last place in their division when Sprewell attacked him.

“Coach Bird understands we have a veteran ball club, no one has won anything except for our coaches and the window of opportunity is closing,” said Pacers All-Star guard Reggie Miller. “The other thing is, every time you go home and you turn on Classic Sports there’s a Celtics-Lakers or Celtics-Detroit series and you just watch him, diving on the floor, diving into the bleachers. This is your coach. So if you can’t give that type of effort, you shouldn’t be playing.”

Whatever the age or experience of the players, a coach has to know how to deliver his message without making it sound like a personal attack.

“There’s nothing wrong with yelling,” Pitino said. “It’s how you yell. It’s one thing if you’re yelling instructions and you’re an intense person. But if you’re demeaning to an individual and putting that person down, killing his self-esteem, then yelling is harmful to any business, any team.

“I’m very intense and that’s the way I coach - I’m not changing. But on the other hand, I put my arm around the player, I cajole, I prod, I do all those things. But I don’t try to humiliate, embarrass or demean anybody.”