Clippers Pacers artest trade fizzle, Warriors back in?

I'm just baffled as to how players could lose that sense of focus. My dad was a coach. But I played for several coaches growing up, and I'd be darned if I ever got caught "sleeping on the job."

I was nothing without dilligence, focus, discipline, and hustle.

That's really what I was coached to learn. Not really how to take a better jumper, or dribble with my off hand, but how to be consistent, dependable, and run my butt off.

Consequently, when I play I hate to lose. I'll drop dead before I ever get out-hustled. And I just love to play way too much. I love to out-work an opponent, to challenge myself, to overcome my internal challenges, and just run the court.

Back since probably second grade I just always loved to play basketball and hate to lose.

I've always figured -- heck! -- if you made it to the NBA you were one helluva coached player. I can't imagine Jordan ever losing focus. He just hated to lose. Jordan probably didn't even sleep at night -- even if his team won -- if he didn't exceed his personal best goals. Heck, if he got out hustled by his man? Shoot, he'd probably go home and break stuff all night.

Jordan just simply refused to lose. He was too well coached, too dedicated, focused, disciplined, dependable, dilligent, and angry to ever even think of lettting himself or his teammates down.

 

Blame Monty, go ahead. That's fine. Replacing the Coach just reinforces the players feelling that they need not hold themselves accountable because someone else will just fix the problem (fire coach) for them. Think about it, players are to blame but fire coach. Next time, players will say, "um.. we stink but we do not need to change because management will just fire the coach, blame the coach and we can just go on doing whatever we are doing."

This type of thinking has got to stop, not just in the NBA but throughout society. The athletes, and other child prodigies, are coddled instead of being held accountable for their faults. Do onto fix their problem for them, make them improve their faults, that's how I was raised and what I expect of my kids.

 

Maybe Montgomery needs to be more vocal and assertative. I believe in his system, but I don't believe in his substitutions or his lack of aggression. He needs to step up, but I think his confidence is shaken since he's only in his 2nd year whereas his assistant coaches are all vets.