Interesting to just observe players, not only see what they do, but also to listen to what they say. We were going over some defensive things with the young players the other day and you could see that they were trying to do it — they heard what was being taught but they didn’t grasp all of it.
Kevin Garnett saw this, stepped in and said, “I like your effort, but you have to understand this is how we do it here. This is Celtic defense.” What he said was very important and impactful, but above and beyond that, his statement also said, ‘I know this works. I strongly believe in this. This is how Doc Rivers wants things done!’
Getting your team to the level of knowing how we do it — and really believing in how its done — is big. The next step is to get players believing in what they’re doing so strongly that they let all newcomers know this is how it’s done, this is what all players on this team do, this is why we win, and this is what you must do to earn your spot on this team! Once you get to that point, you know you have a chance to win and win big.
This is the culture that Doc Rivers has established with the Celtics. He has gotten the team to believe and become the salesmen of our system. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s something all programs should strive for!
