Battle L.A.: Winning, Losing, and the Complexities of Teams

Attention Los Angeles: There is an intense psychological study happening right now. And its power is becoming more potent daily. We have the undeniable fortune of witnessing it first hand; not with one team but two.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of forming a cohesive unit under the guidance of a new coach in Mike Brown. Gradually, and with the help of one of the best home records in basketball (19-3 as of Friday afternoon), the Lakers have earned the second best record in the western conference and currently have a hold on the No. 3 playoff spot.

Meanwhile, the Lakers’ housemates, the Los Angeles Clippers, are unraveling as I write. After a legitimately strong start to the season -- which led to conceivably unfair expectations -- they have lost three in row and are on the verge of slipping even lower in the standings (currently No. 6 in west) after hovering at the top. There is banter of a lost team. The ribbing reeks of things like: Vinny Del Negro has lost the locker room. Chris Paul doesn’t trust his teammates. Why doesn’t Blake Griffin get in the post? Why isn’t DeAndre Jordan playing? None of these statements are surprising. It’s sports. And its professional sports. Players and coaches who make millions of dollars are supposed to win, and when they’re not, they’re supposed to find ways to win. And when they don’t? Fans and media, not to mention players, begin blaming everyone else.

The problem is finger pointing helps nobody. It makes teams turns into a hodgepodge of mixed emotions, hope and happiness gone awry. The Clippers are in a deep, dark hole now. Clipper Nation feels it and, as such, the easy answer, and something perceived to work based on the recent re-resurrection of the New York Knicks, is to say, “Off with the head.” Sure, getting rid of the head coach is simple. After all, with all of the perceived talent on the Clippers -- and the best point guard in the NBA -- there is no way they should be falling to the bottom of the playoff race. But when the pieces are analyzed and the situation spotted with some clarity, perceptions may change.

Down the hallway at Staples, the Lakers’ gold is shining brighter. Maybe Metta World Peace realizes Mike Brown is more than a “stat guy”, as he referred to him several weeks ago. Certainly, there is less weight on Pau Gasol’s frame as he made it past the trade deadline to remain a Laker. Despite the awkward farewell to Derek Fisher, there is a spritely young point guard in Ramon Sessions who has a higher PER (23.8) in his four games than any of his teammates. And let’s face it, Kobe Bryant runs the team. He acknowledges that he is going to keep taking his shots, and he’ll be the go-to guy in the clutch. That’s what he has always worked hard to do and that’s what he, admittedly, is paid to do. But more than the shooting talk, he is the leader. The culture of winning and him being the guy is in place. And this scenario shows itself even more in the extenuating circumstances of there being almost no practice time to formulate a solid system under a new coach.

The Clippers are like any other team in that they, too, had limited training camp time and now have no practice opportunities. But, who is the vocal leader of the locker room? Chris Paul is wonderful on the court: He directs traffic. He reads opponents’ sets and calls out to his teammates what they’re running. He makes it a point to get others involved and find his shot when necessary, frequently in the closing minutes. Blake is a beast, physically, and actions on the court are eye-popping, especially when he is hustling, getting deflections, and diving for loose balls (as he did much more earlier in the season). But the culture of winning doesn’t yet exist for the Clippers. Del Negro was given Paul and, for obvious reasons, has given him the ball. With Billups gone, the Clippers not only lost a gamer, a Finals MVP, and charismatic competitor, they lost belief and cooperation. When they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in late January, they had major moxy, and not just because of Griffin’s inconceivable slam on Perkins. Billups was on the floor. A pressure relief and pure baller. Lob City was in full effect, 3-pointers were soaking wet, and the folks on the bench were up and dancing. It was a true team, magnified by a 56.2 percent field goal percentage display aided by 28 assists. Fans were literally jumping out of their seats. Heck, I couldn’t help but be one of them.

At the same time, people questioned the Lakers’ system. What are they running? What is the rotation? Can Brown really coach offense? Is Kobe unhappy again?

Linsanity soon introduced itself and all attention turned to the east, particularly when Kobe half joked about who Jeremy Lin even is -- and then lost to the new Knicks as they put together an exciting stretch of team basketball. Soon after, however, New York’s unity altered. Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire were reintroduced, and unfortunately for Mike D’Antoni, chimed in as figures who confused the team’s newfound equation with Lin as the floor leader. What seemed like an easy route to take (saying goodbye to D’Antoni) has only appeared like the perfect answer as the Knicks have fired off five straight wins, fairly convincingly, under new coach Mike Woodson. The question we all have is: Will it continue?

The honeymoon stage doesn’t last forever. If it did, all coaches who have turned teams into contenders midway through grueling seasons would still have their jobs. Jeff Van Gundy said it best today on 710 ESPN. When he took over the Knicks, they beat the best Bulls’ team ever -- the one that went 72-10 -- handedly. For some reason, a new takeover relaxes players, gives them new hope. It’s the storming phase of psychology, when everything is fresh and exciting and hope has a way of injecting hustle and high-fives into players who once seemed apathetic and aged. But as Van Gundy discovered, it didn’t last for all of eternity, partly because adversity strikes, good opponents adjust and get better as the season goes on, and teams get comfortable.

Think of the psychological formations and transformations of teams like a weightlifting regimen. Starting out, one gets stronger and immediately sees results. Effects can be extreme. Intrinsic motivation is felt in one’s mind and body. Extrinsically, friends and colleagues comment on how good one looks all of a sudden. A new exercise is one’s best friend and makes one feel even better.

And then there is a plateau. After several weeks of hype, it’s not as easy any longer. Building muscle and increasing strength is more difficult. In fact, improvement becomes a struggle. The person has to change something within the routine; otherwise he or she quits. But here is the key point: He doesn’t go out and buy a new flat bench with new weights. That’s like assigning blame to a basketball because it isn’t going through the hoop. He figures out other ways to train, alters routines, talks to himself in a different way, communicates with others about new exercises, and attacks the training from a different angle.

Simply stated, he works through it with what he has available, and if possible, adds another exercise. The Lakers worked through early issues and then added Sessions to make them more powerful. The Clippers started strong, heightened expectations in the beginning, and now have to deal with what they have: A frustrated superstar, a really young but powerful forward, and other players who haven’t been around too much winning and consistency.

Don’t underestimate the significance of winners simply being around a team. Is it a coincidence that when Billups returned from his hiatus of surgery and recuperation this past weekend to sit on the Clippers’ bench at Staples that they won two games? It’s unfortunate he didn’t travel with the team this week on its devastating road trip. Perhaps results would have been different just by his mere presence, one that promotes winning by focusing on the process and attempting to communicate effectively. Del Negro and Paul both turned to Billups for advice on Saturday and Sunday.

Ploughing through mounds of muck can be done, but people have to want to make it happen. Words turn into strong statements. People remember those, whether they are encouraging or dismantling. When teams lose, players don’t want to talk to one another; on the other side, positive team culture permeates and energizes. At the very least, it makes people play hard and provides ambition and engagement.

The study continues this weekend...

Time to Touch

Knuckle taps. Fist bumps. Rear slaps. All out embraces. Ridiculous amounts of high fives and daps at the free throw line. Pre-game huddles with players in boundary breaking proximity. Even handshakes and hugs with opponents that are sought out by fierce competitors. And it looks like there is more reason for all than just an entertaining and congratulatory montage or homely hello.

So says this research about the impact of a simple touch and the relationship between physical actions and mental comfort.

Not only is Kevin Garnett one of the most intense players, he is also, um, the touchiest. Go Green.

Interesting concepts for team building and self-efficacy enhancement, especially if the touching is shown to be a predictor of success. Imagine spring training or preseason now.

Been Busy

It's hard to believe this much time has passed since the last post. I suppose it's been a bit busy, though ... after all, building a program from scratch isn't the easiest task in the world. There has been a whirlwind of activity the last few months: I've hooped with great NBA writers, conversed to Jay Bilas about the state of college basketball, heard Jerry West and Bill Russell talk about greatness, listened to Tom Izzo's passionate beliefs about rebounding, seen Kobe "do work" up close at Staples, and spoken with people all around the world about the vision for Caltech basketball ... the latter, of course, having everything to do with the other items. In fact, a colleague of mine, Dr. Justin Anderson, pointed out this article from Harvard Business Review, a useful reference about the importance of interactions and how individuals feed off each other in group situations. Not only can the notions be applied to forming a team, but also creating a culture of excellence and, on an even grander scale, constructing a philosophy for coaching or teaching. Our staff is always busy, attempting to maximize our resources, think creatively, communicate the new vision with as many people as possible, and establish a meaningful environment in every way imaginable. Take a look inside the program.

Plummeting Minutes, Enthusiastic until the End

It’s the second half and the players just walked out of the 16:00 time out. Duke is down to Villanova in the Sweet Sixteen, 38-26. Greg Paulus, after not playing in the first half, is in. He immediately drains a three. Next time down, while setting up a play, the senior guard drives to the left sideline in order to produce a jump skip pass to an open Kyle Singler, who bangs another trifecta. A Duke stop and a crisp pass to Scheyer off a baseline screen opens up another one from behind the arc. And then, off a catch and square on the right wing, he punctuates the Blue Devil run with a stop and go elbow jumper. Duke spurt, TO Nova.

All of that happened on Thursday in Boston…except, almost all of it. What was true was the first shot Paulus hit. And the TO, though it was Duke who called it. Paulus actually threw the skip pass out of bounds, miscued on the pass to Scheyer which left the ball short and not in shooting position, and was stripped on the next possession.

For some reason, though, I found myself rooting for the lost Paulus, and for the Duke program to generate another miracle comeback. It’s had plenty, but, like a movie that continues to build for that Oscar climax, I was hoping -- if for only a 4-minute sensational span cued by the former starting court leader -- until the next break in action.

Actually, the TO that Paulus himself called came on an order of his mentor, the one who decided to confine him to the pine. Now, we don’t really know what it’s like day in and day out in the program. Or if Paulus remained coachable and was a programmed citizen in practice. We can only go by what we see, what quotes we read, and the reasons the coaches give. It seems the senior captain who started for three consecutive years and scored more than 1,000 points while shooting just under 40 percent from 3-point range for his career was outplayed in his final season as a Duke baller (perhaps he’ll become the next serious assistant?). He couldn’t do the things that were needed. He didn’t have the length or the athleticism or the penetration ability or the defensive lockdown skill.

But, it appears, he did understand the system – and, he bleeds white and blue. In the form of Wojo. Collins. Dawkins. Another in the list of highly aggressive, slap-the-floor, swearing point guards who went on to coach. As his minutes dwindled, time became scarce, and his fading career turned into a double-digit loss in a half-as-happy season. I know that he reluctantly tasted his role and hesitantly gulped the tragedy that was his to become. Just watching him on the court Thursday evening, attempting to lead, it was apparent that he was out of sync. He was trying to stay within himself, but it looked as if he wanted to explode and let loose a season of frustration.

Despite the newly obligatory position, he was still the one crouched next to the coaches on the bench, and remained the exuberant teammate that stood up to slap five to his substituted playing peers. He maintained the fireball of energy that allowed him to rumble in and out of the backcourt in Cameron Indoor Stadium -- and the QB pocket in high school. If anyone is looking for an image of a competitor and a developing leader, by the looks of Paulus on TV and in the paper, he is it. Congratulations to him on, what is becoming more less likely for a consistent starter in college basketball, the closing of a 4-year career. He dealt with a difficult personal situation, but stuck with it and gave it his all in his last game.

Themes of Teams

It's been quite the unique experience this year -- one that encompassed the completion of a college head coaching season, and the fortune to view another very special program put it all together after years of maturation, sacrifice, and commitment. MIT clinched its first ever NCAA tournament berth with a conference tourney championship today, and I was able to witness the win in person. Knowing what the team has been through and understanding what it took to get to this historical point is extraordinary. Being a part of an exclusive club, one that is dedicated to the highest standards in academics and one that competes on the court, is truly incomparable.

I am very proud to be a piece of that precious moment -- to not only have been through battles alongside the same players, but to also share in the celebration. To have the seniors on the team call me out to the court to cut down a string of net symbolized noteworthy admiration and appreciation. A true team, a group of individuals who epitomize energy, excitement, and work ethic, is what was in Worcester this weekend. Fusion like that does not simply occur. It happens as the result of dedication, discipline, and a distinct understanding of how to maximize every player and coach.

As a spectator, one could recognize the trust and teamwork on the floor. Players were looking for each other, either to drive and kick or help out on defense or recover, box and board... play after play was picturesque from a team standpoint. Although not perfect, there was an overall sense of direction, as if every baller was connected to the same soul. The three seniors commanded competitiveness and underclassmen stepped up in their roles. There was no way the team was to be denied.

Understand that the process was not instant -- it took years of team building and imagining ways to enhance the culture of the program. Unparalleled off season practice, senior leadership, and an unwavering collaborative effort produced a team that otherwise could have been flaky and shaken. Development was apparent and devotion dominated.

Recently, there have been other stories of team building:

Joe Girardi is advanced and aware. He is not afraid to put away the bats and take in some pool.

Kenyon College created a sensational swimming program, one that is both creative and conventional.

The championship run of Trinity College's squash teams is unbelievable -- both in numbers and know how.

In all of these examples, it is shown that a program is in constant construction -- in setting new foundations and constructing stronger ones from what is already solid.

Sometimes, it's amazing how quickly a hired crew can assemble a building -- yet it's more astounding to comprehend the actual time it took to communicate the overall vision and locate the ground to dig.