Every NBA head coaching job is highly sought-after. Luke Walton’s seat in Sacramento is as hot as it gets, and whenever the Kings do move in a different direction, candidates will line up around the door to get it (in reality, agents are probably already trying to make their cases).
There are some jobs, though, that are just different. Cornerstone NBA franchises like the Lakers, Knicks and Celtics are on another level. Getting one of those gigs is just different, and it comes with high expectations.
But no matter how cool it might be to land one of those jobs, especially as the first head coaching job of his career, Ime Udoka hasn’t allowed himself to savor the moment.
“I've had family and friends tell me to take a breath and enjoy it and that's not really how I've ever been,” Udoka said in a sit-down interview with BostonSportsJournal.com. “Maybe, who knows, game one or something like that, but I doubt it. That's not really how I think or feel.”
The wiring in the new head coach is different than most, keeping him focused on the task at hand rather than celebrating small victories. The regular season hasn’t even begun, and he is still trying to figure out what types of lineups he’s going to throw out there whenever he has a full squad. Losing Jaylen Brown and Al Horford for half the preseason has thrown off the team’s preparation.
“Obviously the lineup situation has some effect on our continuity,” Udoka said. “That could hurt to some extent, but this season is what it is. It's coming and a lot of people are gonna have to deal with this. So you've got to pivot, adjust, and be able to do things on the fly and so they'll be fine when they come back.”
One thing Udoka is establishing for himself is a culture of discipline. He has already suspended Marcus Smart for missing a team plane and benched Grant Williams, in part, because of a blown play due to complaining to an official.
“(The players) mentioned being held accountable and being coached and so they're receptive to that,” Udoka said. “It's just a matter of breaking some old habits to me and you know, I have my pet peeves as a coach — just like all coaches have — and when I see certain things I said, 'I'm not a guy that's gonna sweep it under the rug', so you speak on it, touch on it, and then move on and learn and grow from it.”
The coach, his staff, and the team will grow together, figuring themselves out along the way. There are no delusions around the Celtics. They know there will be obstacles to overcome. But Udoka believes everyone buying in will help make that happen.
“I enjoy our group, their competitive spirit and effort they're playing with every night, the unselfishness. So those things are coming along great,” he said. “They play hard, they share the ball, and so it's just a matter of continuing that. You want to break some old habits as well at the same time but they've been very receptive to everything and it makes it easy on me. My staff has been great, guys that I had relationships with, we all bring something different to the table and so having a good staff and the personal relationships there has made it even easier.”
Here’s the full interview:
Four preseason games in the books -- How are you feeling about the guys?
“Feeling okay. Still have some things to kind of implement, but overall I think when you see it live and then watch the film there are a lot of good things. And in the short amount of time, they've really picked up what we want them to. Obviously the lineup situation has some effect on our continuity, but overall when they're out there playing — doesn't matter who it is, you know, first, second, third-string guys, they're playing well, playing hard and doing what we ask of them.”
Not having Jaylen, not having Al, it is a setback; a setback in terms you've been wanting to ramp up guys' minutes and get them ready for 30-plus, however many you want to play them, but also getting that continuity, getting those reps. How far behind is that set you know, as far as getting into this regular season?
“I think it'll affect us more on a personal level with those guys, conditioning wise. We've put in a few new things in the last week that they'll get caught up to speed with pretty quickly. Like I said, it's not like they need to show us more about who they are, it's really how others fit in with them. So that could hurt us some to some extent but this season is what it is, it's coming, and a lot of people are gonna have to deal with this. So you've got to pivot, adjust and be able to do things on the fly. And so they'll be fine when they come back. They just got to get the conditioning back up, and whether it takes a few games that we didn't have in the preseason, they did well when they were there. So like I said, Al and Jaylen, specifically are veteran guys, have been around, and they know what is expected and so I don't think it'll be a problem when they come back to hit the ground running.”
How are you settling in? First time head coach, obviously you've coached a while in the league, you've seen and observed, but doing it is different. How are you adjusting to being a head coach?
“It's been good. The group obviously has something to do with that and I enjoy our group, their competitive spirit, the effort they're playing with every night, the unselfishness. So those things are coming along great and, you know, something I preach from day one. I talked about effort and execution, and they play hard, they share the ball, and so it's just a matter of continuing that. You want to break some old habits as well, but they've been very receptive to everything and it makes it easy on me. My staff has been great, guys that I had relationships with, we all bring something different to the table and so having a good staff and the personal relationships there has made it even easier.”
I see Will (Hardy) coming out to you during the games with a tablet. I've never seen an assistant talk to the head coach quite as often as I see Will come up to you. Can you share with me a little bit -- what's on that tablet? What are you guys talking about?
“Well, we talk about things in timeouts that we want to get accomplished in the next segment in the game, so he'll remind me of something I told him in timeout, possibly. He's also -- we map out some substitution stuff before the game and especially in the preseason, we want to see different lineups so we were kind of going back and forth on who we want to come in and specific time. So, a few different things we talked about, but also that basic stuff that every assistant lets their head coach know about, guys in foul trouble, things like that while I'm up there coaching. So he’s just reminding me of little stuff like that, but nothing crazy, same thing I've done for (Gregg Popovich) and everybody else.”
Have you allowed yourself to soak in the moment of ‘I'm the head coach of the Boston Celtics?’ Have you had that moment, like, you’re done with your work for the night, you sit down, you lay down in bed, you're like ‘oh my God I'm here.’
“Honestly, I haven't. I don't really think like that. I don't think -- as a player I was the same way. To your point, at the end of the night when you're laying down you're almost thinking about the next day anyway, so that's kind of how my mind works. I've had family and friends tell me to take a breath and enjoy it and that's not really how I've ever been, so honestly, no. And not to take anything away from this great organization, but wherever I was at, I was gonna give the same effort, so it's not anything specific to Boston or that it would be different with another team. The goal is the goal, and I've mentioned the expectations of this organization are what make me happy. I haven't yet and maybe, who knows, game one or something like that, but I doubt it. That's not really how I think or feel, so just going with it.”
You've had to lay down some discipline already. Not getting into the specifics of Marcus or even benching Grant. That was one of the storylines coming in. How has that been received? Do you see the response from the team already?
“Yeah, I think to your point, they all mentioned being held accountable and being coached, and so they're receptive to that. It's just a matter of breaking some old habits to me. I have my pet peeves as a coach just like all coaches have, and when I see certain things I said, I'm not a guy that's gonna sweep it under the rug, so you speak on it, touch on it, and then move on and learn and grow from it. So they've been fine with that. To the point with Grant, it was this specific play, he also was in foul trouble so he's coming out anyway, but the fact they called the timeout just reset his focus on stop talking to the ref and get back because he gave up that dunk but, it's something. I talked to the team about accountability on the first day and it's equal opportunity as far as that, so I see something, I'm gonna say something about it, and we'll learn and grow and get better from it.”
