What happens after a loss? The perspective from a professional competitive coach
Article by SG Basketball Coach Victor Tan
Harden & the Rockets exit after losing to the Lakers.
Finger pointing. Disagreement and argument. The ugly side rears its head. A litmus test for team spirit. A locker room you do not want to be part of.
As a professional competitive coach, the record of wins/losses and number of championships should fill the front page of your resume. From the professional player’s perspective, it is more straight forward. Your contribution on court and your ability to play a significant role towards winning.
In the NBA, it is easier to pin the blame on the head coach when things go wrong. Contract wise, it makes more fiscal sense to move the coach than to make huge upheavals in the playing roster. As a chef, turning on the fire and buying the ingredients are the easy part. Everything becomes much harder after that.
Look at the LA Clippers. After securing two top players in Paul George and reigning MVP Kawhi Leonard, they are expected to make waves in the championship chase this season. Instead, they were knocked out in the second round of the playoffs amidst player discontent and below average play by Paul George. Coach Doc Rivers, with one championship under his belt with the Boston Celtics, was scrutinised and said to be outcoached by the Denver Nuggets coach, Michael Malone. Houston Rockets, after thrilling the NBA with James Harden’s out of the world scoring prowess and Mike D’Antoni’s 3 point-centric offence, finally parted ways with the head coach after a reign which yielded no championships.
In every competition, there is only one winner. One champion. If you are second, you are basically the last to lose. When things go wrong in a match, who shoulders the blame more; the coach or the player? As a professional coach or player, you are paid to deliver. Working hard on your craft is paramount to achieving success. A professional player should constantly think of ways to improve. As a coach, it is just as important to keep improving. Watching video clips of training and matches, putting in time to analyse plays, attending coaching workshops and engage in sharing with fellow coaches are great ways to improve.
Like all professions, there are key performance indicators in professional basketball. It is called winning. You do not need to learn how to celebrate a win. It comes naturally. After a loss, a thorough review and reflection have to be made. The team must come together to fight the common cause. Common sense must prevail. Adjustments must be made. Do not enamoured by the fame and glitz that come with success. With losing, someone must pay a price.
Clippers lost to the Nuggets, much to the dismay of fans who expected a LA conference finals.