By moving from Phoenix to Detroit this summer, Monty Williams not only changed teams, but also worlds. With the Suns, he aimed for the title, which he approached in 2021 with the Finals against the Bucks, while with the Pistons, winning 30 matches and staying in the race for play-in will already be a success.
Starting from scratch with a young team and making it progress and move forward, the coach knows how to do it. He took the Suns on at this point in their recent history. His objective with the Detroit franchise is therefore long term. But there is no question of him accepting everything…
“I’ve been there before. There are days when we are patient and others not, that’s the reality,” he recalls for The Athletic. “I could announce that I’m going to remain impassive, but it doesn’t work that way. I am human. My job is to push this group, to give direction and strength, to ensure that we are in an environment where the guys progress on a daily basis. »
“I’m not the type to say that you have to live with mistakes. That’s not how players grow.”
The coach intends to rely on the qualities of his group, which seems to respond well to his method. According to him, even if it is necessary to seek victories, the players must be able to express themselves freely.
“What I don’t want to do in helping players grow is make them afraid to be themselves. There is this trap when you try to build, progress and be competitive. We all want to win. I was like that and that was my problem. I try to find the balance between the two elements: helping, loving and growing but also pushing the players not to make systematic mistakes. I have to balance things. »
Young players make mistakes, it’s natural. You often have to accept them for them to improve – or else part with them, like the Warriors did with James Wiseman. Monty Williams accepts this observation, but nevertheless contests its inevitability.
“I’m not going to say the leash is going to get shorter. I’m not going to talk about progression anymore,” he specifies. “I’m not the type to say that you have to live with mistakes. That’s not how players grow. I think too many players have made mistakes and gotten into bad habits, and it’s been plaguing the NBA for a long time. It’s not because we release a player that he will stay on the bench. Sometimes you have to take him out, talk to him, show him things, and get him going again. Allowing players to play despite errors that keep coming back, I’m not sure that’s the recipe for success. »
