Camden wrote:Oh, LST, don't flatter yourself. I don't feel attacked or threatened by your opinions. I merely find some of your takes about Thibodeau to be amusing, that's all.
You'd rather attribute the improved play to a softer side of coaching from the sideline. That's fine. I think that's a little silly, yes, but that's certainly okay. Here's a thought. Perhaps Thibs has been more positive, as you and Lip say, this past week because there's been more for him to be positive about. The team hasn't made nearly as many mental mistakes over the last handful of games. The entire starting five has been playing much better than they were earlier in the season.
Also, might the improved play have anything to do with the back-to-back practices Thibs held last week? I doubt you'd like to think about that being part of the improvement, though, since you seem to think Thibs practices result only in negative, fatigued play in the following games. Maybe, just maybe, practice is a good thing.
Cam -- You are one of my favorite participants on this Board, contributing great insights, observations and arguments. But I think LST was reacting to the sarcasm of your prior post. Sarcasm typically comes off as arrogant and tends to be a conversation killer. I'll admit to a sarcastic comment or two on this Board over the years, so I'm definitely in a glass house on this one. :). But I think it's best if we all avoid it. If you think someone says something that's silly, then why not just say you think the notion is silly? I happen to disagree with the notion that LST's take is silly, but I respect your view to the contrary.
All of us who have played and watched sports for a long time know how important the mental side of the game -- attitude and chemistry/atmosphere -- is to performance. And it seems clear to me that Thibs had adjusted his demeanor and interaction with players recently. As Q pointed out, it's sort of a chicken and egg thing. But I think it's fair (and not silly) to suggest that Thibs has made adjustments in the way he interacts with players and that those changes have contributed to the teams' recently improved performance even if just a little. And I wouldn't say it's Thibs showing a "softer" side. I'd say it's Thibs taking a more "positive" approach. Being positive and encouraging is a standard, well-accepted principle of effective leadership, not a silly idea. And while it's fair for you to disagree and believe it's silly, in my view, sarcasm is toxic and something we should all avoid.
