When Jacques Vaughn compared his team to his beard

Jacques Vaughn is no longer in his first attempt as an NBA head coach. After two years as an assistant to learn the basics in San Antonio (2010-2012), the former leader had a first, rather complicated experience in Orlando for two and a half years (2012-2015). He then rose to prominence in the 2020 bubble as the Nets’ interim coach following Kenny Atkinson’s departure.

This time, his coaching career will continue with the franchise he wore and after an encouraging enough start (13 wins from his first 20 games) to return to the helm of his Brooklyn neighborhood. .

Through a lengthy question-and-answer session, the New York Post sought to learn more about Jacques Vaughn’s philosophy and principles as a coach.

Too many rules kill rules…

Far from the image of an authoritarian coach, which he can sometimes allow to appear on the bench, he has learned flexibility in his relations with the group, especially in the difficult question of “internal rules”, he has learned the red lines that the players do not. for example, he has the right to pass as a latecomer.

“As a coach, I learned early on that rules get you in trouble. I don’t agree with rules that are thought to be 100% non-negotiable. I think everything can be agreed.” he explained while refuting the idea that there is no definite framework. “Technically, for example, when I take you off the field, you have to go out. You have to go when I put you there (laughs). But there is no such thing as saying “You can’t be late”. There are times when something has happened and you will be late. When you’re asked to explain it to your teammate and the group, there’s a reason behind everything…Just like in basketball, there can’t be zero mistakes. I treat these people as human beings.”

The former playmaker has learned to share and give, and for him, the first thing he banishes from the dressing room is “selfishness”.

“There is one thing that is important for me, and that is to say “hello” to you in the morning. The reason I do this is because for that second, I’m worried about your morning, not mine. That’s why I try to say “Hi” to every player every day. This is the moment I gave them (to exchange).

A shaggy beard as a workforce

The experience also allowed him to gain wisdom about his job as a coach and the pressure that can exist every night over a long season.

” I got better as I got older. I learned to take things apart faster. Be it a possession or a game. I am able to take a short and long view of the situation “, he added, also referring to the evolution of his attitude towards his players. “As a young manager at the time, I probably thought I should have all the answers and let the group know I have all the answers, not tell my team what to say to them in the tunnel, like, ‘I messed it up. I shouldn’t have left you in that situation.’

This experience can also be read in his face and in his graying beard, as if he has been rudely cut to show that he no longer cares about the appearance he returns, but that he has gained confidence.

So he compared the texture of his beard to the composition of his band: each part grows at its own pace!

“It is. It’s like one side grows a little faster than the other, the growth is different,” he said. “Nic Claxton grows at a different rate than Day’Ron Sharpe. You have an old beard like Markieff Morris with a little gray beard and a young guy approaching the court like Alondes Williams. you have less fleshy parts as a boy. Sometimes it’s confusing. You wake up one morning and nothing is right. So it’s up to you to make everything presentable. You brush and comb your beard and we work through those concerns together. At the end of the day, you want your beard to look good . It’s the same for the team, we want them to work hard, be dedicated and be a presence for the Brooklyn neighborhood. That’s how you put it all together.”