This article from Indystar.com got me to thinking and realizing that we are almost a third of the way through the season. 27 games is really 1/3, but we are close enough. And I don't think we've had a thread that is just about O'Brien.
When the Pacers hired Jim O'Brien I was shocked, not because he wasn't a good coach, but I just figured he wasn't in consideration (for whatever reason), but I'll tell you, I am so glad he's our coach. He's a better coach than Sam Mitchell or Stan Van Gundy (the two most mentioned candidates) Nothing Jim has done has surprised me - although he is getting the Pacers to run more than he did with his teams in Boston or Philly. The defense is exactly what I figured it would be and I'm thrilled with that. I love that he works the guys hard, and that he practices the team hard.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...plate=printart
Pacers' surprising start
O'Brien obsesses over winning
Pacers coach spends so much time at work watching video, he even dreams about it
By Mike Wells
mike.wells@indystar.com
December 19, 2007
Don't tell Jim O'Brien it's just one of 82 games. Definitely don't tell him losing is almost tolerable if the team plays hard. He gets offended.
Losses are the two-ton boulder on O'Brien's shoulder, the perpetual motivator that keeps him up at night. He's too exhausted to watch film when he goes home, but too worked up to sleep. So he usually wakes up every hour, recapping what went wrong.
That obsession is part of O'Brien's personality, one his players are quickly adopting.
"That's Jim," said assistant Lester Conner, who was also on O'Brien's staff in Boston and Philadelphia. "Jim's not a person that believes in sitting around talking it up with (the media) like other people do. His number one objective is winning and doing what it takes to get the job done."
O'Brien warned Pacers fans (and players) that this is how it would be.
Remember the preseason advertising campaign?
"Here, the game is about teamwork, dedication and passion," O'Brien said in the campaign. "It's about doing what's necessary to win. That's what I coach. . . . Hard work, preparation, and the will to win. There's no other way to play."
Seemed boring . . . until the Pacers knocked off Dallas, Denver, Orlando and Utah. His philosophy has led to a surprising 13-12 start going into tonight's game against his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Pacers beat New York on Monday night, their eighth road victory this season. Mechanical problems on their charter plane forced them to spend an extra night in the New York area. O'Brien probably slept well -- "it feels good that we've really taken care of business on the road," he said -- but he never sleeps long.
Every day starts with a 6 a.m. film session.
"I watch so much video and think about it so much that I dream this stuff constantly," he said. "It's a little scary about how much you think about it to get to where you want to get."
O'Brien arrived in Indiana with a no-nonsense reputation. Allen Iverson, who had his best season under O'Brien with the 76ers, told the Rocky Mountain News earlier that his former coach is a "big-time disciplinarian, throw-back coach."
O'Brien has one set of rules. They apply equally to Jermaine O'Neal and Courtney Sims, and everyone in between. He preaches details -- defensive stance, running through on the fast break -- and effort. O'Brien doesn't chastise his team publicly, but he will hold them accountable behind closed doors, like when he gave his team an earful before the Nov. 10 game against Denver.
His calm-yet-commanding duality was on display in the hours after Jamaal Tinsley was shot at Dec. 9.
O'Brien urged the public to remember that Tinsley was a victim -- yet also admonished his player's party-going ways and said Tinsley made a "wrong decision" by placing himself in harm's way. Tinsley said he appreciated the manner in which O'Brien assessed the situation.
As do his teammates, who have made the most of the freedom -- and the accompanying responsibility -- that comes with O'Brien's approach.
"He's up front, he tells you how he wants things, what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong and really tries to communicate and teach and tries to leave no stones unturned," said Mike Dunleavy, who is having his best season. "We practice hard, he's demanding. His number one priority is to get everybody better so collectively we can have a good team."
When the Pacers hired Jim O'Brien I was shocked, not because he wasn't a good coach, but I just figured he wasn't in consideration (for whatever reason), but I'll tell you, I am so glad he's our coach. He's a better coach than Sam Mitchell or Stan Van Gundy (the two most mentioned candidates) Nothing Jim has done has surprised me - although he is getting the Pacers to run more than he did with his teams in Boston or Philly. The defense is exactly what I figured it would be and I'm thrilled with that. I love that he works the guys hard, and that he practices the team hard.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...plate=printart
Pacers' surprising start
O'Brien obsesses over winning
Pacers coach spends so much time at work watching video, he even dreams about it
By Mike Wells
mike.wells@indystar.com
December 19, 2007
Don't tell Jim O'Brien it's just one of 82 games. Definitely don't tell him losing is almost tolerable if the team plays hard. He gets offended.
Losses are the two-ton boulder on O'Brien's shoulder, the perpetual motivator that keeps him up at night. He's too exhausted to watch film when he goes home, but too worked up to sleep. So he usually wakes up every hour, recapping what went wrong.
That obsession is part of O'Brien's personality, one his players are quickly adopting.
"That's Jim," said assistant Lester Conner, who was also on O'Brien's staff in Boston and Philadelphia. "Jim's not a person that believes in sitting around talking it up with (the media) like other people do. His number one objective is winning and doing what it takes to get the job done."
O'Brien warned Pacers fans (and players) that this is how it would be.
Remember the preseason advertising campaign?
"Here, the game is about teamwork, dedication and passion," O'Brien said in the campaign. "It's about doing what's necessary to win. That's what I coach. . . . Hard work, preparation, and the will to win. There's no other way to play."
Seemed boring . . . until the Pacers knocked off Dallas, Denver, Orlando and Utah. His philosophy has led to a surprising 13-12 start going into tonight's game against his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Pacers beat New York on Monday night, their eighth road victory this season. Mechanical problems on their charter plane forced them to spend an extra night in the New York area. O'Brien probably slept well -- "it feels good that we've really taken care of business on the road," he said -- but he never sleeps long.
Every day starts with a 6 a.m. film session.
"I watch so much video and think about it so much that I dream this stuff constantly," he said. "It's a little scary about how much you think about it to get to where you want to get."
O'Brien arrived in Indiana with a no-nonsense reputation. Allen Iverson, who had his best season under O'Brien with the 76ers, told the Rocky Mountain News earlier that his former coach is a "big-time disciplinarian, throw-back coach."
O'Brien has one set of rules. They apply equally to Jermaine O'Neal and Courtney Sims, and everyone in between. He preaches details -- defensive stance, running through on the fast break -- and effort. O'Brien doesn't chastise his team publicly, but he will hold them accountable behind closed doors, like when he gave his team an earful before the Nov. 10 game against Denver.
His calm-yet-commanding duality was on display in the hours after Jamaal Tinsley was shot at Dec. 9.
O'Brien urged the public to remember that Tinsley was a victim -- yet also admonished his player's party-going ways and said Tinsley made a "wrong decision" by placing himself in harm's way. Tinsley said he appreciated the manner in which O'Brien assessed the situation.
As do his teammates, who have made the most of the freedom -- and the accompanying responsibility -- that comes with O'Brien's approach.
"He's up front, he tells you how he wants things, what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong and really tries to communicate and teach and tries to leave no stones unturned," said Mike Dunleavy, who is having his best season. "We practice hard, he's demanding. His number one priority is to get everybody better so collectively we can have a good team."
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