There are two ways to diagnose how the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a win in Game 3 over the Houston Rockets. You either think the Rockets completely choked away the game and handed a 3-0 series lead to LA, or you believe the Lakers' poise empowered them to seize the night.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is a staunch believer in the former. He spent the postgame presser throwing his players under the bus, thereby poisoning his own honor (and diminishing job security) in the process.
JJ Redick, meanwhile, spent the aftermath of Game 3 taking accountability for his mistakes in front of his entire team. While lauding guys like Marcus Smart, LeBron James, and Rui Hachimura for their composure, Redick confessed that he and his staff made mistakes in overtime that could have been avoided.
JJ Redick's virtuous response to Game 3 made Ime Udoka look terrible
Redick branded himself as a flawed individual who, like the rest of the Lakers on Friday night, found a way to overcome those flaws and emerge victorious in a completely chaotic game full of ups and downs.
It was a horrific night for Udoka, and Redick's virtuous reaction to a game that could have gone either way exposed the negativity, anger, and self-preservation that Udoka exudes.
The problem with Udoka is that he's upset about the mentality of his players but doesn't realize that he himself is the root of that mentality. Udoka criticized his guys following Game 2 for a lack of confidence, but here he is kicking them when they're down. How is that supposed to breed confidence?
Ime Udoka hasn't learned the art of empowering his players
There's a fine line between tough love and overbearing criticism. In many cases, coaches should be treating each player a little differently, based on the temperament of that human being, as well as where they are in their career.
Udoka hasn't figured out the art of empowering his players in that fashion. His guys played scared sometimes, sure, but that's a direct reflection of Udoka. Beneath his faux intimidating exterior is a coach who is rooting for his players less than he's rooting for himself, and players sense that. They're less likely to go to battle for a guy like that and overcome their own mental shortcomings to do so.
On the other side of things, Redick can be harsh on his players, but you never get the sense that he doesn't believe in them or their potential to be better. There are plenty of other coaches in the league that operate like this, Boston Celtics' Joe Mazzulla being one of them.
Even when you look at a college coaching legend like Rick Pitino, you can sense that his over-the-top "negative" reactions to his players messing up are actually the reflection of a deeply positive, tough love he has for his guys. If he's angry or screaming, there's unconditional support on the other side of the coin, and his players experience that support to a greater degree than the momentary reaction.
Udoka probably cares about his players a lot. He wants them to succeed, obviously, but he continues to come across as a self-interested head coach more than anything else, and that gets in the way of his many other positive qualities. It's also contributed to the Rockets being down 3-0 to a team playing without its best two offensive weapons.
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