Wilkens, the Teacher, Is in Right Spot With Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers’ practices this fall are considerably quieter than they were a year ago, thanks to the restrained coaching style of new Coach Lenny Wilkens, Cavaliers’ players said.

“He really is a teacher,” said rookie center Brad Daugherty, the first pick overall in the NBA’s June draft. “He lets you play, lets you make your mistakes and then critiques you. He doesn’t yell and scream at you. I believe he’s the ideal coach for a young team because he gives you an opportunity to learn.”

Wilkens, 48, has coached for 13 seasons in the NBA. He ranks 10th on the all-time victory list with 553, and he guided the Seattle SuperSonics to the league title in 1979.

Wilkens temporarily left the coaching ranks to serve as Seattle’s general manager last season before being hired by Cleveland on July 9.

“I’ve worked with a lot of young people. I feel that if you take time with them and work with them, they will respond. I never want to kill aggressiveness and confidence. I don’t like to do a lot of yelling. If you do, the players can become too cautious,” Wilkens said during a Cavaliers’ training session.

The style is a marked contrast to that of George Karl, who was fired as Cleveland’s coach last March as the Cavaliers were nearing the end of a 29-53 season. Karl was often a vocal critic of his players.

“Lenny stops practice and explains instead of hollering at you and breaking you down,” said third-year center Mel Turpin, who was frequently at odds with Karl. “He explains stuff to you and wants you to understand it.

“Last year, you’d look over your shoulder, look over to the bench to see if you were doing something wrong. That breaks down the confidence in yourself. This year, you feel like if you’ve done something wrong, you can stop and go to the coach and talk about it.”

Forward Ben Poquette, one of the few long-time NBA veterans on the team, shares the same enthusiasm about Wilkens as the younger players.

“This is my ninth coach in the pros and Lenny is different from any coach I’ve had. It seems like they’ve all been yellers and screamers,” Poquette said. “He seems really calm and has a positive attitude. If you make a mistake, he doesn’t scream but says, ‘Hey, you missed this option. Next time, look for this.’ That’s especially good for younger players.”