BACK on the BENCH

SEATTLE -- Hands on his knees, leaning against a green padded wall beneath the baseline, P.J. Carlesimo is miffed.

OK. Miffed is putting it kindly.

He’s frustrated and angry, seething as his Seattle SuperSonics slog toward the end of a grueling practice, mistakes mounting by the moment. Exhausted by the countless miscues, Carlesimo does what has come naturally since he started coaching in 1971.

“What the . . . are we doing here?” Carlesimo bellows in his raspy voice, above the squeaks of shoes and huffing of his players.

Yes, P.J. Carlesimo has changed since he was last a head coach in 1999, when his much-publicized and scrutinized stint heading the Golden State Warriors mercifully ended.

But his demanding style and willingness to chew out a player, or his entire team, hasn’t changed at all. It’s his way of developing accountability and part of the new culture he’s trying to be create in Seattle.

“Players want that. There is a misperception about this league that players don’t want that,” Carlesimo said. “Players want that as long as you’re fair. They don’t mind being held accountable as long as everyone is held accountable.”

Eight years removed from his time in Golden State, Carlesimo is back as a head coach. Now it’s his task to develop Kevin Durant and to revitalize a once-proud franchise rife with questions about its future.

It’s not a simple endeavor. And it’s one Carlesimo and the Sonics understand won’t be accomplished in one year. Especially on a team with no established stars and just two playoff appearances since 2001.

Patience is key for everybody, especially Carlesimo.

It was Carlesimo’s demanding style that clashed with Latrell Sprewell 10 years ago in Golden State, culminating in one of the most infamous coach-player clashes in sports history.

The tensions between Carlesimo and his star player boiled over at a practice Dec. 1, 1997, when Sprewell responded to Carlesimo’s terse command of “put a little mustard” on a pass by choking his coach. It took several players and team officials to break it up.

Carlesimo understands he forever will be linked with the Sprewell incident. But he’s also grown from his previous experiences.

He’s a father now, with two young children demanding his attention at home, and teaching him a new approach to patience.

“My wife certainly doesn’t think I’m as patient as I should be with our little guys,” Carlesimo says with a smile.