How Mike Brown’s open communication with players benefits the Kings

I recently came across an article by the late Dr. Jack Ramsay. Ramsay, a hall-of-fame coach who passed away in 2014, coached before many of our NBA-viewing days but led the Portland Trail Blazers to a title in 1977. He is widely regarded as one of the best to do ever do it, making the playoffs in 16 of his 20 seasons as an NBA head coach before going on to have a successful broadcasting career. He once wrote a column for ESPN that offered 5 things NBA coaches must do to excel.

One thing he mentioned in his article was this:

“Good teaching requires open communication between the coach and his players. Players must know what the coach wants from them and the roles each plays in the team game. The smart coach knows how his players are responding to the game plan and invites responses from them. A successful coach also learns from his players.”

Mike Brown is clearly a good game plan and X’s and O’s coach, and he already had quite the track record prior to becoming the Kings head coach (a 347-216 record as a coach coming into Sacramento). He turned the Kings into the best scoring offense last season, helped De’Aaron Fox become a first time All Star, instilled an exciting motion offense, and has his team improving on defense this season. He knows his stuff and has Sacramento beaming. The Kings are 11-7 and 4th in the Western Conference.

Outside of basketball strategy, Brown also seems to be a great communicator. He is direct and tells his players what he wants out of them. This is probably why the team has shown such a good “next man up” mentality this season. He isn’t afraid to be honest and get into his guys if he sees something he doesn’t like. He also doesn’t shy away from letting his players express themselves and he openly admits when he is wrong.

Not all coaches in the NBA will regularly share moments of disagreements with their players publicly, especially when the players are in the right. Brown does this quite often, and it shows a level of self confidence in himself, his position within the organization and the positive status of the locker room.

There have been several examples. One of the more amusing ones came early in the season. On Oct. 29 following an overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Brown spoke about an interaction with Keegan Murray, the second-year, up-and-coming franchise piece. Murray had passed up a shot and Brown started barking at him from the sidelines while preparing a sub. On the next offensive possession, Murray took and drained a shot. Brown shared what happened between them during that sequence.

“He’s got to shoot the ball. He’s one of the best shooters I’ve been around, and he didn’t shoot it. I told him the only reason he’ll probably come out of games this year, when he’s not supposed to get some rest, is if he doesn’t shoot the freaking ball. And it was great because the next opportunity he got, he shot it, and I think he turned to me and said, ‘F you!'” [Laughs]. Which I loved. That’s great,” Brown said.

With that snap at Brown, Murray let him know the message was received, and Brown respected it. Murray probably appreciated the freedom to speak freely, if you will.

Next up is Domantas Sabonis, the heartbeat of the offense. Following another overtime win, this time against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Brown shared an exchange that occurred in the locker room at halftime after the Kings had displayed an impressive first half against the first-place Wolves.

“We ran that high pick and roll action – double high pick and roll action with Fox – I don’t know how many times in the second half. It was funny because at halftime I didn’t think we were defending at the level we are capable of. I am talking about defense, defense, defense, defense, because we were shooting 56 percent from the field in the first half, we scored 70 points. So Domas said, ‘Coach! What about that play that we spent 20 minutes on? We spent 20 minutes on this play, and you don’t even call it one time.’ I said, ‘Domas, you are right, you are 100 percent right. I’ll call the play, but we scored 70 points and we’re shooting 56-57 percent from the field.’ And he goes, ‘OK, I got you defensively.’ I said, ‘OK get me defensively and I’ll call the play.’ And I probably called the play 20 times at least. So, after the game I said, ‘Domas, did I call the play enough for you?’ He said, ‘Yes, coach.’ I said, ‘Thanks for holding me accountable.'”

You have to assume this exchange happened in front of the whole team. That is open communication.

Next up, Malik Monk, the sixth man of this team and who should be Sixth Man of the Year this season. The Kings defeated the Warriors in that thriller at Golden 1 Center. Of course, Monk was the hero of the game with his ridiculous, one-foot fadeaway game winner. It wasn’t the shot that Brown focused on after the game though, it was a moment when Monk got after the whole coaching staff.

“We talked about what we were doing wrong in the timeouts. We were starting to get a little carried away as a staff at the officials and Malik came over and scolded all of us coaches. He said, ‘Hey, leave the officials alone. You guys need to be quiet.’ And I am glad he did. We all have to be held accountable. That was probably the only thing that got a little testy is when Malik told us to shut up and we were kind of looking at each other, did he just do that? Yeah, he just did that. OK, maybe we should listen to him, and we did. And once we did that, in my opinion, that’s when we took off,” Brown said.

Monk told the whole coaching staff to do something and they listened. And not only that, Brown told all of us it happened. That, like all the rest of these stories, means something. It means there is a level of trust and respect that goes both ways on this team. It is a coach that invites response. As Ramsay said: A successful coach learns from his players

Lastly, De’Aaron Fox. The star of the team. This just happened Saturday in the win over the Denver Nuggets. Brown spoke about the late-game scenario.

“Late in the game, they went on a run. I had taken Malik out to try to get him a couple minutes of rest. They went on a run, and it was like maybe a three-point ball game or something like that, and I called a play for Malik when he got back in the game, and he scored a little floater,” Brown said. “We went down on defense, and I think they shot free throws. So, I called the same play. And unbeknownst to me until I saw the play unfold on the other end, Fox had called me off and he called his number with a play that he is pretty comfortable in. Basically, the same play we ran play after play, after play at Minnesota. He called that play and we ended up scoring. So, I told him after the game, I’ve been here a little over a year and the best offensive play call I’ve made in my entire career as the Sacramento Kings head coach was tonight. He kind of looked at me, and I said, ‘Do you even know which play it was? He said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Well, I called a particular play, and you called me off and you ran the play that you wanted to run, you called your number, that is what you are supposed to do. That’s what MVP candidates do against the reigning NBA champions.”

The results on the floor are what they are. The Kings are a good team that appear to be on a trajectory for regular playoff appearances, which is credit to the talent collected by Monte McNair, the work the players put in, the basketball knowledge of the coaching staff, and the way Brown connects with his players. He has open communication, his players know what he expects of them, and as a smart coach he expects responses from them.

The Kings have their long-term coach, and I am sure the players are just as happy about that as the fans are.