He became an even bigger one when, as an assistant coach for Team USA in China for the FIBA World Cup, he saw Walker embrace a challenge from the coaching staff to become more than just elite scorer, but step into a leadership role and try to play tougher defense -- something Walker’s not exactly known for.
In his second year at the helm in Atlanta, he’ll issue a similar challenge to the Hawks, who finished 29-53 (four more wins than the year prior) and had the third-worst defensive rating in the league (113.1, in front of the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Caveliers).