Former Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson always said the thing he loved about playing for Steve Clifford is not having to guess where you stand with him.
That isn’t always pleasant, but it is constructive. It took a month for center Willy Hernangomez to figure out playing for Clifford. Part of that was about the basics: offensive sets and defensive coverages. It was also about setting a new standard for focus.
“You have to be smart with this game, do the right things for teammates,” said Hernangomez of learning Clifford’s priorities. “I think I tried to do that from the very start, but coach Clifford really expects it.