Chapter 135: Challenging The Head Coach.
Although Conley came from the 'traditional' school of point guards, where following the coach's directives is paramount, he wasn't as stubborn as someone like Hollins.
He understood the current situation the team faced.
Even though Hollins was a coach with real authority, he was still an NBA coach.
If this were the NCAA, Gay would never have dared to act out like he did. But in the NBA, he was willing to challenge Hollins, and Hollins wasn't in a position to do much about it.
This is the key difference—NBA coaches and players essentially operate in a partnership.
When a team performs poorly and loses, the first one to shoulder the blame is often the coach.
So as long as it worked and got them back in the game, Hollins wasn't likely to say much.
Just after they wrapped up their 'little meeting', the Thunder made substitutions, and the referees signaled for the inbound play.
Battier passed it in from the sideline, Conley got the ball, and Randolph posted up. The Thunder's defense collapsed early, and everything looked the same as before.
But then, off the weak side, Han Sen made a move, using a screen from Marc Gasol to get to the free-throw line.
Harden got completely stuck on the screen, and Conley's pass landed right on target. Han Sen took the shot from mid-range without hesitation.