There was a time in this franchise when that motivation came straight from the head coach. Pat Riley used to order Charlie Ward and Monty Williams to go through three hours of work per day with then-assistant Jeff Van Gundy in 1994-95. Riley gave the rookies two days off a week. "It's been tough," Williams said back then during a season in which he rarely played on the veteran-laden team. "They expect perfection 110 percent each way."
Judging from what I've heard about his work with the Blazers, it seems like these sessions rubbed off on him. Williams seems destined to be a successful head coach in this league.
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